Alfold 3/4

[Marek]

Not sure of the exact results yet, but I think that Luke got a seventh place at Alfold today. I will give you my summary of the race below:

In the first km a break got away, with Darren in the break. David F, Luke and myself were spread out in the peloton at this point as race had only just started and were trying to find position.

7 riders went away in the break and the peleton was going extremely slowly.

David went off the front to try and bridge the gap, he was working tirelessly on his own, about 50 yards ahead of the peleton. Luke and I realised that he was going to need help so chased him and we worked together for a bit, but then the peleton caught up. We attempted to pick up the pace and keep the peleton attacking so that we could try and catch the break.

We all ended up doing a bit too much work on the front. At one point Luke got away with another couple of riders, but the other riders blew and Luke slowed up to get back into the peleton. We again tried to get the group working to see if we could chase down the break, but it was pretty lonely at the front and I was getting more and more tired. I decided to give up with the chase as was getting bugger all help apart from one guy from Freerider who unfortunately sat up near the end of the race.

I went and hid in the pack and was feeling pretty tired by now. Luke and Dave got away again near the end of the race, and then surprisingly a weak looking Darren came into sight, about 5 km from finish. He had blown big time in the break. Bummer after working his socks off all morning.

I believe that Luke came in around 7th after the sprint, and David must have been close behind. I came in with the Peleton after a last effort to try and catch up with Luke and Dave had failed.

All in all a fun race, although next time I want to be in that break, just need to be closer to the front at the beginning of races.

Luke, David, Darren what did you think of the race?

Cheers

Marek...

[David Findlay]

Personnally I thoroughly enjoyed it, boosted by the 8th place finish. There was nothing in it between 6th/7th/8th but had nothing left in my legs to do any better. It was a great buzz to maintain the break from the peleton to the finish.

Learned a lot. Riding with 3.4 cats is somewhat unpredicatable. It was very disappointing that the non Addiscombe riders who broke away with you did not want to work at the front. As we all soon learned, if you were not aware of this, you would end up burning yourself out to their credit. Revise tactics before next week!.

Felt sorry for Daren as he really could have won the race. I am sure he will relfect on the next one.

[the other Steve Dennis]

Results courtesy of

http://www.londoncyclesport.com

[quote]Alfold 3/4/J/W : 15/3/04
Surrey League - March 14, 2004 - Festival RC - Alfold

3/4/J/W - 59 miles
Pos Name Club/Team Cat Time
1 Henry Turgoose Condor/Anglia Sp 3 2:42:00
2 Niall Digby Sigma Sport RT 3
3 Dan Smith Anglia Sport 3
4 Tony Gordon Pearson Cycles
5 Mark Skinner Brighton Mitre 4 @ 1:00
6 Michael Crockford Gravesend CC 3
7 Dave McMullen Evans Cycles 2V @ 3:30
8 Luke Scott Addiscombe CC 4
9 David Findlay Addiscombe CC 4
10 Martin Williamson London Dynamo 3
11 Michele Ward Private 2W
12 Dave Worsfold Private 3V
13 Frank Sanz Pearson Cycles 3
14 Steve Ferris VC Meudon 3V
15 Robin Dix VC Meudon 3V
16 Colin Tamon Tunbridge Wells RT 4V
17 Marek Siwicki Addiscombe CC 4
18 Stuart Grimes Beyong MTB 4
19 Marc Adam Freerider Cycles 4V
20 Robert Meade Evans Cycles
21 Dean Wilson Kingsnorth Wh 3
22 Andrew Harvey Kingston Wheelers 3
23 Philip Davey Brighton Mitre 4
24 Tony Mott VC Meudon 3
25 Joss Davies Sussex Nomads 4
26 Claire Paginton Evans Cycles W
27 Tim Benham VC St Raphael 4
28 Olly Aldridge VC Meudon 3V
29 Kevin Blann Team Luciano
30 Hannah Reynolds Evans Cycles W
31 Brad Lamb Glendene CC 3
32 Graham Fielder Team Velo Vet 3V
33 Steve Barnsley DataPhonics R.T. 3V
34 Rik Taub In Gear RT 4V
35 Richard Barrouclough Team Sport & Pub 3V
36 Daren Lowndes Addiscombe CC 3
37 Alex Tyrell Old Portlains CC 4
38 Clive Jeffery Old Portlains CC 3V
39 Matthew Prested Freerider Cycles 4
40 Russell Childs Twickenham CC
41 John Leitch Festival RC 3V

[Brett P]

Congrat's on the results guys.
Just a bit of constructive criticism, if you've got a guy in the break it's not a good idea to chase it down.

A lot of the time a break (especially one that goes from the gun) usually gets time checks and if they (the break) know that the pack is chasing, it tends to make them work harder.

If they get wind of the pack not chasing, breaks usually slow down and riders tend to save themselves for the sprint. With Darren in the break the rest of the ACC riders should have been up the front of the pack keeping the speed at a level that isn't too fast (so you don't catch the break) and isn't too slow. If it does get too slow, riders tend to get frustrated and jump off the front.

You should have an idea on how fast a break works by doing thru' and offs on the club run.

Keep on racing though because there is only one way to get experience, and that's to keep trying.

BM