Herne Hill Cyclo-cross - incl. ACC CX Champs

[higg]

Just a reminder to everyone, Herne Hill cyclocross this weekend (Sunday)has been nominated as the ACC CX Champs.

It's the most local event in the London League so if there's one to try then this is it. The course promises a bit of everything. There's been a few minor Saturday races there already so they've had a chance to suss out a good route using both the infield and the woods at the back of the track. Expect 60mins+1 lap of racing, each lap around 6-8mins

MTB's are welcome, and there'll even be changing rooms, showers and a bike wash. (As well as the tea and cake of course.). As well as that, maybe it's just a good excuse to get out of the Christmas shopping

Racing starts at 13.00, practice laps generally from 12.30 (depending on when the youths finish). £12 entry with BC or £2 extra for day licence.

[Andrew G]

I'll be there with my MTB .

[mrP(Boonen)VT]

Really wanted to do this one, but will be away with my son.

Apologies for DNS

[Elliot M]

I may be able to drop in to cheer on (if not raining!)

[Sylv]

[quote="Andrew G"]I'll be there with my MTB .

[Sylv]

I see that Aodan got a top ten at last week's round of the London League, ahead of Phil Glowinski, Jo Burt ...

Richard Munday has been going strong and will probably be making an appearance!

This is going to be good! Come and support us if you can!

[Andrew G]

[quote="Sylv"]I see that Aodan got a top ten at last week's round of the London League, ahead of Phil Glowinski, Jo Burt ...

Richard Munday has been going strong and will probably be making an appearance!

This is going to be good! Come and support us if you can!

[Andrew G]

Okay then checklist:
Prepare bike - check
Pack kit - check
Load bike and stuff in car - check
Stop off at local shops to get entry fee out cashpoint - check
Drive to Herne Hill and race - FAIL

Car completely failed to turn over and seems to have died in a fairly terminal manner .
Car now abandoned in carpark.

Hope the rest of your races went slightly better than mine.

[Sylv]

Sorry to hear that Andrew I did wonder where you were.



Race report

Well it was not much above freezing temperature this morning so I dressed accordingly to ride to Herne Hill – much easier than driving with no need for a warm-up upon getting there. The sun was out though so it didn’t feel that cold once you got going, nasty head wind though.

Met up with Aodan and Maria at the velodrome where there were loads of familiar faces from off-road races. Got a practice lap and thought wow this course is pretty good! Behind the velodrome it seemed to wind around itself, really making the most of the little space there is there. A couple of carrying sections and then into the inside of the velodrome for an interminable grassy lap and a half that got boggier as time went.

I went for a couple sprints on the road to get the heart rate going, and it immediately reminded me how much I dislike off-road sprint-starts! Often it takes me up to halfway through the race to get my heart rate back down and start feeling ok again.

I was also “worried” that Mr Higgis would be gridded towards the front due to his London League ranking, but I think they only did top ten and I was only a couple bikes behind him at the start. We got going on the grass and I made up a fair few places, but by the time we exited the velodrome there were still loads of slightly slower people ahead, so the first ride through the technical section was somewhat slower than expected, which at least meant my heart was doing ok.

I went on slowly picking up places, thoroughly enjoying the course – minus the grassy bit. I had passed Aodan at the start and there was a point on the grass where the course backed itself up, so we could see each lap how much of a gap there was between us. I was worried that Aodan might have suffered a slow start and would start picking up the pace, but the gap was slowly growing every lap, so that kept me happy

[img]http://www.londoncyclesport.com/editorialGallery/galleries/lx110708_sens/ND041721.JPG[/img]
[img]http://www.pjwphotos.co.uk/WebSite/161207/slides/ND041865.JPG[/img] [img]http://www.pjwphotos.co.uk/WebSite/161207/slides/ND041790.JPG[/img] [img]http://www.pjwphotos.co.uk/WebSite/161207/slides/ND041772.JPG[/img][img]http://www.pjwphotos.co.uk/WebSite/161207/slides/ND041779.JPG[/img][img]http://www.pjwphotos.co.uk/WebSite/161207/slides/ND041740.JPG[/img][img]http://www.pjwphotos.co.uk/WebSite/161207/slides/ND041743.JPG[/img][img]http://www.pjwphotos.co.uk/WebSite/161207/slides/ND041722.JPG[/img][img]http://www.pjwphotos.co.uk/WebSite/161207/slides/ND041706.JPG[/img][img]http://www.pjwphotos.co.uk/WebSite/161207/slides/ND041690.JPG[/img][img]http://www.pjwphotos.co.uk/WebSite/161207/slides/ND041652.JPG[/img][img]http://www.pjwphotos.co.uk/WebSite/161207/slides/ND041659.JPG[/img][img]http://www.pjwphotos.co.uk/WebSite/161207/slides/ND041647.JPG[/img]
At one point I came up behind Matt Seaton and thought I had the speed to pass him, so did. Ben from Evans was just behind, and the three of us would actually spend the rest of the race never more than a few meters apart. I was leading them for a fair bit and could hear Matt breathing really heavily, so thought I might have it in me to make it to the end ahead of them.

