Crystal Palace 31st July

[Andrew G]

Easily my best and most frustrating race at Palace.

Started at the front, and kept up the front .

I'd done a couple of early warm up laps and tried something different on the hill, it seemed to work so I used it in the race and it was working a dream. I was in the front 10 or 12 all the time, felt comfortable and never under any real pressure.

Things were going nicely and 10 laps down there I was still towards the front and still breathing through my nose and mouth. Previously by 10 laps I'd have been dropped and breathing out my arse!

In to lap 11 or 12, can't remember which and coming out the hairpin I got out the saddle to hold the wheel in front tight. Things went wierd, the rear seemed to kick and then everything felt egg shaped .

I quickly pulled over on to the grass as I feared a broken spoke and didn't want to tackle the tight bend at the bottoom of the hill with a funny wheel. No broken spokes, a quick ping of them confirmed that they were all okay, but it still rolled in a strange manner. Eventually tracked it down to the fact that the axle had jumped and slipped on one side of the dropouts so the wheel wasn't held straight.

Very frustrating, but looking forward to next week with a bit more confidence. In fairness it wasn't just a sudden discovery to ride the hill better but the pace was also a bit slower as the likes of Sylv, Stu, and George have cleared off to the E/1/2s and there are less people keen to tank it round on the front. They all seemed to be waiting for a yellow train to tow them round.

Another great result for one of our numbers though. Also good to see 3 ACC in the E/1/2s and looking comfortable and not a bit out of place.

[Stu Merckx Man]

so it was my 2nd race with the e,1,2s

i wasnt sure how i was going to perform as ive been doing a lot of miles recently and have not had much recovery time.

i felt safer aswel this week as george and sylv were there to take care of me

well the taking care bit went out the window when the race started...they dissapeared off up the front of the pack.

a few laps in and i realised i was feeling ok.

with 5 laps gone i tried to start moving up the bunch going up the hill. i tried this for lap after lap but just ended up killing myself eachtime and not getting very far. so instead i played it sensible and just let myself drift to the back of the pack.

sometime after that a break went with about 9 riders including warrick spence, and matt seaton.

i stayed here for the remainder of the race, but it was fine. i could take my own lines through the corners without having to worry about others around me.

the only hairy or hard moments where when a couple of times on the hair pin, and then on the sharp right hand turn after it, this guy kept clipping his pedal on the floor sending his back wheel across the tarmac and nearly brining us both down! thankfully he didnt. the hard bits where i had to push myself was when there was an attack up the front and then someone would let go of a wheel and i would have to ride like a maniac to get back onto the group...i guess thats the handicap of riding at the back, theres more chance of people letting go of wheels, but i felt fit enough to bridge the gaps.

about 17 laps to go i started to feel crap. not because i was tired, but because a cheese sandwich i ate too soon before the race was popping up to say hello i had sharp pains like knives stabbing into my stomach, and then i felt like vomiting. i nearly pulled out at this stage but i couldnt take the shame after getting all the support from Ajay, paul, and andrew everytime we rode passed them.

thankfully with 9 laps to go i did what felt like was going to be a burp whilst going up the hill, but instead up came some of the cheese sandwich. so i spat it out (a considerable amount!) and immediately felt much better.

by 5 laps to go i felt brilliant again.

so onto the last lap and i was in last position as we hit the hill, but i wasnt worried. just as i had predicted, the guys infront of me tried to make there way to the front. i just sat on there wheels and let them take me up the bunch. by the top of the hill i was 7th or 8th from the front and had tuns left in the tank for the sprint. i went on the left and over took a bunch of people. i felt, as though i could have won our bunch sprint. unfortunately a chap who was sprinting next to sylv gave up 50m from the line and blocked my path and i had to free wheel for a bit , i managed to get round him just before the line, to finish next to sylv (although he was a bit infront). i think i got about 3rd or 4th in our group...did anyone see?

there were a few times in the race i had to laugh, because i could always tell during an attack if it was george because even from the back of the group i could hear his new boras raw as he attacked

cheers
stu

[Toks]

3/4/W
1 Tony Vickers Pearson Cycles
2 Stephen Broomfield Addiscombe CC
3 Huw Watkins London Dynamo/Cyclefit
4 Jake Butler Sutton CC/De Ver
5 Mark Lloyd Dulwich Paragon
6 Simon Bell N/A
7 Jeff Tan Dulwich Paragon
8 Rob Jefroy London Dynamo/Cyclefit
9 Adrian Good Synergy
10 Paul Richards Mosquito Bikes

Unlucky Andrew. Well done Steve you'll be a 2nd cat soon at this rate

[Stu Merckx Man]

wow steve i didnt know you got 2nd !!!!

thats amazing, well done!

[Steve B]

Well, if a race at the Palace was set up for a sprinter, this was it.

There was quite a big field tonight but none of the main work horses from previous weeks seemed to be on the start line. Most of our guys have now gained 2nd cat status, and probably a few of the others also. So this leaves us mere mortals to battle it out for the rest of the season.

From the first lap, it was evident that the pace was going to be a bit slower than all previous races. Even when someone did make a break, that burst of pace wasn't there and so a huge group stayed together right to the end.

Andrew did well tonight I could see him right up the front until his back wheel went weird . I just sat in the middle of the group and conserved as much energy as possible for the inevitable mad last 2 or three laps

Not much happened in the first 28 laps, except for a couple of times I was nearly brought down by riders cutting across my line, but that was always going to happen with such a large tight bunch.

Hal did more than his fair share on the front doing work, and when he was there, no one seemed to want to help. This effort took its toll in the last lap. Hal had said to me before the race that he intended to go for it at the bottom of the hill on the last lap, as this had worked the previous week. I took this as an invitation to get on his wheel for a lead out, and see what happens.

