MGCC Bursary Recipient Bayley Simpson's Grey County Race Report

Here is a race report from MGCC bursary recipient Bayley Simpson. Great race Bayley...we're loving the race reports.

Grey County RR Report:
This weekend was the first really tough race of the Ontario Cup Circuit the Grey County Road Race. The original plan for the race was to be conservative, sit in until the final climb, and stay near the front. About 12km in I was on the front driving the pace up the first hill so that plan went out the window. Then about 7km later, we were going along in a head wind through a rolling section and I went off the front with two other riders and then within 2km the field brought us back. Then after a long cross wind section with a bunch of attacks we made a left turn up a steep hill that kept going steadily after and I attacked again and the field brought me back right away. We rolled down the headwind section to a 180 degree right hand turn and I was on the front and got a gap through the corner where attacked again. With a fast downhill and strong cross wind I was off the front for about 3km, then the field caught up to me and we had split the field in half. I was yelling to keep it rolling as there was a steep hill coming up and then some long flat sections but no one would work and the field came back together. We then turned into a tail wind section and it was all together until the feed zone. There was a steep hill up to the feed zone and a long false flat afterward. Up that hill an OBC rider attacked and 7 of us got away and I did manage to grab a bottle! Everyone sat up a little bit after the feed zone so I attacked since we had dropped a lot of people. I was off the front for a bit. then the OBC crew brought me back but we had managed to drop a lot of people. We then road the next 10km on rolling sections with a tail wind and two juniors rolled of the front unnoticed and got a big gap. We descended at over 70km/h for the next 8km and rolled in a crosswind and head wind to the base of scenic caves. Glasses on the helmet. bottles thrown on the side of the road, jersey unzipped, and we began the climb. Being one of the bigger guys I was a little nervous about the hill but had been in the mountains for almost a month this winter so I was feeling pretty good about my chances. With two riders up the road and one of them being my teammate I was fighting it out for the last podium spot. At the bottom both OBC riders attacked me and I hesitated because I was still unsure of how well I would be able to climb. A rider was bringing me across to them and then blew up and left me 5 meters of the back of them and I sat there for the reminder of the hill not being able to close down the gap. Once we reached the top the two of them worked together a pulled out a bit larger gap and I finished in 5th. I was very happy with this race because I do not have the build of a climber but i surprised myself and was still able to do really well on the climb with my power! In the future I now know i can climb and i will be ready to respond to those moves! Up next the Niagara Classic this coming weekend!

Bayley Simpson