Well I thought so anyway, no really dangerous moves but very effectively squeezed at the finish from both sides so I had to brake when I should have been just flowing through the middle. To rub salt into the wound cos I was braking over the last 40m I even got nipped for 3rd, bugger, from that excellent feeling when you know you have the legs of everyone in the sprint to fourth in a blink! Double bugger I know I won't get too many chances like that.
From the way the first two shook hands, I think they knew exactly what they had done, or maybe I'm being paranoid. I would probably have done the same, but boy I really rode the sprint well so I'm disappointed that the chance slipped by.
Anyway back to the beginning. I wasn't going to race today until checking the details for the race I had intended to ride on Sunday, its billed as the European Championship so I worried that I wouldn't get a start so I raced today.
As it happens, my friendly lady that runs the sign on and the judging, told me when I came to the table to collect my money, that I should start tomorrow, I can win the race, but not the championship. She also said that I should tell the other riders that too so they would ignore me when I broke away. Fat chance, of me breaking away or of them letting me.
Today's weather was overcaste but about 22c so ideal except for the wind that got stronger and changed direction while we were racing. A tree actually blew down on the back straight while we were racing. While I was doing a warm down lap it started spotting with rain, so we were lucky, the next races weren't.
The course was fairly straightforward, 8 x 7km laps. From the start line it was straightish, the road moving left and right quite a bit with a headwind, into a fast 90 degree right that was onto what I was thinking as the back straight, about 2km and tailwind, I enjoyed this stretch, up a little ramp and straight into a 110 degree right into a 500m straight which was into the wind, 90 degree right another 2+km straight that turned itself back into the wind, 75 degree right for 400m, then 90 degree right into what was the home straight, with about 1km to the line straight back into the wind but the houses did give some shelter. At 300m to there was this savage traffic calming ramp that threw the bike up into the air, 10m across the top of it, then whack back down again. At 150m to go there was some building works which squeezed the road down to one lane then the finish.
To be honest I was sort of hoping that with a championship the next day some of the 'guns' might take a rest. No chance every good rider that I have come across so far was on the start line, no easy ride then.
It was very nice to get some 'hello's etc before the start, including a 'hello Ray' from the strong man from the strong team I mentioned earlier in the blog. While I was doing my warm down lap I was chatting to a Dutch guy, they always speak good English, who was trying to get me up to Amsterdam next weekend to ride a big criterium, I will have a look at it but its probably further than I want to travel.
To be honest some of these guys are so strong I find it really difficult to go blow by blow with them. Today I never managed to move off the front with a reasonable looking group, I was always bridging on my own. When I was doing it down the fast back straight it was no problem, I have loads of speed but anywhere I was out in the wind it was a real struggle. I remind you of how the races go here, somebody launches out after a break away group and they batter themselves to get there, if you happen to jump on their wheel, you attack them when they start to fade, no working together, so that's why I try to get the job done with my speed, cos I'm not as physically strong as these guys.
So the race was attack and counter attack all the way, at two to go I was suddenly aware that there were 3/4 riders still in the race that I didn't know where there. From there it was just rider after rider launching off, as soon as one was brought back, the next went, I was hanging on saving my legs for a sprint, hoping that the group would be intact cos I never had it in me to get off the front on my own, in anycase they weren't going to allow that and I knew it.
I didn't mention the last corner, it was the one on the course that I just didn't seem to get quite right, it seems that there always (at least) one, today it wa the last. I think I'd be a lot happier if we just took them no brakes, I think some of the guys brake unnecessarily, however on the last lap it was fine, everybody left, 15 I think, was absolutely full on.
I had moved up into the last corner and came out of it moving to exactly where I wanted to be, right in the mix but not at the front, it was a strong headwind finish. During the race I thought that bloody hump in the road would play some part, I was right, somebody tried to attack onto it but they were soon blown away, coming past the road works, third, I got that wonderful feeling that comes with realising that the two riders in front of you are at max and you haven't really opened up yet. Of course I then picked it to blow straight through the middle, you know the rest, bugger again.
I guess if I had been a 'real' sprinter I would have carried on and hit one or both of them on the way through, maybe a headbutt? but I'm a long way from home with only one bike, one set of wheels and definitely one body.
Real shame I don't suppose I'll get many chances like today, still for a second or two it was a great feeling.
Maybe I'll race tomorrow although I know I shouldn't.
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