On Sunday 11th March, Glasgow Green Cycle Club headed off on another racing adventure.........we were about to sample the delights of our first APR!
It was to be a busy weekend of riding for the members of GGCC........while some were riding the Scottish Bike Show Sportive route and taking in the delights of Dukes Pass, others were out testing the legs by Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch........whatever everyone was doing it was a great weekend to do it!!
The ‘wanabee’ pro’s met at Andy’s house for 9.30am and waited for our honorary president John Brown to turn up with the van to ferry us up to Strathaven. We reminisced about last week’s race and tactics and all said that this week would be different. We checked our bikes, pumped our tyres, oiled our chains and checked every bolt...........our bikes were ready...........were we!!??
We arrived into Strathaven.....it was cold and damp and very windy......’oh no’ we thought......’its going to be tough’ we said.........’please don’t let it be as tough as last week’ we all secretly hoped!!
We registered and handed over our race licences in return for a day-glo yellow number.........’right, lets do this’ we said while hoping the wind would subside!
We parked up in the Supermarket car park and jumped into the back of the van to get ready.......the biggest decision of the day so far.......what will I wear!?
Bikes, bottles, gels, pump, tube, tyre levers, multi tool....’check’......now....have we got the legs!?
With the warm up done we lined up for the start......it was in 5 groups and Ray and Andy were group 2 and Rob was group 3. Our tactics today.........JUST RIDE!
3!.....2!.....1!.......GO!.......the legs started churning the pedals and we were off!......’right this is it’........’only another 36 mile to go!’
Straight away we fell into a well organised, tight and controlled chain gang.....’this is more like it’ I shouted to Ray........we were right in the mix, doing our bit at the front but also getting the recovery we needed......’today is the day’ we thought!!
We approached the first climb after averaging 18mph and group 3 shot past!!......’theres Rob’ we thought........group 3 were defo going faster.......’were having some of that!’ and jumped onto the group! Its serious now!!
We settled in with group 3 and the average kicked up to over 22mph...’whoa......now were working!’
We flew into Strathaven at over 35mph......what a rush.........only a couple of centimetres off the guy in front....’concentrate....concentrate’ we said over and over.
Lap 2.......’COME ON it’s a race.....dig in’ one of the lads shouted.....’we can catch group 1 if we work together’ another shouted and the pace kicked up another gear.
Rob was working at the front and Andy did his turn......
’where is Ray’.......’puncture!’.....’nightmare’......Ray had been the victim of a pothole and pinch flatted!
Final lap.......we had 30 seconds to make up to close the door on group 1......1 mile out of Strathaven we had them.......faster.....faster......the legs were on fire!! ‘COME ON LADS......we are nearly there’ someone shouted........’GET TO THE FRONT and do some work’ another shouted at a number of wheel suckers that had tagged along onto the back.
The pace kicked up again and the group shook off the wheel suckers!.........this was it.....it was the downhill drag into Strathaven........Rob was on it!!.......right...then left.....then the finish was in sight!!!!......Rob went for it......’dig in, dig in, dig in’ he told himself.......the crowds shouted ‘PUSH.....PUSH’............he crossed the line????????????
3rd place.......what a result............2 minutes later Andy came in 15th.
We gathered at the finish and swapped racing stories. A 3rd place for GGCC........we are getting noticed and the guys from the more established clubs started to ask questions and congratulate!!
Back at the van our GGCC groupies fed us with sarnies and pepsi......we were starving! We wandered happily up to the presentation, handed in our day-glo race numbers and waited for the big announcement!
‘And in 3rd place Robert Young from Glasgow Green Cycle Club’........’woop woop’ I think we shouted!!??.....or at least Nikki did!
This bike riding lark............you cannea beat it!!