NCRA Spring Series Race 1: Naseby

Saturday the 1st, and March arrived with clear skies and gentle winds. In the sun it even felt a little warm! Ideal conditions for the first road race in the NCRA Spring series. Tim Pennell, Wayne Tunnah, Lewis Rooney, Joe Finucane and Richard Ostler were representing the club. The NCRA races follow a handicap format with women and juniors off first followed by 4th cats, then 3rds and finally scratch, made up of 2nd cats - there were 12 minutes between the 1st group and scratch. There were 6 starting groups with Lewis in the 2nd group, Tim and Joe in the 3rd, Richard in the 4th and Wayne in the Scratch. Got all that? Oh and Lewis and Joe were both competing in their first race.

The Naseby circuit is just shy of 10 miles and reasonably lumpy - crucially the lumpiest part is on the final couple of miles from Welford to the finish line and would likely prove decisive in the charge for the line. From Welford there is a steady climb up to a flattish and fast road. After nearly a mile the road sweeps down and then immediately back up for a long uphill drag to the finish line. We would be doing 3 laps.

By the end of the first lap the groups were still apart. Lewis was doing more than his fair share of work in the front group, but, having ridden the Wiggle sportive in the morning, Wayne was suffering in scratch. Half way round the 2nd lap and Lewis was paying for his earlier efforts having been dropped from his group, and, as the first of the 3rd cats caught him, he wasn't able to hold on to their wheels for long.

As the last lap started Richard's group (4th on the road) caught what was left of the leading 3 groups. Tim was looking comfortable, while Joe appeared to have confused the race with a club run, effortlessly leading at the front of the pack. Two more riders bridged across from 5th group, but of the rest there was no sign.

Once the bunch got on to the better surfaced and wider roads around Sibbertoft, someone attacked. Richard was immediately onto it and for a few moments it looked like the leading riders could force a split. Instead the attack just ramped up the pace to make life hard for anyone unlucky enough to be at the back. The high pace continued to Welford and as the bunch turned left, onto the climb, the lead riders again lifted the pace to force a selection. The pack was being winnowed out now, but crucially, Joe and Richard were among lead riders with Tim not far behind.

As the road leveled off a few clawed their way back to the lead group, but now, as the race closed in on the finishing drag, riders started jostling for position. Richard got a little boxed in to the left, but Joe, perhaps more from strength rather than craft held a good position close to the front, ready for the sprint....

St Neots got two top 10 finishers, Joe taking 4th and Richard 9th, Tim wasn't far behind and Lewis gritted his teeth to finish. A good start for our first road race of the season and an excellent result for Joe.

Next Saturday is St Neots Cycling Club's first time on home turf at Keysoe, but will we have home advantage...