Bob Swailes Road Race

Derek Finnegan continued his strong run of results with a 4th place in the Bob Swailes road race on the Old Hutton course.

This course is very testing and on the first 2 laps at least 20 riders had been dropped, including myself. I'd started not 100% fit and as I was to find out that on this course that is a non-starter. Sean Hughes also travelled up with us and was riding well until his rear mech got hit his spokes and slipped his chain forcing him to retire from the race. So all our eggs were in the Finnegan basket and the man of the RAS didn't disappoint.

The course itself consists of a very long climb from the base of the course, stepping up all the way to the finish line, with a slight descent in between to award you with another climb up tot the finish. From here the course rolls out to a very tight 180 bend back onto the return side of the course. This is where it gets tough, this road is lumpy and very fast. The long climb to the finish is measured and controlled at odds with this leg of the course, here is where the strong lift the pace, it is narrow and lines out very quickly after the corner almost with no respite till the course turns back to the climb. It is beautiful countryside this is only afforded to those dropped as when your in the action there is no time to look around.

Derek had survived the wearing process and with 3 laps to go a young Durham Uni rider had got away and was only caught on the next lap, so there was a group of 4 then 5 then the chasing group. On the last lap Derek was in the last group and bravely jumped on the hard part of the course up to the 5, this group strung together and started to chase the break of 4, who risked it all by starting to play around on the final climb, within a mile of the line. And play around they did allowing the 5 to catch them, from here it was a dash to the line in a thrilling uphill sprint. From where we stood you could just make out the Century top of Derek in the front group, but it wasn't to be a Wheelbase rider had pitched his sprint just right but Derek didn't give up and snatched 4th on the line.

Hat's off to all the riders finishing this race, luckily from all the rain started the minute they crossed the line.

Full results and a video of the finis to follow