This was to be my (Will Thomas’s) first ‘proper’ road race of the season after snapping my chain at York on the previous week just 3 laps in, causing me to crash, which put a question mark over whether I’d be able to compete at this race, but, where there’s a Will there’s a way!

Unfortunately there was a late withdrawal from Neil Dean after he came down with a migraine at the time trial on Saturday.

Pre-race nerves and a chilly start

The race started at what seemed like a very early 9.30am following the clocks moving forward the same morning, but thankfully none of us missed our alarms so we all met up at the HQ at about 8.30am.

I travelled with Shaun, and as we got there a bit early we took the opportunity to drive around the course so I could share my previous experience and knowledge with him as he’d never ridden it before. Once back at the HQ it was rather chilly and very overcast, so once the bikes were set up we opted to go inside to get changed ready for the race. At this point I think Josh started to get a bit nervous when he came in asking the usual questions, “What tyre pressure are you going to use?” and “What are you wearing?” “Do you think I should wear arm warmers or my long sleeves?” To get some additional information you should read this.

One of the questions asked was “Should I take any gels, and if so, how many?” to which I said “I’ve got four on me.” This was overheard by the Wilsons’ Wheels lads who were getting ready next to us, who thought that four was way over the top, to which I pointed out that it means I’m likely to have spares should a team mate need one (which would later turn out to be quite useful).

Eventually once he’d made his decisions with our numbers on and our bikes ready the three of us rode out to the circuit for a quick warm-up, which included a practice sprint at the finish line to get the legs pumping.

Position is Key!

Once back at the HQ we lined up for the Commissaire’s briefing with a total of 57 riders, it was during this that the heavens started to open, thankfully it was only light spitting at this point.

As the race convoy lined up to set off in a neutralized manner towards the circuit, myself and Josh lined up side-by-side directly behind the lead car, with Shaun just behind us. We were making sure we were at the front as my past experience of this course told me there’s a fight for position on the roll-out as the roads are a lot narrower on the way to the course, meaning it can sometimes be a bit dangerous with the bunch being so compacted.

After some encouraging words to Josh including “Just stay as close to me as possible” (which seemed to plant firmly in his head) we’d reached the Start/Finish where the race proper began.

And we’re off!

As the Lead Car pulled away from us we picked up the pace just enough to get the race going, but now that we had no windbreak we were keen to get someone else on the front, which took virtually no time at all. From the off there were attacks, most of which were feeble as everyone was fresh and ready to race, meaning nothing got more than 50ft or so.

The first 2 laps where pretty quick and with me still getting settled in I never let myself drop below the top 20 and in the less windy sections, in the top 10 as this reduced the amount of work I had to do exiting the corners, and with attacks seeming to go one after another it was important to be at the front, where it was easier to react to the constant change of pace. All this time Josh was either right behind me, or right in front of me, with Shaun tucked into the main bunch keeping sheltered from the wind.

On lap 3 the pace seemed to settle slightly although there was still a lot of attacking it wasn’t chased as quickly, nevertheless, nothing ever stayed away for more than a few minutes. On the circuit there seemed to be quite a lot of wind which also meant there was a lot of crosswind too! It seemed that everyone had figured out the best place to get out of the wind as there was a lot of echelons forming, particularly when the wind was coming from the left.

This was particularly true on the stretch of road after the second-to-last corner, and also the finishing straight, meaning if you were already at the front you sat on the right-hand side out of the wind, and if you were further back and needed to move up there was a nice gap on the left where you could move up quite easily when there were no gusts which proved useful a couple of times.

Race, recover, repeat

On lap 4 I was starting to feel the effects of being so close to the front so feeling comfortable with the current pace it seemed safe to drop back to get a bit more wind shelter to get a good recovery before the tail end of the race, which I knew would take up a lot of energy.

It was here when I saw Matthew Enticknap from Malton Wheelers who kindly opened up a space for me to get into, where there was a quite exchange of words which I think was all complete lies. “How are you feeling?” “Oh, I’m great yourself?” “I’m feeling fantastic”. Looking back at it I think even Sheldon Cooper would’ve sensed the sarcasm there!

I think Josh must have been feeling much the same, as he soon moved back to join me, as did Shaun. By this point I should add is was raining quite badly now, and we were started to question the choice of white in the new race kit – luckily we did make sure to have black on the back to make sure the water splashing up didn’t look too bad.

Anyone got a spare gel?

With the 3 of us all tucked in nicely in the middle of the bunch Josh went to reach for a gel but found he couldn’t get in his pocket as someone (wouldn’t like to mention names but it wasn’t me or Josh…) pinned his number on with the top pins above his pocket so he couldn’t access them. Luckily though he remembered I went way over the top with the amount I was carrying so he asked me for one (and that’s why more is better than less) after navigating the twisty chicane and with the gel starting to take affect, we started moving up towards the end of lap 4 going into lap 5, or at least Josh and Shaun did.

After the first turn following the Start/Finish line there were a few oncoming cars which found a few inexperienced riders caught out as they just seemed to stay on the wrong side of the road. Unfortunately this dramatically reduced the pace in the bunch as people had to slow down to make room this made us all bunch up very tightly indeed, leaving myself on the far left-hand side of the road with nowhere to go but further back in the bunch.

