Toks gets his licence in Ockley

[Gavin]

Marek,

Also eastway racing this sunday and the sunday after the 'big saturday'

Ciclos Uno Eastway 2006 series
By LCS


Open to novices & experienced riders alike, offering accessible Sunday races at Eastway Cycle Circuit.
UPDATE 20/9 - racing continues every Sunday until the final race ever held at Eastway on October 22


U8 - U16 09:30
LVRC 10:00
Novice and 3, 4 Cat 11:30
All abiltities, inc. juniors, women & veterans.
All events are open to Men and Women.
Approved Youths may ride 3, 4 and Novice Races.
Entry fee £6 (U16 £3).
Everybody is welcome - no need to be a member of any cycling club or association.
Food will be available throughout the morning.

Everybody is welcome.

Ciclos Uno website - http://www.ciclosuno.com/

[kieran]

Well, done to both of you! Toks a 2nd cat now!! Wouldn't it be great if Marek got it this season as well then we'd be starting the new season with 4 (? Tim, Toks, Tony, Marek (maybe if your name begins with a T you'll get it ) 2nd cats and the race would be on to see if anyone gets to 1st! I have submitted my application for the final at Eastway so may be able to help Marek, although, as I said on C+ forum training forum I've already started winding down my training so may not be up to much

[Toks]

[quote]Toks - Awesome and thank god for that, takes all the pressure of us at Eastway to help get that final point for you - are you goint to do the E/1/2 race now? Give you a taste of what you're in for next season

[siwickm]

Cor blimey, with all the pressure and offers of help I suppose I cannot let you lot down. Lets do it. I have it in my diary so as long as the wife does not book in some dodgy family outing I will be there, hopefully with my fan club.

Now we need to spend a couple of weeks thinking about race tactics. I am willing to try a breakaway, but if it does not work then I have a reasonable sprint so a lead out is the other opportunity. Huw, with all your experience and DVD watching I think you can be our tactician.

Cheers

Marek....

[huw williams]

Hmmm... tricky, at Eastway. Hard to get away in a break there. Also the Dynamo boys wll treat it like a team race on home soil. We might have to evaluate it on the day depending on who's racing. But if we can deliver you to the last bend on the last lap in the lead group I reckon you've got the sprint to win it up that drag to the finish.

[Dr Frigo]

Very well done Toks and Marek!

Se you at Eastway (don't count on me for any help though, I'll be trying to do the least possible work to save energy for the mtb race).

[Gavin]

Marek,

Would love to help but don't have the fitness to keep up with the novice race at eastway never mind a 3/4 race.

I will be making a serious attempt at the handicaps next year.
Unlike Toks I won't be making my goals public though!

Cheers

G

[Toks]

It hasn’t quite been 48 hours, but still…. You’d have thought that either Bjarne Riss or Johan Brunnel could’ve at least sent a congratulatory text message. My empty email inbox suggests I’m also persona non grata with Quick Step, Rabobank and Credit Agricole. On the home front there’s still no word from John Herety at Recycling.co.uk and Plowman Craven, who I was really excited about, have apparently already got some forty something bloke perched nicely on the top of the Premier Calendar Rankings – thank you very much. Fair enough, I didn't expect to hear from all of them… What about?

Ok, it’s rise up and inhale the caffeine time. Despite my youthful 41 years, that pro cycling contract isn’t coming. It’s firmly stuck in the same place as that pro football contract - MY HEAD. With a threshold power output short of 300watts and just a single win, a 2nd and a couple of 3rd placings, my 2006 racing palmares will be heading for your average Pro DS’ paper shredder. Yes sadly I’m not gonna be joining Bettini and the boys next season.
Oh well, back to my last competitive event for this year - a 3rd cat RR held on one of those classic undulating courses down in Ockley, Surrey: six laps of a nine-mile circuit with a couple of abrupt little lumps, some draggy sections and one very fast bumpy descent

Lap 1: Hello, my name is Marek
Everyone knows that no matter whether it’s a social or competitive ride Marek just can’t help himself. He absolutely has to test his Vo2 max power. So it was no real surprise when in the first few miles he stomped on the pedals and quickly broke away from the pack. After a few minutes in the spot light he was surrounded by fifty other blokes and wisely took his foot off the pedal and rolled towards the back.