[img]http://www.londoncyclesport.com/editorialGallery/galleries/lx110708_sens/ND041844.JPG[/img] [img]http://www.londoncyclesport.com/editorialGallery/galleries/lx110708_sens/ND041726.JPG[/img]

Ben attacked to the front though and later Matt put a big dig onto the grass, we managed to keep moslty together despite the added difficulty of passing lapped riders, sometimes one would get a few dozens of meters lead. I learned afterwards that by that stage Aodan must have had abandoned due to rear derailleur trouble, but then I was too busy keeping in Ben of Matt’s wheel to notice it. I wanted to push a bit harder but couldn’t quite, maybe the lack of racing, or thinking I was ahead of Adoan so had the main job done.. I did ask Ben whether he was racing for points, which would have given me yet another excuse to let him go, but he said no he was just racing to beat Matt!

In the end I just had to let Matt and Ben contest their sprint, maybe a good thing as afterwards Ben was looking the worse for wear, close to puking! It had been good fun and my mtb was not too awkward for the course. I hear there's another League round there in the new year and will definitely try and make it.

[img]http://www.londoncyclesport.com/editorialGallery/galleries/lx110708_sens/ND041891.JPG[/img]

[higg]

Not sure what happened today, turned up a bit later then usual and only got in half a practice lap before the start but even so I never really got going. Slyv went by in the first hundred yards but try as might I couldn't stay on his wheel. Things got worse in the technical half of the course where the traffic was heavy.

I settled into some kind on rhythm after a few laps but then got stuck behind a Dynamo rider who was sketchy in the technical section but not slow enough that I could get by, then on the open grass of the infield section he just pulled away again and opened up a 10 second gap before the start of the technical section and it all started again.

This went on for a while then one lap I was going through the sandpit and I heard that dreaded crunching noise and the pedals stopped moving. At first I thought it was a just a bit of chainsuck but when I loooked down the derailleur hanger had bent back leaving the derailleur jammed in the wheel. Game over. Not sure what happened but it looked like the wheel had come loose, jumped out of the dropout, just one of those things.

Anyway, well done to Slyv, the deserved winer of the CX Champs (I would never have caught him), who had a really good race finishing in the top ten on his first race of the season.

Sorry to hear about your car Andrew and thanks Mark for turning up in support.

Also, Slyv doesn't know this yet but he would also have won a box of maxim bars if he had been around for the raffle afterwards. I would have collected it on his behalf but there was a strict no show, no prize rule. Later on, Maria won a set of tyres in the same raffle.

[Sylv]

[quote="higg"]
Also, Slyv doesn't know this yet but he would also have won a box of maxim bars if he had been around for the raffle afterwards. I would have collected it on his behalf but there was a strict no show, no prize rule. Later on, Maria won a set of tyres in the same raffle.

[kieran]

well done Sylv, don't know where you get the energy etc after going so hard on Saturday as well. Sunday is my day of rest and time off the bike. Hard luck Aodan.

[Sylv]

Wasn't just me Kieran

[quote]ree of the Imperial RT Winter Series held at Hillingdon Circuit, London on December 15

Cat E123 - pics
1st 13 r Andrew Bye Sigma Sport E 200
2nd 06 r Paul Pickup 1 150
3rd 66 Dane Percival Cardiff Ajax 2 130
4th 12 r Chris Moores Norwood Paragon 1 120

Herne Hill Cx December 16

13 sen 40 Sylvain Garde Addiscombe CC
00:07:17 00:06:34 00:06:39 00:06:43 00:06:49 00:06:44 00:06:38 00:06:51 00:06:39 01:00:54 9 laps
14 sen 34 Chris Moores Norwood Paragon
7:33 00:06:42 00:06:44 00:06:51 00:06:45 00:06:48 00:06:45 00:06:45 00:06:55 01:01:48 9 laps

[George]

Well done Sylv and Aoden, I'd sure love to be out there with you guy's at the mo.

Sylv sounds like you were well up there in the fighting with all the top guns, sorry to hear about your mechanical Aoden, I'm sure you'll get it fixed for next time, make sure it doesn't happen again though

[Sylv]

Updated with photos © PJ Wright


You'd've loved it George !