CICLE Classic, 26 Mar 2023

The CICLE classic is my favourite race on the British calendar. I just find it such a grim yet enjoyable race where anyone on the start line could win. Usually, this race happens mid-summer, so the gravel sectors are dust - this year it was March and was due to be a mud bath. The race rolled out from a cattle market into the town centre where the official neutral start began.

Unfortunately, my race didn’t get off to the best of starts. Just before the neutral ended I got a rear wheel puncture and with no team car servicing me I had to take a wheel from the neutral car. The wheel I was given put me on just over youth A gears which made any fast sections and downhills rather difficult, and I very quickly got dropped on one of the descents. Luckily, I managed to catch back on this time, and I hung on to the main group until the Somerberg where I was able to get to my spare bike. When changing bikes, I had a couple of problems and lost the main group and found myself in a small group of three riders.

We worked well together to catch back the main group, but it was never meant to be. Just as we got to the finishing circuit we were caught by a big group. The group was working well together but unfortunately the leaders were too far ahead and we had to sprint for the line a lap early. I finished 4th in my group which left me 36th overall. I was hoping for a little more but with the unfortunate luck in the first half of the race I can be satisfied.

Kim Baptista