This was my first road race since early 2020 when I got one in before lockdown, and that one did not go well – getting dropped on a descent early in the race and then DNF! These are handicap races where the organisers allocate you into groups with time gaps between each group.

I decided to give it another go and not set any expectations other than having a decent race and not making any mistakes. I was rather nervous about it and thinking about not going, and this got much worse on the morning when my bike had a problem with the freewheel – which wasn’t free at all! I tried to fix it and then remembered I could use the rear wheel off my TT bike, so shoved this in the car and headed off. When I arrived at the race I remembered I didn’t have my pump (I’d pumped up the other wheel before finding it wasn’t working) and then found my power meter was dead. With a borrowed pump and a replacement battery which was luckily in my race bag and I was ready(ish) to go – I’m not usually this badly prepared!

I got a bit of a warmup in and then rolled down to the start. Mysteriously, I had been put in the first group with the novices – they obviously remembered how terrible I was the last time! When we set off some of the group didn’t fancy riding, even at club run pace, so I spent most of the time riding tempo on the front until the next group caught us (which didn’t take long). I then jumped onto that group which was working a bit better, and later in the lap we were caught by another group, which became the lead group. On the second of three laps a few of the group went super hard up the hill and I chose not to follow (I probably couldn’t have done anyway). The rest of the group worked well together on the fast part of the course and reeled those riders in who I think were then dropped.

Heading into the last lap I was near the back and made a big effort at the bottom of the hill – in fact the group slowed on the hill so I was able to coast up to the front of the group. On the back of the course the pace upped massively and I found myself in the middle of a split and on my own. I made a big effort to get back on which was made easier as the group slowed again and the group behind got back on as well. Then the headwind section effectively neutralised the race until the final turn, and the last few km were very fast to the finish. I managed to keep moving up and avoided a crash coming into the kicker for the sprint finish in a good position. I never expected to be sprinting in this race and the finish took me a little by surprise (I wasn’t even in the drops!) – I thought I had finished top 10 but the finish line video shows I was pipped by THREE riders right on the line! A slightly disappointing end to what was mainly a very encouraging and fun race – I think the adrenaline is still flowing two days later!

Tim Phillips

NCRA Handicap Road Race Rd 2, 12 Mar 2022

© Catenary CoachinG