Hmmm... how'd I go Shefly? Thanks for asking!

As far as the race goes? Well, I sucked - Lanterne Rouge AGAIN
Think I need to paint those words on a plain red jersey!!!

However, til I was dropped I did some really positive things, like dragging 2 riders who had also been dropped up to a fourth rider and then we all worked well as a team.

These three dropped me on the first hill... ssssooo funny though - Ivan kept looking behind and waving me forward - I just called back as loud as possible "haha, very funny!"

So from there on in it was time trial mode... whew... time to dig deep and suck it up on the remaining hills.

So I get over the first hill and whistle down the other side 50-60kph (getting better and better at cornering downhill) and manage to pull myself to within about 25metres of them before the next hill... and then I lost them completely. Dropped my chain near the top of this middle hill (losing 30secs or so as I had to stop to sort it out) and by the time I got over and down, they had disappeared from sight.

Another flat so I slipped my hands over the top of my shifters and flattened my forearms, trying to get the best aero position possible.

Last hill, and after dropping my chain again (think I was kicking it off somehow...) I really tried to drag everything I could out of my thighs, kept my heart rate above 158bpm all the way... caught sight of one of the three I had been riding with - he'd lost touch with the other two, and that gave me the incentive I needed to keep myself under pressure... unfortunately I never caught him, but it was good to have someone to chase.

I was pleased with my time... 3 (for me) significant hills, a fair ammount of mild head wind, about a minute lost to getting the chain back and riding without the benefit of others...

1hour 18minutes... one of the women I aspire to ride like did it in 1:06 2 years ago... so I'm well on track - she has cycled for some time and is smaller and younger than me.

I'll get there... and I just have to accept that this was not my course - but wow - what a fantastic training workout!

(Despite not winning one race and regularly being eligible to be Lanterne Rouge... and because I have turned up every week this series... I am 12th on the points table out of 31 riders in my grade!)

This Saturday is a Team TT... I have two other women to ride with so far, we are of similar ability and strength and have ridden well together in road races... we just need to find one more. It should be much better than my last experience