Phoenix Cycling Club
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Andy Flannery in the Tour of the Peninsula - March 6 2004
My first open race in quite some time, feeling excited and nervous, in the car park all the nice gear came out with colnago and litespeed being the best represented, although Bstewart is riding a Vnice specialised with Dura-ace 10 speed these days, the talk was of Majorican training camps and mild winters, it's good to be back amongest it again.
Waiting at the entrance to the main road, I'm looking round at the serious firepower sitting around me, Dennis (International), Simon Thompson, Tommy Evans (International), Mark Creer.
There are plenty of other yellow numbers that I could add in but I'm sitting there very nervous that I'm rolling out the road with people who could tear strips off me at the slightest rise in the road. As we head out so the onslaught begins riders up the right within minutes of leaving Ballyholme Tommy evans, Dennis Eaton and a few others making their presence felt, however fresh legs and new kit holds them for a while longer.
I found the speed hard, I hit my max 5 mins into the race 187 the highest it's been in a whole year of club racing (2003 max 186), So I was hurting recovering hurting recovering etc, how the heck do you train for that. I was able to get up the road a couple of times, after the first 20 mins of constant attacking, peoples legs started to feel it. After passing a couple of freshly cut hedges there where a number of punctures, off-course this is when my new colnago had its most fearful moment of the day.
Someone came flying up the side of me and smack into the guy who had his hand up with a puncture bang both came down and a few others all I could hear was crashing of Carbon and Titanium all over the road. Further on down the road It seemed to be just before the turn into the cross wind that a small group of riders eventually worked themselves away from the main group, and even though there where plenty of yellow numbers left in the group, as well as Tommy Evans, they weren't coming back especially after we turned into the crosshead wind, and so we struggled down to the otherside of the penninsula, Big Ian Proctor, was mostly the main motor in our drive, as we got to the main road there where several flourishes but nothing seemed to be going away, the mountain road came after an hour of seriously hard riding. ?
Unfortunately for me that was the end of my association with the bunch, I would pick them up again at Cloughy. After picking them up again, Dennis and the break of 8 riders had passed me on the road to cloughy, I was pleased to see that the phoenix new man signed as a replacment for Mathew Ward, Tim was firmly in place, as they picked me up the chasing group was nochalant, mainly due to the head wind on the way back, It was harder riding on my own than it was riding in the group, so for the next hour it was time to step into the training mode, hard ridin, a few jumps, and to try and power it up the hill at the water tower, I never actually looked at the back of the group, but when we got to the end I was very urprised how few riders where left, but I still had racing legs and I wanted to ride hard so I went to the front.
The next big point in the race for me was the draggy climb up by the water tower on the coast road, I suppose I didn't have much time to think about it but I was never really in danger, rather I was going to jump on anyones wheel who looked like they where gonna give it a rattle, but I guess most people where in the same boat, even Fraser Duncan seemed tired. Phoenix where well represented with Mert and Paul riding strongly. JR came in a few minutes down obviously he'd been dumped on on of the hills. Me on reflection I am delighted to have raced for 2 hours with the bunch and the wee short cut allowed me to feel good on the way back. Despite that, Ards was a scratch start race, a bit of a shock to the system to start the season with, I need to get my weight down I need to climb more. Next are the McCann Cup a 2nd Cat race, which I won't be afraid off after that performance at the weekend, and a couple of handicapped races, Maybe do a 3rd Cat race
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