First race of the season is a different animal. Anthony Walsh lines up for the MacLeod, a 50-kilometre circuit race, and his teammate Charlie Prendergast ends up taking the win after a group of three gets clear. Anthony doesn't make that move. The legs, though, are a different story.
Key Takeaways
The thing Anthony comes back to after this one is that training and racing are not the same thing. You can feel good in sessions all week and still get a shock when the race goes. The demands are different, the mental side is different, and the result doesn't always tell you the full story of how the legs were.
Charlie Prendergast won the MacLeod after a three-rider break got away on a course Anthony describes as muddy and loose. Multiple lead groups formed during the race before that final move went clear. Anthony wasn't in it, but the takeaway from his debrief is a useful one: judge the performance, not just the result. The next race is already on the calendar.
You Might Also Like
If the racing side of things interests you, the Ben Healy episode on yellow not feeling like victory is worth your time. And if you want more on what actually separates trained riders from race-ready ones, the Team Sky marginal gains episode gets into the detail.