Thanks to Nick and Julie Bullen for providing me with some bed-space in Lowestoft the night before. All the way to the East Coast for a Regional - I thought I'd make it easy for myself by making the journey the night before and getting a full night's sleep.
The race started smoothly, with digs here and there, but nothing substantial. I'd planned before the weekend to go away with a certain couple of other riders. We stayed calm and let things sit a while.
The course was very flat and rolling - a typical ERRL course, only coastal so windier than normal. On the 2nd lap of 7 I saw a move forming. I wouldn't have chased had it not been for the attack of PCH UK's Mark Howard who I know to be a solid TT performer. He towed me up to the break and pretty soon we were 5 with a 30 second advantage over the bunch.
The laps ticked by, with the riders from VC Malden in the break sprinting for the primes on laps 2 and 4.
We didn't get much info in the way of time gaps. VC Baracchi's Nick Esser, today's race organiser did his best to work it out for us but the splits were inaccurate and didn't give us much to go on. I couldn't see them behind us, so I committed to the break.
I saw the pace dwindle and rode through when others missed turns, being careful not to wear anyone out. Luckily there wasn't a climb of substance on the course so we remained 5 for the duration of the break.
Finally we received a solid time check on lap 5 of 30 secs - our gap hadn't increased, but low an behold people stopped coming through. I looked over my shoulder and we were caught.
I sat in for the remainder of the race. I had worked hard in the break. Somehow, I still had it in my legs to position myself 3rd man back for the lead out of the final corner to finish. 2 had gone away and were home and dry. My biggest mistake today was attacking the sprint too early. I should have cut my losses and followed someone else's move. Instead I attacked it and was swamped and didn't get a place.
