Lincoln Cyclocross

Up early doors and out of the door by 7am - late for setting up our very own cyclocross race at Police Headquarters at Nettleham. It was a partially mild day, but very windy and the tape we used to mark out the course was getting blown to buggery all over the shop !

Despite quite a lot of rain last night, the course was surprisingly dry and didn't look like it was going to cut up easily like last years version. Speaking of last year, we had one mound to ride up and down, this year though we had three, and although I initially bobbed myself trying to get up the third of these, I practised and got it right on the fourth attempt on the warm up - the rest of the course feeling OK and similar to last years routes although not a lot for the tester.

By the time the start came along, I'd been on site already for 5 hours and just wanted to get some racing done. We all congregated near the start, and then the gridding began - I think I ended up on the 5th row, but matter not, because I wasn't forecful enough and fell backwards because I'm bad at holding my position. want to come by me ? Sure no problem, I'll just move aside for you and let you through !!

First lap, fell off at that third mound I told you about and watched loads come past me. I then spent the next part of the lap, blowing out my arse trying desperately to make places up on a couple of the other Wheelers - at first, I thought it was working, but after three laps, it was obvious that I wasn't gaining and was in danger of falling further back through the field.

Thankfully, us old boys only have to race 40 minutes, so I was pleased to hear the bell for the final lap where I just gave it everything. Took one Wheeler place, but to be honest, this one won't go down as one of my better outings.

Next week, a new course, RAF Cranwell