With the typical manic start we set out to try and split things early on, after picking up an aero PU during my warm up (and not needing to save myself for a climb) I was determined to be up there. I made the selection at the front and was even feeling strong enough to roll a few turns before getting shelled out the back on the main drag as the guys got to work stretching the field. Around 17 riders in the front group at that stage, with 8 of them being WBR.
I found myself adrift with a teammate few seconds behind, I chased a little trying to maintain the gap to the front group but knowing I couldn't sustain it eased up. Antony and I worked well together for a lap, the gap to the front group growing to 2 minutes and managing to hold the chasers at 30s but it became pretty obvious towards the end of the lap they where going to eventually reel us in. With two other teammates in the group of 7 behind and it having a minute over a larger chase group it made sense to rest with them before working to keep away from the chasers.
All 4 WBR in the group where riding strongly with various other riders whose names I recognised, but the only one I was sure of on CVR was Henrik Tullborg, so we rode tactically to get as many of us ahead of him on standings. Derek and I had ridden hard with him (before teaming up to drop him on Box hill) last week. I put in a couple of surges (as did Derek up the climb after the underpass) but things stayed together. Most of the riders sitting on and happy to do 3w/kg rather than any real efforts to go up the road (the gap to the front had grown to over 3 minutes).
Around 2.2 miles remaining I drifted back by a few seconds feigning a drop/lost wheel. I ramped up power pretending to chase back on but
as my 4-5w/kg effort fired me through the group I didn't ease up. Tullborg and 1 other gave chase not allowing me to build any real gap. I kept the power on but on the ramp
after the underpass I was not getting away so after
stopping them dropping me sat in to try and recover for the sprint finish. At
0.4 to go everything was speeding up nicely with the group beginning to stretch, I was marking Tullborg but when he went I didn't kick quite hard enough to hold his wheel. Antony had done a great job to lead out Derek who had surfed Tullborgs wheel before passing him with around 200m to go, I chased hard matching speeds and dropping most of the other riders to close up on Tullborg and Dereks wheels. Just as Derek passed Tullborg I dug deep managing to find some of my sprint (even seeing 10w/kg!) to
pass Tullborg and nearly catch Derek on the line!
Today I feel like I've worn my ass out.
