Gaby Book 17 - Seasons

 
Don’t run away with the idea that Apollinaris are the only ones with an agenda, far from it, no it’s just that the more experienced riders often prefer to watch us than make their own moves. Today though I think we’d confused them a bit and several were getting antsy, the last time check we had was almost three minutes and now we were on the inbound every kilometre of delay reduced the chance of recovery. Something had to give but we were ready, there were still too many in our group for comfort after all.

It was Innerthausen who snapped, attacking hard over a rise, quickly followed by three other lads and Tali. Just what we’d expected, not the who but the what. Josh and I faked a pursuit but in reality we were blocking any further reaction, I mean, why would we chase Tali?

Of course team tactics and the junior peloton don’t really go hand in hand, everyone wants to win even at the expense of team mates chances – we, through BC and our team structure, are the exception. Innerthausen and co made fairly rapid gains, for Dad’s plan to work we needed them a decent distance ahead and the tail wind would help with that. Once they were clear I left Josh patrolling the front of the ‘pursuit’ and found Manda.

“Ready for your big appearance?”
“Nope but I'll give it a shot, Tali got away?”
“Yup, follow me up when you’re ready.”
“See you at the finish.”

Back on Josh’s wheel it was a waiting game, I glanced behind looking for our support.
“Sugar.”
“What’s up, man?”
“Behind.”
Josh looked back over his shoulder, “Shite, best cape up.”

Yeah we were prepared today, we all had our race capes with us, no need to drop back to Dad to fetch them. Why did we need them? Well, driven by the wind you could see a wall of rain approaching from the rear, rapidly.

The art of caping up on the move is something fraught with danger, find some smoothish straight road, retrieve said cape, sit up and fight your way into the garment. Oh, and don’t fall off. We’d no sooner accomplished the feat than the wet hit the bunch – big style.

Prepared as we were, Josh hit the gas with me in close attendance, the peloton at least temporarily distracted by the rain lashing down. I tucked in close to get maximum shelter, my mate going full gas with a bit of a tailwind wouldn’t be easy to regain if I lost contact! You can only keep up the effort for so long and we still had a way to go, a quick under arm glance was enough to confirm we’d made good our escape.

“Done,” I gasped.
Josh turned for his own assessment before easing back a notch which allowed me through. Not that with my size I'm a lot of shelter to the Toon but it’s the thought that counts. Ahead of us Tali’s group were in a rotation but Josh’s effort had already reduced the distance to our stepping stone significantly, we just need to keep chipping away at their advantage now.

We started our own rotation as we dodged the puddles, although it was coming down hard at least it wasn’t quite as bad as Roskilde last year. The biggest issue with so much wet is not being able to see the holes in the road, it’s safest to avoid the collections of wet – a puncture or off now would end the game. My mind wandered a little, mentally imagining those graphics you see on the telly with the race position, we’d be group three amongst the ‘pursuants’ and ahead of the peloton at what, three, four minutes behind the leaders?

It would be of no interest to us but the second and final hot spot sprint was approaching, in Neumunster, the town just a few kilometres away but hidden by the wet. How are Roni and Gret doing? we’ve not passed any more escapees so they must still be up there. Our immediate concern though was the quartet with Tali and Innerthausen now tantalisingly close.

The plan is to take the briefest of rests on contact before starting the chase forward but you know what plans are. We were seen well before we reached them which caused them to slow a little, enough for us to join as we passed through the sprint point. I say join, we ended up going straight through gaining unwanted company as they flicked onto my wheel.
Oh well, adjust the plan a bit.

We were numerically strong at least, three of six wearing Apollinaris blue. The others had a choice, let us do all the work or join in, we had riders up ahead so the former could lose their chance at the front of the race, why would we do all the work to weaken our position? The situation wasn’t lost on Innerthausen who quickly fell in, the others following suit on the next rotation, Tali riding back stop for now.

The course was now switching about more and on one of these squiggles we got our first glance of the flashing lights of the lead car since Lubeck. There was still a significant gap, the neutral service behind them would only drop back when we got to thirty seconds. Wet and tired as we were, it lifted everyone's spirits.

“They going to make it, Dave?” Dieter asked the driver, peering through a windscreen being lashed by rain.
“I think so, gap’s about two minutes.”
The Apollinaris bus had been called up after Neumunster so they were just a few metres behind Gab and co.
Dave’s phone chirped, he answered on hands free,” Angela, you at Langenhorn?”
“Hi, Dave, how’s it going?”
“Wet, but to plan, Ron’s still in the front group, how’s it there?”
“Just started to rain a few minutes ago, we’ve got the tent up with a little help,” she chuckled, “how long do you think?”
“An hour maybe at this pace.”
“Okay, see you shortly.”
“Tschuss.”
Dave ended the call just in time to see Gab’s hand go up.

Sugar, not again. I pulled out of the rotation and stuck my hand up for service before banging the brakes on. Dieter was with me, wheels in hand as I stopped.

“Everything okay?” he asked as he deftly made the exchange of my front wheel.
“Yeah.”
“Raining at the finish.”
“Cheers.”

