Hillingdon 1st January

[KeithK]

Happy New Year peeps.

Bloomin got another sore throat and a bit chesty so no race, nor even training for me today. Oh well a bit extra recovery....

Looking forward to the reports. Rob, sorry to read about the broken hub, did you get the wheel sorted and your points for 3rd cat?

[Toks]

[quote="KeithK"]Happy New Year peeps.

Bloomin got another sore throat and a bit chesty so no race, nor even training for me today. Oh well a bit extra recovery....

Looking forward to the reports. Rob, sorry to read about the broken hub, did you get the wheel sorted and your points for 3rd cat?

[George]

Rode over to Hillingdon and back today to cheer on the agreeables.

In the 4th race we had the 2 Robs, I arrived just after their race finished but they told me Rob C went ahead alone for the prime realised he had such a big gap so went it alone only to be caught right at the end.

In the e123 race we had Sylv, Adam and also mozzie Phil S too, unfortunatly Stu didn't turn up which was a shame, I rekon he would have bben strong enough to go in the strong 4 man breakaway with 20 mins to go which held to the line.

Adam was doing some super work up front and every time the peloton came into sight he was towing everyone round. Sylv was sitting in the bunch nicely but felt he didn't have the strength to go with any breakaways today.

When the winning break got away Adam was doing a damn fine job of b ridging across, but with 4 monsters all working hard together this was a fruitless task which saw to Adams sprinting matches.

In the sprint Sylv just nudged ahead of Phil S for somewhere in the teens.

[Rob C]

Sorry, was the other Rob that got the prime and the massive gap. Felt that I worked really hard today but no points to show for it. The organizer explained the points again today and I'm actually 1 not 2 points from third cat.

Cheers for asking about the wheel Keith, I put the old set on that it came with originally, no fancy all carbon whiz bang bike for me, just a rather battered looking 3 year old Trek 1200. I've got my eye on something though and once I'm a third cat it's time for the credit card to go into meltdown!

[Andrew G]

Race 7 Tuesday 1st January 2008

Race 7 51km Cats E123 Race Time 01:12:27 Series Points
1st 02 r Colin Parry VC St Raphael 1 200
2nd 06 r Paul Pickup 1 150
3rd 08 r Steve Golla Sigma Sport 1 130
4th 2 Michael Hill Team Quest 2 120
5th 49r James Jackson PCA Ciclos Uno 1
6th 01 r Jason Streather VC St Raphael E 110
7th 10 r Vincent Halpern AWcycles.co.uk 1 100
8th 26 Robert Fletcher High Wycombe Cycling Club 2 90
9th 88 Sylvain Garde Addiscombe CC 2 80
10th 25 Phil Sheehan Mosquito Bikes RT 2 70
11th 69 Kevin Holloway High Wycombe CC 3 60
12th 6 Jamie Streather VC St Raphael 2 50
13th 76 Rudie Marais Norwood Paragon 2 40
14th 54 Peter Jones Hillingdon CC 3 30
15th 74 Vaughan Luff De Ver/Neovite 3 20
16th 8 Mark Northover CC Giro 2 10
17th 55 Wayne Thomas Reading CC 3
18th 62 Ralph Keeler Wheels in Wheels 3
19th 3 Thorsten Klassen Kingston Wheelers 2
20th 146 Paul Edwards Sigma Sport 3
21st 4 Darren Waters Dever Cycles 3
22nd 45 Robert Jeffroy London Dynamo 3
23rd 81 Mark Baxter West Drayton MBC 3Y
24th 90 Ali Cigari Kingston Wheelers 3
25th 11 Paul Shoobridge Privateer 3
26th 7 Sara Burling Fat Birds 3W
27th 50 Joshua Worrall Twickenham CC 3
28th 149 Brian O'Kelly 3
29th 17 Mario Manelfi agiskoviner.com 2
30th 39 Richard Collins Imperial Racing Team 3
31st 79 Adam Cotterell TriSportNews.com 3
32nd 13 Ian Lowe Thames Velo 3
33rd 40 Mick McManus RT316 3
34th 71 Paul Stedman Reading CC 3
35th 61 Paul Troughton WheelBase 3
36th 147 James Newall Evans Cycles RT 2
37th 89 Joe Gardias Oxford City RC 3
38th 22 Brent Skinner Met Police CC 3

Race 7 Cats 4th 25km Results
1st 37 James Carter London Dynamo 4
2nd 20 Steve James FVSTri 4
3rd 16 Andrew Jackson Amersham Road CC 4
4th 99 Joseph Friend South Western Wheelers 4
5th 152 Gavin Mitchell Twickenham CC 4J
6th 18 Marcus Atkins Twickenham CC 4
7th 34 Richard Lofthouse 4
8th 146 David Rees Dulwich Paragon CC 4
9th 57 Daniel Royle Kingston Wheelers 4
10th 67 Joe Holloway High Wycombe 4Y
11th 48 Darren Poon 4
12th 32 Paul Redman Thames Velo 4
13th 1 Dave Ryan Imperial Racing Team 4
14th 109 Christian Spencer-Davies 4
15th 19 Roy Atkins Twickenham CC 4Y
16th 87 Marianne Britten Severn Rc 2W
17th 65 Kevin Ball Dulwich Paragon CC 4
18th 149 Mark Meacock Clif/Moots 4
19th 147 Joanna Rowsell Global RT EW
20th 183 Brodie Gardias Oxford City RT 4
21st 89 Philip Ember Kingston Wheelers CC 4
22nd 58 Rob Taylor Addiscombe CC 4
23rd 7 Rob Crozier Addiscombe CC 4
24th 151 Alex Peeke Welwyn Wheelers 4
25th 8 Donald Woodman Archer Road Club 4

Great result Sylv, somewhere in the teens George - shame on you .

Another week of good race experience Rob(s), I guess you both just rolled after working so hard during the race.

[Sylv]

Yay 7 BC points Keith & Stu shame you didn't make it you would've enjoyed it today.

I'm assuming Jamie Newall didn't contest the sprint for fear of getting involved in a crash, as he was warming up for the cyclocross national champs next week - that didn't prevent him from launching attack after attack in his usual style though - sometimes he'd just be riding alone ten meters ahead of the pack for a good while, he must have been at the front at least 50% more than anyone else in the bunch.

Others were attacking too and it was hard enough for me to chase to have any chance of trying to get away. Powertap-Adam came to the front about 1/3rd into the race and got a decent gap, he stayed there for almost a lap before being reeled in. I must have been too far down to see the escape of four get away - not implying I could've joined them!

Despite the numerous attacks (about two-three per lap) and the fact that the bunch split a number of times, we entered the final few laps as a whole. Adam made his second big lone surge and looked like he could well have made it.

I was telling myself to hold back to mid-pack on the last couple laps and get as much shelter as possible, but people were still attacking and the front of the bunch stringed to a single line, so easing off would've meant being positioned too far back and I just had to go for it and enter the last climb in about 5th place, passing Adam who was just too spent to sprint. In the end it was a good move as for me sprint was a good one, no blocking or dodgy overtaking, just flat out for the whole of that neverending climb, I held my place and held off someone who was just about to pass me on the right (must've been Phil then, was it you?).

That was a pretty tough but enjoyable race, wind a tad down on Saturday, and speed up a full mph to 26.2. It was such a dull day I opted to drive for once, glad I did as I wouldn't have fancied racing back South with you George

Happy new year

[Stu Merckx Man]

nice one guys, what great results, expecially sylv!

i planned to go, but i got back at 6 this morning so i didnt get enough sleep!

[quote]
Great result Sylv, somewhere in the teens George - shame on you Laughing .

[-Adam-]

Yes, another token bank holiday race, and another race thoroughly enjoyed.

So, as has been reported I treated today like Armstrong used to treat the early season. Nothing more than an opportunity to get out and give one's self a good hard work out. I know to win, or even score a point at these races is hard, given the quality of opposition. So I choose to use the race as an opportunity to learn and gain experience without the pressure on myself to seriously expect a point ot two. Any result is a bonus in my eyes, today, Christmas nearly, nearly, came early.

After the initial flurry of attacks, in which I found myself working with super strong Steve Golla again. I settled back into the bunch and told myself to save myself for the final third of thr race.

By then, Golla, Paul Pickup, Colin Parry and Michael Hill had flown the nest... for the day. They were gone, or were they. People tried, one by one to get across. Even Elite Jason Streather couldn't do it. Nice guy though, had a chat with him before the race. So I thought why not give it a go. Two laps I spent off the front on my own, man it takes a long time to do two laps on your own. Even with all the cheering of people I don't even know at the side I just couldn't bridge. See thats what I love about cycling, the fact that the people who watch are so in love with the sport that they'll cheer anyone who has a go, even if they're chasing down 'daddy'! As I hit the back straight for the second time I was within about 50m, but it was just to much. So back into the bunch I went.

Then with about 5 to go, another group of 4 tried to bridge. I got across to them and they gave up. Bastards! Then a couple of other guys came up to me and we started working. We got a good gap initially but as we got onto the finish straight as the bell was ringing we were being dragged back. What was I to do? If I sat up I wouldn't have had much for a decent sprint. So I just put my head down and dug deep, very deep. I was holding a good 50 meters right up until the penultimate corner. I looked over my shoulder, and began to dream that I was about to score my first '08 points. Last corner, I could really feel them breathing down my neck. Then I knew, once they start to sprint im history. And as I hit 200m to go, sure enough, they galloped. But still, it was a valiant effort, even if I do say so myself! Still had enough to stop 7 people getting past though according to my 31st place! Ah well, a good hard, educational work-out it was. Now I know how they feel in the Tour when the break gets caught inside the final KM!

But my form is coming, by March, and the real road racing, I'll be flying.

Time to ease off for a bit now, I'm off to Dublin for a Uni trip on Monday. Quite looking forward to 5 days off my bike to be honest. But when I'm back, thats when the season really starts...

[Toks]

Nice work Sylv - picking up oiints when you're not at your best is definitley a skill ... So 2nd cat by end of April then Adam

[Toks]

[quote="Pettachi"]Two laps I spent off the front on my own, man it takes a long time to do two laps on your own.

[George]

[quote]Any chance of an AP on those two laps? Wink

[quote="George"][quote]Any chance of an AP on those two laps? Wink

[quote="Toks"]Nice work Sylv - picking up oiints when you're not at your best is definitley a skill ...

[Robh]

[quote]Toks, the Av for the race was 262w. 30mins @280w. 323w for the last 10 mins of the race. The 2ish laps, was probably more like 1 and 3/4s was around the 360w mark. Not that much compared to what I have previously recorded for the 5min bracket, but bloody hard all the same!