"Yer but it's only February"

The first real early season test comes round this Saturday in the form of the Eddie Soens Memorial. I'll be lining up alongside some blokes called Edward Clancy MBE and Dean Downing... Alright it's a handicap so I'll be lining up in front of them with a few minutes head start. Funnily enough that doesn't make the prospect any less intimidating. I've been following the race for a while; it's a great event that normally pulls in a strong field. True to the usual formula of a handicap the race will come back together far too quickly and a lot of the 3/4 guys will be churned out the back of the bunch pretty soon after. Best case scenario for me is going to be finding some like minded 3rd cats and hammer the pace hard from the off then prepare for the attacks when the big lads catch up. Maybe hang on for a lucky few points but I'm doubtful I'm capable of hanging on against the combined strength of several Elite teams.

I really wanted to write up a decent report of my first race back in Wales but in all honesty it was a lack lustre affair and I found myself bored to tears by the end. However, looking at the pictures and reports of the racing with Forza Cycles RT at Llandow, South Wales I get the impression it was a great day out with a pretty well stocked and strong field, I wish I could afford the petrol to support the team and David Bees (race organiser) in racing somewhere a little nearer team HQ.

Anyway to the above titled point. I sat down to start writing an account of my recent racing and found myself bored by the second paragraph. There was nothing to write about. Nothing happened.

I'll tell you for why that it...

There's a well established culture in the UK of people saying the phrase "It's only [insert month here] I'm not racing yet". I admit I used to be guilty of it when I was younger. No more. I'm taking back the phrase. What it should be is an excuse for the process of exploding off the front of the bunch on kilometre one, dying within a few minutes of effort, falling back to the bunch and repeating steps one through three until in pain, cross-eyed and preferably delirious. Instead the phrase is used as an excuse for 75% of the peloton to sit on, letting a handful of guys willing to kill themselves in search of some early season race conditioning do the work.

When was the last time you paid a tenner to see a film only to sit with your back to the screen because the plot was a bit difficult to get a hold on? It's the same idea. You pay money, fuel up, get the bike out and bloody race. I don't give a flying toss what month it is!

I'm reading reports from Josh in Brittany and hearing of massive fields in 130km+ races done at 44kph average. I'm jealous; I wish I'd grown up with that culture of racing. Can you imagine how great our cycling scene would be if from February through to October we actually entered races to race? I don't want to start a revolution or anything here, I'm just saying this is why until March I won't be featuring in many results sheet. I'll be the bloke that "got suckered" into leading the bunch round the last lap before the sprint holding a pace of 50kph for as long as I can before some lazy sods come past in the last 200m to show there face at the front of the race for the first time.

End rant. Thanks for reading.

Reports from Josh's latest outings can be found in the Links section on the left. I'll be living vicariously through his reports until later in the season I think.