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*Chapter 7*

Oh Saka!

By race time there was a reasonable crowd lining the circuit, a sizeable proportion of the student population curious as to what was going on joined by a few hardcore fans. Whilst the circuit was only a little over a kilometre it had plenty of character, the only truly straight stretch the couple of hundred metres to the line. It’s gonna be interesting to see how things pan out.

It wasn’t just the circuit that promised to liven things up, the two Canadians have made the trip south and I recognised a couple of the Japanese. Some of the others warming up looked like they might be quite handy and of course the infamous Mayuko Hagiwara is here somewhere. I’m pretty sure we can bag it but maybe it’ll be a bit more er exciting to be taking part.

I hadn’t identified Hagiwara until the pre race presentation, ah I recognise her now and her National Champion’s jersey would make her easy to spot.
“Mand,” I hissed.
“What?”
“Can you braid my hair?”
"What? Now?”
“Yep,” I confirmed.
“There’s only a minute before the off,” she observed.
“Best get on then,” I encouraged presenting her with my ponytail.
“You got an elastic?”
“Here,” I offered over my shoulder.

I felt her tugging at my locks as she quickly cabled them.
“What are you up to, Gaby Bond?” Mum enquired.
“Nothing.”
“Hmm, remember the first lap is neutral.”
“Yes, Mum.”
“Amanda?”
“Uh huh, Jenny.”
Mand finished off with the elastic just as the starter raised his flag.
“There you go, done.”
“Cheers.”
“Why you didn’t do it when I did mine…”
I hadn’t come up with the plan then, dummy!
“Changed my mind, oh looks like start time.”
 
 
A klaxon sounded and we were off. The first lap might be neutral but that doesn’t mean we can’t move around the peloton, whilst the field isn’t huge it’s never a bad idea to be forward. Hagiwara was riding alongside Mum with Team Bianchi, two North Americans and some of the handier Asian riders in close attendance.

With my lieutenant alongside I slotted in behind Erika, close enough to the front to keep an eye on things without having to get too involved straight off the bat. We safely navigated the first left hander before dropping to turn two through a sweeping right hand curve. The course now turned into a small park on a narrower roadway that weaves between flowerbeds, over a traditional style wooden bridge before spitting us back onto a wider roadway.

The road then follows the shore of a small lake before turning onto the short sharp climb that returns us to the start/finish straight. We had another, or it might be the same mc getting quite excited as we approached the line for the start of hostilities proper. It’s traditional for someone to chance their arm from the start and we weren’t to be denied today.

A rider in a strip that made your eyes water just to look at set off on her kamikaze mission immediately we crossed the line. Several of her countrywomen gave chase, Tina tagging along at the back – well you need to cover these things. We were strung out on the descent as the speed increased which at least meant there was more road to use when we swung into the parkland.

Ahead of us the escape attempt was still forging its way through the gardens having opened a small gap over our group. Given we have at least an hour to go there’s certainly no point in getting into a tiz on lap one. It’s not like we weren’t interested in chasing, just not now.
We rattled over the bridge, Hagiwara fixed to Mum’s wheel like her shadow, hmm, that’s where the real danger lies. It seemed mere moments before we hit the climb, maybe 150 metres of 10%, steep enough for heavy breathing and an out of saddle effort at race speed. The leaders’ small lead contracted some on the ascent before springing back out as they made the top perhaps five seconds ahead.

“Glad that’s not any longer,” Mand puffed.
“Yeah,” I agreed, “good spot to attack mind.”
“Not yet though,” Erika suggested over hearing us.
“Later I was meaning.”
I got a look that belied her belief in my statement.
 
 
Much like Sunday we had already started to shuck a few of the less capable riders but there was certainly a more determined and able core apparently waiting for the gaijin visitors to spice things up. Of course with Tina up the road Team Bianchi were in no hurry to give chase, playing the waiting game, taking the longer view can often pay off better than the gut response to chase everything. It was therefore a bit of a surprise when Mayuko Hagiwara clipped off the front on the exit of turn one leaving a blocking party behind her.

