WALLY GIMBER- paul, sylv, george we are in!

[-Adam-]

Nothing got more than about 100m away from the front of the bunch Toks.

[Sylv]

Stuart was 2nd Cat last year (and the year before I think)

[Toks]

Yeah indeed, he seem pretty keen to get that his 2nd cat status back again. He'll be a man to watch, he'll be back up there pretty soon I reckon

[Robh]

Pictures available here :-

http://www.pjwphotos.co.uk/WebSite/020308_2/index.html

[Sylv]

Broom broom!

[img]http://www.pjwphotos.co.uk/WebSite/020308_2/slides/ND044123.JPG[/img]

[Toks]

Hey fantastic effort Sylv, Paul, George and especially Stu. I was waiting to see if George was gonna bless us with some words on the race, no luck yet Paul how did you let Andrew Bye beat you in the most elegant rider competition?

[Andrew G]

Some great pics there, nasty blood lamb chops that bloke's modeling at the end.

I told ya, Sylv never looks like he's even trying while everyone else looks like they're in a world of pain .

[img]http://www.pjwphotos.co.uk/WebSite/020308_2/slides/ND044102.JPG[/img]

[Sylv]

A good tongue-out missed opportunity there, but i never saw the photograph!

Here's Paul at the finish (note ski gloves), you can just about see me in the background - he gained that much on me in about 2-300m

[img]http://www.pjwphotos.co.uk/WebSite/020308_2/slides/ND044160.JPG[/img]

And Stu making sure everybody sees he stopped only because of a cramp

[img]http://www.pjwphotos.co.uk/WebSite/020308_2/slides/ND044144.JPG[/img]

[Sylv]

[quote="Sylv"]Broom broom!

[Stu Merckx Man]

i was reaching for food!

[quote="Sylv"][quote="Sylv"]Broom broom!

[Toks]

[quote="-Adam-"]
Yes it is that crash that somewhat distracted the commisaire from my complaint! But the guy's got a broken collar bone, wrists etc, so fair enough. That crash was just before I got barged off the track by the Evans rider, I only heard it so have no idea what caused it. Wasn't me though, it definately wasn't right behind me! I am prepared to reveal that the 'team' in question was Cambridge University Cycling Club. They demonstrated some very dodgy riding throughout the race. Not impressed.
.

[George]

Forgive my late report, straight after the race I had to drive straight up to Sheffield for a job, first time back on the net is now.

Well nice weather but it was a bit windy in places on the course, basically the Wally Gimber circuit is about 12 or so miles with a long fast descent for the first 4 miles where speeds were approaching 50 mph, then generally a flat course of country roads with a final sting in the tail of a 1km ascent to the finish line.

It started off real fast, I mean RAPIDO, guys were attacking from the gun, Sylv and I snuggled ourselves right-up near the front of the peloton. WE were briefed at the start to keep to the left of the road but that was straight out the window when the sidewind hit us half way round the lap and everyone was strung out on the other side of the road down windy country lanes roger insane

At one point on the first lap I went for a little dig off the front on my own, nothing too strong, just to test the water and yes when I looked around there were 100 elites on my wheel, this was into the wind and no one wanted to come through so they punished me and made me stay on the front for a mile or so, it felt like they were teaching me a lesson for even daring to think about attacking

After this we were genrally hob nobbing with the domestic stars like Tony Gibb and Dave Clark which was pretty cool, we did notice that Gibbo wasn't doing any work on the front because he had a teammate up the road in a breakaway, which stuck.

On the third lap the relentless pace split the peloton in 2 and all us agreeables were in the 2nd half, John Heaton Armstrong, who we gave a lift down started to do some good hard work then Sylv and myself were rotating and finally Stu even came up and did some turns, I could see the first half of the split just ahead and dug deep with a mega effort to try pull us back on, which I just about managed.

Unfortunatly we had just arrived at the start of the climb and here I paid big time for that effort. Up the climb I started to go backwards, I felt like a lorry reversing (beep beep beep), I gave it everything to stay on buy I could take no more captain, I was into the red so deep it felt like the bailiffs were a knocking.

Then the service cars came past and I snuck in behind for a tow to get back on, I really thought I was gonna do it, I could see the peloton just ahead 40m or so but down that fast section it was tricky. For half a lap I was almost there, I was thinking I can do this, nearly there, but it was too much for me on my own.

Then I saw Stu on the grass verge, bike on the deck bent over holding his leg in agony with the ambulance car, I really thought he had wiped out so I pulled up to see if I could help Then he shouted carry on I've got cramp, so off I went.

I had 2 laps to ride on my own so got my head down and ground on to the finish as fast as I could, I could easily have packed in but this was still a prime opportunity for practice and there was no way in this world I was giving up.

I kept passing riders who had also fallen back but they had just totatly lost intrest, when I shouted for them to come with me to the finish they just shook their heads, I cheekily shouted out lightweights Saw 3 riders who had hit the deck one of them had a badly cut up face, I thought to myself I'd much rather be dropped than crash out with an injury.

Bit gutted I got dropped on Sunday, I think I need some more training effort going into the red, still its early season and thats what racing will bring on. Well done Sylv and Paul for finishing in the pack, big respect guys.
[img]http://www.pjwphotos.co.uk/WebSite/020308_2/slides/ND044142.JPG[/img]

[quote="Toks"][quote="-Adam-"]
Yes it is that crash that somewhat distracted the commisaire from my complaint! But the guy's got a broken collar bone, wrists etc, so fair enough. That crash was just before I got barged off the track by the Evans rider, I only heard it so have no idea what caused it. Wasn't me though, it definately wasn't right behind me! I am prepared to reveal that the 'team' in question was Cambridge University Cycling Club. They demonstrated some very dodgy riding throughout the race. Not impressed.
.

[Toks]

[quote="George"] I felt like a lorry reversing (beep beep beep), I gave it everything to stay on buy I could take no more captain, I was into the red so deep it felt like the bailiffs were a knocking.