Saturday

Up at 8 o’clock to get our breakfast of scrambled eggs and beans then signed on, got our gears checked and then double checked our bikes were in good condition. It was then a wait till our warm at 1145 then we rolled out to the start. It was then a nervous wait for the bus to come through as the race couldn’t start till it did and once the race got off the line there was a crash in the first 10 metres which caused another annoying delay. The first few laps the race pretty fast but I managed to stay in the top half of the peloton, it then slowed for the next few but the IOM riders were attacking aggressively and constantly. On lap 7 ( I think)  I had an encounter with rather annoying rider who was trying to take the wheel I was  on but in the end he only succeeded in pushing himself off of me into the fence. The race ended with just off the back as I had made an attack too early.

The second day had two crits in Perth city centre. The first stage did not go too well as never made it to the front of the bunch and soon got dropped as the gaps grew bigger each corner till the elastic holding us on the bunch snapped. I then had the misfortune of my chain following off at the 2nd last lap but luckily did make too big an impact on my finishing position. The second race was one of the most enjoyable races I have ever had, as the sun was shining and it was 23 degrees on the Garmin. I also managed to get in great bunch position and manage to make several attacks and my legs were still feeling good but sadly the race was abandoned as there a serious crash.

The third day, I was hoping on repeating the attacks I made the day before as there was a hill which looked the perfect place to attack. Once again it did not go to plan as I got caught up in a crash but was luckily uninjured. I then had to make a chase back on to the bunch which took sometime but I did manage it and in the end I just finished just off the bunch.

Overall Youth tour was brilliant again and I have to say thanks to Neil Macleod for being a brilliant team manager and for washing our bikes.

Innes Johnstone