I hadn’t even dismounted, he gave me a push long enough to get my feet clipped in again and the drama was over. Well not quite, I still had to get back on but Tali had seen me pull up, both her and Josh were waiting to pace me back. Of course Innerthausen had spotted a chance and done one. Instead of a working group of six we were now spread more thinly along the road, not good at all.

It didn’t take long to get back to the others but the escapee was still going hammer and tongs ahead of us. Josh gave me a look, I shook my head, let him wear himself out, after all I'm pretty sure he’s not strong enough to go straight through the leaders. Our remaining companions rejoined us in a rotation but it was clear that Tali was now feeling the pace, to be honest, so was I.
The rain seemed to be easing a bit, certainly it was brighter when I glanced behind. There was more urgency now, we’re running out of road*, any reaction ahead of us could scupper things for us. Can we close the gap in time? I hope so.

“I thought they’d be here by now,” a breathless Gret gasped.
“Me too,” Ron agreed, “guess we need to think about ourselves now.”

The group they were in had worked surprisingly well together, not usual in Jungere events at all. There were several handy riders amongst them, too many really but they all seemed content to wait for the gallop, at least for now. Neither of the girls would last long if they attacked so it was a waiting game and everything crossed that the others would come up in time, at least the rain was easing.

“That's me,” Tali gasped.
We’d been going at almost full gas since my puncture so it wasn’t a great surprise.
“’Kay, see you at the finish.”
She sat up, one second she was there, the next we were four. Innerthausen had maintained a two hundred metre advantage over us, he must be well and truly on the rivet. The good news was that the leaders were mostly in sight now and the rain was down to a bit of wind blown fret, we still had plenty of wet on the road of course.

A plane passing quite low overhead suggested we were quite near the airport and with it the finish, this is gonna be close. Josh turned the screws a little more, we were all on the limit and at a disadvantage if it comes to a sprint. But we need to make contact first.

The neutral service dropped back, we were within thirty seconds but seriously running out of road now, in fact we had just passed the ‘five to go’ board. I signalled to Josh as we passed in the rotation, he gave the slightest nod in understanding. To be fair to them, our companions were giving as good as us, smelling success, we were tired but the leaders would be too.

At two kilometres we were close enough to pick out jerseys, Innerthausen was in touching distance, he’d have a chance to rest but he’s put out a lot in his solo effort. Josh eased slightly, we needed to get our breath too, I'm not sure the others noticed our slight subterfuge. The distance continued to close, I was banking on such a large group mucking around before the sprint and at the kilo flag they rapidly slowed.

The distance between us shrunk rapidly then, we kept the pressure on and Josh took us past at full gas. Our arrival had been clearly a bit more unexpected than we could’ve hoped, the other pair had hesitated leaving just me and Josh to go clear. I could hear some reaction, can I do it?

Josh blew big style as we barrelled towards the finish banner, pulling off to the right leaving me a clear but unprotected run in. I thrashed the pedals round, nose on the bars, bum in the air, come on, come on. The red fog was descending as quickly as my approach to the line, with a last effort I threw the bike forward.

Was it enough? I was too far gone to take in my surroundings as I freewheeled to a halt, quickly surrounded by the rest of those finishing.
“Good ride, Gab,” Ron mentioned stopping beside me.
“You girls okay?” Sonja asked, draping us both with towels.
“Did?” I managed to gasp out.
“Not sure,” she admitted.
Gret and Josh joined us as we huddled, Angela soon joining us.
“Photo,” she told us.

“And in first place, our clear winner for a second year, riding for Team Apollinaris, Gabrielle Bond!” The MC announced.

I guess that's me, I pumped my arm, oh yeah! I climbed up the podium exchanging a hug with Roni and a handshake with the lad who took second. Oh yeah, the photo wasn’t for me, I finished a length clear, no it was the other places that needed sorting out, Ron in the thick of the melee had just edged onto the podium by a tyre. Manda and Tali came in together with the main bunch almost ten minutes behind but certainly not last.

I closed my eyes, tilted my head back and let the hot water play over me. So good, I'd had a brief moment of panic when I got into the cubicle remembering last year but hearing Mand in the room reassured me somewhat. I know I won last week but this is the big time, my first big road win for quite a while and I was bouncing.

“Mand?”
“Wassup?” she queried turning off her hair drier and coming into the bathroom.
“Could you do my hair for me?”
“Wash it?”
“Dur, no, you know put it in braids.”
She shrugged through the glass panel, “Guess so.”
“Cheers, Mand.”

I dunno why but I wanted, no needed, to look my best for dinner, well late lunch maybe.

“What cha all gussied up for, man?” Josh asked when Mand and I arrived – once more in our team frocks.
“Frightened of being shown up?” Mand proposed.
“You both look very nice,” Isabela, Tali’s mum told us.
“Um thanks,” I allowed feeling a trifle silly as everyone else except Mand was dressed casually.
Perhaps I had gone a bit overboard, hair up, full slap and heels, the same heels I hadn’t worn last night as being too much. Mand hadn’t gone quite as far but was still looking like hot totty.
“Are you pair sitting down or what,” Tali demanded, “I'm starving!”

The moment was broken, my stomach rumbled, yeah, food.

Maddy Bell © 21.10.16