The course had some long steep climbs with not very technical but really fun descents.
it was a dry and sometimes windy weekend which helped with the course as there was a really rooty descent which would have been carnage in the wet.
I had a really good start and sat 3rd round the first hairpin bend but as we hit the first hill I started to move back through bthe field as my legs had not been feeling good all week but towards the top hill when the people that had been sprinting up the hill had slowed down I managed to move back into 6th and sitting in the group for 4th, we hit the first descent and Craig Rogers was infront of me and he wasn't feeling too good so he opened up a gap and there was no where to pass, once I was down the descent I passed him on the fireroad and led up the second main climb on the circuit chasing back Tom Mein for 5th. I couldn't catch him before the descent and was overtook by Ben Healey, the descent was fast and flowing, and we all stayed together, we exited the descent and Ben had picked up a puncture, he pulled off and I led back into the arena.
The second lap I stayed in a group of three for the rest of the race working together trying to bring back 5th but the gap was too big, on the final lap the pace up the main climb increased but all three of us stayed together and pushed the pace even on the descents, we hit the fire road and the person ahead of me sprinted and then carried on up the climb, but I managed to pull it back and sat on him down the final descent. The pace then let up as we hit the last fire road with non of us wanting to take the lead for the sprint finish. Sam opened it up quite far out but put a big gap into us to try and bring back, I was sitting 8th round the last hairpin bend but managed to go up the inside and take 7th and was close to Sam at the line.
It was a good race and a really enjoyable course, i'm now looking forward to Glasgow for the commonwealth games course as it looks technical with short sharp hills
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