Team ACC

[-Adam-]

So how did Team ACC get on at barcombe this morning then?

[Marek]

Not bad, Paul got 4th place. George had a good go in the sprint but went a bit too early and blew his load.

Was a really tough race today, good thing though is that a Mosquito won, Jason Pidd one of our stronger riders turned up and escaped on the first lap and managed to stay away to the finish with over a 2minute gap just ahead of Christian Yates.

An impressive ride I must say.

I am now going to go and have a cup of tea and a lie down, I am dead.

Cheers

Marek....

[quote="seanhogan(CondorMan)"][quote]I am now going to go and have a cup of tea and a lie down, I am dead.

[Paul H]

Tough day today. I was getting over a cold and only did the race as I pre-entered.

We tried getting away into a break virtually every lap on this hilly bit it was followed by a fast descent and we kept getting pulled back. The Mosquito guy did the best thing by breaking straight away before everybody got into race mode. They must have been working hard to stay away though.

The finish was at the top of this long hill so I kept at the front of the bunch as I knew I would have a good chance of getting a placing. I offered to lead out George up the hill but he decided to go for a "brave" attack about 1 mile before the finish which unfortunately didnt work. Half way up the hill a Dynano rider attacked and I followed him up the hill. Approaching the finish, I knew I couldnt go past him so I sat up and trundled across the line as the rest of the bunch were quite a way away and got 4th place. The Dynamo rider was Matt - a small Northern guy who used to be a 1st Cat and has been on our club runs a few times and did one of our Surrey Hills rides about this time last year. He said he felt guilty for beating me after all the work we had done but I said there is no need.

There was one crash as far as I am aware. It was a young lad who looked a bit like Stu. He forgot to stop pedaling round a tight corner and his back wheel went in the air and he ended up in the mud and weeds. While the guy was still in mid air, George asked him if he was ok - i didnt hear a reply.

[Andrew G]

[quote]While the guy was still in mid air, George asked him if he was ok - i didnt hear a reply.

[Stu Merckx Man]

great result paul, how many points isit until 2nd cat?

[George]

Long trip down through the Sussex lanes to Barcombe this morning. A 3rd cat Surrey league race, just 2 Agreeables today Paul Hone and myself, although Marek, Max and Agreeable friend Matt from Dynamo present, not to mention half a dozen Mozzies.

The roads were wet to start with, the rain threatened by stay away, we had almost 8 laps of an 8 mile undulating road circuit with a big lump just before the finish.

The pace was not too fast today most of the group stayed together, Marek had a couple of digs at the front but mostly doing all the work was John from Fit For, who had a ride down in my van from East Croydon.

Paul had a sore throat and was coughing a bit; even still he stayed up near the front and still gave all his effort when called upon.

Early on during the first lap a couple of riders sneaked away but to be honest I don’t think the group was too worried, but as the race progressed the gaps were increasing more and more.

I stayed right up the front throughout the race, I was feeling very fresh and super strong. I was able to initiate lots of Attacks to try and start a good break, but there didn’t seem to be much cooperation with the fellow breakers.

After half way point every lap I tried to get away, when Paul joined us and we had four or so on it was only us doing turns the other guy’s just didn’t have it in them to come through.

We tried and tried lap after lap but it was the same old story no one strong enough for us to get some teamwork going.

With a few laps to go Chris Yates (Sean’s Brother) sneaked off the front, I think he bridged the 2 min breakaway with ease. One of the 2 original guy’s dropped back to us, They managed to stay away to the finish line.

A few laps to go and the poor guy who attacked on a sharp corner eat the dirt cartwheel stylee, it was good of him to put on such a dramatical performance for our viewing, still it could have been worse it could have been us!

3 laps to go ATTACK

2 laps to go ATTACK

1 lap to go ATTACK

1 mile to go ATTACK

hill to go BLOW UP

Had an enjoyable race today, it didn’t quite go our way. Well done to Paul on a very good 4th whilst having a cold!!
I think I need to learn to read the early breaks a little better. Still happy that today I felt the strongest ever during a race.
Looking forward to next Saturday and put some of this training into Practice!

