Phoenix Cycling Club
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Andy Flannery at the McCann Cup - 14 March 2004
In summary it was a good run out, vociferous as ever, the legs where good, a 5 minute handicap on the scratch bunch helped mind you. I was banging away on the first lap trying to make the split happen, unfortunately as I was doing that, some of the fitter guys where keeping thier powder dry for a launch in the tail wind section of the race which actually stuck.
The only ticket left in our bunch was Tim, and he played a blinder, he launched himself off and into a ferocious headwind like it was going downhill, and he stayed out there until a part in the race where a group including Maurice Ruddock and myself tried to get off the front but only one managed it, a guy from Ballymena, got onto Tim and the two of them spent several laps on their own until they eventually made contact with the lead group.
Meanwhile in my group it was constant attacks I think I tried attacking on every lap into the headwind and with the tail wind in the vain hope of getting away from the group, but what was needed was about 4/5 strong riders, i.e. stronger than me. The chance of that came on the fourth lap of 6 whenever scratch caught us. Bo Grahm and Shaun Gray-Harps together with Adrian ? from Total Cycling and and couple of other guys where the main protaginists as they caught us, and immediately the speed went up especially in the tail wind section. I stayed near the front and I launched another attack at the turn from the Tail wind to the Head wind section, I was relieved to see that we had a gap and that there where 4 other guys on the wheel with me. I think all of these guys where stronger than me but I did my bit like the rest, and we obviously made ground on the lead group. We did about a lap and a half of tearing up my legs around the course but the second time into the headwind section there where a couple of attacks as our group started to falter, three of the of the stronger riders left me and a guy from Audi to struggle with the headwind, meanwhile all three of them got onto the break which we could see at about 100m. For me there was just no way we where getting onto the break as headwind was appalling and I'd been here before, so we both decided to sit up and wait.
I guess that was race over for me as the main group was disorganised, it could have easily brought the break back if there had've been 6-8 guys working solidly, the last lap was all about trying to get home dry, and as the heavens opened so the spirits where dampened, someone mentioned jelly babies for the bunch sprint and suddenly all hell broke loose as Cippo and Petachi came from the back of the group to claim their prize.
So in all a good ride for me, If i'm gonna ride the TON then I gotta ride hard, the course suited me, big ring short climbs and plenty of undulations, as for the others Zuelle rode better than last week and was at the front for good portions of the race he eventually left us when sratch came on board, Maurice Ruddock is always a strong rider and he tried plenty of times to get away, he finished in the main bunch having the legs for the final gallop, Mert was ill, and packed early in the race, big Sean's first race of the year and he says the speed got to him, I can only imagine the speed on the first lap must have been tremendous, some of these riders are top drawer, Sean reckoned about 40mph in one part, with the howling wind that was behind us that wouldn't have been a surprise. Downpatrick next, and maybe two days at the weekend, Ards, and Phoenix.
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