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Time Trial Racing Results - Roundup

Racing report from Mark Gidney
Team Velocity 25 - 5th September 2015.

I entered the above event on the superfast E2 in Essex – a last chance this
year to get a fast ride. Arrived in plenty of time, in fact so early I had time
to go shopping.

Signed on and got my number (57), looking at the start sheet I was never
going to catch anybody and my hope was to hold off number 60 for as long
as possible. On the day he was a DNS and a reserve took his place, so I was
hoping to get to the finish without being caught. I warmed up on the turbo
really well and legs felt strong and fresh, I should add that I have also lost
a bit of weight so was looking very smart in my new skinsuit. Put my race
wheels in and went for a final warm up along the lanes and I thought it was
getting a bit windy so went back to the car and swapped my deep section
front wheel for a shallow one, thinking I don’t want to expend too much energy
keeping the bike in a straight line (clever don’t you think ??).

Arrived at the start, all ready to go 5,4,3,2,1 and I am down the slip road and
a bit of a tail wind, change up and up and up, wow I am in the 12 and its pretty
easy, look at the Garmin and my HR is 171, perfect, speed 32 mph PERFECT,
a few small rises on the course and it swings a bit to the left and right but
I get over them OK and even when it becomes a bit of a side/head wind I am
still going well. I get to the turn (12.77 miles) in 27 mins less 1 minute as I
always start my stop watch as my minute man goes so that’s 26 minutes
!!!! The turn was fine and I start to head for home, the next 2 miles down
to 25 mph as it drags back up to the flatter parts of the course, still not
been caught, so far so good I should be on for at least a 55 minute ride.
Everyone says the last 5 miles are super fast, no matter what the wind does.
18 miles in and flying … then …. NO, NO, NO puncture in my front tyre – it
is now a case of stop, pump up tyre, ride 3 miles, stop pump up tyre, ride 3
miles …. you get the idea, even with that I crossed the line in 1.08. Oh well,
roll on 2016.

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