Paaaarp!
 

And we’re off. With no neutral zone the first few metres were a bit messy as a couple of dozen girls played variations of ‘Flip the Pedal’. The roadway was immediately sloping – not steeply but enough to help you on your way, no one seemed keen on pushing the pace just yet, well we’ve got a way to go yet.

Girls racing is reliant on a fairly small pool of riders, indeed I'm on at least nodding terms with everyone here today. The arrival of five new riders to such a small puddle is quite something, today’s new arrivals however have a bit more experience of unfamiliar riders. Anyhow the net result was a cautious start to proceedings, it took the steeper slope towards the bottom of the circuit to prompt any sort of racing.

Claire led us down through the trees, a snake of riders following in her wake, all cautious of the unknown. It wasn’t something planned but that simple act sparked a reaction, a reaction from Barb who with Fran on her wheel took over point. Mand moved up to join the leaders but, tempting as it is, I held my place around sixth wheel.

The road bobbled along around the bends then we turned onto the fairly steep ramp back up to the start / finish area. It was oh so tempting to let fly but there’s nineteen more laps to go so I held myself back, even when Sal had a dig through the hairpins. There wasn’t exactly a reaction to her move just a general continuation of the pace rather than the usual easing off towards the summit.

Claire and Laura weren’t really positioned to do any blocking so whilst Sal led through the end of the lap we were breathing down her neck. And so a pattern was set, tentative attacks, well more feelers really as everyone got the measure of each other. We shed a few riders in the process, nothing new there, all of Team Apollinaris / BC were still present, lets face it, we are all internationals, few of the rest have even ridden outside of our region.

"How long we playing yoyo’s?” Tal queried leaning over to keep our conversation sort of private.
"You want a dig?”
"This is getting a bit boring.”

Well no arguing that and we are coming up to the mid point.

"You? Me?”
"Both of us?”
"Works for me, next time on the ramp.”
"Done.”

As we were already on the descent that meant our move would be in less than a kilometre so I stuffed half an energy bar in my mouth before taking a decent swig from a bidon. Then it was a case of trying to make my shoe check look idle as I allowed myself to slide backwards in the group.

Once again we turned onto the ramp but this time as everyone else changed down, I, and Tali stood on the pedals and accelerated. I was pretty much past the head of the peloton and approaching the first turn before there was a reaction. Between the rather un ladylike curses and crashed gear changes the bunch exploded.

Well I'm sort of committed now, I kept up the workload through the second bend only returning to the saddle as the grade eased off a tad. Tal came through to share the pace setting, as I went to swing onto her wheel I almost side swiped Claire. I allowed myself a quick look behind then, Fran was just a handful of metres behind with Gret and Laura in close attendance, hmm, six, a useful size for a breakaway.
Round through the end of the lap we were pretty much a group.

"Nice move,” Dad called out as he clapped us past, "One at fifty.”
"Go GB,” Mike added.

So we’ve got a chaser then.

Obviously five of us have trained and raced together, it was a no brainer for us to start working together – I know what Dad said but it’d be daft if we worked against each other. Oh we certainly didn’t exclude Fran who was clearly feeling a bit out of her comfort zone. For the first time we actually pushed on the descent, we might not have Josh to drag us along but Tali and Gret can do a fair job, remember the Ring a few weeks ago?

We eased a bit through the back of the circuit, I grabbed a bottle and took a slug before moving alongside Fran.

"Okay?”
"Yeah,” she panted.
"Said you were as good as these.”
"Don’t think so.”
"You’re here aren’t you?”
"Only just.”
"Get a drink before the hill,” I advised, seeing her lick dry lips.
“’Kay,” she agreed reaching for her own bidon.

We safely negotiated the twists and turns then we were on the climb again. It was a calmer ascent this time, not slow, just less frenetic. The first turn allowed a quick look back down the first ramp, is that two riders? I couldn’t say for sure but however many there are they were over two hundred behind us.

Our little group was threatening to self destruct after the second turn – not good this far out.

"Easy!” I called forward.

Tal dropped her pace a bit and you could almost feel the relief flowing from Fran and Sally. The slight loss of speed was enough to see us turn onto the finish straight pretty much all together, well I dangled a length off the back.

“Keep it steady!” Dad shouted.

I gave a finger wave in reply.

"We taking this to the finish?” Tal queried as she joined me off the back.
"Unless someone else has ideas, you wanting a bash?”
"Nah, Gret and the blonde look a bit itchy though.”

Indeed Sal is broadcasting her intentions quite loudly, will Laura try blocking? And Gret, hmm she’s potentially a loose cannon.

"Pull the sting?” I suggested as we started the descent for the thirteenth time.
“’Kay, no time like the present,” Tal agreed.
"I'll go,” I told her.

