Cheshire Classic

The sun was out as we all lined up for 10 laps, 50 miles of the Cheshire Classic: a tough little circuit, with a short sharp climb each lap.  Before we had even started, lined up on the start line, my tyre went 'bang', so there was lots of frantic running back to cars for a spare wheel before the race had even got under way! (I was just glad i'd got my token puncture out the way, as worse was yet to come!)

We finally set off, the pace being pushed each time up the climb.  The first couple of laps seemed to have a higher average puncture rate and it was soon discovered that a box of tacks had been thrown onto the road.

Two laps in and heading down the main road there was a crash.  A car decided to overtake us, with our bunch on one side of carriage way and a dropped group of riders on the other side. The car clipped the bunch, taking quite a few down.  I manged to avoid it as everyone to my right hand side seemed to hit the tarmac.

The bunch slowed down to allow riders caught behind the crash to get back on but the race was soon stopped 1/2 a lap later, while the ambulance arrived and the Police did an incident report. The tacks were cleared up and, what remained of the peloton, enjoyed 20 to 30minutes sat at the side of the road enjoying the sunchine.

When the race restarted, it was cut down by 2 laps to a total race distance of 8 laps.  The race stayed together, with a few more pepople slowly being dropped off the back and the bunch being thinned down, but no major bids for freedom. A couple of laps to go and there was another puncture: this time it was Ali Holland who suffered that misfortune.

It was apparent the race was going to come down to a bunch sprint.  In the last lap, I got well placed going into the last corner, only to find myself losing places coming out of the corner and sprinting for the minor placings.

Iona