Hanchurch woods near Stoke is like sherwood on a hill. Since Margham I have drunk a lot, been to Fort William, drunk some more, and done the sherwood tt. I expected a kicking. But the human body is a funny thing.
Off the start line I got about 5th. Lee Williams - my favourite to win bust his bike. I moved into 2nd and pulled away with Andrew Cockburn and Dave Collins (Team SIS Scott). I felt bullet proof and attakced, which shook us down to 2 - Me and DC. Now I know he's got national podiums in MTB and CX, and I felt a bit out of mydepth, but I kept pushing him. Today was my day - I was defo on for 2nd and maybe my first win in Elite Champs cat. But low and behold, I bent my chain, and ripped a spoke out. I fixed my chain - not having noticed spoke. Carried on and then grinded to a halt again, and then removed spoke. Now in 11th on lap 3 of 6! But I thought **** this, I've eaten enough food to finsh, I'm gonna finish, I rode back up to 4th. What could have been!
Confidence is sky high - but why did my bike brake today and not at the hell that was margham. I had the stregth of 10 men. Next national is similar course. I'm psyched.
