02/05/13…An Insight into the world of cycle racing by Thame’s rising cycling star

RISING cycling elite lady, Karla Body, who lives in Thame, recently featured here on Thamenews.net, when she was invited to join the MG Maxifuel pro ladies’ team. Fresh from her amazing win at last weekend’s prestigious Cheshire Classic 2013, Karla shares her blow-by-blow account of her stunning victory giving a real insight into the tough world of cycle racing:

In 2012 the Cheshire Classic Road Race (part of the National Road Race Series) was my fifth road race ever and about one year into my cycling career. It?s safe to say I was very intimidated by the starting lineup last year. And you know what, even after a full year that doesn?t necessarily change, perhaps now more intimidated by more specifics. For example this year Breast Cancer Care Cycling Team had eight riders on the line up, we had three. It becomes a numbers game and for someone like me who is not renowned for my breakaway skill or antics I need to consider carefully which people I chase and which people I leave go and hope others chase.

Working out the maths you have Scott, Matrix and BCC with six or more riders and you. If you think too long about it you seriously question the probability of the race working in your favour, no matter which stops you pull out!

Firstly I want to create the scene. Cheshire Classic (in my opinion) is the single biggest/most prestigious one day race in the women?s cycling calendar after the national road race. The organisers have worked hard to raise its profile, get great sponsors and get a meaningful prize fund. I did not know much about the event until last February but there is always a big buzz and hype approaching the event, which is not necessarily there with other similar events. The race is run on a 7.7km circuit with one short, sharp, leg- sappingly climb which eventually gave me cramp last year, and with two laps to go, it was game over.

I rolled over the line in 23rd place in a great deal of cramp pain! This year I had worked hard to make sure Cramp would not avenge me! We had set out to start with a team of five but with injuries hitting the team in the week before Cheshire, it took us down to three. Myself, Melissa Brand and our Scottish counterpart, Charline Joiner.

We had a team chat when we got there and agreed that with three of us, we couldn?t cover everything; we had to ride in the wheels, do what we could and follow, what we classed as dangerous moves (basically cherry-picking the stronger riders and making sure that, if they went up the road, we followed, which consequently every other team was of course doing – which was great for us – And of course to stay safe and out of trouble.

So we set off from the HQ in a reasonable 6/7 degrees and overcast (but Dry!!) and headed out to the neutralised section at a respectable 15mph.

As the neutral flag came down the surge in pace went up and stayed up for the next two hours and twenty minutes. Early on none of us were that well positioned. I wasn?t panicked by this though; everyone was fresh, the chances of an early break sticking on such a challenging course was unlikely, so I knew I had 2/3 laps before I needed to maintain a position nearer the front.

The dynamics of the race are all a bit of a blur now, but the following riders all had attacks/breaks with purposeful gaps, which were nullified by the peloton within a lap or half a lap, over the course of the race. These were: Keira McVitty, Gemma Neill, Clemence Copie, Molly Weaver & Amy Gornell. But the course was testing, the winds were reasonably high and the peloton was sharp at closing down these moves to stalemate.

I felt the pace of the race lift as we went into the fifth lap with the whistle, which signified the next time round onto the finish line was a prime lap. I can honestly say I have never once tried to go for a prime lap, partly because I am conscious about keeping my final sprint as protected as possible but also because I have never really been driven by the thought of them. Heading into Acton Lane (this is the lane where the ?cliff? starts) Eileen Roe from BCC looked to be leading out one of their team (or perhaps the other way round, but there was a definite lead-out which I needed to follow). I followed because I am aware that after a prime, often a break can go, with the pace being so high, and there still being enough challenging tarmac after the line on the hill to make a difference.

With about 80-100 trs to go, my legs felt fine and I thought to myself ?go on then, have a go, then you get a free gingerbread man you can share with the team!? So, with a dig I secured the Prime and immediately sat up feeling the effects of my effort.

Legs sore, lungs on the edge of screaming, Penny Rawson, Emma Grant, Sarah Byrne, Lydia Boylan and Amy Gornell all came flying past me. Darn, I have to go again and I am blowing big time. But there is a gap to the peloton and ahead of me, clearly, are the team leaders from the main teams. This could be a race-winning move by them and I have just wasted myself on a bloody ginger bread man you stupid girl!

So I got on with it and dug incredibly deep and managed to hang on over the top of the climb. I was exhausted and know I would be required to work in about four riders time, which at the rate we were changing was about 15 seconds! Gradually over the next kilometer I started to feel a bit better but we were not hanging around and I suddenly became concerned that I may be making the wrong decision to put in this much effort, with still about an hour of racing to go.

It crossed my mind to sit up, but I quickly committed back to the task at hand. Heading into the dual carriageway, Amy Hill from Abergavenny stormed through to take a turn. “Brilliant!” I thought. She has bridged, which means I got a longer rest next time.

I spoke to soon. For I then see Amy Roberts and Natalie Creswick, and quickly realised we have been reeled back in by those three teams. This in itsself just demonstrates that even when most teams are present in the break, there is still strength in team numbers back in the peloton who are ready to pounce on these moves.

I was tired. It was nice to see Charline dancing away near the front, ready to go with the next,inevitable moves which I was dreading! Low and behold, the move went almost immediately after we were reeled in, but the peloton was sharp as ever with riders like Alexi Shaw, Delia Bedis and as always, the BCC girls bringing back these moves, or creating the moves!

