Yes, I know it’s like a scratched record, but I failed to score any points last night at Hillingdon. Then again I also avoided going down in a nasty looking crash in the sprint for the minor places.
When you weigh those two things up, I’ll settle for missing out on a point over hitting the deck every time. I had to be at work for 7am this morning, I don’t want or need to put myself out for a point or 15th.
Here’s my advice if you are riding in the 4th category race on a Tuesday night: there is absolutely no point sprinting for 20th. If you’ve got a good position coming off the last bend, go for it; if you haven’t, then don’t.
I need to work on my concentration in the final third of the race. I was in all the right places, including briefly off the front, up until the closing stages when I allowed myself to drift back too far to be in contention when the 3 laps to go board came up.
I’m riding more frequently no which is a good thing, trying to get out at least every other day for a couple of hours of either training or racing. Saturday I think I’ll have another crack at Hog Hill, even though it is a 3/4 race and I’m “hill-averse”.
My bookshelf has moved on since last week with a change of mood. I finished Paul Kimmage’s Rough Ride and have moved on to Vin Denson’s The Full Cycle, which is a much lighter read so far. Kimmage’s book was bleak, raw and in many ways coloured by the proximity of its writing to the end of his career. That’s what gives it much of its power. Denson’s seems to be much more of a traditional autobiography, more reflective in tone.
Next on my to do list, other than getting my weight down below 75kg and closer to 70kg, is to write the rules of being “Pro” as I see it. There’s loads of variations on what constitutes the right “European Pro” look on a bike and I disagree with some versions, so I’ve decided, somewhat arrogantly, to write down a correct version.