July catch up (It's been busy 2 - Electric Boogaloo)

July has continued to be as mental as the June that preceded it, but thankfully it's at an end now I can can fully reflect on the races that I took part in...

17th July - EDCA 100

After a good night's camping at Brick Kiln Farm where I had my own field for a tenner, I was up nice and early and at the HQ very early. It was going to be a warm day with lowish early wind of 7mph rising steadily to 12mph throughout the morning. the course was one that I'd ridden my first 100 on a few years ago so I was looking forward to it.
My start was early so I got on with it - very light in the way of traffic and a backwind to start with. This was dual carriageway all the way, which was fast in parts and very much reminded me of both the ECCA & Etwall course, but the difference is a lack of shelter in some places, and also the surface is broken up with poorly repaired joints and some good old potholes peppered along the route. It was a real armbasher and a lot of expletives were used.
I knew early on that it wasn't going to be a PB day as the wind rose and the surface took it's toll - happy with my finish though - 4.25 will do.

AP 196W 

Temp : 59-79F
Wind : 7mph-12mph SW

Course B100/4

20th July - F11/10

My first ever trip down to the F11 course on a windy midweek day for a VTTA event. It was to be a double header day as I also needed to be back later for the road race. It meant that I was off very early on, on a course I hadn't ridden before, with a technical first turn. a quick drive round the course to learn it , and then to the HQ, and decided that although it was windy, I'd be alright with the disc and a tri spoke in the front, and then it was off up a big fuck off hill as a warm up to the start which was on a slip road to the A41 Tring bypass. 

Soon as was off, with a supposed backwind to the first roundabout but it didn't seem that fast. A down, the first round about, then a second and I was back on the A41 with and average of 26mph. The beauty of this course was that it always seemed to be a bit downhill with a lovely gift hill halfway through the return leg where I hit 41.8mph going full pelt. It slowed a lot at the bottom as I hit the headwind and then when I turned at the roundabout it just wasn't that quick. Still, I struggled past the finish with a 22.10 which was my second fastest finish this year. 

AP 248W

Temp : 29C
Wind : 14 W
Course F11/10

TLI Ashby Road Race#

The second race of the day - and not a lot to say. I got there just in time, then rode in group 2 again, doing more work on the front than I had for weeks. After 3 laps , we were caught again by group 3 and by the mid 4th lap, I was dropped coming out of the corner at Scopwick and then ended up riding alone until a few of us formed a group, and despite a break for glory with half a lap to go, I was brought back and then lost a four way sprint up the last hill to the finish.