May Bank Hols: La Cantonale, Ixworth crits, Crystal Palace.

La Cantonale, Aix En Issart, France, all Categories, 135km.

Bonkers I tell you, bonkers. Totally not my thing but entered for shits and giggles and the opportunity to race on closed roads, with no expectations, just a plan to soak up the atmos and try and have fun.

ViCiOUS Paul and I both managed 1hr before getting detached from the bunch at 50km on the 3rd climb of the day. I was pretty happy with that, and we were allowed to continue on round the opening 90km loop, on the still closed roads.

Extreme, high speed, massive bunch racing, entirely worth it for the single moment that the peloton flowed either side of a roundabout -SO PRO!

Ixworth Crits

Nice personalised numbers.

Guy in front of me fudged his start and I had to unclip, put a foot down and scoot past him. Chase, chase, chase, go into the red, get on, get pumped. Fun 1min circuit round picturesque Ixworth. I completed the race by way of a '2-up' with Ross Tricker.

Who knew Rigoberto Uran Uran was a 3rd Cat now.

Crystal Palace Crits No.1

The pace was reasonably hot from the gun, with plenty of riders getting dispatched in the first few laps. I felt remarkably good and was well positioned until the 4th or 5th time up the climb when all of a sudden, my legs froze solid and wouldn't go round. I realized I couldn't feel my fingers which had all gone white as blood drained from them to go elsewhere. Early bath for me.

Cousin Will and I early on. More here.

Will went on to finish 2nd but would easily have won if had not been for the mass carnage everywhere which allowed a lone rider to slip away without anyone noticing.