Uchinada TTT and RR report

Today was the Uchinada team time trial and road race.

Team Time Trial

First up the TTT. We checked the course. Talked it through. Warmed up. And raced.

We set off in the middle of the field. Each team setting off at 30 s intervals. A speed of 45 kmph should win it.

The first lap we were flying. Passing 3 or 4 teams on the road. But by the end of the lap we were struggling to stay together. The classic mistake of going too hard too soon. Oono san gave us the nod to go ahead as a three. No room for error now.

I stayed up front for almost the whole of the second lap. Taking care to stay together.

7th, 28:26 (1:29 off the top), 41.93 kmph.

Not bad considering we only trained together once. Next year we'll be back to take revenge.

Road Race

5 laps, 50 km. The plan was to be at the first corner on the front. Our team plan (Vamos san, Oono san, Kitano san, Andy) was to go hard in a mini TTT from the traffic light and get away through that first corner.

It was a really hard effort but we all got through safely near the front.

On the first couple of laps, attacks were going off left, right and centre. I was in the thick of the action. Getting in with potential breakaways. Bridging gaps.

Eventually we got away in a small group. One guy from Silbest looking really strong. 3 guys from Balba who were trying to play the team card.

I felt good. Took my turns on the front. Not going too hard. But enough to show I was worth my place.

Sprinting out of the corners to keep with the group. Feeling good.

I wanted to attack. The question was were. The wind on the final long straight before the finish was causing all kinds of problems. Get away here on the last lap and you could catch them by surprise. I decided to go on the 2nd S bend of the 5th lap, about a kilometre before the last long straight (maybe 2 km from the line).

On the 4th lap I took a risk and sat on the back. Time to recover.

On the 5th lap I asked the Silbest guy if he wanted to attack with me. He seemed to have another plan. The guy next to him seemed keen to have ago.

I waited, waited, waited. The Sibest guy was driving through all the corners. The second S bend. I was sitting nicely about 5th man. Now or never. All or nothing.

Out of the saddle. 50 kmph. Don't look back. Don't look back. Look back. A gap of about 30 metres. Two guys on my wheel. Signal them through. Short rotations. 3 men working together. This is the winning move!

One long pull to the corner to the last long straight. No-one's coming. I've gapped the two guys. The group is swallowing them up. Then me.

Vamos san, 2nd in the Individual TT, 43 kmph! OMEDETOU JYONNOBI!

I latch onto the back. One more straight and it's going to be a sprint. Force the air out. Try to recover.

Everyone fancies their chances now. Riders are all over the road. Through the last corner. 50 metres to the line. Sprint time.

I crossed the line with the Silbest guy. Perhaps 10 ~ 15th?

“You were the strongest today”
“I thought you'd made the winning move there”

Despite the lack of anything to show for it, I was really happy with the race. One of my best performances on a bike for sure.

I'll be back next year!

Umiguchi san, Oono san, Kitano san, 来年もよろしくじょんのび！

Links:

Umiguchi san

Oono san

Vamos san