Marked out like a Lion on the Highveld by some Boers who has been killing some of their prized cattle

Unusual title, for an unusual man, but nonetheless I believe this idiom goes some way to describing the predicament that I found myself in on Sunday  not to say I was suffering alone in such a situation and is highly representative of what cycling can degenerate too and has, is and will continued to be experienced by many cyclists.

Sunday, the weather was awful on a lovely 6.25km loop with 2 climbs on it, 16 laps in total and a 2/3/Junior race with about 80 competitors only 43 finished. Right from the beginning it was obvious that I was a marked man maybe because of my recent run of semi-decent results and the fact the course really suited a rider such as myself, especially because of the conditions also. I attempted to get away and establish breaks, but nothing was working, initially when I attacked on a few occasions  some people who came across with me refused to work or do very little. On top of this, their team-mates back in the peloton would actively happy other teams who may have missed this move to chase me and my little group down, subsequently they would then launch counter-attacks over the top which were hard to cover, sadly at the end of the 5th lap this is what happened, a counter move was too hard to cover and follow by myself and so I missed the winning break of 18 riders.

What was happening was also happening to Sam Allen, but we both worked to bring the gap down to the break as both of our teams had missed the move as well as the fact we were both closely being watched, as a result one of Sam's team-mates used us as launchpad to get across with a couple of others to the winning move. Unfortunately none of my team-mates were able to thus making all that effort I put in a complete waste. The break quickly gained 45 seconds, me and Sam then tried to attack together to try and get away, but no-one was having any of it, so I said to myself that the only I was going to get away was to let a break go of a few good riders and just jump across, which with 4 laps to go happened. We then worked well, but with me doing most of the work of course, never really eating into the time of the break ahead, then with 1km to go of a draggy climb to the finish I attacked my group hard crossing the line in 19th.

Happy with how I felt and my tactics at the end of the race, but just annoyed that no-one on my team was in the physical condition to help thus causing me even more grief as less people would look at me to work if I had no team-mates present. My knee was quite sore and swollen in the race and after though.

After an epic road trip with Tony Mills I'm now back in the U.K. and having gone to the doctors I can now confirm that I've got mild tendinitis in my right knee so I am able to race still, but I've got to limit the amount of training I do as well as do some strengthening exercises for my knee and wear a support.

Now I'm looking forward to riding the S.E.R.R.L. Stage Race for Aprire Bicycles, my British team, where hopefully we can do some real damage and again I will marked out like a Lion on the Highveld by some Boers who has been killing some of their prized cattle.

I hope everyone else is good, chapeau to all for the Regional Champ results, some great performances and I hope everyone is enjoying the fantastic racing at the Giro.