Sunday 19 March 2017

Slushcup #4 - Hilly course

Result: Fourth place

Bike: BMC Teamelite XX1, Rocket Ron 2.25 Snakeskin / Racing Ralph 2.25 Snakeskin 1.4 bar (training wheels)

The last race of Slushcup was a hilly and fun course. My young training parter, Jakob HÃ¥kansson (just 16 years old!), joined us for this race, and that turned out to be fun!

I was well away from the start and somewhere around tenth place. After some jostling for positions I found myself alone in no-mans-land. I looked behind and saw that Jakob and another ride were not too far behind.

I decided to keep pushing and they didn't get much closer until two other riders caught up with them and the four of them pushed to catch up with me. So all of a sudden there were five of us and the pace got quicker.

The two riders who had caught up with Jakob's group picked up the pace and I struggled hard to get on their wheel. I managed (and Jakob and the other rider dropped off at the back) but then at a short steep hill the guy in front of me had to get off the bike forcing me off mine too. The gap that this created I was never able to close again.

So there I was again in no mans land. With one lap to go Jakob and the other rider again caught up with me. Jakob almost immediatelly went ahead and pushed the pace. I tried my best to get on his wheel and almost managed. I caught him at the start of the penultimate lap and the other rider dropped off behind.

I ended up riding with Jakob for the last two laps trading places and just let him go in the last couple of laps so Jakob ended finishing some 30 seconds ahead of me.

I felt sort of slow up some of the hills and after getting on the scales for the first time in 4 weeks the evidence was there: 77.2kg! Oops. How did this happen?

I was happy with the race anyway. Great course and the somewhat frantic downhills went well.

Thanks to SonnMedia // Gorm J. Siiger for the photos

Thanks to SonnMedia // Gorm J. Siiger for the photos