Gorrick Spring Series - Area 51

I can't believe it has been eight whole months since I last zip tied a race number board to the handlebars. In some ways it was all so familiar, but at the same time it felt as if it was my first race. Area 51 is a new private venue for the Gorrick series, so at least none of us knew what to expect.

Since it was the final round of the series I wasn't gridded and had to start from back in the pack. A downhill start into a sharp 90 degree corner certainly honed the senses as we flooded down the track like salmon all trying to break clear at the front. Fighting for space in around 10th I hit the bottom of the climb. In an all or nothing surge I attacked the hill, bouncing over the roots I battled up to 5th.

The leading 3 riders from the series had hit the front and started to gap 4th place, by the time I had forced my way past they were out of sight, only to be occasonally glimpsed ahead amongst the trees. As seems to be the current trend, Gorricks course designers seemed to have to deemed it necessary for the track to weave around EVERY tree in wood. Left, right, left we wound in dizzying fashion. Hardly a chance to grab a drink and precious few opportunities to pass. Luckily I was in clear air.

I pulled a few seconds on the riders behind, but one eventually broke free from the chasing pack and over the next lap and a half slowly pulled me in. He then sat on my wheel, recovering. I knew the attack was coming! Just before the end of the second lap he surged through and I chased his wheel as hard as I could. After a minute or two the gap began to yo, yo. Speaking to him after the race he was clearly on the limit and hadn't thought he was going to escape, but in the end the gap began to slowly open and eventually grew to 50 seconds by the end. 

At the start I'd have happily taken 5th place on my return, just a couple of minutes off the podium. I know my fitness isn't where it was last year, but I had really enjoyed being back racing. That's the 2016 duck broken and I can't wait for the rest of the year.