I saw a CRASH.

Te Awamutu Winter series Race two was held on the 29/05/2022 It began with a congregation of cyclists convening outside Goodwood School, Fencourt Road, Cambridge.

10.20am was the registration cut off and by that time over 100 riders had signed in or signed up and selected their grade choice from A- E with another category for junior riders. Outside Goodwood school, cyclists could be heard mingling and discussing their weekday lives and deliberating about grade choice and how so-and-so should be in a different grade and how I belong in this grade. The conversation was pleasant and showed no pre-race tension which was awesome and showcased the friendly nature of the event quite well.

The course was three laps of the roads Fencourt, Aspin and Te miro totaling roughly 43 kilometers. The winds were steady, though I would say strong, averaging at around 22km an hour, however the temps were cool and the sun was covered by a dense cloud that really didn't show too much sign of letting rain out any time soon. A-Grade was the first to depart, followed by B, then it came time for C-grade which was promptly split into two smaller group due to the size.

I was placed into C-Grade even. It was my first time in this category, having only ever done a handful of races in the HCC summer series in D-Grade. It was assured that I should be okay.... As expected, the race began mildly with a neutral Zone. I used this to place myself in the bunch for the headwind. Past the cones, beyond the neutral zone, however, was anything but mild. It began tremendously and full gas immediately, so much in so that I was pretty much dropped at the beginning because I simply was not expecting such speed from the start. "Oh crap," I thought, "here we go."

And go we did, straight down Fencourt, straight into what I thought was probably the headwind, straight onwards to Aspin Road. The bunch worked well and lapped off fairy well, did I mention it was quite windy. Aspin began and carried the crosswind straight into the bunch. Up the hills (maybe one hill?) and arounds steep and windy (both meanings) descents. I stayed with the bunch with one word standing out in my mind above all others, 'survive.'

Onto Te Miro Road back to the start to finish up the first lap, I greatly (once again) misjudged the strength of the bunch I was with because boy howdy, they surged ahead and for the second time in ten kilometers, I was dropped. I didn't stay dropped. I caught back on! Go me! Second lap proved better and, according to strava at least a whole kilometer and hour faster than the first lap. Excellent. I didn't know this at the time, but still... Excellent. Into the third lap, I knew there was only 13km to go so that was pretty good. I took some solace in the fact that in around twenty minutes, it would be over. Was I hurting? Yes. Was I hoping the others were hurting as well? Also yes. We rounded onto Te Miro for the last stretch before the finish line. I was with the bunch. There had been no real breakaways the entire race. This meant a sprint was about to happen. The only question and uncertainty was when, and perhaps even who might lead it out. I was somewhere near the middle when a loud crash was heard to my left. A cyclist had clipped another's wheel and this had caused a ripple effect throughout the bunch culminating in two others being knocked. I avoided any knock but of course panicked braked as I think others did also. It was a minor amount of carnage to say the least. Blood was involved.

Inexperience and a rather large amount of panic probably stopped me from being able to catch the majority of the group who sped away real fast. In the end I finished 14th. I'm not bothered by this. As soon as the race ended, I had to hand in my number (number 28), and bustled off to the café with all the A-grade riders. My legs? Toasted. A big thank you to Te Awamutu Cycling club for putting on this event. The results can be read here