This last month has flown by and my cyclo-cross bike is still in pieces so I haven’t done a lot of off-road riding to prepare for the 3 peaks cyclo-cross race, but I have started to do some walking... I’m still waiting for the summer weather to arrive but with the light nights diminishing it’s feeling less and less likely. I have managed to do a lot of miles over the last month and went to Essex on the 10th August for the final road race in the Women’s National Series the Essex Giro.  It was a windy day and a fast start which meant the large field was soon reduced to 20 or so riders. The course was rolling but it was the wind which made it hard work and several good riders were dropped from the bunch.

Several attacks were made over the first few laps but none stuck until Jessica Allen (Team Halfords) took off with a about a lap to go and stayed away for an impressive solo win. The bunch became increasingly slow in anticipation of the long drag to the finish. The strong headwind up the drag sapped all the speed from the legs and it was a case of who could slow down the least!  A group of 4 riders battled it out for 2nd to 5th place and I came in a few metres adrift in 6th place which takes me up to 2nd place overall in the National Series. The final event of the series is a criterium in Warwick on the 14th September.  I’d like to focus on off-road riding by then so I don’t know whether I’ll ride. I’m looking forward to riding the Grizedale Challenge on the 21st Sept as a warm-up to the 3 Peaks on the 28th.  Hope the weather is better than last year at Grizedale which was a washout!!

For a report on the Essex Giro see:
http://www.britishcycling.org.uk/web/site/BC/roa/EventReports2008/20080820_Essex_Giro.asp

Photo by Mark Cozens: