SL Easter 3-day - 1/2/3

[Andrew G]

White socks = tick VG
Black shorts = tick VG
Shades = tick VG

Now if we can just talk about the equipment on that bike of yours .

[Keith]

Pictures from Michelle:

Sylv looking comfortable on the hill:

[img]http://i42.tinypic.com/2rpd55w.jpg[/img]

Today's stage winner (Sam Allen):

[img]http://i41.tinypic.com/258pl68.jpg[/img]

Another relieved man:

[img]http://i42.tinypic.com/2hztoci.jpg[/img]

[Jim B]

What was the final result then?
Sounds like you've got great form.
Nice one.

[Sylv]

STAGE 3 ALFOLD

What an awesome final stage! Such a fast course, I loved it. I was feeling great with no pain at all in my legs, but was under strict team (?) orders to behave. First lap went off at bonkers pace, close to 45km/h average, but hidden in the middle of the peloton I could barely feel my legs. It was great to be able to take it easy and to me it felt a bit like the final stage of the TdF, after three gruelling weeks ... err days of racing.

A break of about 13 developped and soon the pace slowed down a fair bit. We got a time gap of 2 minutes but still the chase wouldn't kick off. All the top riders on GC were in the bunch, and the yellow jersey was getting worried about our pace. It took a while but then the Dynamos started working as well as NP. We got time gaps of 1"30, 1" but then one lap after, despite our great speed it was 1"05. On the final lap, with only about 17km to go, it was down to 45 seconds.

Warrick Spence (Cyclefit) came to help his old LD team mates and did some sterling work, yet not quite as much as Dave K who must have almost killed himself at the front! Marcus had punctured so it was down to him to try and help Steve get back his 18 seconds on first place overall.

Steve did attack with a few km to go but was brought back. The pace was crazy again, but I felt if a reasonnable late attack went I could possibly try and go with it. We started picking up riders from the break (I think a couple had crashed) and eventually got them all, so it all came down to a bunch sprint on a long flat straight after a drag.

I was pretty well placed but two riders almost interlocked in front of me which cost me some momentum in order to avoid ending up in the ditch, there was plenty of road to make up for it though and I passed a few people, but then reached terminal velocity and wasn't making any more ground of riders ahead, so it was just a matter of maintaining that speed for another few seconds.

Came somewhere a the back of the top ten I think, Steve got second place which gave him enough time bonus to win the overall (by 5s), and Sam Allen won the sprint which cost me one place on the overall, so in the end I was 6th (by 5s too). Warrick managed an amazing 3rd in the sprint.

Thanks to the groupies Michelle and Chloe, coach Huw and Keith who came and support. Really enjoyed this stage race and might have a think about having a pop at the 5 days (2/3) in June .. (if anyone wants to join me!!)

[img]http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3406/3440891390_aa9a38b6dd_o.jpg[/img]

[Andy E]

Fantastic result Sylv, you must be chuffed with that result in the overall

I could be up for the 5-day if we can get a couple of others too, it would be an honour to work for you Sir

[kieran]

well done Sylv, a fantastic result overall! Very exciting just reading the posts, will be interesting to see you in action at CP this year. One again, great racing!

[huw williams]

Sorry - accidentally posted this on its own but what the hell, here it is again...

This race was harder to watch than to ride in. Seeing Sylvain line up on his jack against all these big fellas in big teams I was left wondering how much realistic chance he had of defending his 5th on GC (the target for the day).

The sun was blazing down for the first time in 3-days and it felt and looked like proper stage race conditions. Sure enough everyone in the peloton celebrated the raise in temperarture with a raise in pace and the first 12 mile lap was completed in a staggering average speed of a 44kmph - this remember is the long Alfold course which has some very nasty uphill drags. Riders low on GC were simply attacking for the sake of it trying to disrupt the race and make things happen which resulted in some scary fast speeds early on and at least four separate groups on the second of the 5 and a bit laps. Things settled down on lap 3 when a concentrated breakaway of around 13 riders escaped and stretched their lead to 2 minutes at one point.