During the next lap, I floated a bit too far the back. I knew this and I also knew that I needed a bottle, even though we only had two laps to go after the feedzone (paranoid about cramp). So I tucked into the inside bend to get the bottle, knowing it would mean I needed to be sharp on my concentration on the rest of the climb. Bottle, check; Crash, check; What? Why is there a crash on a hill? Why would this happen with just two laps to go? Are you serious!?

I unclipped in time, but the ‘slow-mo’ nature of it meant riders were littered everywhere, including my team-mate, Charline. After a few choice words with riders mincing about in front of me, I found a way through. The chase was on. This was going to hurt. Riders were dying in front of me so even more gaps to make up. Charline, unbeknown to me, was just behind me. Mel was safely up ahead, looking strong, not knowing what had happened behind. Although my replay of it sounds frantic in my head I was surprisingly calm, confident that I had the ability to get back on and still make something of the race.

It took some effort, not helped by the big teams making moves and being so dynamic. The peloton was stretched along 50/60mtrs of road, almost in one line. This is the price you pay for being near the back! Take note!

By the time myself and Charline were comfortably back in, and had worked our way towards the front of the peloton, we were heading into the last 12 km. Knowing I had to rest from the previous efforts of the chase, I was just focused on conserving energy and keeping hidden.

Hitting the full run of the cliff for the last time, my nerves were high and in the tired state I was in, I had again drifted a bit too far back; far enough back not to be able to do a thing about the move which had just gone up the road. Damn! Was the race over? BCC and Matrix looked to be blocking on the front. Was this it? Were we sprinting for the minor places/points now?

Don?t be silly! Charline, race mode, approaches Mel and tells her to ?go and bring the break back?. As you do! Mel is super-strong and looks to be bridging rather than breaking, so Charline tells her to hold back a bit and drag it back. Single-handedly for about 1.5 km, Mel drives this and then Charline took over to finish it off and move us onto the back of the break with about 4 km to go.

I knew I had to move up now and a stalemate in the peloton made this easy. As we did the U-turn round the round-about to head back down the carriageway, the pace started to get ‘narley.’ With 2km to go, it was BCC and Matrix driving it, obviously with plans to lead riders out for their team. I hung in the wings of this, just waiting and watching the wheels. Eileen Roe looked to be the pace-setter for BCC but it was Matrix who were well formed in numbers, primed for the sprint.

We turned into Acton lane and sprinted out of the left hand bend into the final 500m. Sweeping left with 250m to go, Matrix had opened up their sprint and I knew that I had to take it on now to have a chance. It was a long stretch uphill, but Emma Grant and Amy Roberts were away. I probably kicked at 220m to go. I had two choices. Stay central with the 5/8 riders in front and around me, or go far right, take the longer bend and a bit more wind but have more control over my destination with less traffic. Honestly, in these snap seconds these are the exact things going through your mind. I made a decision to sprint on the hoods; a first for me but the Prime sprint told me this was more powerful and controlled on this hill, which was steeper and longer than I realised when sprinting!

Emma was now the last rider in front of me but I felt I was approaching her fast; with about 20m to go, I literally thought to myself: “Karla Boddy you have to win this, you cannot go home in second place with just a gingerbread man, and let your team down. You do have another gear.”

I did have another gear – in both the literal and metaphorical sense. God knows where it came from but my last half a dozen pedal strokes were probably as powerful as my first six in the sprint! Well, that?s the way it felt!

I remember thinking: “I think I have won.” But I was not totally convinced and needed to have had it confirmed to me. It was incredibly close. One meter before the line, the win is Emma?s. Literally, the win was by no more than an inch; there was nothing in it. It was nothing and everything, all in one moment.

It took a while for the reality to kick in. The guys from my local club, High Wycombe Cycle Club, and Heather and Fred Bamforth I think, had to tell me a few times I had won. It was then I realized just how much this had meant to me, made even more special as Charline and Mel crossed the line to share in the elation with me. We were a great unit that day and I could not have done it without them. Favours will certainly be returned.

For now I am enjoying the moment. I am incredibly grateful and humbled for all the lovely messages from people who I know, and those I do not. I am sorry If I have missed anyone. Naturally my sponsors are always at the tip of my tongue for allowing and making this team happen. But in my heart the thanks goes out to many more; those people know who they are. One very special person who is often in the shadows of our success is Jamie Scott. His passion for this team is the life blood which keeps it glowing and he is a credit to us and cycling. So thank you Jamie.

In my mind I am just little old me, another ride who was in the right place at the right time, with the right legs. But it is safe to say that winning the Cheshire Classic is now the highlight of my cycling career, and to think two years ago I had not even done a road race. It is not often I am proud of myself but today I am. It just goes to show that anything is possible. So anyone who is thinking it?s not, think again! Last year I came 23rd in this event. I was probably not even in most people’s top 10 this year, and certainly not a prediction for the win. But do not worry about what others may be thinking. Ride your own race with your own head and heart! Clearly I am on an emotional high right now but I am enjoying every moment??and still smiling like a Cheshire Cat!

Thank you for taking the time to read my ramblings!

Karla Boddy (pictured racing for the line)

Link to video from the lovely Fred Bamforth (It?s raw!) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ngWFLTcFcf0

Link to the lovely Huw Williams’ photostream, and thanks to him for the blog pic (including photo here of Karla and team mates)
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