This race was a killer – I felt like throwing up afterwards and I could barely drink… awesome training though.  The wind at Sandown as you know is usually running straight down the main straight – a headwind… this race however, the wind was a tailwind down the main straight (thus the high top speed)  which means it was a headwind up the climb out the back of the circuit.  Very early in the race there was a breakaway – I bridged the gap to the other 4 who had made it.  This break looked like one that could make it because the pace was very slow up the back climb and I felt that the group of 5 of us could make it around until the end.  Obviously, not all in the break away thought the same as me.  The break away group quickly shrunk to 4 people as one dropped, then 3 people when another dropped.  My heart rate had sat on 185 for about 2 laps and with only 3 people (who seemed to want me to lead up the hill) it was really hard going and my legs were on fire (and not in a good way)…  I looked behind up the climb on the 3rd lap and saw what I thought was C Grade coming up behind not too far and closing in… I dropped off.  Unfortunately it was A grade and I had made a semi-bad decision.  I don’t know how long I would have lasted anyway but it was a bit shattering to see that the break had been more successful than I had originally anticipated however I don’t know how much longer I would have lasted, or indeed if I would have lasted until the end with the other two.  As it turned out, those 2 stayed away from the bunch for a while longer, although the main bunch was closing in towards the end of the race.  2 or 3 more guys bridged to the break away and that’s how the race ended… I was still quite fatigued and couldn’t sprint much at all for the line and came in about 20th… I was glad to know that I was strong enough (almost) to be in a break away and the lactate threshold training I knew would be invaluable but I was disappointed that I had not waited until later in the race to bridge like the other 2 or 3 guys and have a chance at the final sprint.  Lesson learnt is to not go with the early break unless you are really really strong or be confident that the people you go with are willing to work together and are strong enough to go the distance with you…