There were quite a few cars passing us at this point and we just seemed to be getting slower and more compact to the point it was becoming a bit too close for comfort, which caused a few desperate pleas from the back to get the pace back up before there was a crash. Thankfully this didn’t fall on deaf ears and as we approached the wider railway bridge the pace picked back up and the bunch lined out once more.

This now left me with the rather unpleasant task of wasting a lot of the energy I’d just recovered to move around the back of the bunch so I could move back up on the right-hand side to the front to join my team mates.  Rather fortunately the gel I’d taken at the same time as Josh seemed to be in full effect as I sailed past the bunch back up to around the top 10, where Josh jumped on my wheel to join me from around 15th place, Shaun meanwhile stayed around the top 20.

During the chaos that had just taken place another break had formed this time it was a reasonable size with a fair gap, however, there were a few riders on the front who seemed keen to pull it back so I left them to it and within a lap they were indeed caught.

The build-up

On the penultimate lap I knew from experience that it gets very dangerous if you’re in the middle of the bunch, with the aim to move up. So from now on my main aim was to keep in the top 15 at any cost and to keep an eye on what was happening behind, particularly as we went through Bishop Wood as it’s quite easy to get swamped with a wave of riders coming through if you let the pace drop at all.

I was looking about for Josh to remind him but it was as if he’d already read my mind as he was right next me (by this point in the race I should stress how impressed I was with Josh’s performance so far on this fast circuit with his junior gear restrictions, and not to mention it was his third race and only his first on open roads, the other two lasting only 30 mins on the York circuit).

As it turned out the danger didn’t come from behind but actually from the front. I was now alongside local rider Paul Shepherd when we seemed to notice at the same time that a group of around 5 riders had got off the front by some considerable margin which lead Paul to ask “when did that happen?” to which I had no answer. No sooner did we notice then the chase started.

On to the last lap the group off the front was gradually being reeled in, I was in around 10-15th position with Josh just in front of me, this wasn’t 100% ideal as I was on the left side of the road making myself open to being boxed in although at the moment this wasn’t a problem. Half way around the last lap the group where to be absorbed as the pace was picking up as everyone from frantically moving toward, unfortunately for me the slower riders that were now being caught were on the left-hand side which went there was a squeeze which moved me back to about 20-25th position. Josh was still just in front. I was now starting to panic as I was on the left-hand side with no visible exit, all I could do is try to direct Josh where to go so we could move back up.

Around the last corner

All my past experience was telling that I needed to be on the right for the last corner as I knew you can avoid the brakes and swing wide carrying loads of speed and here I was on the left and on top of that the wind was coming from the left too!

I tried to keep my cool and not do anything too silly as I wasn’t willing to crash for 20th place especially not with the added risk that the roads where extremely wet now and my sunglasses were filthy, my other worry (only because he’s still new to this and he’s never been in a sprint like this) was that I had Josh in front of me and wasn’t sure how he would cope. The only positive I could hang on to was the thing I remember about this circuit which I know only too well from my own mistake in this race last year was that from the last corner to the finish line is about 1 kilometre yet people will misjudge it and sprint from the corner. This initially worked to my advantage as it strung the bunch out, opening up small gaps, but no sooner did Josh get through then I got boxed in as a slower rider was moving back after sprinting too early. This continued all the way towards the finish line meaning every so often I had to back off the power and at one point touch the brakes. It was starting to look like me and Josh would just have to concede with finishing in the bunch as ‘just another rider that finished’.

But then as if by some miracle all the early sprinters seemed to vanish and the sprint flag came into sight and now we were finally making up places I was still thinking it was too late for me but just ahead the road opened right up and Josh forced his way into free space, exploiting any gap, any weakness. I was trying to count, Josh was going to be in the points now, I was just outside, we both carried on moving up, Josh was top 5 now I knew it!

I had another look where I was within the group and there was a small gap in front that I knew if I pushed myself I could probably make a top 10. Back to Josh and now it was easy to count, the winner was well clear and second place was over on the right hand side, Josh was shoulder-to-shoulder with someone that was just edging him out as they crossed the finish line but with a late lunge from Josh I wasn’t sure if it was third or fourth.

I was so happy for him, my result didn’t matter anymore, his first open road race, his first ‘proper’ sprint, and now I know I’m not the only sprinter in the team!

In the end Josh just missed out and came home with fourth place. I came in ninth position with Shaun finishing just behind the sprint with the main bunch. This means along with his point in York, Josh is only three points away from his 3rd cat license already, which I’m sure he’s hoping to get in his next race.

Result – Seacroft Wheelers Spring Road Race

1. Stephen Henson, Ellis Briggs

2. Jamie Tweddell Albarosa

3. Jonathon Harvey Dinnington RC

4. Josh Ravn, Hull Thursday RT

5. Tim Tharratt, Squadra RT

6. Cameron Brooks, Clifton CC

7. Gregory Sanderson, Petuaria

8. Paul Summers, In Gear

9. Will Thomas Hull Thursday RT

10. Gary Whitton yh training

Will Thomas – Hull Thursday Racing Team