The Canadians were a little unsure of how to react, Team Bianchi on the other hand remained stoic and following Mum’s lead ignored the move. Of course that clearly unsettled other elements of the peloton, two more Japanese took that as cue to make similar moves on the descent. We’d discussed tactics over lunch, I’d been threatened with a loss of dress allowance if I didn’t follow orders – as if that would bother me!

Another couple of riders slipped away over the next couple of laps, it was only when the Canadians finally broke on lap six that part two could be set up.

“Okay you two, go give Tina a hand,” Mum instructed.
“Come on, Mand, our turn,” I translated for my twin, Mum having used German for the instruction. Yes and twin, with our blonde hair in braids and identical kit at first glance you’d be hard pressed to tell us apart – I hope.
“Let’s do it then,” Mand asserted.
“On the climb.”
“’Kay.”
 
 
There were effectively two groups now separated by about thirty seconds, not a huge gap but enough to put them beyond sight of each other. Mand might not be the best climber but she has improved greatly over the summer, this little blip wasn’t troubling her too much. As everyone else flicked into lower gears we both made an out of saddle effort that quickly distanced us, we had a clear fifty metres by the top.

We settled down through the line and started a two up rotation to close the gap. The crowd seemed happy to cheer anyone – even two furreners chasing their own champion. Our pace was fast but not flat out, nudging forty-five k on the descent, dropping to high thirties on the level.

Of course the front group was a mixed bag of abilities and we picked up two girls going backwards as we chased alongside the lake. One made an attempt to hook on but at the first rotation she was toast, burnt toast. Across the lake we could see the front group, I guess we were midway between the main bunch and the break, with luck we should connect in a lap’s time.

Mand led up the climb, a less intense effort than last time after all we don’t need to kill ourselves! The MC was quite animated as we headed along the straight but it was Dad’s voice that caught my attention.

“Twenty seconds.”
Hmm, maybe the gap was bigger than I thought.
 
 
The gap wasn’t the only thing closing, the weather was hinting at a change too, darker clouds replacing the merely grey. Not much you can do about it but I hate racing in the wet, please hold off for half an hour.

We hadn’t made the connection by the climb but we were ascending at the same time and closing as we did so. Ahead I spotted Tina’s green strip and Hagiwara’s distinctive jersey among the bobbing bodies – at least the main danger seemed to be contained, yes the Canadians were there too. The leaders eased over the summit, we didn’t so by the line we made the connection and could take a breather.

Our arrival didn’t go unnoticed, there were after all just a dozen riders there, two more are easily spotted. There wasn’t much, no scratch that, any organisation, it would only stay away if the chasers were equally disorganised. Hagiwara certainly looked comfortable enough riding fifth wheel behind the dark haired Canadian, some of her countrywomen looked less so. Yeah a small increase in pace would likely distance several of them in short order.

Tina slid back to us on the descent, “’Bout time.”
“The cavalry’s arrived,” I grinned.
“Need to watch Hagiwara and that girl in the pink, they’re both itching.”
“On it,” Mand offered.
Click, another bit of my plan falls into place.

Mand moved up to Hagiwara’s shoulder with a new confidence that can only mean good news for the future. That left Tina and myself riding piano at the back where we could see any moves before they got away. We wouldn’t have long to wait.
 
 
It wasn’t either of the Asian’s making the first move however but the bigger Canadian who took a flyer as we exited the park. A couple of Japanese girls went after her and by the incline the move was reeled back in without effort on our part. I had to agree with Tina, Hagiwara was certainly looking twitchy, the more so after Mand moved up.

Whilst it wasn’t organised there was some sharing of the pace at the front but Hagiwara clearly hadn’t got her jersey for being daft, she never moved ahead of third wheel. Mand was like a limpet matching Hagiwara pedal stroke for pedal stroke even on the ascent. According to Mum’s plan we just had to contain things for another couple of laps when the others would join us in time for a rest before the finale. She thinks.

The Japanese champion made her move on the finish straight with only Mand going with her, albeit a length or so adrift. I moved up with Tina but no one else seemed interested in following the escapees, we weren’t exactly blocking but neither would we do much to chase the move. Their lead stretched a little on the downhill but with Mand acting as anchor it stalled at about fifty metres through the park.
Hagiwara seemed determined to keep it going, if I was her I’d make another move quite soon.
 
