Addiscombe Cyclo Cross; Sunday October 28

[Mark Leedham]

I am looking for Marshalls, Spectators and Riders for the Addiscombe Cyclo Cross this Sunday 28 October;

People who have come before have enjoyed their afternoon at Penshurst.

Venue: Penshurst Off-Road Cycling, Grove Road, Penshurst, Kent, TN11 8DU
http://www.porc-online.co.uk

Events:
U10 @ 12:00 Free;
U12 @ 12:15 Free;
Youth @ 12:45 £4;
Jun @ 14:00 £7;
S/V/W @ 14:00 £12
Cat. C Facilities: Changing;Toilets

DIRECTIONS

From the M25
Junction 5-take the A21 south towards Tonbridge
Take the A26 south towards Tunbridge Wells
Take the B2176 into Penshurst
Leave Penshurst on the B2188
Pass the garage, over a bridge.
Turn first right into Grove Road
Porc is about 1 mile on the left.

Also remember the AA and RAC provide free route plans and all you would need is your starting postcode and PORC's postcode (TN11 8DU).

AA : http://www.theaa.com/travelwatch/planne ... atabase=be
RAC: http://www.rac.co.uk/web/routeplanner/

[kieran]

oh, bad timing what with the ACC road race at Hilingdon, if anyone is thinking of helping out just to say that I helped out last year and it was quite good fun, chearing on the ACCers in the race, watching the youth race and then the Herne Hill youth cyclists swop their cyclocross bikes with some downhillers and try out the down hill course on both types of bike.

I was going to help out this year again but will be using my get out of jail (house duties) day pass on Saturday for the ACC road race.

[Grahame]

Mark, I'm not sure I can make it on Sunday, but I have 4 radios for you (and marshals and 1st aid/comissaire) to use. They are fully charged up and I will bring them to the race at Hillingdon on Saturday to hand over to whoever will definitely be going on Sunday.

Cheers,

Grahame

[Mark Leedham]

Graene - Thanks for the radios

[SimonJOsborne]

I have a particularly nasty cold which I can't seem to shift, so I think i will have to give this a miss too. Sorry Mark

[Kasper]

I'll still be coming Mark.

What time do you want the marshalls to get there for?

I presume 12 but just checking to make sure.

[Andrew G]

First race is under 10s at 12 Kasper. Previous years I've aimed for 11 so you are there in plenty of time. Help will be needed with final set up and sign on, and of course everyone will need a pre-race briefing.

[Sylv]

Mark said 11.30

I got a car if anyone wants to do the map reading

[Andrew G]

Well done to Mark, Tamar and co on a great event.

Abso-bloody-lutely foul weather. They'd said the seniors would lap in about 6.5 minutes, due to the rain and subsequent bog conditions this was down to 8.5 minutes for the leaders. Tough course from the sounds of what the riders were saying. Mind you spotting the numbers as everyone came past was a nightmare as they were nearly all caked in mud by the end of lap 1.

Maximum respect to Marco and Maria for completing the event. Bag luck to Aodan who had a mechanical at the furthest point on lap one, long walk back.

[Alex P]

A well organised race indeed. Of all the ones we have had at PORC it was certainly the wettest but it still did not dampen the size of the field.

I was talking to some Dulwich Paragon and London Phoenix riders and supporters there and they said that the ACC event at PORC was the best of the season and they always look forward to it (despite what the LCCA say) so long may it continue. We also always have the support of the owner who is always looking to improve the facilities and encourage more cycling, intrigued to see how his latest project will turn out (last picture)

Sorry a bit fuzzy but Marco was moving too quickly..
[img]http://uk.geocities.com/alexprotasiuk/Marco.jpg[/img]

Joyce is always the rock at these events
[img]http://uk.geocities.com/alexprotasiuk/Joyce.jpg[/img]

PORC always offers a unique way of getting the mud off the bike
[img]http://uk.geocities.com/alexprotasiuk/Cleaning2.jpg[/img]

And the body
[img]http://uk.geocities.com/alexprotasiuk/Cleaning1.jpg[/img]

And finally the team in action
[img]http://uk.geocities.com/alexprotasiuk/team1.jpg[/img]

Latest project at PORC (I think it is going to be a cafe)
[img]http://uk.geocities.com/alexprotasiuk/PORCproject.jpg[/img]

[Sylv]

Some photos at least

Marco

[img]http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2408/1794667865_a147201e60_b.jpg[/img]


Aodan

[img]http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2243/1795494640_e099cbf560_b.jpg[/img]


Maria

[img]http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2321/1794672443_97a7f7c42d_b.jpg[/img]

[Sylv]

One for the Yeti-fans

[img]http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2169/1794676389_d9bd571561_b.jpg[/img]

Senior race winner

[img]http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2395/1795597502_b00707d7b1_b.jpg[/img]

[img]http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2190/1795519562_f0bd77a702_b.jpg[/img]

[img]http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2054/1795600836_941511d12e_b.jpg[/img]

[img]http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2138/1795614010_b1a81e3acc_b.jpg[/img]

[Maria David]

Thanks to Mark, Tamar, Aodan, Paul, Tim, plus all the marshalls for putting on a well organised cross race at penshurst. I'm sorry if I couldn't acknowledge all the marshalls and folks who cheered me on while I was racing. I was too much in a hypoxic daze to respond !

The event had all the elements of an authentic cross race - rain, enough mud to make the inclines extremely testing, with some becoming a stretch of gloup that you could only squelch your way through on foot ; fast corners that really challenged your brakes if you didn't crash ; a roller coaster of ups and downs to keep you on your toes ; loads of mud to well cake both you and your bike - and that was just on the warm up !

It was a great race and a really good way to fit in an intense hour of traininig - perhaps not the best way for me to come back into cycling after my flu bout. But what the hell, I had lots of fun (despite my grimaces !).

Well done to Marco for getting out there and racing, and sorry Higg for your early mechanical failure.

Look forward to the next ACC cross production next year.

btw, to anyone wanting to sample cross some time soon, there's one this Saturday at Herne Hill - it's a Go Race event, so no BC licence required, lower key than the London League events and a great way to try out cyclo cross - mtb's welcome.

Maria
http://www.2wheelchick.blogspot.com/

[Maria David]

P.S. Great pics Alex and Sylv !

[Tamar]

The course was a beauty on Saturday. Fast and flowing and rideable all the way round....but by Sunday it had somehow turned into a swamp.

I was marshalling on a tip-top corner and saw about 20 crashes.

There was a fast grassy downhill then a sweeping off-camber right across the hardpacked path and off into some bracken single-track.

The grassy descent rapidly degenerated into a greasy slick and even on lap one someone went straight through the barrier tape as they failed to moderate their speed. I nearly got mowed down when I was repairing the tape, and on subsequent laps even some really classy looking riders came sliding down on their asses as they'd tried to scrub some speed off at the last minute and found their wheels disappearing from beneath them.

My favourite one was the chap who managed to get his foot down in time to prevent him hitting the deck, but he and the bike were still sliding and rotating. He managed to pirouette a full 360 with leg and bike stuck out at opposing angles, before regaining control, remounting and pedalling off. I clapped and cheered and awarded 9 out of 10 for artistic interpretation.