Hog Hill London Champs 6th Sept

[Sylv]

What a great venue. I picked up Kieran and we got there via the M25 just in time to see the start of the women's race which had been delayed by 10-20 min. Here we saw Keith and Michelle, Maria, Chris and Lisa, and lots of familiar faces.

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The rain was on and off but more on than off pretty much the whole day. The women "only" had 15 laps or 30km to do, but seing them on the climb it looked hard enough. I think for once the photos do it justice! The race pretty much split from the start, there weren't that many entries, but a group of three (Dynamo, VCL, Gary Fisher) got away to eventually lap the following groups. Jenny Copnall had to take a lap out at some point I'm not sure why as I didn't see her change anything to her bike.

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The following had four riders

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And the next one contained Michelle who was doing a lot of work at the front.

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Further back Maria and Lisa were having their own little race.

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Eventually Charlotte Blackman (I think that's her) got away to take the win. Michelle was I think second of her group, so possibly 8th (but not sure, it's hard to tell when you are trying to take photos).

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Well done to all of them for finishing on a tough, wet circuit. More, bigger photos here http://www.flickr.com/photos/patronchou ... 147977999/

[Sylv]

We then had the juniors race to get ourselves ready and try and warm up in the rain - I just did ten minutes on the road and one lap of the circuit. Up untill 9am this morning I wasn't going to race, was feeling shivery since last night and had on top of that a nasty headache, but that almost cleared off and I was feeling almost normal, so decided I might as well have a go as I had pre-entered.

Off we went with a reasonnably big field - after the top bit you turn left and there's a sweeping bend that was quite wet with a bit of mud, it was not easy judging what speed and angle were possible to carry there, then there was a small incline but with a fierce headwind, then onto a fast 60km/h descent, gradually turning right, then a left hairpin at the furthermost of the course, then a slightly up straight before going leftwards a bit for the start of the climb (horrible headwind there) and finally the climb that went right-ish, gradually steeper.

Surprisingly I was feeling ok, and as the first few laps went started enjoying the course - in the wet it didn't seem all that fast, with most people over-braking in the corners, which allowed making places easily. The climb didn't feel all that bad the first few times, and was do-able in 53*23 (with an out of the saddle kick at the steepest part). It was really windy though and already at the back of the course things were stringing out and you had to watch your positioning carefully.

Every lap though (about 3 minutes) the climb felt that little bit harder, and I was having to get out of the saddle earlier. On the 9th lap of 25 I lost contact with the last wheel of our group, and spent the rest of the following lap trying to get back on. There were a few of us but just before the climb there was a crash on the right, with one rider (Artic) down and Matt Seaton who almost had to stop to avoid crashing into him, that little time delay didn't help us into making it back onto the bunch, and I died on the climb, almost giving up.

I kept going as a Dulwich rider went past so I took his wheel and we swapped turns, it was raging as the group was only 15 meters ahead as we hit the climb again, but this time I completely died and had no desire to keep riding alone for the rest of the race (before being pulled out) so I stopped, to see Kieran on the side who had been dropped a lap before. Chris S kept going though with another guy, I think he was on Lisa's orders to finish the race whatever happened! Eventually they were pulled out, but only with a few laps to go.

Got changed and grabbed the camera again, to see lots more riders who were dropping out - one or two a lap it looked like. The race seemed to have stepped up a gear with two groups of about ten riders. Here are a few photos.

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The win for team PI/PX whom it seems two riders sacrificed themselves for their best man as they crossed the line last of their group looking in complete overdrive. I'm not sure they are from London though as two of them were speaking a language I didn't even recognize!

I still don't know if I'm getting ill, if it's the after effects of the 12h, or having been off the bike for ten days - was afterwards and still feel totally fatigued, after only 30 minutes of racing. But in any case it was a tough race and I'm not making any excuses for it. Like Kieran said it would be nice to do a 2/3 or a 3/4 race there sometime ...

[Michelle]

Monsieur Sylv,

I had already started a thread here...

viewtopic.php?f=4&t=7705

Really great pics. The second one down from the top, on the start line with my tongue out, my HR was 125!!!

Sorry to hear about your failed attempt. And Keiran's too. It was a truly horrible hill.

Thanks to both of you for the support, and to Keith and Chris's encouragement as well.