 
“You’d best give our stagiare some help,” Tina suggested as the first spots of wet hit the roadway.
Sugar!
“’Kay,” I agreed before launching my own move forward.

It was like alignment of the planets then, Hagiwara made the expected move, Mand slid off her wheel and I slipped through to replace her.

At the top of the climb the Japanese glanced over her shoulder and nearly fell off in surprise, honest, she had a right wobble on. Clearly she had miscalculated, another look behind revealed the other little blonde gaijin next to the older Bianchi rider still, even more troubling was the white jersey in the group almost within touching distance behind the break, O Shiri!
 
 
Give her due, she recovered quickly and returned to her effort now with super Bond as the anchor. Of course the MC was going potty as we came through the finish area, well their own champion showing a clean pair of wheels to the World Champion was something to shout about. On the other hand I’m pretty sure I can dump her when the time comes.
 
 
“Where’s Gab?” Jenny enquired when she along with Erika and Anja made the connection.
Tina shrugged and motioned up the road.

“The little minx, well she’s not gonna slip away that easily again.”
“But it’s your kind,” Erika observed.
“My precocious kind! Let’s get this lot organised.”
 
 
Mum is gonna be so bummed, I can claim I was following team orders I reckon. Mayuko was still dragging me along, I checked the comp, yeah another lap to the bell, no point in wearing myself out going sooner. The damp hadn’t come to anything yet, still occasional rain spots colouring the tarmac but not producing any slickness.

I took a turn on the front as we traversed the park, over braking on the exit to force Hagiwara ahead again. With any luck it will boost my adversary’s confidence that I can’t hold the pace on the front. How many times have we climbed these same couple of hundred metres? Twenty two? Twenty three? Whatever it’s starting to get old now.
 
 
Behind them Team Bianchi had the chase organised, even if the local riders had the inclination to help their champion the foreigners just steamrollered them, it was join in or be spat out. The sensible ones joined in. Jen didn’t want to give her daughter a chance to recover when the gap was bridged so they were carefully pacing the effort.
 
 
The commentator was getting pretty animated now, we still had a reasonable gap as we took the bell, two to me mother mine! No sooner had I thought that and the heavens opened big style – bum! Did I mention I hate racing in the wet?

Hagiwara seemed fearless on the descent, I dropped slightly off her wheel to avoid the spray only closing again once we were in the park. The Japanese wasn’t giving anything away, maybe she should have. Between spray and bad light I didn’t have time to react as her bike fishtailed on the now slick wooden bridge.

I had nowhere to go, my brakes locked up and I hit the parapet with a crunch.
 
 
Hagiwara was just remounting when the chasers arrived on the scene.
‘Damn Gab’s has got away,’ Jen thought to herself, ‘now I’ve got my work cut out.’
 
 
SPLASH!
Bike and rider landed unceremoniously amongst the lily pads below the bridge, startling a large frog and a school of sticklebacks. By the time the soggy figure resurfaced the chasing group was crossing the bridge and several watchers were running to her assistance.
“Koko ni, koko ni!”
“Daijobudesuka?”

Drew struggled to his feet, it wasn’t that deep, well only up to his chest. One of the would be rescuers threw a life belt into the water and soon he was being pulled from the water.
“My bike! Get my bike!”
“Biko?”
A coat was put around him as he was led to a nearby bench.
 
 
Jen was a bit cheesed, Gab might have stolen the march again but as World Champ she still needed to put on a show. The girls had agreed to a free for all if it came to a sprint finale so it was every woman for herself. Hagiwara recovered well from her spill to claim third spot several lengths behind Jen and Erika who crossed the line less than a tyre apart.
 
 
“Well done, Mum,” Jules congratulated passing her mother her trackie top, “one for the oldies, eh!”
“Cheeky moo, hang on what do you mean, Gab won.”
“Don’t think so, not seen her come in.”
“Where is she then?”
 
 
Maddy Bell 17.10.15