Clockwise

The first lap felt counter-intuitive.  It's harder to break the race up this way,  because riders seem to regroup on the longer descent.  You have to keep working at it.  Pegging away.

I'd been feeling pretty glum until my team mate Louise unexpectedly arrived.  She cheered me up and made me want to race.

She is a fantastic rider. 



Crystal Palace '11

Thank you to John for letting cyclists tea leave his photographs.

I'm pleased that I started this race.  And that I finished. 

I'm already one up on the first Palace race of 2010.

Racing at Crystal Palace is not easy. It can leave you battered in body and soul.

My outlook has changed very much since I first started racing at Crystal Palace (with the men, 2007, £5 for the fastest lady, no points).  As Kimbers used to say: "Don't come last, don't come off".