English
It’s been a long season, well actually it has flow by. And it’s not over, yet.
The reason I haven’t blogged for a while is due to not wanting to let any opposition that are reading this know about an injury that has plagued me since mid June! I’ve had terrible Achilles pains. This led me to sitting/adjusting my pedal stroke on my bike differently, and then getting knee pains and hamstring pains. All together a pretty awful feeling, and has certainly prevented me from performing anywhere near the level I want too this year.
As you will of seen from Ben Simmons post, what seems like an eternity ago now, about the Ras De Cymru. This was an event where I really wanted to help Ben win the race overall. Unfortunately the above injuries were putting paid to it, as I couldn’t get the power out that I needed too. Frustrating, annoying, yes, you get the picture. I was deeply disappointed, as I was simply watching the race from the bunch, instead of being the race. If that makes sense.
My season has mainly been made up of events in the Surrey League. A league where it’s a good opportunity for me to test fitness etc, especially when you have a bunch of 80+ riders sat on your wheel and you look around and see them in one long line holding on. That’s a good feeling. Being a lone rider in these events it’s never going to be easy as there are teams who are happy to play stalemate with you all race long. It’s about making allies I find and doing your best. However, when there’s up to 10 riders from a team who won’t let you move an inch, it’s a tough situation.
Strangely, the Goodwood Gallops race I felt best in all year was the last of the series, picking up a couple of maximum primes and making the break until it split with a couple of laps to go and finding myself on a rider who lost the wheel in front. I couldn’t get back onto the front 6 or so riders. It showed that the form was getting better and also that the Achilles pain is going. Ice packs most nights and massaging into them has helped definitely, as has a product that I was given to test, Rosso, if anything buy it just for the smell! Thanks Simon for sending it through.
A new concept of race was also held as part of the Surrey League series this year, it was based in the grounds of Parham House & Gardens. The race went through the twisty single lane roads and out onto a main road and then back into the grounds of the House. It was the sort of circuit I love. Twisty, fast and technical. It saw riders who normally win the circuit races in the region get dropped early on. Sadly, my race only lasted a few laps longer when I sprinted out of a corner and my old faithful carbon wheels had an incident. The rear rim split. A combination of sprinting out of a corner and a wheel of 10 years old… never mind! Annoying, as it was showing the form was there…. I was feeling comfy and jumping around riders getting dropped with ease. The race circuit was reminiscent of kermesse type courses that I’ve ridden in Belgium in the past.
Not going to Eurobike this year meant I was able to race the Newport Nocturne. This, really is an amazing night out. I spoke to the organiser, Nick Jeggo, and said I’d love to ride, but only if my Achilles is not giving me any trouble. The circuit is fast. And lots of sprinting out of corners. I needed my body to be 100% intact. Nothing at risk of popping, snapping, pulling, jumping etc!
So, there I was ready. Arriving in lots of time for the race. Having a catch up chat with “Super” Sid Barras too, that’s always nice. He was riding the past masters event before the Elite race, Sid in his day would of won the Elite race easily. He won 380 races in his career.
Onto my race. I had a nice warm up, 30-40mins on the rollers, Eucalyptus on cotton wool in my nose to help clear my airways. A can of redbull. My legs felt like there was nothing in them. A good sign for me. Onto the circuit. At this point, it was 20:45, dark, the floodlights and camera flashes signalling the course. Heard one chap say to his pal, “I’m on this corner hoping for a crash”. I chuckled to myself. He was stood on a hairpin corner at the bottom of a hill that turned onto cobblestones! He was in the right place for it I thought to myself. A few more laps final warm up and I was ready, I was psyched. A quick nod to a few of my competitors on the start line you could cut the tension with a knife. Over fifteen thousand spectators lined the streets. The first lap was neutralised, hmm. It was rapid, everyone battling for position as on a this circuit the race was certainly going to split. I felt good, really good. I drilled it up the outside of the bunch with ease, towing good mate Dean Downing to the front, he loved the cheeky move I had pulled off. A few spot of rain turned to very light drizzle. The pace didn’t ease off. We all thought we were invincible.
Second lap around, through an uphill cobbled chicane, three or four riders in front of me hit the deck. The lad next to me was falling, I fell. Maybe I touched the front brake a little too hard, maybe my weight wasn’t distributed well, maybe I had 5psi to much in my wheels. Maybe.
Down I went, knowing I had a lap out for such a drama, I didn’t panic. However, I looked down, saw my rear derailleur hanger had snapped, it’s designed to do this to save the frame. That was it, game over. Snapped mech hanger, finger bleeding with a deep cut, elbow sore, right buttock/lower back in agony. Dazed too. All the build up, and was feeling really good. The drive home was painful. Luckily I stayed in Bristol that night, otherwise it would of been a very long drive home.
Last Sunday, I raced at Thorney Island. I said before I wouldn’t return here to race! Only because I split a side wall of my tyre and I was hot headed at the time. It is a good little circuit. Open and exposed. Based on a MOD area. I rode to the event, decided to do a 30km ride beforehand. Got to the event to be greeted with cries of “GO HOME JC”, “”CANNINGS GO HOME”. It was a few of the local lads who need points to keep their category licence for the year. Nice to know I am a risk to them for taking their points. We all laughed about it. The race was good, fast, attacking, couple of teams who each had four or more riders attacking each other, i was liking it! my right hand side was not liking it though. The pain from the previous weeks crash was apparent. I was not going to push myself stupidly so raced within myself, picked up a few more points and rode home. A good days training/racing.
A few more events are pencilled in for the remainder of the season until the task of winter training starts….
JC