Even though there were only two Addiscombe representatives in the race, both myself and Marek were determined not to be just pack fodder. Once Marek was caught, it was my turn to put in the second neuromuscular effort of the day. In 53/17, I managed to power away at the top of a little rise. Thirty seconds later I glanced back; nobody else fancied it, and why should they at such an early stage; I sheepishly switched to ‘tempo’ mode and reversed into a nice spot close to the LD boys. We completed the first lap in 23mins 56 seconds and my average heart rate was a nice cruisey 155 bpm.

Lap 2: Enter The Dragon

With him being just four points shy of 2nd cat status, it was only a matter of time before London Dynamo’s Rob Jefferoy got himself going. I stayed on watchful alert flanked either side in by the LD mob. As the winner of the 160k Dragon Ride Cyclosportiv Rob’s naturally got bag loads of endurance and soon powered away on a solo mission. A couple of others also decided to test their respective speed endurances and the lover of hilly Welsh rides soon had two non Dynamo accomplices. Unfortunately for the trio we all have good legs in the first half an hour of a race and we brought them back pretty sharpish.

Next, the eventual race winner, Daniel Patten jumped away and it was a perfect time for me to burn my second match. My heart rate shot up to 180 bpms and my legs complained bitterly but I was glad to see the effort appeared to be worthwhile. I looked back down the road and it was completely deserted. Daniel and myself immediately started taking turns. Oh dear five minutes at close to maximum cardiac output soon became inconsequential. The avaricious pack sniffed us out and I soon found myself a few places from the back adopting my now infamous lolly-licking recovery pose. At 48 minutes 22 seconds we began the 3rd lap and yours truly was on the front

Lap 3 and 4: Return of The Dragon and Kidulthood

On one of the descents Mr Jefferoy caught a few of the front riders snoozing and some how transported himself thirty feet up the road. Almost immediately the Dynamo’s arrived upfront on mass. Strong riding from two non LD boys meant ‘the blues’ weren’t able to start a blocking campaign, but then neither did they attempt to send another couple of men across to assist Rob. This was perfect for the rest of us, coz as good as Rob is, there was no way he was gonna ride away solo from a vigilant pack with more than an hour to go.

In road racing energy preservation and tactical judgement is vital. At third cat level where most people are effectively team less, not burning away all your matches is absolutely crucial. It’s very hard to just power away from a fifty man field and make it count. So despite 54 minute, 25mile TT, power men mixing it with sprint kings who’d probably burst a lung if they had to do a 25minute 10, its all much of a much ness.

With most people sitting in and enjoying the ride a combination of Dynamo team indecision and one or two riders selflessly willing to chase, despite him impressively staying away for most of the lap, it meant that time was eventually called on Rob’s solo bid for freedom.

As we approached the drag which completed the 3rd lap a young Evan’s rider completely lost the plot. He’d attacked and gained no real significant ground then as we rolled towards him he got off his bike and chucked it Bjarne Riss style into some hedges. I laughed so much I nearly lost control of the bike. Bloody hell, here we are just a couple of rungs up on the UK Road Racing ladder and this kid’s thrown a hissy fit because he punctured. Those professional sportsmen have a lot to answer for. I wonder if in ten years time youth team footballers will be utilising the Zidane head butt

Lap 5: Usual Suspects
Half way up one of the slightly rough draggy section the Addiscombe, Road Racing champ went in search of Gold. As Marek stomped away I hesitated for a few seconds to see if anyone followed and then sprinted after him. Er warning, all efforts apart from your final sprint when racing must be modulated to a certain degree at least. I got a little cocky with my anaerobic power; burnt a couple more matches in the process and nearly succeeded in dropping myself out of the race - whilst chasing after my own team mate. Mmmmm? Luckily I just had enough energy to squeeze back in line, as Marek, also last weeks winner of the ¾ handicap race in Alford, started to stretch out the weary pack.

