crystal palace 12/6/07....ANOTHER addiscombe win!!

[Matt Robbins]

100% class, 100% deserved...here's to many more from you!

[Stu Merckx Man]

cheers guys!

matt- [quote]You probably won't have slept much tonight as the race will be on auto rewind in your head.

[Hal]

Sweet

another really great race. it was cool sitting on the front with sylv and stu for the early laps but once the attacks hit my legs just started to give in. my excuse is that i broke a spoke accelerating away at the start and the brakes were rubbing for the whole race.

well done stu

[Richard (Apples)]

Well done Stu, fantastic win and a great report.

I wish I'd been up there to see you win last night but last minute family stuff kept me at home

[kieran]

well done Stu, a great win! It was another fast race and longer this time than last week. Well done Sylv, racking up those points, soon we'll have a few more in the E/1/2s at Palace??

Well done to Jon for 10th in he E/1/2 a bit more of those and you'll be getting on the podium!

The race started earlier than usual last night I think, anyway I barely had time to pin on my number and get a toilet stop before the race line up, with a fair few ACCer's caught right at the back (me, Matt, Steve,Hal). Anyway off we go and I try and make up ground, knowing at Palace if you stay at the back you'll either drop off or kill yourself bridging all the gaps etc to keep witht the front bunch. Anyway I made up some ground and ended up with a few other ACCers, somewhere in the middle.

The pace stayed high and I stayed where I was, but slowly the group was shrinking in size, luckily I managed to stay with them, then coming up on the last lap the pace picked up and one rider from behind me cuts me at the U-corner, seeing as he had to speed up to get in front he then slammed on his breaks and did a little skid, getting in my way and in the way of a few others. I lost a bit of ground thanks to that and not much space to make it up, damn.

The final sprint up the hill began right at the bottom and I gave it my best, managing to pass out a few but also get passed by others so positionwise I was the same!

Anyway it was good to hear of Stu and Sylv's placings at the end, even if you don't get a placing yourself, 2nd best is getting such a good club victory.

I was pretty spent by the end.

[MattD]

Gripping write up , and a fantastic result . Inspiration for us all !!

[Sylv]

Stu, well done that was an awesome and deserved win.

I was hoping your break with the two De Vers would stick as they both looked like they knew what they were doing too, but unfortunately the attacks went hard and I has no choice than to follow them. I didn't think you'd have enough gas to finish that well!

I also noticed how well Stu was cornering as I seemed to find myself mostly behind him during this race. Tactics for next race = follow Stu's wheel

Good to see Hal mixing it at the front, and Steve attacking on the climb (that hurt!). Kieran, Matthew, Aodan and Andrew are also not far from getting a result I say.


I'm happy with 6th given that I almost gave it a miss as not feeling great, and struggled a couple times not to get dropped from the front group .

Back from physio and shoulder is ok for cycling (just bruised, tense and swollen) so hope to get a result worthy of Addiscombe next week. The race to be 2nd Cat first is on now eh Stu!

[richv]

Excellent result Stu, well done

[Tamar Collis]

Wooohooo! Great result Stu!

ACC 1-2-3 next week boys?

(Hal - sort your spokes out!)

[Sylv]

Time to revive the old blog?

[Stu Merckx Man]

who, moi?

[Jon (Man in green)]

Come on Stu!!! Great result sounds like it's all coming together, I think those hills at the weekend have done you good.

My race was a bit of a nightmare, I was on the front on the 2nd/3rd lap and completely overcooked it on the first bend. My tyres couldn't hold me and I slid off the track, managed to pull myself and the bike out of harms way before the pack swung round. I feel like a bit of an idiot to be honest, a few people had a go at me and I said I was sorry. Anyway I took a lap out to fix my chain back on and then jumped on the back of the pack when they came back round, according to the cyclesport website I got 12th, so not bad considering.

I have crashed three times in 4 years of riding/racing and two of the times have been on that corner. The first time I crashed on that corner was for a totally different reason - I was right on the inside, pedalled to early and clipped a pedal. Both times I made sure to get myslef and the bike off the track straight away. Needless to say I will be taking it easy round that bend from now on and will make sure to ride it on the drops.

[Paul H]

Well done Stu - classy win

[Sylv]

So - was there or not a crash in the 3/4 race?

[Steve B]

Well how cool was that
For me the best moment of the year so far. It wasn't the fact that Stu won, but the manner in which he won.

I had pulled out of the race after about 45 minutes and felt a bit gutted not to have lasted the distance, but I was so glad not to have missed watching the end of the race as a spectator.

Me George Aodan Richard and Toks looked on as the final stages approached. Stu seemed to be on the front a fair bit and we were chatting about how eager he had been during the winter, wanting to mash it up at every opportunity, in training groups and chain gangs, ah the eagerness of youth!

Anyhow, he looked good at the front but all the while we could see this huge pack just lurking behind the front few, closing down any beaks that formed.

The bell goes and everyone is together but Stu and another guy get 2 metres out of the hairpin. The pack give chase and seem to close the gap as they all dissapear down the hill and out of view. How would it pan out when they came back into view?

Sylv was favourite to come out at the front with Stu a few places back. My hunch was on Matt making his way through stealthily and getting a top three finish.

Desperately waiting and watching through the gap in the trees at the top of the hill for a sign of movement seemed to take ages, but then - a rider on his own, then 25 metres of clear tarmac and then this huge pack of wolves after their prey

We all strained to see who it was out front with this big gap, first thinking it was Sylv, but then realising that it was Stu. A big laughing cheer went up from our group, not quite believing how big a gap this young lad had gained over an experienced group of riders in such a short distance. He looked scared coming down the finish straight until a glance behind and the realisation that he was going to win. Arms up in the air and over the finishing line to a big cheer from us Addiscombe cheerleaders Fantastic Stu, Well done

10 Addiscombe racing at the palace, with a few absentees. Not bad eh.
Bring on next week

Steve