Sylv was showboating, sitting in the chase group and waving to the ACC groupies, suggesting he was comfortable and everything was in control. With Norwood's Steve Calland 2nd on GC, Dave Kennett was awesome on the front of the chase group, contributing a load of work in helping to reel in the breakaway, especially when Marcus Bruton was forced out with a puncture with two laps left. With so many riders in the break they really should have stayed away but a 45 second lead going into the final lap wasn't enough as the chase group reeled them in and the mass sprint was on.

The young fella from AW Cycles, Sam Allen (at 18 what a prospect he is) took it on the line from Steve, but more importantly Sylv finished comfortably in the top 10 for 6th overall

GIVE IT UP FOLKS - This is an AWESOME result given that he was without a team for the entire three days and was Sylv's first stage race and first ride with the 1/2 BIG BOYS. Not a bad way to start eh?

Sylv celebrated with garlic bread, Macdonalds and just enough Belgian beer to consider a crack at the 5-day later this summer.

We salute you!

[Sylv]

[quote="Andy E"]Fantastic result Sylv, you must be chuffed with that result in the overall

[Tony]

Top banana weekend action there, Sylv. Mission pretty much accomplished on Stage 3...OK - so not 5th place - but 6th place overall. I knew you'd play it cool. Well done.

Hopefully you'll have a brief rest to enjoy your success, then back to whatever is next. You should definitely consider the Cat 23 event in June. I don't think they give time bonuses on the line in that one - so you'd have remained 5th! No reason at all why you couldn't win a stage in that one - but ironically enough getting better than 6th place on GC may be not be much easier in that event than with the Cat 123s. Need to get Team ACC en masse to help out, especially ACC's stronger riders.

P.S. What is your secret training routine? In my view, you either need reasonable training mileage in the legs to ride strongly in successive days in a stage race or find the pace on each stage to be quite easy!

[Sylv]

So I was 9th in the sprint, and here is the final GC - first rider without time bonuses