Hats off to him, somehow Marek made the gap stick and was soon joined amazingly by a revitalized Rob Jefferoy and of course Daniel Pattern. As the two got across to Marek I turned hitchhiker and sat on Andrew Strong (London Dynamo’s) most excellently fast back wheel. I could tell he wanted to bridge across but didn’t seem to want to take me with him. Three plus two eventually made five as couple of sneaker chancers, (Simon Whitten, Roadcycling.uk.com and vet Ian Jones from Baueau Landscapes) who’d probably been riding below threshold in the safe confines of the pack, suddenly went anaerobic. Excellent I thought Marek’s in what looks like a winning five man move.

Now a little bit of knowledge in these circumstances is a great thing. I knew LD’s Andrew Strong would always be willing to chase a promising move. So with him now leading the bunch and me doing super glue impressions behind him we blazed a trail down the main descent and at one point hitting 46mph with me literally inches off his back wheel. Sadly for Marek, Rob and their freedom fighting buddies the pack had shape-shifted in to a spear head, more green eyed racers fancied their chances and we had them at a sadly doomed twenty feet. Once they were caught Marek said he was gonna recover at the back and promised to see me later

Lap 6: The Horse Whisperer
Shortly after the bell went, on a drag that would typically be a small gear effort at club run pace, Daniel began pressing very hard on the pedals. There were no close the gap attendants on stand by this time so he soon had ten seconds. After nearly two and a half hours at close to and good few minutes above threshold the self preservation instinct kicks in big style. All attempts to join the leader were tentative at best and the gap began to grow although he still remained insight.

Halfway around the course, a couple of horses suddenly appeared which Mr Patten somehow managed to avoid. The lead car naturally asked us to slow down and we eventually came to a standstill. The fact that there were also some mountain bikers coming from the opposite direction delayed things even further and meant we ended up loosing approximately 30 seconds. Now we were definitely in a race for second place.

Not everyone was willing to accept our fate. London Dynamo’s Andrew Strong turned into drill sergeant and tried to organise a thru and off style chase. Unfortunately know one was willing to sacrifice themselves for the cause. If you’ve been working hard all race you’re physically stuffed and if you’re a sprinter you’re looking for a free ride until it says 100 metres to go.

Back on one of the final climbs before the finish, my Crystal Palace racing mate, Pearson’s junior rider, Matt Zietz, was spinning Armstrong style at close to hundred RPMs. The problem was he was going backwards. The need to stay in the front 10/15 places can be totally energy sapping so I gave him a big shove back into action end of the bunch

With the fast approaching Ockley Village sign now insight we were now just minutes from the finish. Luton CC rider, Anthony Morris (he won at Eastway when I crash) suddenly popped up from nowhere and kept putting in little out of the saddle digs that kept the pain in my thigh muscles just south of agonising. I wondered whether I could eke out a few metres on my own with one last jump but quickly dismissed the thought. Hitting air particles at this point of the race was simply suicide.

On the final turn with 400metres to go I was in about 8th position and poised for a big fast twitch muscle fiber effort. On the gentle climb up to the flag I immediately realised I’d selected too big a gear and seemed to have stuffed up my chances of placing comfortably. Marek powered past for me for fifth and I just managed to hang on for ninth. As the three newly promoted Premiership teams managers (Reading, Watford and Sheffield Utd) will tell you - happiness means forty points. I know exactly what they mean. No more racing for me till next year – Thank god

Average race Speed 37kph
Maximum Speed 74kph
Average Heart rate 157bpm (my max is/was 190)
Most Agressive Riders Marek Siwicky, Rob Jefferoy and Daniel Patten
Race Time: 2 hours 12 mins approx

[kieran]

what gear did you use for 74kph! my max is 52x12 (115 inches) and at 120rpm gives a speed of 66kph. Not that I have ever reached this speed, just theory.

[Toks]

No idea mate. Probably 53/12, don't forget we were going down hill so our speed was gravity assisted. Are you gonna try and do some Road Races next year?. I think some of those undulating Surrey League courses would really suit guys like you, Sylv and Paul.

[Marek]

I think you overall time is wrong by quite a long way, I had 2 hours and 12 minutes.

Cheers

Marek....

[Toks]

yeah you're right mate. I think I must have added on commuting time as well. Duh

[Dr Frigo]

[quote]It hasn’t quite been 48 hours, but still…

[ ... ]

Race Time: 2 hours 12 mins approx

[Toks]

[quote]Well, we knew it was too good not to be on LCS ...