I slammed it into the twelve and stood for a quick blast before getting into an aero tuck. Despite my size, or perhaps because of it I'm pretty good at descending, I was quickly pedalled out and relying on position to maintain speed. A dab of the brakes skimmed enough speed off to get around the first right hander then pedal back up, wide for the sharp left and….

From the cool expert I became uncontrolled missile in a moment. It happened so fast I couldn’t say for sure what happened one second I'm heading into the bend, the next I was sliding towards the inner retaining wall.

"Ooof!” I allowed as I fetched up at the wall, my bike coming to rest a few metres further on.

Screeching brakes announced the chasers coming through, damn! A quick check revealed no serious damage so I scrambled to my feet, grabbed my steed and with a hop I was on my way. Well not quite, my chain was off, I reached down to hook it back by which time the chasers were on me.

"You okay?” Mand asked easing alongside.
"Yeah, came off on the bend.”
"Come on then, race to win and all that.”

The other rider turned out to be Barb and by the start of the climb we were working fairly well together.

Dad peered along the straight then checked his watch as we came along to him, "Thirty seconds!”

Well not too bad considering, question now is what’s happening up ahead?

You can’t win if you aren’t at the pointy end of things and you know me, I like to win. I pushed the pace on the descent again although I trimmed a bit more off for ‘that’ corner. Even so I had a little squiggle as my rear wheel caught some lubricant, must take a wider line through next time. The others shared the pace along to the climb, the leaders were just taking turn one as we hit the ramp, we’ve closed a bit but whether we can bridge the whole gap in six laps I couldn’t say.

We climbed steadily, my right shoulder complaining somewhat when I stood up around the turns, I guess the bruise is coming out. Barb and Mand were working well together, a little too well perhaps as I dropped off the back over the summit. Oh I was soon back on but I let Manda take the lead on the downhill, taking the opportunity to refuel.

I followed the others along the back of the circuit, no issues this time with grip and confidence restored I took over pace setting for the climb. Tal and co were no closer but there again we’d held station over the lap, it was less us not trying as them keeping up their effort. By the top it was Barb dangling off the back rather than me, I offered her the courtesy they gave last lap so we were all together with four to go.

The next two laps were much the same, no significant closing of the gap, I guess we aren’t gonna make it across.

"Twenty,” Dad advised as we started the penultimate circuit.
"Need a miracle,” Mand observed.
"There’s still a chance,” Barb suggested.
There’s always a chance I suppose.

When we reached the ramp it was to be greeted by the impossible, the leaders were only about a hundred metres in front.

"Looks like your Miracle Mand.”
"What’re they up to?” she returned.
"Dunno but lets not waste the opportunity.”

We all three dug deep on the climb, we gained a few extra metres but the summit effect meant we were still ten seconds back as we went through the bell. I took the lead on the drop, this time the others were in sight and providing quite the carrot. If they were aware of our pursuit they weren’t doing anything to avoid our joining them.

They were still clear through the back of the circuit, we hit the ramp still adrift by some fifty metres. I flicked my gear shift and with a deep breath hit the turbo.

It was only my arrival in their midst that provoked a response from the leaders, I'd like to say I shot past, left them for dead and won by a huge distance. But that wouldn’t be the truth, no, my effort to reach them severely hit my reserves and Laura was the only one who dropped back as they matched my speed. So that's the way of things then, we climbed as a group towards the summit, the two hundred banner hove into view and I quickly decided on a sprint tactic.

Mand coming past me threw me a little but it actually gave me an edge as the others reacted to her. I wanged it into top and started winding things up quickly overtaking Tal and closing the gap to the others. By a hundred to go we were pretty much five abreast, Mand going backwards, me forwards, the others seemingly equally matched.

The MC and the small crowd of supporters were yelling their support, not that I was paying any attention, my brain cells fixed on crossing the line first. I gave one last lunge forward and it was over, I hit the stoppers and once stopped, dropped to the grass. The blood was pounding around my head, I released my helmet and lay back, my eyes closed and let my breathing return to a more sensible level.

"Okay kiddo?” Dads voice asked from somewhere above me,
"Yeah, shoulder hurts a bit.”
"Gret said you came off, I wondered what happened.”
I pushed myself upright, wincing as pain lanced through my shoulder, "Oil or something, slid across the road and into a wall.”
"Looks like you’ve got some road rash,” he agreed.
"Who won?”
"Its a photo, lets let the medics check you out.”
“’Kay,” I agreed, letting him help me to my feet.

"It may be broken,” the paramedic suggested.
"Sugar,” I hissed.
"I'll strap it for now but you should get it x-rayed as soon as possible.”
"Okay, thanks,” Dad told her.

I emerged from the Johanniter tent with my arm in a sling and several dressings taped to arms, legs and somehow the back of my head.

"Geez, Gab,” Laura voiced the look on the others faces, "You all right?”
"I guess, couldn’t let the lads get all the attention, so who won?”
 

Maddy Bell © 11.07.17