UWCT Final, Aalborg, Denmark

Looking at the final winner of my race, Steven Fairless of Australia, he was an ex-Olympic rider back in the day and was seen as a potential world-class rider. For various reasons he never fulfilled his potential and was now making a comeback. He’d scared the local youngsters and set his eyes on a world champions jersey. Last year he took silver in Slovenia and was back for gold. Hell, they’ve even filmed a documentary about him!

After Friday’s cafe hunt and armed with the knowledge that the early part of the race contained a few tricky sections, we decided to head out early to check those parts then head back to register and pick up our numbers. However the weather had taken a massive turn for the worst. After yesterday’s blue skies we were greeted with driving rain, plummeting temperatures and lightning! After a few hours drifting from cafe to cafe we decide to ditch the ride idea and drive out on the first part of the course.

The run out-of-town was like any modern city, with plenty of street furniture and some wide dual carriageways that would mean fast and twitchy racing until the cobbled section. Thankfully these weren’t Flandrian monsters, but a smoother, more humane Scandinavian version with tarmac sections either side that would allow safe passage. After assuring ourselves that the cobbles were rideable we drove on to the first choke point. A slight hill that was approached off a main road with a tight, almost 180 degree turn. With a fast-moving, large bunch the first riders through would have a massive advantage, while the rest played catch up. So it would pay to keep close to the front, which would mean exiting the cobbles with the front-runners.

Our recce proves the cobbles aren’t as bad as we feared

So recce concluded, it was time to pick up our numbers, for jersey, bike, kit bag and 2 for helmet. Then back home to fuss over bikes, check kit and weather reports – blue skies, 15 degrees, but strong winds – and eat as much pasta as only cyclists can, tomorrow was race day!

Sunday morning dawned bright and sunny, but oh that wind! It nagged at me all the way down to the start pens and would make for a hard day’s racing. The UWCT Championships are raced in age categories; 19 – 34, 35 – 39, 40 – 44, 45 – 49, 50 – 54, 55 – 59, 60 – 64 and over 65. We would all race against our own age categories, but there would also be results for your position overall. This had led to some confusion about what would happen when dropped riders were passed and whether it was ok to join in on the back. I had no delusions about my ability and intended to race with whatever group I was with. And this is what would happen during the day. More of that later.

My start was set for 0940 and after my experience at the Tour of Cambridgeshire, knew that getting down late was not an option. With two hundred and twenty-six riders in my pen, starting from the back with a technical start was not something I wanted to deal with. Turning up forty minutes early meant I was starting about five rows back from the front, not too bad. As the clock ticked down it was time to cast an eye over my fellow competitors.

Team GB well to the front at the start of the UWCT final in Aalborg

The UK round of the UWCT had produced the largest group of competitors, over six hundred. Most of these were fairly new to racing, coming from a sportive background. This high proportion of non-racers had led to some disparagingly calling these the Sportive World Championships. Another example of cyclists splitting into factions and then proceeding to belittle each other. As someone who has raced and ridden road, track, mtb and ‘cross bikes, toured, commuted and been a courier, I don’t get this.

Take a look at the winner of my event, Steven Fairless. Rode at the Seoul Olympics and could have gone on to a pro career, but his life took a different direction and now he’s back. I’ll never be able to ride at his level, but I’ll have a damn good try getting close! And as a fellow amateur we’re both doing it for the love of racing, he’s just going a lot faster.

All the competitors had qualified and earned the right to be on the start line. As to their ability to finish with the winner, well I’ve often finished off the back. Doesn’t mean I haven’t bust a gut trying and I’m sure the organisers are happy for me making up the numbers and the winners for the prize money that I supply! So, yes many of the riders were short on experience, but they were there and prepared to have a go and hopefully a lot of them will now go home and think about taking part in some local races.

Pauline Bambury takes in silver in her first ever road race!

And with these being age related races, there’s the chance for late comers to cycling providing a shock to more experienced riders. Take, for example the UK’s own Pauline Bambury, this was her first ever road race and she came away with a silver medal in the 65-69 age group, chapeau Ms Bambury!

Continued overleaf…