Millbrook Classic for Men

One of Bob Walkers many great photos, the rest can be seen here

Yesterday I rode the Millbrook classic for men, and just as I started to warm up I thought it maybe best to change my front wheel.  So as I rode back to the car I dropped my chain and it got stuck behind my chain catcher (that was not doing its job was it!) after doing that I went to continue warming up and I got half a mile up the road and punctured on my back wheel, so I had to run back to the car to change it (and change brake pads and move said brake pads).  After this I went to find out where the start was and we found out it was not the finish.  Once we lined up I was with my mate Dan Bill and then we were off I was not too high up but I managed to move up a bit as we went round the bowl and then we turn off and went round the alpine handling course with one main climb and two small hills after it.  I think the first time or second time up that climb someone near the front dropped his chain and I went around him then all I could hear was what sounded like a big pile up!  I was glad to be near the front and out of the way!  The race went on and I got soaked and must have been pulling some ugly faces because I could not see with my sunglasses on so I took them off and it was not quite as bad.  After quite a few laps I was just hanging in near the front of the main bunch and the last two times up the climb I tried to big ring it because the wheels I was using had my dads 27 tooth cassette on it so I found it was a bit better over the took just dropping it down a few gear on the back instead of changing on to the big ring.  As we went past the line the bell rang and I felt like I was in a good place I just had to get over the climb one last time which I did then over the two hills that were not as hard.  My plan was on the last bit round the bowl was to keep in the right place and the bunch moved around a lot but I stayed where I wanted ready and the bunch kicked quite hard two or three time with riders trying to stay in the right place and as we got near the line it all kicked off I stayed on the wheel and then manged to come round him and sprint as hard as I could!  I think I was 6th out of the bunch with three rider up the road so I think 9th place but not sure yet, but I felt good and used instinct and had good sensations throughout the race.

My garmin does not like riding it the rain so the elevation is a bit off it should have been 1,618ft.

Then later in the day I went out on the local chain gang to get 20 miles in the wet in my legs!  Only 3 turned up and I won the sprint again, so far I've won every chain gang sprint this year when I've turned up!  So yeah, I'm king of the chippers for now.

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