Me, on a bike, in a race. Who'd a thought it?

Tracked down the race report and two photos of me from the Beyond MTB/West Drayton Mountian Bike Club circuits held at Hillingdon Cycle Circuit on March 17.

James Whatling of Team Synergy made a do or die escape from the 86 rider bunch on lap 2 of the first of three Beyond MBC Crits at Hillingdon on March 17.
He never got more than 40 seconds away from the bunch and it took until halfway through the race that he was caught by the two riders that made up the final three; Erick Rowsell (Team Corridori) and Jerome Walters (Sigma Sport).
The three worked well and at times on the windy day looked likely to get brought back by the wind swept and fragmenting bunch.
The three up sprint was won by Rowsell; with Walters and Whatling following in.
Two more escaped with 5 laps to complete Tomas Chmelewski of the promoting club and Andrew Bye (Kingston Wheelers). Paul Crook also of Beyond led in the bunch.

The Novice race was won by Joshua Scott.
30 ERICK ROWSALL TEAM CORRIDORI 2J 1 01:11:56
56 JEROME WALTERS SIGMA SPORT 3 2 st
9 JAMES WHATLING TEAM SYNERGY 2 3 st
73 ANDREW BYE KINGSTON WHEELERS 2 4 01:12:21
68 KAZEK RYS BEYOND MBC 2 5 st
46 PAUL CROOK BEYOND MBC 2 6 01:12:33
76 PAUL DELAHUNTY LONDON DYNAMO 2 7 ST
87 BEN WHITE FINCHLEY RT 3 8 ST
66 GEOFF WILLIAMS PYTHON RT 3 9 ST
33 MICK HILL TEAM QUEST 2 10 ST
34 GIANLUCA CAPELLO PEARSONS CYCLES 2 11 ST
1 ROGER WOODFORD AWCYCLES/GIANT 3 12 ST
11 DAVID HUTCHSON CHELTENHAM 2 13 ST
61 DAVID GAYLER KENTON RC 3 14 ST
74 ALAN SHERMAN KINGSTON WHEELERS 3 15 ST
43 HUGO ROBINS ECONOMIC ENERGY 3 16 ST
79 JIM KENT LONDON DYNAMO 3 17 ST
82 RUDIE MARIAS TEAM DEVER 2 18 ST
36 SEAN BRENNAN TEAM SYNERGY 2 19 ST
15 SHAUN REED BAYEUX LANDSCAPES 3 20 ST
5 MATTHEW SLATOR 53-12 MULTISPORTS 3 21 ST
86 NAT SPURLING FINSBURY PARK C 2 22 ST
72 MIKE BISSON DHCYCLESPORT.CO.UK 2 23 ST
24 PETER JONES HILLINGDON CC 2 24 ST
64 GAVIN SMITH TEAM QUEST 2 25 ST
60 DAVID PHILLIPS EAGLE RC 4 26 ST
37 ROBERT STIMPSON PYTHON RT 3 27 ST
55 ANDY FOWKES THAMES VELO 3 28 ST
3 JOHN HEATON-ARMSTRONG FIT FOR 3 29 ST
35 BEN PRESTON EAGLE RC 3 30 ST
59 STEVE SAUNDERS KINGSTON WHEELERS 3 31 ST
2 PAUL WILLIAMS BEYOND MBC 3 32 ST
18 ANDREW STRONGE LONDON DYNAMO 2 33 ST
51 KEITH KNIGHT ADDISCOMBE CC 3 34 ST
63 ALEX KIRK SHAVEDLEGS.CO.UK 3 35 ST
75 LUKE MERRILEES BEYOND MBC 3J 36 ST
38 PHIL STARR PYTHON RT 3 37 ST
78 JAMES LEACH TWICKENHAM CC 2 38 ST
39 MATT OSBORN TEAM QUEST 3 39 ST
28 STEVE GOLLA HIGH WYCOMBE CC 2 40 ST

Race news.

Patrick will be pleased to see I'm back on to the subject cycling. I did my first race of the year, in the new kit no less.
Patrick had briefed me very well the night before, including vital information on wind the speed and direction (Westerly so I should hug the rightside of track) and when to make my solo break.
I got a little lost on the way to the track but if I didn't cut it fine then I just wouldn't be me. In the dressing room the conversation was along the lines of 'it's a westerly to day', 'stick to the right of the track and a break will be easy'.
Thanks to putting in an extra warm up lap I started right at the back and with the first three laps a blur at an average of 49kmph, I got to the middle of the bunch and stayed there. As the pace fell to a more manageable 42kmph I fought to get near the front but with about a 100 riders on the track I just couldn't find a gap. It got a bit hairy at times with people struggling to stay on the pace. The field split into 3 or 4 bunches, with effort I breached the gap from the second pack to join the leaders.
But I never made the front, six riders made a break, leaving the rest to sprint for 4 places. I never really contested the sprint due largely to a rider cutting across my line as I tried to move up.
All in all it was frustrating but I ultimately I think I need for race experience.

Not to be out done

Simon in his new Shavedlegs kit.

In my bedroom wearing Lycra

I know it isn't up to naughty celebrity video standards, but here is me in my bedroom wearing Lyrca. It is of course the fabulous new Shavedlegs team kit which will get an outing at Hillingdon very shortly.
Looking back I could have moved the hoover out of shot and may be stood next to a bike.

Just in case we didn't believe him

Just in case we didn't believe the extend of Pat's injuries here is an X-ray of his knee post Op. Naturally he is already talking about his return to competitive cycling in the next few months and complaining about how his muscles are wasting away.
Fortuneately for Pat, 'the one' has a downstairs toilet so he hasn't had accidents of that nature. She is looking after him very well, and Simon has posted him a bumper bag of cycling DVDs.
I just wish his Colnago Extreme C was in my size.