WCMCC Dog Hill Massed Start Road Race :: 23rd September, 2012

Today's race at Dog Hill was a trial race held by West Coast Masters where riders entered one of two divisions for a massed start event around the circuit. It was also the first race in which I would have the chance to ride with a team of my training partners from Hall Cycle Training. I had raced with AP before and was fully aware of his strength at this level while Craig Pennel and Chris Singleton were Road Race virgins with West Coast Masters but were keen to come down for a trial ride and to increase our team numbers to four.

Conditions were pretty much perfect for racing and I was keen to get down to Dog Hill and discuss our strategy and plan for the event (which I'm not going to discuss here - we might end up using it again). We'd already laid down some ideas but we needed to put something in concrete and do our best to stick to it and make it work. I think the one thing that really was truly sound advice was when AP mentioned that if it comes down to an all out sprint at the end of the race, we shouldn't panic and just concentrate on sticking to the plan to the best of our combined abilities.

We were feeling pretty confident until someone mentioned that Eddy Hollands had appeared on the scene with Sam Smith and Chris Glasby on his flanks. Things were about to get decidedly tough as more and more fire power began rolling into the registrations desk. I had anticipated around 6 teams to arrive (including HCT) however this didn't really seem to eventuate but the strength in the Eddy Hollands and Glen Parker teams was definitely going to make this race a hard one.

There was plenty of talk from riders of all levels both this morning and during the days leading up to the event that a large field would be likely and that a break from the gun would possibly offer the best opportunity for a win. It seems the rumour mill was burning hot because there was certainly a large field in division one with 70 riders signing in and the attacks sure did start right from the gun. In fact the first lap proved to be the second quickest lap of the day and set the precedent for the remainder of the race - 7 laps with none being less than 40 km/h for an overall average of 41 km/h.

Chris and Craig were working well and before we knew it we had completed the first four laps with all four of us rotating on and off the front chasing down a break that had got away toward the end of the first lap. This was definitely a mistake and we probably burned too much energy during these laps and at that point it was clear that the Eddy Hollands and Glen Parker teams were happy to let us carry on. I sided up to AP and let him know that we were being used to chase the break and that we should look to back off and sit in a few wheels back. As soon as we eased up, the attacks came thick and fast from those teams so either they realised we had cottoned on to their plans to let us do the work or they had heard that these HCT riders do some tough Tuesday morning training sessions that are the envy of others and would do what it took to wear us down. I know, I'm dreaming.

AP made it pretty clear that he was not happy with the calibre of the riders firing attacks off the front and was keen not to let them get away and strengthen the breakaway group. It was a decision that could well have been a race saver and I was impressed with his quick thinking in that situation. The result of going with these attacks was that we managed to bring the breakaway back in reasonably easily assisted by the fact that they were also fatigued. But it was not to be the last break for the day.

With two and a half laps to go, two riders got away unchallenged and were later joined by another three, including one rider each from the Eddy Hollands and Glen Parker teams. The main field didn't seemed to phased by the break and we kept them in check as we headed for the bell. At this point, teams were coming together and Eddy Hollands and Glen Parker riders were forming at the front of the main field and taking control of the race. I sought out AP's wheel and stuck to it like glue ensuring that no-one else was able to get between us. Chris and Craig were both lurking and Chris had managed to remain on my wheel through to the end. The pace had been hot since the beginning of the second last lap (the fastest of my ride) and the breakaway riders were finally pulled back in as we reached the Doghill Rd climb on the south end of the course for the last time.

From my recollection there must have still been one Rider's Choice rider with a small gap on the field (or he was an early start to the sprint) and the peloton seemed anxious trying to stay upright while jostling for position toward the front as a mass sprint was now imminent. As we headed for the last three bends in Doghill Rd before the finish, I noticed AP was going shoulder-to-shoulder with another rider (Wayne Thompson I believe) which unsettled me for a moment as I was right behind the two of them and if either of them came unstuck, I would be the next to topple. It seemed that my hesitation was enough for another rider to get in on AP's wheel and got squeezed into a box of riders all around me and I had lost contact - not a good position to be in at this point.

I began the think that things had completely fallen apart in regards to our agreed plan but I was keen to stick with the pace and try and look for an opportunity to get things back in order again. I didn't know it but Chris was still on my wheel at this point and he too was looking for a similar opportunity. It was not until the approach to the last right hand bend that the front group ribboned out as the Eddy Hollands team of Chris Glasby, Eddy Hollands and Sam Smith put the hammer down. This provided a brief exposure of AP's back wheel and I jumped to get on it.

As we rounded the last bend I was still fixed on his wheel but by this stage a number of riders had gotten around us and were were probably 20 or so wheels back in the sprint. Then AP found a gap and hit the gas. I jumped with him and we managed to push through a number of places but it still looked like we were out of the 15 paying places even though there was seemingly nothing between the lead rider and us. With about 50m to go, I pumped out one last jump on the pedals to try and gain whatever places I could but the narrow road had thwarted most of our opportunities by this stage so maybe one or two places was pretty much all that could be achieved.

So the lead out train didn't really come together in the end but we had learned a lot from the race and we felt we had done far too much work on the front during the first half of the race. Chris had gotten himself into a rhythm with the pace and was keen to keep the gas on and to his credit, he really did mix it up with some very strong charges. Craig and AP were also keen to try and get gaps on the field at various points throughout the race and my attempts to block the main field in an effort to allow them to get away was thwarted every time with riders charging around each time.

We were happy to stay on after the race for the presentations and I was completely surprised to hear my name called at 15th place - the final "money place" for the event. I had certainly not anticipated the place but was more than happy to accept it as some recognition for the work that our HCT team had put in throughout the race.

It was such a great experience to race within a team for this event and it was an absolute pleasure to have had Craig, Chris and AP as team mates. We had all put in strong efforts for the day and we are certainly confident that with a bit more organisation and conservation of energy, we can attain better results. I'm looking forward to next weekend's Two Day Tour and hope that we can re-engage another team effort throughout the four races.

I should also note that Dave Ellis appeared at the front of the field for the last two laps and held the pace very well. He was in the race on his own but put in a strong ride to finish with the sprinters. At the time of writing this, I'm not completely sure of his place but he's still proving to be a strong rider that could rival the best of them in B grade. Kudos also goes to Emz for her 14th place in the division 2 race - only just being edged out by Kelly Gray for the first female over the line.

Results can be found here.

A completely enjoyable day of racing and a promising start to working with a HCT team.

Thanks for reading.