Autumn Classic

If I didn’t have bad luck I’d have no luck at all!

 

I hadn’t intended to ride the Autumn Classic, but since my two previous races had been beset by problems I thought I’d try and get a result on the board. Ignoring the thick blanket of drizzle covering the whole of Southern England I made the hour drive to Frith Hill near Deepcut. I’ve mentioned this course in my blog before, it’s been very much a case of famine or feast for me!

 

Despite the rain the course was still dry and fast flowing for my practise lap. I was really enjoying the rapid singletrack and short steep climbs. I was feeling good and the bike was running well. I’d fitted a new Rocket Ron front tyre the day before, following a recent run of punctures. So it was especially frustrating to find the tyre going flat about 3.5 miles into the 4.5 mile lap. I limped back to the car just as the monsoon really set it! In torrential rain, water ran down the back of my neck and slowly filled my shoes as I wrestled to fit a new inner tube. Repaired just in time, I rolled sodden to the line for the start.
 

 By this time the decision had been made to shorten the course due to the inclement weather. There was already some deep standing water on the wide gravel road leading away from the start. As we raced away riders swung left and right hunting for the driest line between the puddles. Attempting to stay out of trouble I was riding along the outside edge of the path when I was elbowed wide into the undergrowth as a rider swept across in front of me! Crawling back onto course I was now at the back of the pack and pushing to get back on terms. I rounded the corner at the base of the first climb, hoping to power past a couple of riders ahead. Instead there was a very load snap, a crunch and I came to an abrupt stop.

 

I looked down to find my rear mech hanging from the chain. The mech hanger had broken, the cable had snapped the entire mech had travelled neatly all the way around the chainring before jamming into the frame. It was a tangled broken mass of metal, my race was over. The long trudge back to the car in the pouring rain provided plenty of time for me to consider my run of misfortune. Coupled with the 3 summer race cancellations I haven’t actually made it to the finish line without a technical problem since 7^th July! (By coincidence my 4^th place at Frith Hill!)