[Paul H]

Stu - I've got 33 points so need 7 for Cat 2. Its a shame in a way as I'm enjoying the Cat 3 races and know the 2nd Cat ones wont be so much fun.

[Stu Merckx Man]

i cant believe it!

the season is only just starting!

[Ian A4size]

I hope you dont lose your va-va voom guys as your racing and reportage is keeping the rest of the ACC peloton on the edge of our seats.

The sofa king DFS toks really had to work hard for those last few points at the end of last season- they were nowhere to be found, but its early days yet.

ACC road race next week, as if you need reminding, Toks got in the winning break last year , I had to hold another rider up till he got hid act together, babbling nonsense and weaving about. Get some sugar down you man!

[Marek]

When we attacked with two laps to go there was me, Paul, George, Max and a guy from Brighton Excelsior. We were working really well and we turned the thumbscrews on the peleton, unfortunately the lead car got in our way a bit and the peleton were probably fed up with seeing us lot cycling away from them every week so we got chased down.

Next week should be interesting pitting our wits against the 2nd cats.

Cheers

Marek....

[Toks]

Bloody hell Paul nearly a 2nd cat already? That just shows you how average I was as a third cat. I only just got it by the skin of my teeth back in October last year. Nevermind I'll keep banging the drum for Mr Average who wants to be a racer like me. Great result again boys well done.

I just spoke to the winner, Jason (Mosquito Bikes) and as you can imagine he's absolutely glowing. To attack literally from the gun isn't such a biggy, loads of people do it. But how many stay away for the whole race? He rode at 90% for two hours. .. He must have thought the game was up when TT hotshot Christian Yates bridged across. But if ya gonna beat Jason in an uphill finish you better be prepared to cough up blood. Yates got bitten with ten metres to go

[-Adam-]

well sounds alright, i was gutted i couldnt be there this week, but i guess i do have to be at uni sometimes to get a degree huh!? after alan malarky's suggestion that i was pretending to be a student, using it as a way to train full time! I WISH!!!

i guess we cant cream the field every week, and life is going to be a lot tougher once george and paul reach the heady heights of 2nd cat! but we'll see how it goes... next week is going to be tough for sure... i think i naively said that with the amount of us riding we should be able to 'control' the acc race. well now ive actually ridden a 2/3 race, im a little wiser, and know, its not gonna happen!

that be the first mozzie win of the season then? good work, first of many? not if we can help it

im determined to win at the palace this year... doing surrey league races is teaching me a lot, and i feel more confident by far this year, and besides, racing for an hour is going to be EASY compared to the 2hr plus slogs on the rutted roads of surrey, i hope!

well done guys,

adam

[Sylv]

Jeez well done.

I know there is an ACC/Mosquito entente cordiale, but still it would've been great to see what could have been done by a team of Paul/George/Marek/Toks/Max/Tim once they would all be 2nd Cat.

Looking forward to Saturday, and hoping the cheers of 30-odd club members will allow me to keep up with those guys (dream on!).

Actually, I was wondering about something last race - what if say some of those ACCers go for an early break, we hear they're say a minute or more ahead, then in the second half a group (hypothetically Paul T, Adam, Kevin, Matthew, Kieran and myself ) feel like digging in and going for a second break - is that ok? We're unlikely to help bring anyone back on them - where do you draw the line of what's acceptable, or do you just resign to the role of domestique in every occasion? I doubt this occasion would present in a 2/3 race, but in a 3rd only maybe one day ...

[Paul H]

Toks - I consider myself as a Mr Average as well who has an understanding wife and enjoys training. I've also been doing endurance training for the last fourteen years and know how to get the best out of myself and just converted it to bike speed over the winter.

I've started the season with good form which has made it easier to accumilate points otherwise I would have found it just as hard as anybody else.

Also having strong teammates has been a big help.

After reading your blog, I think you need to use some of your great motivational skills on yourself and I look forward to racing with you in the near future.