Nat Trophy - Rd 3 Ipswich

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Originally uploaded by Andy Waterman

Woke up at 6.30am to get to Andy Waterman's - he's an excellent pit man, couldn't ride cross without him. Like a caddy to a golfer he rode the course with me pointed the out roots, fast lines and told me where I needed the gas to get move speed out of the corner. Luckily, the clocks went back on Sunday evening so I had an extra hour and the 6.30am start wasn't really that brutal.
We drove on desserted roads through London towards and through an eery and empty Dartford tunnel and final up to our destination: Ipswich's Chantry Park and round three of the Cycle Cross National Trophy.
Arriving in plenty of time everything was taken as it came and when I came to lining up on the start I was ready and knew what I wanted to do from the gun. Controlled through the muddy singletracked, recoup on the climb out the back and wide into the corners to keep smooth lines and be prepared for the steep manmade bridge across the course.
BANG
I was first out the blocks leading in the corner, and then the next corner and then the straight and I was looking around thinking why aren't the fast girls passing me. Over the bridge and the series leader comes past, the rest stay at bay. The woods out the other side. Blast! I'm going to fast, I'm concentrating on my great position, my feeling great and the next rooty bit not on scrubbing off some speed to take an easy corner. Too late I try to grab the brakes, I know this will only make my wheel wash out, so I let go. I'm running wide, it's all moving in slow motion before my eyes, through the course tape, snap, tangle, stop. The girls queueing behind move past in the blur of colour.
I get going again and attack the course and fight for my position. The forty mins of leg searing pain ends with a sixth place and lessons learnt looking forward to the next round in Bradford. Ergh why can't they have them closer to home.

Konrad Manning riding for Rapha Condor competed in the vets race.