Andy Seltzer writes…
Having been asked to write about my road racing exploits here goes. I have re-joined The Surrey League, the first time for a couple of years my first race of the season was a 52 mile third category race around the Dunsfold road race circuit having tried to get into a couple of breaks I ended up settling for a mid field placing in the bunch at the finish.
The following weekend and it was a 65 mile second category event on the Crowhurst circuit this time the pace was somewhat faster so there were no attacks from me just a battle to stay in the bunch and another mid field placing.
Moving forward another weekend and I had some crazy idea that following a 12hour night shift the best way to recover was to ride a hilly 65 mile second category road race around the Bletchingly circuit. Needless to say it wasn’t a good idea and I managed to hang on until half distance.
This now brings us nicely round to Tuesday evening and the first round of the Dunsfold races at the Aerodrome which uses the 3 mile perimeter road. The almost summer like evening attracted a large field of 110 rides which was set off in what Glyn Durrant of the Surrey League described as a scatcheycap that is groups of riders set of depending on category with the fourths of first right back to the elites each group with about a 15 second lead. With 2 laps completed the whole field was together, which was interesting.
After numerous attacks the race winning break had formed by half distance and although the bunch had worked hard at times to pull them back they managed to stay clear. With such a large bunch things got fairly hairy at times with the speeding up and slowing down causing ripples down the group, one such ripple causing several riders to come down and me to employ my cyclo cross skills and take to the grass in avoidance.
In the end I was placed equal 22nd after a good 30 mile workout. The event was won by elite rider Justin Hoy of Felt Racing in 1hour and 8 minutes.
