Mythology

Myth 1- I can mix it up in A grade at club level, and hold my head high.

Experiment A- Scratch race: A big field with some obvious quality, led to some misgivings that the past couple of weeks' of finishing solidly in the bunch might be over. Pedal to the metal from the first lap softened up the crowd. Not phased, I kept the pace. Unfortunately, at the end when the sprinters went, I was left going backwards. No jump.

Experiment B- Points race: Two sprints down and I was hanging in there, but then a split formed and I was left wrong footed. No chance of brdging back to it and after the 5 leaders got about 1/3 of a lap, it was time to go back to the seats to watch the finish. Too slow.

Experiment C- Motorpace: This should be my event, and I have come second on a particularly lean week in A grade. I am certainly better at avoiding getting stuck on the wrong wheel, which can be fatal, but I still swung off at five to go, assuming my race was over (It is in any decent sized field). Unfortunately there were only five left on the bike, so I could have been in the contest at the end. Dumb.

Myth- Busted!

Myth 2- 2 years of intervals and track racing, with a few summer criteriums for variety, translate to good road-racing form.

Experiment- Preston Mountain Classic: Under the misapprehension that this was a scratch race, I entered, expecting a good day out with a few companions. Unfortunately, I was mistaken and it was a handicap. Even more unfortunately, the handicapper had been chewing some mescalin, and thought that my dubious excursions into A grade at the track justified putting me off scratch. Mick Hay was off 2 mins, and Pete Knight was off 14 mins. No worries. 5 mins at 400watts put paid to my day by the top of the climb out of Broadford- should have done what JB suggested and sat on up to the climb. I always was a slow learner. Nice training ride thereafter, aided by a mars bar and banana from the broom wagon. Probably the only time I will get to wear number three... Back to the track.

Myth- busted!

Myth 3- My TT form is undimished from the heady heights of 2008.

Experiment- Back up from a successful campaign at the Preston Mountain Classic, and put in a triumphant couple of laps around my home course of Kew boulevard. Smash the opposition. Well... I refer to myth 2. Woke up too late to start. Rode down with Euan in the chariot behind the bike. Almost fainted riding up to watch the race. Glad I didn't wake up early.

Myth- busted!