[kieran]

well, it was nice seeing the womens race, giving us a foretaste of things to come, to cut a long story short the course was lovely but the wind and rain wasn't, neither was the pace, I was a bit out of my depth but was a great to experience how the top local (although as Sylv pointed out i don't think all were that local) riders can go.I think i did about 6 laps, about 3 on my own, just glad i wasn't the first to be dropped, there was probably at least as many E/1s as there were 2/3s (only a few 3rd cats, less than 10 I'd guess) Nice venue as well but shame the cafe closed its doors at 4:30pm before the seniors race finished so riders couldn't get a warm cuppa or cake afterwards. I think I did more cycling meting Syle than in the race.

[Andrew G]

Back luck chaps but top marks for going. Excellent pics Sylv, sounds like you're really suffering lately.

[Sylv]

Pics of the men's race courtesy of Kevin Knox http://www.flickr.com/photos/kevinknox/ ... 145020198/

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[Maria David]

Great Pictures Sylv !
It was good to see you yesterday.

I must say thanks to you, Kieran and everyone else who cheered us on as we suffered up THAT hill.
As most of the women in our field hadn't previously ridden the course, it was a bit of a shock to the system to have to find out during the warm-up what we'd be up against !
(And to think, Old Bo Jo rode it on a hybrid and in his suit !)

Our field of 19 riders shattered into small groups as we went up the hill to complete lap one. After that the groups stayed pretty much the same throughout the rest of the race. You couldn't afford to be out there on your own really - not only was there the 12% climb to struggle up 15 times, but also fierce cross winds on the various corners, a head wind on the straight flat sections and bouts of driving rain just when you didn't want it !
In short, that was one tough race and it hurt.
I couldn't keep up with the front groups, and for a while shot backwards as my body dealt with the shock of the gradient. Finally I found company in the shape of Lisa and we worked together for the rest of the race. I'm not sure exactly where we came, but I suspect it was 13th/14th. I was just pleased to have made it through to the end (many didn't) and even finish in the points !

That is one hell of a circuit !

Still, it was a good afternoon out ! Funnily enough, now that a bit of time has passed I even think it was fun.
There's talk of a winter series being run there. Bring it on !

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

[Keith]

Not as impressive as the other photos posted so far - I've only a tiny compact camera, rather than Sylv's full paparazzi kit.

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[Daniel Gee]

That hill really does not look like anything i'd like to encounter once every three minutes.

[Snoop Doug]

Great pics and write ups - and a tip top tongue out or two...

[mrP(Boonen)VT]

[quote]I still don't know if I'm getting ill, if it's the after effects of the 12h, or having been off the bike for ten days - was afterwards and still feel totally fatigued, after only 30 minutes of racing. But in any case it was a tough race and I'm not making any excuses for it. Like Kieran said it would be nice to do a 2/3 or a 3/4 race there sometime ...

[mrP(Boonen)VT]

Thanks to everyone that has praised the facility in general.

Like or dislike the hill, you all agree it is a fantastic circuit, and I'm glad that we (I include myself, BC SE and Eastway Supporters - mainly Michael Humphreys) fought to achieve it, and not stuck with Rammey Marsh - a tiny piece of contaminated land next to the M25 that the LDA forced upon us.

Thanks
Guru P

[Grahame]

Be truthful, Mr T. BC initially recommended accepting Romney Marsh, and it was only the fuss kicked up by Eastway Supporters (to the point of Michael being refused entry to BC "public" meetings) and others that caused an about face and the push for Hog Hill.

Well done all the same.

Let's see if the planting plan allows for decent mountainbike and cyclocross racing? The battle has been won, but the war for a full Eastway replacement and decent cycling legacy goes on.

[kieran]

Grahame, Paul T said BC SE, not BC in general, as I understand it a lot of the local BC regional officals etc were against Rammey Marsh as well?

[mrP(Boonen)VT]

[quote="Grahame"]Be truthful, Mr T. BC initially recommended accepting Romney Marsh, and it was only the fuss kicked up by Eastway Supporters (to the point of Michael being refused entry to BC "public" meetings) and others that caused an about face and the push for Hog Hill.

Well done all the same.

Let's see if the planting plan allows for decent mountainbike and cyclocross racing? The battle has been won, but the war for a full Eastway replacement and decent cycling legacy goes on.