Despite my stomach cramps on sat afternoon (thanks to a strange tasting chicken sandwhich, I believe) I went to Witwell near Luton to join the Paul Simon Home Roadrace. Despite still suffering from severe diarrhoea in the morning (race started 8:30 !!!) the legs felt surprisingly good and as I had rented a car on sat morning I didn't want to let all the "investment" for car and sign-up fee go for the bin. My plan was to sit in first half of the race and if anything left in the tank get active in the second half. I stuck to it. Unfortunately, by halftime of the 120km race there were two breakaways of 5+8 riders, the lead group with 1:30 mins. The speed in the pack was extremely on and off, attack, nobody to follow, chase, stop, again...I then had my first own attempt and quickly got out off sight of the bunch, was soon after joined by a follower. We hung out there for about 5K when for some reason the bunch had decided they didn't like us to get away, either. Maybe we were not quick enough or couldn't hold a minimum average pace to stay away, but as soon as we got caught, nobody was going to overtake us, just locked onto our back wheels. How annoying, chasing just for the sake of getting us. I had another two of such full hearted attempts and many others did try, too. Nobody made any successful break in the second half of the race but we caught a few who couldn't keep the pace in the front groups, which had by the end whittled down to still 8. Crazy final 2K , rolling up and down like a rollercoaster, having a bottleneck over a bridge then final rise, a ramp over potholes and finish just after the crest on a bend. Not good for bunch sprints. Got across the line somewhere around position 12-15 of the bunch, so just outside the listed top20. This was my most awful race of the season, in particular as I still had quite a bit left in the tank, not enough in the head though. Really strange experience to race there all on my own, no other Dynamo around. It really makes a big psychological difference to race together and feel like being part of a team, well to me at least...
http://www.velouk.net/2014/06/08/result-paul-simon-homes-rr/