Milton Keynes sprint

Well, the circuit was interesting to say the least and more like Crystal Palace for turns and arrangement. Just throw in the exposure to the wind as a hill replacement and the match is almost there. Route was on the upper circuit due to a concert in the bowl going through rehersals and was extended out over the bridge and around the mini roundabout for a hairpin turn. Due to the circuit the CAT1+2 and 3+4 could not be on the same circuit so it was 20 minutes + 5 laps. Sprint time !

From the finish line it starts sloping down slightly and the circuit turns right gradually until you get a 90 degree right hander that can be taken without slowing down if you get the line right, although you have some bushes and a few trees to dodge if you get it wrong. From there it flattens out to a long right hand sweeping curve that takes your up to the bridge crossing and over to the roundabout. Hairpin turn round the roundabout, while avoiding the stones lining the edge of the roundabout and then back across the bridge to a sharp left hand turn. The left hand turn needs a bit of speed decrease before turning in, although the runoff is onto the grass field if you go too wide. Then flat to the finish line.

The race was started off at the finish line so that the bunch had a bit more time to file out as the bridge crossing had cones and barriers down the center and was wide enough for 2 bikes each side (probably 3 if your Mark Canvendish !) For this I realised you needed to be at or very near the front if you had any hope of getting ay points unless you should really have been riding a CAT 2 event... From the start I moved up to within the first 6, avoiding to be at the front for the start.

One rider was away almost from the start though and he was then the chase target for the rest of us. After the first lap I tried to bridge the gap and spent a few laps on the front but could not manage to get across and the gap seemed to stay static. After about 5 laps I started to get a stitch (probably the water or 2 bits of flapjack I had an hour prior) and had to either throw up or back off, so I eased up and joined in the chase bunch for a rest. Another rider went off the front and tried to catch the first break, who punctured on the roundabout with a blowout of the front tyre and hit the deck. Seemed ok, if not a little road rash.

That left another solo out in front, which I had nother go at bridging (solo) before trying with the rest of the bunch we ended up with at this point (about 6-7 of us ?). Once back in the bunch I derifted back a few spots and a couple of riders moved off the front an nobody else closed the gap and I held back thinking they would !!!! So it was now 1+2 out in front ahead of a smaller chasing group, which seemed to be driven by around 3 /4 of us semi chaotically rather than a nice through and off sequence. Hence the chase did not do too well and we never cought the 3. I was already in recovery mode at this point for the finish.

Going into the last lap I moved up, making a point of not ending up on the front, slotting in 4th place going over the bridge and took a place after the hairpin to be 3rd. Going into the left hander the rider in front either hit his pedal on the desk or his tyre slipped and I though he was going down so breaked slightly. He stayed up and I chased in a sprint for the line but could not reach them and ended up 6th overall (1+2+2 riders ahead of me overall).

We had started lapping riders around lap 15 ? and it was one of the hardest races I had done for a long while. Looking back the circuit is actually quite good, if not a little on the harsh side, but who's to say racing is suposed ot be easy !