ACC Club Road Race Championships 2011 - Results

[higg]

Well, not the full results, but these are the winners. Congratulations to Ghaleb in the 'B' race and Steve in the 'A' race.


Aodan.

[more photos later]


[img]http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/309624_10150333526386868_565591867_8711772_573551393_n.jpg[/img]



[img]http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/303760_10150333526511868_565591867_8711774_1446782416_n.jpg[/img]

[Marek]

Was a good race in the A's, Sylvain was very active right from the off which got the blood pumping very early. Dan and I were near the back at the start and we were having to chase from the off, not ideal.

Sylvain got away at some point with a couple of other riders, sorry can't remember your names but they soon got themselves a nice little gap. On the straight for a couple of laps and we were only just catching a glimpse of them as they were working well together.

There were a few shouts from the sprinters in the group to get working, I was just hanging on for dear life and didn't go on the front for pretty much the last 3/4 of the race. With around 7 laps to go the pace started to pick up at the front and we could see that the break was gradually being reeled back in. Paul Hone put in a really good effort with the 5 laps to go and the race came back together.

There were a few attempts in the last few laps to get away, Sylvain and I think Paul also had a go. With a lap to go around the last bend before the straight a lot of space opened up to the left and I had some good momentum around the corner and as the others were looking at each other I launched myself with a last gasp effort to try and get off the front. Amazingly I managed to get a reasonable gap.

I believe in the peleton Steve B got to the front and started to chase me back down, up the last climb for the finish and I just didn't have the legs, Steve and then most of the rest of the A guys came shooting past as my legs fell off.

Well done Steve, good racing and not surprised you have done so well this year with that jump you have got. Also well done Sylv as you put in a lot of effort and deservedly got the most attacking rider.

Cheers

Marek.....

[Ghaleb]

Nice pics...That was good fun...Thanks to Toks and organizers for putting this together.

Roll on next year!

[Keith]

Cheers Toks for organising the race and for giving Huw the opportunity to boss us around

Well done Ghaleb & Steve.

By the way, how many did we have in each race?

[Sylv]

Big thanks to Toks and Huw (oops and Kieran) for today. Toks (not racing) is looking trim and has scheduled his forthcoming training group rides. Well done to Ghaleb and Steve, good to see you back up there after recent injury (and a relief to see that the new kit is not actually jinxed). And also to Rich, he certainly was 2nd most agressive and put in a strong ride as us two were sharing evenly the turns in the break(s). And good try Marek. A good safe race.

A race stats. The dips under 160 in HR indicate time spent in the bunch
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/121740675

[img]http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3469/5783334325_a9b68f99d6_m.jpg[/img]

[Rob W]

Yep cheers to Toks and Huw for organising the race had a good race and the weather was perfect

[Toks]

Wow that was a great championships hotly contested, and we have a worthy new Champ (Steve). It caps a fantastic year for ACC ROad Racers who as you know have ensure ACC are the South East Region's TOP RR Club. Big thanks to my partner in crime Huw Williams. A mega thanks to Keiran for all the help. Well done to Phil's son,Tom, for the video footage and the great humour. Thanks to Marek's wife for the temporarily guarding the clubhouse. Thanks to Steve's son for helping out and anyone else who helped with the judging, cleaning up and unlocking doors ( )

I appreciate you all trecking over to West London, it's far enough for me and more than double the distant for most of you. I hope you all had a good day. Well done Ghaleb on winning the B race. I hope to see you and some of the other B riders racing in ACC colours next year. Cheers guys
PS I've missed the racing and training so see you all next year

[Toks]

Tom's video of ACC RACE; 15/10/2011
[youtubewww]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2CXhz3CH5uU[/youtubewww]

[Paul H]

Well done Steve. A deserved winner who did a lot of work with a few of us to chase Sylv and co down and then managing to win the sprint was pretty impressive.

Thanks to all the helpers. Glad to hear that Toks will be joining us on the CR at least one a month as well over the winter starting 5 Nov.

[Toks]

[quote="Paul H"] Glad to hear that Toks will be joining us on the CR at least one a month as well over the winter starting 5 Nov.

[quote="Toks"][quote="Paul H"] Glad to hear that Toks will be joining us on the CR at least one a month as well over the winter starting 5 Nov.

[Paul H]

[quote="Toks"] can we push back that start date till at least late Jan 2012. I'm 4 kilos over weight

[Sylv]

Just watched the great video. Huw on it asks for our thoughts on venue for next year - yes - Hog Hill : )

[carl f]

Well done Ghaleb and Steve!,looked like a lot of fun and a cracking day for it....

