Jump to content

RR tonigt


P McDonald
 Share

Recommended Posts

  • Members

Don't be too hard on yourself, Andy. It was a good ride. You could just as easily have finished in the top ten.

 

Paul, I think you jinxed us. There wasn't much summer sun in evidence at all last night. It was blustery and bitterly cold. The longer the pre-race briefing went on the less I could feel my fingers. When we rolled out from the Malletsheugh I soon warmed up. Two riders went off the front practically as soon as the flag was pulled in. The bunch held them at about 40 metres and nobody tried to jump across. The escapees didn't look convinced they could stay away and within a couple of minutes they were back in the fold. That was the pattern for the evening: short-lived sporadic attacks with the bunch holding together. As is my wont, I spent the night at the back of the field.

 

The average speed was higher than the last Glasgow Green race I rode round the same circuit in June, but it didn't feel nearly as difficult. First time up the Dams was a bit unpleasant with someone pulling their foot out at the back of the bunch and riders streaming round him to avoid being dropped. Second time up was as close to comfortable as that road can be. I think the westerly wind blew us up the Clunch.

 

If anyone made a serious effort to get away down the last stretch of the A77 I didn't see it. People were taking all sorts of crazy risks to get towards the front, though - half a dozen riders on the wrong side of the road in the face of oncoming traffic. By this stage it was so dark that cars had their lights on. I felt it might open up for me when the sprint started, allowing me to make some gains. No sooner had the thought entered my head than the bunch slowed, a rider cut in front of me and I was on the brakes. I don't think it made much of a difference in the end. Truth is I bottled it on the run-in down the A77. I had the legs to move up the field on the outside and I didn't. I felt fresh, but didn't realise just how fresh until the ride back home to Glasgow afterwards.

 

It was an enjoyable night, a good showing from Andy, and a great effort by Glasgow Green to put on three races in one year. You can see a video of the bunch taking the bell and the sprint finish here:

 

 

Colin, Emma, anything to add?  :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Not much to add to that comprehensive report Richard. Chapeau to you and Andy on a good race. I was feeling great until the mechanical gremlins once again decided to plague me with their presence ! The dog fang HAS now been ordered as I don't think I could take another Andy Schleck moment. Still enjoyed the night though. Looking forward to Barmill

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2023 Subscriptions

Excellent race report indeed. I know the pain of mechanicals Colin too well recently. Roll on Barmill indeed. I hope someone is planning to take a brush to that final downhill corner before the sprint. It's been looking a bit gravelly

Andy

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Andy,

 

Corner resurfaced about 2 weeks ago. Very nice surface , don't know if they have did any on the back side of the circuit though.

 

P.S. well done to all.

 

Richard, one of the good things about 'cross is if you see cars coming towards you it is an indication you have taken the wrong turn.

 

D

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...