My first crit win!

My win, captured by Graham Atkinson

It was the last round of the Salt Ayre Crits and I was in it to win it. I covered every attack and I was feeling good throughout the race. This week there was only Frankie and myself racing for Maxgear but we still worked well together as a team. The race was really different to the week before - slow one minute and then fast the next. As soon as I saw the 5 laps left on the board I started to position myself near the front. At one point I managed to get myself right at the back, but made my way back to the top 5 again before the sprint. I sat in and this week I was patient, remembering to sprint later than the previous week when I sprinted early for the lead out. This time I waited for someone else to go first so I had someone to catch. One of the girls made a move and another and then it was time to go. I had two targets to aim for and sprinted past them both to take the win with my first ever celebration!!! Frankie also got a top 10 with 7^th, so a good day all round!

My next race which was Tockwith a couple of weeks later. I was really looking forward to it after winning at Salt Ayre, until I got there and the weather was miserable, cold, raining and very windy. I sat in the van to keep warm whilst watching the other races. After a good warm up and a couple of laps around the windy circuit it was time to race.

Sprinting away from the bunch at Tockwith

I was feeling good at the start of the race, ready to have a good time and to get a placing, and then disaster struck. I got dropped after someone attacked on the 5th lap. I carried on round on my own, but each time I came past my dad I got ‘the look’ - the look of disappointment!!
I put a massive effort in and started to bridge the 20 second gap that the bunch had on me. Finally after 4 gruelling laps on my own I reached the bunch. I was absolutely shattered. With 8 laps to go two girls got away, I couldn’t have gone with them; I had wasted too much energy, so I just kept sitting in. With 2 laps left I started to position myself for the bunch sprint for 3rd, remembering my good race at Salt Ayre. Even though on the last lap I was totally gone, I still found some energy from somewhere (probably Dad’s stare) to attack on the last corner and take the bunch sprint for 3rd place.

I am so glad I got 3rd place, but I did it the hard way!!! Note to self just put that little bit more effort in when someone attacks, never want to time trial my way back onto a group again!!

Now I am really looking forward to racing at the Cheshire Classic on the 22nd of April with my amazing team mates.

Lauren x