Phoenix Cycling Club
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Andy ('Ras') Flannery at the Tour of Ards & Phoenix GP
Saturday:- Tour of Ards
Went down a storm, has a new meaning now. Sat looking out the window the only thing that made me go was my 11 yr old calling me a wimp so I went to Ards.
Encouraged by some sunshine on the way down I fooled my brain into riding the race, riding up front and maybe even get into a break.
Things started off well, I didn't get dropped on the rolling start, but I thought it was ominous whenever Dennis, Tommy Brian S, and the rest of the high quality first cats had seemingly assembled at the front in the last 200ms of the rolling start. Then all I can remember was freakin fireworks.
I'm sure we hit speeds of 40mph going round those roundabouts, attack after attack after attack into the tail wind. Somebody told me the break would go within two miles, and these guys wheren't gonna let it happen easily, I saw a couple of lads prise themselves of the front about one or two roundabouts from Ballyholme, Big B got over two it and I thought happy days they'll sit and look at each other for a while, wrong !, all hell broke loose again as attacks where launched from the line, Dennis and Tommy had missed the break.
I knew from a couple of weeks ago going away from Ballyholme that this wasn't
gonna ease up, and I was right, the now reduced bunch still had the break
in it's full view at about 150ms, and they wheren't gonna let it go. It was
hell, by now the wind had changed to a cross tail, speeds where high 26/27mph,
but I knew I was drifting towards the back I was starting to let wheels go
I couldn't hold my position, my game plan had worked but now the seams where
giving way. A little nervous in the cross winds and the intial speed taking
its toll, I was able to look up once or twice to see the front of the group
still aggressively persuing the break and I believe they never let it go.
As I went backwards I had a look at the riders who where here, not too many 3rd Cats, and not too many cr@p riders either, I'd seen these guys in breaks and up the road in various races this year already, and now they are at the back. Then about a mile out of Donaghadee I let the wheel go, I wasn't gonna last much longer as last man on the line I had little shelter, I could see Sean about 3/4 bike lengths in front of me and I contemplated using all of my last strength to try and get onto his wheel, who was I kidding I was already going full tilt to stay where I was.
"£$&"$¬£$&£^&**...ing, stupid
bike, I thought I was gong well down to earth with a bump, so I sat up
and wondered what was the quickest way to Ards, then riders started passing
me riders who had been dropped before me, I guess I didn't do too badly
after all. Then a nice wee group came up just the shelter I needed, we
all turned at Ballywalter got behind one of the
lad's Car and rode begrudingly over to Ards.
The only thing left to mention are the waves, I never did like cold water , but when your riding along in severe cross winds and waves start crashing over your heads you know its a hard day, it was freezing cold, I started thinking about who would win it, not that I cared but whoever would win this deserved it and should maybe start the Paris Roubaix.
Other guys, Sean took his brain out before the start and rode the whole way round he avoided the bad crash but I think he came in on hs own some time off the leaders (only 14 finished), JR got shelled in the tail wind section, savage speeds, gaps and wheels where appearing all over the place, I think he told me when he was dropped he was doing 35mph. Paul got caught on the fast tailwind section as well, once someone let a gap go it was near on impossible to breach it, it was full tilt the whole way 30mile for the first hour of racing, sure we all lived to race the next day the last forecast I saw was for Majorcan like sunshine, Happy days. Lesson learnt don't use deep section wheels in gale force conditions.
Sunday:- Phoenix GP
The weather was a little bit better today, well there where no breaking waves, otherwise it was a straight tailwind up the Belfast road and a seemingly straight headwind down the road to the Nutts corner.
The handicap was more sensible this weekend, but I was still put off with Jim McConnell, Soup and Shaun Gray, anyway after yesterdays episode I thought the legs are gonna be crap, but at least I'd have 5 minutes on Tommye and the rest of the 1sts.
So business as usual up to the front this time I actually tried to get them working to maintain or benefit for as long as possible, oops I'm out in the first break of the day, 4/5 riders never realy got more than 100ms in the head wind section, off course too much talent in that vets group to let it go.
The hardest part of that circuit with the tail wind is the Belfast road and as we rode through the Start finish to start the 2nd lap the big boys where doing the damage, it was very hard, Jim McConnell and Hall Booth for Ballymena made my legs hurt a lot. But as they did they split the group, we where away, 5/6 of us including Jim McConnell, and as we rode away I could see Soup bridging the gap (easily), we started working, I tried to avoid McConnell's wheel like the plague, his difference in class and ability shone through very clearly in the break, although Soup kept his under raps for a while.
We rode through together for a lap and then the going got really tough, Soup upped the anti going through the start finish straight on the 3rd lap and it got really hard. He told me later he's still in training mode, god help us, great display of strength albeit the only people he dropped where 3rds, but even so. I tried one last effort to get from the little trio that was left to the two big hitters, those 2 could win the race if scratch didn't get their act together, half way accross, 50ms to go, no the legs are screaming at me, Soup is still applying the pressure. The trick is to go when they go, not when someone of their quality has a gap, anyway, our trio continued, REf Picture on Ulster Cycling website, Tony from Slaners, Hall from Ballymena and me :-)
We tried hard into the head wind Hall was Vstrong in the tail wind section and we got rid of the Slaners guy into the next lap. I rode round with Hall but knowing that there where still 3 laps to go we didn't bulb ourselves. What was left of scratch caught us on the 4th lap in the headwind section of the course, they had obviously been going at it great guns working to bring back the limit group and I followed the wheel through every dirty puddle of water trying to hide from the wind.
Sean and Paul where both still there. So I tried to stay close to the front again, I was in much better condition than yesterday even though I'd been riding in a break for most of the race so far, but as we came through the start finish for the start of the 5th lap I couldn't hold the wheel. The tempo had gone up Simon Thompson, Mark Creer and a few others had the hammer down, gaps where opening 5 of us dropped of the pace including Sean and Paul but we formed our own group and we chased to get back on.
It would only have happened had they have sat up, but they didn't. So I spent the last portion of the race riding through periodically, we dropped a few guys off but I think it was down to the conditions, with two laps to go my feet where completely numb on the last lap I had difficulty changing gear my hands where numb I was having difficulty gripping the bars. We had got drenched and the cold wind was delivering serious cold into our bodies, I didn't stop shivering until about 15minutes after I had showered.
Overall today I was pleased I got another reminder of the difference between me and shear class, it's happening a lot these days. I got first 3rd and some points and money to go with it (Thanks lads), as for the others I only know that Paul and Sean where in my group at the end I had intended on using the final sprint as a training run but I led out for the the last half mile with the two lads on the wheel I think we got about 30th, 31st and 32nd, nearly like Mapei..! We met Bob about mid way in the race, he'd been dropped from his bunch and made a great effort on our behalf to give our break a bit of a rest, thanks for that Bob, Seamus, Finbar Cummings and Leon where in my group at the start but I didn't see the lads after that, I hope they had a good race, Rest week next week, I might ride the race next weekend at Moneymore or I might not, Tour of the North beckons the stages look savage, I think I'm gonna have to practice the stare.
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