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| The start. Courtesy of Alfie Wallace’s race video |
I pulled into the Pfizer carpark, my two-day old crash-replacement helmet in hand. It’s predecessor had saved me from resembling a Hammerhead shark. I played fetch with a dog, until the stone went under a car. I had parked strategically this year. There was no cycling allowed in the carpark, so it was key to park as close to the gate as possible. After signing on, I met Richard, Eric and Breda. On my way to whip out some practice laps, I met, my previous nemesis and spawner of the hashtag #GottaBeatBarry, Barry.
Cross courses have a way of etching themselves deep into your mind. So deep that your spinal fluid remembers why the course is not on its Christmas Card list. I remembered the smoothest lines through the two bumpiest corners. By the mid-point of my second practice lap, my back was in agony. After my three laps, I met CX debutante, Paul and Panda the Dalmatian.
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| Me before everyone passed me. Courtesy of Paul and Sinéad |
I watched the start of the Women’s race. Michelle took control of the race, emulating Sven Nys in his prime. Breda was battling for second. Monica was reeling in Caomhie. Emma was also tussling for position. Some Dad was loudly criticising his daughter’s cadence. I spent most of my life having obscenities hurled at me whilst the stakes were high (read: herding cattle). I can confirm that no child wants their name included in sentences with four letter swear words. He went a bit Wealdstone Raider on me after I asked him to chill and explained the finer points about cadence selection on the course sections. I guess some homies are OG, and throw up gang signs for 60rpm.
On the grid, looking around I noticed that the bikes had changed since last year. Half the number of chainrings, and dramatically more cassette teeth. I was running a 40t Oval ring and an 11-36. I was on the second row. Richard was on the third row. Barry, Paul and Dave were buried further back.
We were unleashed. Richard’s side of the grid were faster away. I was boxed in and was losing positions hand over fist. I find 1x systems require a lot of gear changes to get to a good speed. The out of fashion double chainrings had me spoilt with their ease of acceleration.
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| Dave in action. Note the ground condition. Courtesy of Paul and Sinéad |
I got some nice drive over the first gravel and bumpy grass section. I had forcefully commandeered the middle line I wanted. A nice gap opened behind me. This meant that your ginger protagonist would not be getting dive-bombed by some adrenaline fueled nutjob. I looked to my left after the third corner. A beautiful, Luke-favoured sight was unfolding. There was a massive compression. Riders were stopped, whilst I was accelerating away into the next section. It was strung out along onto the footpath. This made the line choices really easy. I only had to be aware of the stronger riders burning matches to get to the front. I fell on an uphill off-camber section, as a rabbit hole had decreased my traction. I looked back as I lay on the ground, threaded tyres coming at my face. I jumped up really quickly, a career as a “before” plastic surgery model flashed before my eyes. As I exited that section, another rider fell in the same position.
There was a gap in front of me going into the stairs section, this meant that I would not be stopping to queue. I made a few places in the remount. That short term income turned into a net loss on the oncoming boards and off-camber sections. Toni was the best supporter at the boards. Paul and Barry put me to the sword on this first lap.
I was not bothered by the 45-minute long Black Friday-esque barrage going past me. Included in this stampede was the Junior twins from Kanturk, who started two minutes behind the seniors. My goal for this race was to beat my Top 90 place finish from last season. The heavy grass was sapping my strength. My lower back was full of lactic acid, cramped muscles and probably a herniated disc or two. I wanted to pull out after two laps, but I kept thinking that I was putting “money in the bank”. The compound interest I would earn would see me make my goal of a Top 20 finish again this season.
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| Richard at the barriers. Courtesy of Paul and Sinéad |
For the remainder of the race, I was getting fearful of not being able to clear the barriers due to my increasingly weak quads. But Toni’s encouragement kept the social pressure of being “Luke who snotted himself on the barriers” ever-present. Dave finally passed me. Unlike in the Randonée, he would only pass me once this day. On the last lap, I looked back and seen a group far behind. I wanted to stay away from them. On the back section I put in a dig, but I blew up before the barriers. The group passed me on the last section.
I gave back my timing tag and met with the frequent posters from Boards.ie. There was new format of giving the A racers 45 minutes to try the course (as opposed to last year’s 10 minutes). I took an express shower. I went back to the Coffee truck sporting a similar level of hygiene as an Electric Picnic patron.
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| Eoin in action. The ground condition has changed from the B Race and Rain. Courtesy of Verge Sport’s Blog “Cross Is Here" |
Out of nowhere, it started to rain. This would mean that the course would be drastically different for the A race. Robin, fresh from his Masters XC World Championship win, was looking snazzy with his Masters CX National Jersey.
Ronan had a nice place near the front rows of the grid. Eric, Philippe and CX newbie Tom were at the back of the grid. With Eoin somewhere in between Ronan got a good start. Eric was trying too hard on the opening laps and crashed a few times, so he decided to pull out. I observed all of this from my vantage point of under the coffee truck’s canopy. My mullet has many features, alas water-resistance is not one. After the rain stopped, I bravely ventured to the board section just as Robin was turning the screw on the fast starting Squeak.
After I got home, I looked at my Strava results for the Course segment. My slowest lap this year, was similar as my fastest lap the previous year. I didn’t get lapped by anyone either. So all-in-all, it was a solid opener after my eleven week lay off.
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| Ronan doing his post-race ritual. Courtesy of Paul and Sinéad |
Orwell Results
Women
Pos Name Time
1 MICHELLE 39:13 Four Laps
3 BREDA 40:53
4 MONICA 42:35
5 CAOIMHE 42:50
14 EMMA 45:38
Men B
Pos Name Time
1 DARREN 45:50 Five Laps Bray Wheelers
34 PAUL 49:52
35 RICHARD 49:59
38 BARRY M 50:17
48 DAVID 51:19
74 LUKE(ME) 54:07
Men A
Pos Name Time
1 ROBIN 55:42 Seven Laps Team WORC
8 RONAN 58:59
26 EOIN 1:01:19
45 TOM 1:04:01
51 PHILIPPE 1:06:21
74 ERIC 8:15 One Lap
Full Results are available from Fixx Round 1:
A Race and
B Race and
Women.
