SL Handicap - Kitsmead Lane - 29/04

[Keith]

First handicap of the year and I reckon there must have been 70 entrants.

Myself and The Shadow were set off in the last but one group. We were caught by the scratch group with a couple of laps to go.

We didn't get a sniff of the lead group further up the road. Me and Steve B weren't the only ACC riders though ..........

[-Adam-]

So the first handicap and the 4th cats stayed away? Doesn't bode well...

[Mulberry]

Keith there were 2 groups behind you - they split some of the 1st cats and I was in a group of 6 inc Angus and Andy Davies with another 6 behind inc Andy Betts, Guy P and Lee (I can't ride in a straight line) Smith.

Our group certainly wasn't going fast enough and I don't think scratch were either. Keith B admitted that we needed to do one more lap really. Bottom line is that they had some FAST boys in the front groups inc Rupert B in the 2nd gp I think who was towing them along at a pace - later trying to help out his Redhill team-mate. Rupert did a long 53 in the ACC 25 on Sunday he's also been fairly useful in the local chaingangs as you may recall!

The first HC almost always sees the cat 4s' winning, but at least it didn't pour down with rain like last year I quite enjoyed it and had a good workout -esp as I was on my 2001 Spesh training bike.

How's Belgium Adam - are you mixing it with the big boys OK?

Marcus

[Scott]

'Belgium Mix' - I like it!

[Toks]

viewtopic.php?f=4&t=10965&p=102398#p102398

[-Adam-]

Belgium is ok thanks, I may even get around to updating my blog one day...

Woudln't quite say I was mixing it with the big boys, but you gotta start somewhere. Got 19th in a really hilly race down in Wallonia last week, racing there again tomorrow so hoping to repeat...

Coming back on thursday for the Lincoln (and to vote!), so may try to get over for the Handicap if I can.

[quote="Keith"]Me and Steve B weren't the only ACC riders though ..........

[Marek]

Steve came back strong after his broken ribs hey, I reckon those pain killers they gave him were sourced from somewhere in Italy.

Cheers

Marek....

[SteveSh]

It was a pretty good race, there were about 6 of us working really hard, we broke away a few times but kept getting tapped back in again. Then when we caught the last bunch of 4ths everything slowed down a little bit, we were the same speed as the 1sts on the outleg, but the back straight downhill we were 18secs slower!

I didnt want to get caught up in the bunch sprint again and was about 10th coming into the final bend, but everyone seemed to just wait when we came out of the turn so i just cranked it up a notch and moved over to the right where no one could see me. I think the bunch were starting to catch me towards the line, I couldnt stand up to sprint because it would pull the ribs too much, hence, my seated sprint to the line

I really must get some Addiscombe kit...

pic of the sprint here...

[img]http://ic2.pbase.com/g3/38/662238/2/124085537.kFipghrU.jpg[/img]