Palace 24/05

[Sylv]

So another week of clockwise Palace in the sun – brilliant! Felix English away at the RAS and Jake Martin down to be at Tour Series, even better! But Jake actually here. And Jody Crawforth, fresh from the MTB world cup in Dalby at the weekend, plus the usual Palace strongmen. Steve not too confident with the new direction and just hoping to finish the race. I’m wearing my lucky skinsuit hoping to improve on 7th and 6th. Not feeling great on the ride from work, but I’ve come to learn it’s not necessarily a bad sign!

As usual, all plans of holding back for the first half are out of the window come lap 1. Jody keeps attacking, I stay within the first 5-10, go with attacks, do a few myself, first one down the hill into the first corner, and being a bit optimistic with my speed spend the next 20 metres in the grass having to also negotiate my way round a rogue cyclist on the course. Few laps on and into the following corner a guy washes out and crashes heavily right in front of me, manage to avoid it but a bit too close for comfort. A lap later the guy is back at the front, with ripped shorts – fair do to him!

None of the attacks seem to stick for long tonight, doesn’t seem to be any will to work together once a gap is made, but the relentless pace (41.7km/h till it slowed down in the last 4 laps) once again whittles down the field. Ian Paine is a monster when he goes for it, and when in his wheel you have to be very vigilant. With him Jake, Jody, Germain, Tao, Taylor, Millard (I love being in his wheel) and myself do most of the pace-setting. With 17 of 28 to go I get a gap at the top and spend ¾ of a lap alone, for which I need another lap to recover once caught.

So it’s gearing towards a bunch sprint for a change, despite a few late attacks, the last one by Paine which leaves him out of contention for the finish. It all slows down to a crawl at times, and on the last two laps I do my best not to give away any places to late-comers who try and barge their way past, but am still a few places further back that I should really be, coming into the second to last corner. Again I completely overcook the last hairpin, end up in the grass, whoops, having to watch a DP and a freewheel-less Jake coming past me on the inside. Once back on tarmac I somehow manage to overhaul the DP who is dying in the final metres, to a Palace PB of 5th. Like last week, pretty chuffed with that, but on the other hand thinking I had a chance of podium place. Next time I will only be satisfied with 4th or better : )

Women
1 62 Rohan Battison For Viored Bookex 2
2 71 Louise Moriaty Look Mum No Hands 3
3 64 Delia Beddis Dulwich Paragon 3
4 65 Charlotte Easton Look Mum No Hands 1
5 66 Rachel Przyblyski Rapha Condor 2
6 69 Dyanne Holland Inverse Cyclaim 3
7 63 Collyn Ahart London Dynamo 4
8 67 Louise Mahe Mulebar Girls 2
9 61 Catherine Hills Wynda Milla 3

E/1/2s
1 27 Jody Crawforth Hargroves RT E
2 2 Tao Geogehan Hart CC Hackney YA
3 28 Germain Burton De Ver YA
4 13 Jake Martin Le Col Pendragon 1u23
5 9 Sylvain Garde Addiscombe Mulebar 2
6 - Dulwich Paragon
7 14 Taylor Johnstone De Ver 2J
8 7 James Wakelin La Fuga Sigma Sport 2
9 25 Arian Planting Dulwich Paragon 2
10 11 James Millard Corley Cycles 1
11 5 Steve Salmon Bigfoot 2

Cat 3/4s
1 4 David Rees Dulwich Paragon 3
2 37 Oliver Craig London Dynamo 3
3 7 Andy Pollintine Dulwich Paragon 3
4 41 Chris Bedson Dulwich Paragon 3
5 25 Anthony Buchan De Ver 3
6 21 David Arthur PM 3
7 12 Ben Moores Norwood Paragon 3
8 29 Tom Ballhachet Rollapaluza 3
9 17 Mike Cownley Norwood Paragon 3
10 – Bigfoot


[img]http://www.londoncyclesport.com/media/jphoto/road-racing/crystal-palace-senior-circuits-4/cp230-599x400.jpg[/img]
Jody

[img]http://www.londoncyclesport.com/media/jphoto/road-racing/crystal-palace-senior-circuits-4/cp57-599x400.jpg[/img]
Big Jake

[img]http://www.londoncyclesport.com/media/jphoto/road-racing/crystal-palace-senior-circuits-4/cp175-599x400.jpg[/img]
Bigger Millard

[img]http://www.londoncyclesport.com/media/jphoto/road-racing/crystal-palace-senior-circuits-4/cp166-599x400.jpg[/img]
Ian and me - careful !

[img]http://www.londoncyclesport.com/media/jphoto/road-racing/crystal-palace-senior-circuits-4/cp171-599x400.jpg[/img]
Shadow didn't finish

[img]http://www.londoncyclesport.com/media/jphoto/road-racing/crystal-palace-senior-circuits-4/cp207-599x400.jpg[/img]
Germain / Jody / Taylor / Grupetto

[img]http://www.londoncyclesport.com/images/stories/cp20114rep/e12s.jpg[/img]
Sprint - think I'm still on the grass at that point!

[img]http://www.londoncyclesport.com/media/jphoto/road-racing/crystal-palace-senior-circuits-4/cp144-599x400.jpg[/img] [img]http://www.londoncyclesport.com/media/jphoto/road-racing/crystal-palace-senior-circuits-4/cp117-599x400.jpg[/img]
Carl and Rob in the 4ths

[Jon H]

[quote="Sylv"]5 9 Sylvain Garde Addiscombe Mulebar 2

[Andrew G]

Well done again Sylv, great result bearing in mind you added a bit of cyclo-cross in as well.
Yeah, what's with the mulebar stuff?

[kieran]

Well done, Sylv, 5th is great, especially when you look at the quality of those who beat you.

[Sylv]

Oh oh - here come the club officials

Am guesting for MB for now, hope it’s no bother regards to racing. I like the kit too - will be a tough decision what to wear when the fancy new club design lands though

[carl f]

Well done Sylv another top result,you make it look all too easy what i watched of you last night
Me Rob and Richard in the 3/4ths. Rob not feeling so good didn't have such a great race. Richard was up there lots and just missed out on a top 10 i think
I had another blast early on getting away for a few laps in a 3 man break,3 laps later my legs dropped off and we got caught by the peleton. I made some silly moves trying to chase breaks on my own doing to much work etc and not having enough in the tank to sprint but once again lack of experience shows but not too bothered as it was good all be it painful fun!

[Toks]

Great result Sylv that Podium finish is coming...