First win and first leg breaker of the year.

Hi all,

Sorry for the big delay with the old update. Get ready for an essay then on whats been happening!

9th May Langdale Lightweights Racing Team got their first win of the year at a 2/3/4 Darley Moor. But I guess you already know that my brother beat me to it again and got it posted up not long ago! So here is my view of the events:

It was a hard race from the start, where on the first lap Matt and I lined it out and caused a little split in the race. Only for my legs to be shouting up at me "you stupid idiot, calm down, this is a bit too painful!", which I decided to do. For the rest of the race, Matt and I were looking out for each other and pretty much one-twoing the bunch all race, until eventually, with 5 to go I clipped off in a little move with 3 others. After attacking when I head some carnage behind as someone skittled off in the hairpin. (You gotta take your opportunities when they come!!). Matt played the perfect team mate and messed up the chase from the bunch, allowing me to give it everything in the finish and win. After brilliant and committed work by each and everyone in the break. I think Mick was more happy than me!

But during last week I managed to get a bit ill coming into the National Road Race Championships which wasn't the best thing.

But headed into it quietly confident after a nice win the week before. It was drizzly and overcast and my legs felt pretty heavy from the start, but just got on with it. I sat in for the first hour or so, trying to get my legs warmed up and after they did. did a bit of attacking to try and get across to the lead group, but most moves were being towed back, *coughtommosescough*, due to Glendene already having one guy in the front group. So waited and wanted to get away before the last climb, because to put it bluntly the s*** was going to hit the fan up there and I wanted to be away from that. So ended up hitting the bunch on the main road and took away my good mate from the Talent Team days Jack Penrice, we cut down the gap from the leaders from 1.30min to 45secs pretty quickly, but the strong headwind started to take its toll and the gap just stayed at 45secs and the bunch was over a minute behind, so we were stuck in no mans land! Eventually we were joined by 5 others and we worked well together, until the effort from earlier started to take its toll and I started crack. We then hit the last climb of the day and we had shut down the lead group by a huge margin, because as we hit the steep part, they were just going over the top, so I made it within 20secs of the lead group and then my legs cramped from the huge effort as the favourites from the bunch made their moves. I managed to make it into the second group on the road and eventually finished 28th. Which I'll take, considering the illness this week. I felt like I road an almost perfect race, but on the day just didn't have the legs to match what my head was telling me to do. Oh well, bring on the next Buckley's! But congratulations to Dan McLay, storming victory, what a legend! That's 2 East Mids riders as National Road Race Champions for the past 2 years! Not bad going.

Divs this week, and then a bit of a break during into my A-level exams, oh the joy. Didn't manage to find any photos from Belgium, but there are a few from the Nationals I'll get uploaded.

Cheers.