Sunday the 13th July saw another addition of MSW circuit races and three Hafren riders Paul Bufton, George Coe and Mike Filek entered the 4th Cat race, on Sundorne’s 1Km road race track.
Having stood at the side of the track a proud Dad watching my son Max in the U8’s, it was now my turn to take to the track. With high pressure in charge of the weather it was promising to be a hot and punishing race.
10mins prior to the start, Bufton and Coe were short of a team mate, still no sign of the usually well organised and punctual Filek. With riders starting to gather ready for the race our shoeless team mate turned up.
Team mechanic, Coe Senior, was soon busy changing pedals and swapping shoes and Felik was back in the race. A brave man lends his shoes to a team mate in that heat!!
A couple of warm up laps and Hafren were on the start line, ahead of them 35mins of racing + 5 laps. A quick look round the start line and we realised that we were the biggest team in the race.
The race got off to the traditional cat 4 start, with the clunk of mis-engaged pedals!! It soon settled down and after a few laps the attacks started.
Growing in confidence team HCC started to work as team and were very busy throughout the race, at times controlling on the front and at others raising the pace and even putting in the odd attack.
Into the last lap and as the pace picked up HCC found themselves 1,2,3 going into the first corner. Coe managed a mini break as his team mates attempted to control the bunch and allow him to break. Unfortunately the plan didn’t quite work and the pack came back together and started accelerating hard.
Coe and Felik finished a respectable 9th and 10th in the bunch sprint, and I finished to the rear of the leading bunch. A great days racing and great team work is starting to pay off. Big thanks to the Hafren supporters as well.
Good luck to HCC members who are taking to the track this weekend in LVRC race!!
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