[Steve B]

Yes, big thanks to Toks and Huw for organising and running the event yesterday, we all certainly appreciate your efforts, thank you. Also thanks go out to Aodan for photos, and Kieran for taking up kitchen duties, and anyone else who helped out .

With a fully strapped up shoulder, I have been able to ride the bike without too much problem over the last weeks since my crash, only missing about a week in the saddle (very lucky really). But with rubbish legs during this week , I wasn't that hopeful about the race. A nice gentle ride on my own over to Hillingdon seemed to loosen them up though, and I felt a lot better.

A beautiful day helped the great racing. Sylv was super aggressive throughout, initiating most of the attacks. Rich joined him for their first effort off the front which lasted a few laps, but they were always in view and it was only a matter of time before they were back in the fold. The second of their efforts was different though. Joined by a third rider (I'm sorry I don't know your name), they stayed away for quite a while and were out of sight almost before the rest of us got our sorry arses together. It was a bit of a mess to be honest. Every week we do thru&off on the club run and we all do it pretty well, but yesterday it looked like we'd never done it before . Granted, this was a race and everyone has there own agenda in a race, so you just have to get on with . It did make it a tad touch and go as to whether we would catch them though. Anyway, a big [size=150]CHAPEAU[/size] to you guys in the break, a really cracking good effort

Inbetween their breakaways, other smaller attempts to get away by other riders went and came back. It was never boring, you were always waiting for the next attack to come, and it always did. The mid race prime didn't get too many riders digging into their sprinting reserves, leaving just me and Mark to battle for the substantial prize pot

Back to the breakaway - Sylv and co were knocking out a good pace lap after lap, with the rest of us making no inroads in to the gap. A few of us were putting in some decent efforts on the front, but it wasn't cohesive and the gap stayed constant. It started to get a bit tense with around 8 laps to go, the gap was big, we weren't working well together, and the possibility of us not reeling in the guys ahead was becoming a reality. I think this gave a us a kick up the backside and the stronger guys in our group seemed to dig a bit deeper. I was feeling pretty strong and I knew there would be no sprint unless we all came together. Everyone was hurting, it was obvious. The head wind in the back straight was energy sapping, so this was where we could claw back some of the gap each lap. I put a few big efforts in along with a few of the others and the gap started to come down. With 4 and a half laps to go I did my turn down the back straight and then flicked the elbow for someone to come through, but as I looked around I saw I had a gap back to the bunch - everyone really was hurting - what do I do now? I decided to go for it and try to get in to the breakaway. I managed it but it took me 2/3rds of a lap and I was now cooked, bigtime.

Me getting across to the break probably took the wind out of their sails and with some chasing from Paul and Keith (I'm not certain who), a lap later the whole bunch was now on our tails. We were all back together with less than 3 laps to go but I'd done too much and needed to recover for the sprint. Paul had other ideas and with 2 to go he attacked. Two others jumped on his wheel and I realised I had to too, this was too dangerous. We didn't get far though as everyone else had seen the danger and busted a gut to get on the train. The next lap was very nervous and somewhat pedestrian. Obviously no one wanted to lead out the final lap, who would. But someone had to be at the front and it happened to be Mark, Matt behind him and me behind Matt. Unbeknown to me, everyone else was fighting to get on my wheel . Then out of nowhere came a big white flash sprinting down the outside on the back straight. Crickey its Marek, I thought he'd gone home . Quickly he had 50m and no one wanted to chase him down. It looked like a brilliant move on his part and he could possibly steal the show. We all looked at each other realising the situation. Mark quickened his pace, and then Matt took over (i think). But then on the bottom straight section I found myself on the front with only Marek ahead, but he was still 50m ahead. Damn, this was too early for me to go, but what could I do. I pressed on the gas pedal a bit and looked behind me, I'd stolen a couple of metres. I had to go now. Still with 400m to go I put it in to a big gear and went for it. Sitting down, full beans, up the hill, I quickly caught Marek. My legs were good and the finish line was approaching, and there was no sign of anyone on my wheel. It worked out perfectly. I had time to sit up, raise my arms in the air and enjoy the moment

It was a race that had everything in it, and the standard as a whole has gone up substantially. I really enjoyed the whole thing.
Well done to Ghaleb for winning the B race and well done to all those who don't race often or who had not raced before.

Well done Addiscombe CC for a brilliant year. I must pick out Sylv especially, absolutely fantastic. Brilliant consistent results all year, from Crystal Palace to Surrey League to Time Trials and everything else he has raced in.

Steve