Tour of the Hilltowns - Cat 3

A quick low down on my exploits in the Hilltowns. The race is a bit of a suffer fest, but i like it!

I finished 6th in Cat 4 in this race last year, so i was interested to see how i’d do in Cat 3. I decided to approach it exactly the same way – get to the front on the climb and stay there – hope to get in a break over the crest of the climb and hang on for dear life for the final long drag.

I think i executed things pretty well, but basically the break didnt stick.

The race starts off flat, then takes in a really rough road which always punctures out a few riders – no exception this year. Unfortunately one guy flatted in front of me so i came to a standstill and dropped way back in the pack. There i stayed for the oncoming descent which was twisty and this year damp and slick in all the wrong places, with a poor road surface. There was no point in flying down this so i didnt really care that i was at the back. I moved up gradually but slightly mistimed things so i was mid pack at the beginning of the climb. It took a bit of effort to get to top ten on the climb and by the time i got there there was a gap between the front 3 and everyone else. I didnt have the legs to bridge it and kept it steady thinking we’d probably catch them at the top.

When we crested the hill i was about 8th or so and found myself in a group of about 8 riders, with a gap on the main field, but separate from the front three. This was a good opportunity, we should have caught the three others. Unfortunately the group didnt work well. Some riders were tired from the climb and some riders just didnt know how to ride a paceline. There was maybe 3 or 4 working, but then it got broken up by people not pulling thru, or pulling thru too fast, or arguing about how to ride a paceline. It was not what i would have expected in cat 3. I worked hard, but felt very frustrated because i was burning lots of matches, but knew we’d surely be caught by the main field at that rate. We stayed off for about 15 miles but were then caught.

We kept on at a good pace and caught the lead three.

On the long final drag one or two people broke away and there was no response. I was burned out at this point. I knew that the final drag would be a war of attrition, with riders being steadlily dropped as the pace kept getting harder. I was doing fine holding the pace, but with 2k to go, i started cramping badly, in muscles i didnt know i had (and now, no longer have…). 1k to go, i’m about 15th and i decide I’ll just power thru the cramps. then the skies opened up with rain and it was impossible to see. I think this was a sign that i should accept my fate, so i did! I cramped my way up the final 1k at the back of the front mini group and finished 21st. Not too bad for my second cat 3 race, could have been better if the break had worked out (or worked at all!), but hey you take your chances. Great race.