Scunthorpe Cyclocross

The end of the TT season, a couple of weeks away on the Costa Brava, and one cold later and it's time for winter training fun - of which a few cyclocross races form part of it.

First up, a trip to Scunthorpe, a course I didn't like two years ago when I rode it, and to be honest my feelings haven't changed !

I warmed up on what was a cold and very windy day and could still feel the arse end effects of my cold. I rode most of the course, even the sandy bit that I ran last time around, but managed a spectacular fall at the bottom of the bomb hole - mind set, I would be running that obstacle during racing affairs !

My start was ungridded, and I went backwards really fast, yielding my line continuously as I was very rusty. I had good power on the straights, and made places, but to be honest, I was blowing hard by the end of the first lap and things didn't get much better, I made more places up on the 2nd and 3rd laps, but by the 4th and forty minutes I was really hanging out of my arse and the last two laps were an exercise in just surviving and not losing any places.

I did manage to take a couple of places in the last throes of the last lap, but I was truly relieved to see the finish after an hour in the saddle. Welcome back to Cross Andy - countdown of 5 months to the start of the testing season started today !