1Steve CallandNorwood Paragon CC15108:17:29@00:00:0000:00:50
2Richard Hoult London Dynamo14508:17:34@00:00:0500:00:30
3Douglas DeweyPendragon Kalas15708:17:56@00:00:2700:00:20
4Sam Allenawcycles.co.uk2J908:17:57@00:00:2800:00:30
5David SinclairGWR Team13008:18:05@00:00:3600:00:10
6Sylvain GardeAddiscombe CC2108:18:17@00:00:48
7Ian TaylorNFM Racing Team15008:18:17@00:00:48
8Matthew MilesWildside 707 RT2V7808:18:21@00:00:52
9Matthew EwingsPendragon Kalas15608:18:21@00:00:52
10Lee Smithagiskoviner.com1408:18:27@00:00:58
11Warren JesseFelt Racing12608:18:27@00:00:58
12Rob Enslinawcycles.co.uk1608:18:27@00:00:58
13Dan AhearnDHCyclesport.co.uk21608:18:27@00:00:58
14Henry FurnissWyndyMilla18008:18:31@00:01:02
15Adam WojtkiewiczCaesarean Cycling Club Jersey 21108:18:31@00:01:02
16Daniele SantoniPearson Cycles15408:18:31@00:01:02
17Andy BettsSigma Sport RT18108:18:31@00:01:02
18Jerone WaltersSigma Sport RT16308:18:31@00:01:02
19Jaco EhlersIn-Gear Development Squad23408:18:39@00:01:10
20Shane Pope Swindon RC36708:18:46@00:01:17
21Toby RobertsTeam Toachim27008:18:48@00:01:19
22Luke WallisKingston Wheelers33808:18:48@00:01:19
23Joe HemmantLondon Dynamo24308:18:48@00:01:19
24Daniel FelsteadDulwich Paragon CC21808:18:48@00:01:19
25Mark PerryDulwich Paragon CC22008:18:50@00:01:21
26Mark SussexWildside 707 RT2V7908:18:52@00:01:23
27James HawkinsCambridge University CC21408:18:57@00:01:28
28Chris SpenceCaesarean Cycling Club Jersey 11208:18:59@00:01:30
29Stephen WalklingVelocity Bikes CC2V7508:18:59@00:01:30
30Daniel DaviesSabath Claytan15908:18:59@00:01:30
31Thomas CrouchFelt Racing22708:19:10@00:01:41
32Sam HumphesonLondon Dynamo14708:19:16@00:01:47
33Ian Legg Owen Cycles19308:19:22@00:01:53
34Richard SimmondsLondon Dynamo24608:19:42@00:02:13
35Conor DunneHemel Hempstead CC2J3208:20:24@00:02:55
36Toby NeaveSouthdown Velo16408:21:37@00:04:08
37Tom HemmantLondon Dynamo14808:22:06@00:04:37
38Richard TanguyPendragon Kalas15508:22:32@00:05:03
39Ian PaineLondon Dynamo14208:22:51@00:05:22
40David StreuleLondon Dynamo24108:25:07@00:07:38
41Kevin KnoxDulwich Paragon CC1V2208:26:35@00:09:06
42Richard MasonFit-For12808:27:00@00:09:3100:00:20
43Llewellyn KinchGWR Team22908:27:10@00:09:41
44David KennettNorwood Paragon CC2V5208:29:59@00:12:30
45Ben WilsonSolihull CC16508:31:54@00:14:25
46Warrick SpenceCyclefit RT11508:32:11@00:14:4200:00:10
47David CreegganVC Meudon19208:32:42@00:15:1300:00:10
48Andy Duff Swindon RC36608:35:06@00:17:37
49Darrell Pembrokeagiskoviner.com1308:35:44@00:18:15
50Paul HoldsworthHounslow & District1V8308:35:44@00:18:15
51Dan Staite Python RT16108:35:44@00:18:15
52Chris Prioragiskoviner.com1208:36:26@00:18:57
53Peter WagerVC Meudon17108:40:22@00:22:53
54Justin CallawayDHCyclesport.co.uk21708:40:22@00:22:53
55Jason SalterIn-Gear Development Squad2V3308:41:17@00:23:48
56Cameron AustinLondon Dynamo34008:41:52@00:24:23
57Stephen DringTeam Echelon26908:42:47@00:25:18
58Graeme RoseWildside 707 RT37608:44:41@00:27:12
59Christopher Seviour Caesarean Cycling Club Jersey 21308:45:16@00:27:47
60Andrew Cook Manx Viking Wheelers24908:46:55@00:29:26
61Crispin DoyleSwindon RC36808:47:04@00:29:35
62Daniel ClarkPrivate Member26008:49:04@00:31:35
63David BarnesEast London Velo22308:50:14@00:32:45
64James BeaumontKingston Wheelers23708:52:02@00:34:33
65John NyePendragon Kalas19108:52:35@00:35:06
66Richard Neweyagiskoviner.com2V508:57:39@00:40:10
67James MakepeaceWildside 707 RT27709:00:45@00:43:16
68Neil Cooperawcycles.co.uk21009:00:50@00:43:21
69Martin GarrattLondon Dynamo34409:09:41@00:52:12
70Simon BerognaVelocity Bikes CC37409:20:22@01:02

[kieran]

Quite a tight top ten, excluding time bonuses all are within 21 secs of the winning time.

[Michelle]

This was a great one to watch, though to be fair it was half an hour of sitting in the sun, reading the papers and chatting, then five minutes of standing by the side of the road getting over excited and watching the action unfold. Then back to the chair again. Not a bad way to spend an afternoon.

I really had lost all hope for Sylv in the GC when at the bell the gap was 1 minute 05, with a strong team of 13 away on the front, and Sylv sitting in the bunch along with the yellow jersey, looking as comfortable as anything.

However I believe a crash at the front of the course brought down the time gap to 45 seconds. I was overjoyed when I saw a mass of people swooping towards the line with the lead group having been swallowed up.

I kept expecting Sylv to pop out of the group like a pocket rocket, like he did on the Crowhurst race, but with the big boys this was not to be. 9th in that sprint is not to be sniffed at however.

And 6th overall I know you are a bit peeved with dropping a place, Sylv, but I think you rock!

[Sylv]

[quote="Tony"]P.S. What is your secret training routine? In my view, you either need reasonable training mileage in the legs to ride strongly in successive days in a stage race or find the pace on each stage to be quite easy!

[Andrew G]

Top result Sylv. Smooooth.

[Michelle]

Who is Gods great earth decided to call a team Caesarean CC