Crystal Palace April 27th

[Toks]

Excellent result Ed, I wonder if its worthy of a report

3/4s
1 9 Alex Peters CC Hackney YA
2 11 Alec Briggs Arctic RT 3J
3 36 Andrew Colvin Bigfoot 3
4 16 Ed Osbourne Addiscombe CC 4
5 10 Tao Geoghlan CC Hackney YA
6 1 Nigel Ling Gemini BC
7 38 Paul Sewell Bigfoot 3
8 76 Ben Jacobs London Dynamo 3
9 46 Matthew Theobalds CC Grupetto 3
10 24 Andrew Brite London Dynamo 3

[Dan_K]

Well done Ed! Fantastic stuff. Looks like all the racing is paying off......

[Sylv]

Well done Ed! And thanks everyone for the support and help.

I spent the first half of my race trying to readjust a slipping HR strap, and the second trying to help chase the first 3-man break initiated by I.Paine, and the other group that got away. More due to them stopping their effort than us organising a decent chase, we did catch that second group, and amid the chaos of a few crashes I stayed upright and probably came 11th but will never know

Again we almost ran into a guy cycling up the downhill on our first lap - think it should be made clear to marshalls that they have the right in all circumstances to prevent people from being on the course during the race.

[quote="Sylv"]Well done Ed! And thanks everyone for the support and help.

I spent the first half of my race trying to readjust a slipping HR strap, and the second trying to help chase the first 3-man break initiated by I.Paine, and the other group that got away. More due to them stopping their effort than us organising a decent chase, we did catch that second group, and amid the chaos of a few crashes I stayed upright and probably came 11th but will never know

[Maria David]

[quote]Again we almost ran into a guy cycling up the downhill on our first lap - think it should be made clear to marshalls that they have the right in all circumstances to prevent people from being on the course during the race.

[Snoop Doug]

[quote="Maria David"]Marshalls do their best to request park users not to walk on the bike course - sometimes people just won't be told. Of course, if we had more marshalls at more regular intervals to ensure every part of the circuit is clear of straying park users that would be brilliant. Hopefully, Sylv and a few of the other racers, will be able to help out with this at one or 2 of the crystal palace rounds!

[Andrew G]

I don't want to put a spanner in the works here but I'm afraid Ed wasn't 4th. He did well and looked to be pushing it all the way and I'll let him tell his story. I was helping out with "judging" with Kieran and it ain't easy. The womens race I got the first 3 but they finished at the same time as the 3/4 bunch was coming through and despite shouts from the officials they didn't ease to let them through as much as they could so blocked most of the women's field, John and another fella sorted the result from the other side, from mine and Kieran's the men blocked the numbers from sight after the first 3.

In the 3/4 race is was very funny as the guy who finished 2nd was going to win until he stopped pedaling, looked over his right shoulder, straightened his jersey and raised both arms. Then the bloke coming up on his left carried on pedaling and won . Again I got the first 3 but it was too much of a block of numbers for me to get any more. Maria got a lot as did John and someone else. 4th place was a bit unsure with a couple of numbers in the mix and one must have looked like 16, Ed's number. If you keep the points though... .

The E/1/2 had 3 off the front most of the race with Ian Paine getting a gap with a couple of laps to go. A very good win but a very dodgy celebration. Waite and Humphreys had a good sprint but that fella from Pearsons was just too fast in the gallop. The crash might have thinned the gallop a bit but the speed from looking through the trees also looked like it was stringing it out a bit. It made things a bit easier at the finish and I got the first 9 on my pad.

Judging at the finish, it ain't easy guys, please give the organisers a break if there's the odd problem they do a hell of a job. One of the women came over to complain that the 3/4 should have been kept clear of their finish. She may have had a good point but having a go at the bloke in such a stroppy manner while he's still trying to keep tabs on the remaining races and get the bell and number spotting ready is not going to help.

You can only ask folk to stay off the circuit, you can't order them. it's a public park.

[EdO]

Sorry guys just got back from work and a spot of dinner. Have seen all the well dones and I'm pretty shocked with 4th.
is right. I did well but still no placing.
I must admit that was really hard. The training group and Hillingdon are always tough but the speed at Palace is something else.

Didn't feel that great yesterday and was in two minds whether to race.
I started off badly by slipping a few times clipping into my right pedal. In fact I was off the back with a good few meters gap going into the hair pin for the first time.
Got back on to the group but was panicing a bit. I tried not to go too mad but needed to start moving up the bunch to avoid being split from the main group.
The 6 or 7 laps in I was making some real good progress. I was getting shouts of encourement from the corners and I think even the bunch was together albeit strung out.
On lap eight (I think) up the hill a gap started to appear ahead of me. I moved up past a few riders that were shaking there heads and pulling over.
Thing is when I had to work that hard from the back trying to close gaps there's only so much I can do before blowing up.

I kept going working well in a group that had been dropped but was starting to lose power. I really had slowed up on the last lap so got put out of my misery when asked to pull out as a lapped rider.

Saw the finish after talking to Steve B who had pulled out early. Sylv was looking super cool in the e/1/2s but must have lost his position slightly near the front of bunch in the final few laps.

Big thank you to all the marshalls with shouts of encouragement every time I came round. Toks I have the report ready, just waiting for the result.

[Phil H]

I put my hand up - Sorry to Sylv and the other guys. I'd just advised a couple of lady joggers off the course when the race started coming down the hill so I was looking the wrong way - up the hill - staring like an idiot. Then the guys at the front started shouting and I'm thinking "the course is clear" but then I turned and saw the tool on the mountain bike. Lesson learned - look where the race is going, not where it is.

[Toks]

[quote="EdO"]
Toks I have the report ready, just waiting for the result.

[Marcus]

I too saw the friutcake on the bike. I'm sure John on corner 4 asked him to leave the circuit. I saw him coming towards me and shouted there is a race on get off the road where he promptly raced around me raised his rear And farted loudly in my general direction.

Unless I at that point chased after him and physically removed him there was no other way. As Andrew said you can tell people all you like but if they insist at being an arse they will be.

[Sylv]

Yes I know sorry I wrote that quickly and probably didn't come across very well. The point I wanted to make is that I know there were people new to marshalling who might have not known or be told exactly what to do, and that getting people off the track would be for their own safety as well as that of the racers, and they might well have a go afterwards if a crash did happen and they got injured. But I know there'll always be morons who don't want to hear anything, and apart from shouting at them (you should hear John M's " GET OFF THE TRACK") there's not much more you can do.

[kieran]

[quote="Andrew G"]You can only ask folk to stay off the circuit, you can't order them. it's a public park.

[kieran]

p.s. how many crashes were there on Tuesday!!!!

[Grahame]

I counted 4:
3 on the bottom corners (1 front wheel puncture, one Drifting wide - over corrected - front wheel gripped - over the bars, one ran out of track and slid down the slope, all in the senior races).
1 halfway up the climb (slipped chain on standing up and changing gear, junior), the one that caused Maria to have to search for the firstaider.

PS, when I raced, I always made it a point to do a warmdown lap and thank each of the marshalls that I saw. Not one single "thanks" on Tuesday.