3 laps to go and one guy made a break for it. Hal gave chase and I got on his wheel with a nifty move on the inside at the hairpin Not sure if that was a smidge early to be in that position but it was done now.
I felt torn between helping Hal and saving energy. I wanted to help but knew it would be all over for me to finish well. Hal never asked for help and was totally unselfish, sacrificing himself. Cheers mate, I owe you one

We caught and past the breakaway guy with a lap and a half to go and now Hal was towing everyone, as he had done for much of the race.
I felt quite strong and eager to go but it would have been suicide, undoing all of Hals hard work. I sat in and waited for the mass surge up the hill for the final time. Third of the way up and still no one. Then the sound of creaking chains and whooshing wheels came from behind. This was it, this was what it had all come down to. With my legs still with a bit left in them, and dozens of practise runs every saturday morning under my belt, now was the moment of truth.

I wanted 1 or 2 guys to come through so I could get on a wheel but I think 4 guys came past and I didn't know whether to go left or right Panic I jumped on a wheel and then nearly got shoved in to the trees by someone totally cutting across me. Out of the saddle and I swiftly moved up the inside to third. A Pearsons guy was on the front now and the second guy blocked my view to him. We were near the top and as we started to bend round to the left I realised I had missed a small gap that had opened up I started to sprint and was catching him. Is there enough distance left for me to get him. I'm catching, I'm catching, but the line came too soon and I was 2nd

I'm really pleased with 2nd, as I should be, but will there ever be a chance like that again to get a win

Well done to George, Sylv and Stu. Boy that looks hard being a 2nd cat

'Up the Addiscombe'

Steve

[George]

Well I must say that was an enjoyable race last night.

I got right up the front with ease, everything just seemed to be much easier for me, I could keep on the wheels, carry tons more corner speed.

I'll credit this down to the new Bora's, they really did make a big difrence.

It was great getting all the support for Paul T, Ajay etc it really helps motivate you to push harder.

After about 10 laps an attack went off the front with a couple of riders, I stupidly let them go even though I was not in any pain

I was riding on the front with Warrick and one or 2 others, then suddenly without me really realizing, they had hopped off the front to create an 8 man break.

Doh! I totally missed the decisive move, I'll put my hand up to crap actical aproach.

Oh well I decided to try and bridge alone

I attacked up the hill got a gap fairly quickly and started to feel the burn. I could see the group ahead, I noted their position around the top hairpin and was making ground up towards, Warrick and co.

But really I was riding at 100% and after a few laps of this the gap at the hairpin started to increase, I was in no mans land so still with 20 laps to go realised it was futile so sat up and waited for the bunch.

Sylv and I were riding at the front of this group with Stu nestling in the back somewhere

I had one scary rear wheel lock up on the fast bottom corner when the guy infront swerved, I thought I was going DOWN but managed to hold it ok

With 9 laps to go I knew we weren't in the running for any points so I just went for attack after attack which was fun

Last lap up the hill all the smirkers started the sprint for 9th

On the ride home we were all together also with Paul and his Bora's, another racer asked if the Bora's were a team issue, I told him Addiscombe had bought them for us from the Christmas fund money

[Sylv]

Yes you kept that quite Stevie! Well done to you Hal and Andrew(s), as well as Tony from Pearsons - another mountain biker win . Oh and Stu for his throwing-up stunt.

That was the kind of race which makes you understand your limits - yes I can survive for over an hour at 24.9 mph, yes I can take a few turns at the front or chase small attacks, but no I can't follow when Warrick and co start increasing the pace at the top of the climb. It's frustrating seeing them edge away realising there's nothing you can do, and that if you did try you'd only end up killing yourself to be spat out of the bunch when they catch you up again (this is what happened to George when he tried to chase a group that had gotten away ).

It still makes for an exciting and enjoyable race, but I don't know if any amount of proper training I could do would make much of a difference, and it seems that from now on it will be a battle for 10th place or thereabouts. Mind you, some of those guys can win races at national level, so I guess it's hardly surprising. I'm looking forward to doing a 2/3 race for a change though.

[Hal]

It was a good race last night. Andrew G especially looking very comfortable up the front of the pack. I was feeling a bit tired after the sportive at the weekend (ok here come the excuses) . But after a few laps got into the rhythm, chased a few breaks, sat on the front for a bit. As the race went on I got a bit over confident and was sitting on the front for a long time and bringing in most of the breaks.

Then the claxon went and I realised that I was really getting tired up that climb and my plan for an early break on the last lap was looking less likely. However I knew Steve B and Andrew were still in the bunch and would probably appreciate someone controlling things up front. As expected my attempted breakaway on the climb saw me get clawed back by the fresh legged sprinters and come over the line in about 15th place. Oh well I will have to come back next week to get my point.

Another good job from the boys

H

[Snoop Doug]

Ding dang doo! What a fantastic tale, as someone who wouldn't have what it takes to do this stuff - I sure love reading about it .

Keep it up folks - up the Addiscombe indeed !

Snoop

[Sylv]

So this must have been the 3/4 crash we heard about!

[img]http://www.londoncyclesport.com/editorialGallery/galleries/cp15_07/cp15_9.jpg[/img]

[Ian A4size]

Well rode and well written, the Shadow steps into the light!

[Steve B]

The shadow still showed great shadowness last night

[-Adam-]

and who says palace is any safer than chertsey?

[Sylv]

BORA-BORA!


[img]http://www.londoncyclesport.com/editorialGallery/galleries/cp15_j_07/IMG_5161.jpg[/img] [img]http://www.londoncyclesport.com/editorialGallery/galleries/cp15_j_07/IMG_5143.jpg[/img]

[Snoop Doug]

love the pictures!

Snoop