My final race of the season is over, my bike is clean and packed in the bag to head home. It wasn't exactly a fairly tail end to a big year, but it feels nice to be on a break for a couple of weeks before the training starts again.
The course at Plymouth was really fast after plenty of nice weather. It had some really quick single track descending that was heaps of fun but nothing that was very tricky. I raced a team relay the night before the race with the TORQ-Kona team and we got 3rd, however i did't have great sensations over my single lap so i was hoping i could get it going a bit better for the main event.
On the first lap it was Oli Beckinsdale that took the lead with a group that included Fletcher and a couple of Czech guys. I was back with Liam Kileen and another guy in a chasing group. I didn't what to start super fast so i was happy back in about 7th place. I was feeling quite good (but not great) and was pulling some consistent lap times when i started to notice a problem where my chain would slip whenever i put any pressure down. It gradually got worse and worse to the extent that on the last lap i had to run the main climbs. Unfortunately it meant that I lost a coupe of positions and I eventually finished in 9th. I was hoping for a podium here, but in the end i was happy to hang onto a top ten consisdering the circumstances (having to go to the pub with Matty Z every night this week probably didn't help either!). There is certainly no point dwelling on it though; it has been a big year, i have learnt a lot and got a lot stronger. I am very keen to rest up and start building again for an even better season next year.
So with no riding to worry about i spent a lovely Sunday with my old pals Rob and Julie who travelled down from Manchester to see me. We took in the picturesque Plymouth waterfront, sampled some of the teriffic fish and chips and took a tour of the historic Plymouth Gin distillery, which included plently of taste testing.
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