Once out of transition I settled onto the bike as quickly as possible, concentrating on my HR monitor and trying to stick to my race plan. This meant allowing what felt like everyone in the race to pass me at one time or another (and giving them the requisite 10 metres of space)! Feeling slightly humiliated, I had to resolve to try to catch them later on the run, as to try to chase them down immediately could destroy my whole race right away! I followed the advice to keep a high cadence (average of 85rpm over my ride) and try to gain time on flat and downhill sections (although I must have missed those as I don’t remember seeing any!).