Race 19 Redbridge Cycle Centre

This circuit has always caused me problems. First time I was ill, second time was ruined by incorrect gear restrictions, this would be my first proper experience of the circuit featuring hogs hill and I wasn't sure how it would go, I am a sprinter, but I am very light and I am fast up bow brickhill, it could have gone either way.

No roller warm up as the car park was too far, so I just rode around the circuit, once round the full thing and a few times round the short circuit.

I lined up on the last row of people in a field of 40 riders, as we set off I stayed near the back and took the corners carefully, when we came to the hill I was still at the back, but riding on the right hand side of the road I climbed straight to the front of the group. It became harder as the race went on and I fought to stay in the group.

In the final 5 laps the pace picked up and for the first time my legs started to burn. 2 laps to go and I messed up the first corner, but that was as close as I came to crashing. Coming to the final straight before hogs hill I was a few meters off the back, but I got back on before the foot of the climb.

I expected the climb to go the same as the previous times, with a sprint at the top, but as I looked up, I saw that everyone was out of the saddle sprinting, so I gave my effort as hard as I could still keeping in mind the length of the climb, as we crested the steepest part I pushed my self even harder to catch a last few riders and possibly gain a top ten. As I crossed the line I tried to count the riders ahead of me, but was just too tired.

14th place. (we checked the footage). Best result yet, very happy, victory is not far away and a top 10 is even closer.