Crit Racing at Milton Keynes Bowl

Saturday 14 March 2009

Race Report by Jenn O'Connor


Our first team road race of the season didn’t exactly go as we’d planned, but then it’s difficult to plan a road race as you just don’t know what’s going to happen. Nadine had already raced the first two of this three-race series, so we based our plan on her experience. Basically, it was to stick with the bunch, cover any attacks and get our sprinter (Nadine) to the finish line.

The race was a handicap, which meant riders were divided into three groups based on licence categories. We’re all 3rd cats on the road, which should have put us in the middle group, however the two slower groups had to wear coloured lycra covers over their helmets so they could be identified in the bunch. These covers were a style abomination and we refused to wear them on principle. So we upgraded ourselves to the scratch (fast) group where we wouldn’t have to cover our new Catlike Whisper Plus helmets with ugly helmet covers. In the two previous events, the handicap between the groups was only 15 and 30 seconds, so we anticipated no problems.

Altura Patterson Training: From left, Nadine Spearing, Annabel Simpson and Jenn O'Connor in their Altura kit with Catlike helmets, Adidas Eyewear and new Cannondale Synapse bikes.

The first curveball came from the race organisers. With such a robust-looking scratch group, they decided (on the start line, five minutes before the gun) to change the handicap rules. Our group would go off first, and we would have to catch and lap the slow group, and catch the second group around the 1km circuit in order to get on equal terms. This meant our scratch group would have to go like hell from the start in order to get clear around the circuit, or the second group would catch us and we’d never shake them.

Nadine (left) and Annie warming up before the start - turns out we should have brought the turbo trainers.

Sure enough, it went off like a mountain bike race. We’d done a pretty gentle warm up, as we’d anticipated a gradual start, this being the case for the first two events. Annie managed to get on the wheel of one of the faster girls and I got on Annie’s wheel. There was a bit of shouting and catcalling as most the bunch refused to come to the front whilst a core group of four or five of us, including me and Annie, did the work. We tried to keep a steady pace, but the bunch surged and attacked, and it was all we could do to hang on and not crash into anyone. Next thing, Andy was shouting from the sidelines that Nadine was off the back. Shit.

I told Annie to stick at the front of the bunch while I dropped back to help Nadine. Nadine was well off the back and suffering, as the fast start and lack of proper warm-up had brought on an asthma attack. I finally got Nadine on my wheel, but my shouting, swearing and frantic gesturing didn’t seem to ease her breathing and pretty soon it was obvious we were never going to catch the front group. Nadine pulled off, and I tried to time-trial myself back on, but the group were still attacking and I had no choice but to sit up and let them lap me. I figured I could still help Annie, who was well settled amongst the leaders.

I was happy to do the work on the front of the group to save Annie’s legs, but it seemed that, as is often the case in women’s road racing, everyone else in the bunch had a race plan that involved sitting in and waiting for the sprint. No-one would come through. I shouted at them and called them all lazy bastards, which resulted in a bit of a surge, but no real change in work ethic. I figured at least I was getting a good workout at the front of the group, and I was less likely to crash and scuff my new carbon Cannondale.

My lead-out on the last lap was perfect. I wound it up from two laps out to stop any last-minute attacks, and with Annie glued to my wheel I strung the bunch out into a long line. Annie came around me with about 50 metres to go – she’s not a pure sprinter, but she has a good kick. The rest of the bunch came around me as well, and Annie gave it her best shot, but cramped up in the last few metres and got pipped back to about sixth.



Jenn (front) and Annie string out the field in the closing laps.

Annie gave it her best shot, but cramped up in the final few metres.

Had we worn the helmet covers, taken the handicap and gone off in the second group, we could easily have kept our team together, controlled the group, stayed away from the scratch group and possibly have won the race. But to be fair, as Elite XC racers, the scratch group was the right group for us, regardless of whether or not we would have looked like dorks with covers on our helmets. As it happened, we didn’t win anything, but we worked hard and still looked fantastic.

Proper warm-up next time.