I don't know what to call today - but "hell" seems a good enough term to use. I signed on for what I thought would be an easy race. You know the sort with some weekend warriors, a few sprint primes, and maybe an attack here and there. Well I guess I was wrong. Very wrong...

Starting on the uphill finishing straight, there was immediately an attack from the ASFRA Racing Team. Tactically this really stirred a hornets nest with everyone thinking "so is that how you wanna play?" The attack was brought back, and this was then follwed by another flurry of attacks from, well... everyone! By the time we reached the first downhill, everyone was spent from the first 5km of racing. I'm sure you can imagine the feeling when we rounded a turn at 60km/h and faced a 350m cobbled climb - hell had begun.

The course had 5 distinctive climbs where the power was really laid down. On lap 3 a group got away with me in it, but I simply could not deliver the same power output to make the grade of the Lead Group. I along with 20 others dropped off to form our own group which was soon swallowed up by the main field. So as a peleton we carried on the race, with 12 semi pro riders up the road...

The main field of about 100 cyclists soon lost handfuls of guys to the heat and consistently ruthless pace on the climb (something I'm proud to say I played a part in) So with 3 laps to go we reduced the field to only 40 riders. Continuing to pummel the weak with constant attacks, soon the group dropped to a mere 25 guys!

On the final lap, there was an attack - I managed to get on board and do the hardest lap of racing in my life (no I'm not exaggerating) I got 3rd in the 12 man breakaway and subsequently 36th/160 starters. I follwed this up with a "sickness session" in the hedge before almost passing out at the car. Lovely days' racing...

Til next time, if I wake up in the morning...  ;-)

cheers