Ras de Cymru 2008 Stage 3 fri 4th July

Abergavenny/Raglan/Abergavenny, 15 mile TTT

I wasn't really looking forward to this but it had to be done...team Ogmore/Gale/Spex were down to 3 after Graham jacked on stage 2 and the remaining 3 of us were hardly likely to be a Swiss watch out there on the B4598. Nice weather though, the larks were trilling and the air was clean after all the overnight rain. Off we went trying to establish some kind of rhythm on what was a relatively flat there and back course - with a hill in the middle. We were rubbish though - it only worked if we were going slow which I wasn't for accepting. On we plugged catching glimpses of very slick looking efforts from Halfords, Cwmcarrn Paragon and Team GB. And sure enough the results reflected this impression with these being the only teams to efficiently cover the distance. This was emphatically proved by young Nino Piccoli (API-Metrow) whose entire team had failed to start the Ras. He is though a talented tester with a sub 20 minute 10 mile TT under his belt and a fantastic flat-back position on his Giant. He, all alone, posted the second fastest time! Chapeau!
Our time made me cringe, but I guess most others felt the same about it. There's a trick to that trade.

Listening to: Gorky's Zygotic Mynci - 'gewn ni gorffen' (let's finish)