The bunch split with half going up the Hailie and the other half heading towards Ardrossan. Very nice ride out today. Good to see you and the young un...and note for future reference, when the cafe owner refers to the young uns, he's on about Danny not you Mul.
I had an OK night, ta, Darryl. There were loads of C riders last night - so many that they made the women race with the A juniors. Even then there were so many bodies that the first C scratch was split into two separate races, and the last races of the evening, mixed B and C unknown distance, were again split into two races. The short version of my evening: 3rd in the scratch; 2nd in the points; 4th in the devil; and 1st in the unknown distance.
The long version: Woke up with terrible lower back pain. Thought about not going and did my usual pre-race fretting about crashing/getting hammered for most of the day. I'm no' really cut out to be a racer, but I'm fine when I actually get started. My scratch group had loads of first-timers. Lots of appalling riding. I went to the front too soon to get away from it all, procrastinated as I went back down the line and let the first two riders get the jump on me. Only made third place by about two inches.
The points race was an exercise in pain. I was second in three of the sprint laps and third, I think, in the other sprint lap. Unfortunately, Gerry McGarrity of Inverclyde Velo won every single sprint that I was second in. I was able to hang on to his wheel and get up alongside him, but not, alas, get in front of him. He's very, very strong. Don't know if my smaller gear is a disadvantage in those shoulder to shoulder sprints. Gerry's riding 51*15.
I made a pig's ear of the devil. I got caught on the outside of a long string of riders with no-one to hide behind. I must have ridden five or six laps on my tod with everyone else underneath me. When it got down to five riders I was at the back. I narrowly avoided elimination as we came to the line. Next time around I just couldn't get over the other riders. Nothing left in the tank. My legs were like jelly after that race.
Last race - unknown distance, mixed B and C. I was broken after the devil - really knackered. I sat at the back of the bunch, dead last and uninterested in anything other than riding round. I went past riders who were being shelled out the back, closing up the gap, but didn't move up the field any further. I found myself behind a rather erratic but broad-shouldered chap so I sat on his wheel as the front of the race destroyed itself waiting for five laps to appear on the board. When it did I regained my interest in racing! I moved up the field and got onto the back of a break of four. One lap to go and I moved out around the rider closest to me. As soon as I started to accelerate I knew I was going to get all of them. I even had time to look over my shoulder before the line. :-) 12 races to get a win. I've been in the top four for my last eight races, but I was starting to give up on a victory there. Thought I'd have to race in a bridesmaid's dress instead of a skinsuit!
I never know if these write-ups are an accurate reflection of what actually happened, but that's how I remember it anyway.
I think I'm for the B group next time around. Nonetheless, I can hardly wait to have other Wheelers there. I hope you're the first of many, Darryl!
Nightmare.
Long shot and I can't even remember how to do it but a couple of times I was snooked with the security settings, and even one memorable occasion when I didn't realise for ages that the wireless was inadvertently switched off!
Darryl Gunson got a reaction from martin in Main Bunch 11 nov
