- Photo: Nicky Hartle
Thursday night saw the second round of the North Yorkshire Road Race series at North Duffield and, due to exam commitments, Ben Snowden was the only UYCC representative taking part.
After his bad luck in the previous race, where he decided to take a leap of faith off the front of the group and thus tiring and finishing half a lap down, Snowden had to try something different.
The course was again flat and being a climber he didn’t fancy his luck, so the plan was to sit tight in the group and let the teams do the work. After a quick warm up Snowden set off with the group for the neutralised ride to the start.
A long eleven miles of country roads with a few sharp turns and very short inclines made for a super fast course. As they came round for the first lap a small group made up of the local Clifton club were trying their luck off the front going into Wheldrake, but were soon pulled back as the peloton chased.
Snowden, who had taken the first lap to warm up and find some rhythm, let out a yelp and stuck his hand to the left signalling his presence in the bunch and almost knocking out a rider on his outside.
The riders’ task was made more difficult by a section of road which had permanent pothole signs and substantial amount of puddles. It was clear riders were being caught out as hands shot up with shouts of punctures and a few sharp words were exchanged. Snowden, however, looked somewhat refreshed by the spray from the surface water.
The group were still altogether and despite the best efforts of strong teams such as Clifton and Dirtwheels cycles, Snowden was still sat rather too comfortably in the main group.
The finish was long and flat, the first launch coming from as far as 500 meters back, but the riders were quick to respond as the group strung out.
Unfortunately, Snowden missed the move after being boxed in and due to his small stature he was unable to see the line. He finished in the front group and pulled up looking fresher than ever.
The brisk ride back to the car suggested he had felt more than comfortable and still had plenty to give. When asked what he made of the race, Ben gave a brief analysis: “I came. I saw. I stayed in the pack!”
Hopefully next time he will have a strong team with him and the UYCC jerseys will be the first to cross the line!
You can read more cycling articles at our cycling page.