ACC JBS Road Race helpers:Big Thanks

[Marek]

Dom, no worries, as I said I was going far too quick for the corner in the wet and should have known better than to hit it at that speed without warning.

Cheers

Marek...

[Amy]

Now you know why I don't like marshalling at road races - as marshals you end up between a rock and a hard place and I just can't deal with that. Riders should bear this in mind - the kind of experience the irresponsible ones put the marshals through isn't exactly going to make them willing to come out again and marshal, particularly as riders coming back early were telling us canteen ladies (sorry Dave ) how well marshalled the race was.

[Andrew G]

Forgetting any negative congratulations to all the A Team that took part, horrible weather for racing - the wind more than the rain.

In particular:
Sylv was always up near the front in the first 10 or so riders and looked to be having a good race. I guess you just missed the break at the end, bad luck having been there or thereabouts all race.

Dan and Matt who once dropped continued to slog round solo which would have been very hard work without any shelter, nice one chaps.

[MattD]

Just a quick note to say a big thanks to all the organisers and volunteers - much appreciated

ps I so felt on the day that ACC is at the heart of everthing that is good about cycling - a great day (apart from the "wind assisted " standard of cycling )

Report to follow ..

[Ivor]

As anyone who saw me charging for a cup of tea at the end I found lead car duty rather stressfull!

Must say too what an absolute star Keith Knight was on his bike. Superb and super-skillfull riding there, he even had time to stop and help some cable guy dig a hole in the road

I know I'm going to get little sympathy for sitting in a comfy air conditioned car for the afternoon rather than riding or braving the elements on a windy corner, but wow I was amazed just how much concentration was needed, keep an eye on the mirror, check the gap behind, get ready for junctions, try and get ahead to keep the road clear but not too far to let a car pull in behind, keep an eye on the course remember where the next corner is and make sure to get ahead and not hold up the race....
I was really surprised just how the pace changed so wildly too, when there was a break or as the pack eased off and had to respond and not blast off into the sunset.
Luckilly the couple of times I cocked up there was car 2 behind me for a quick toot to say hurry up. (one time keeping an eye on a range rover at a junction hadn't noticed the pace behind had quickened, and another eased up slightly over a crest)

Guess I missed all the action with the plastic policemen too! all plain sailing at the front and took the bunch over the line, although I have to say I was really surprised sometimes at the way the pack behind was using the road. More than once I acknowledged a driver who'd slowed down coming towards me... only to see then have to pull to the left and make an abrupt stop because the pack cresting a hill was using all of the road

Gotta say I was expecting a cat 2/3 race to be of a much higher standard and it's really worried me and making me have doubts about joining in a cat 4 race... just how bad is that going to be?

Toot toot,
Ivor

[Andrew G]

Thrown in at the deep end a bit there!

Don't worry about racing, I've seen quite a few races over the years and Saturday's was some of the worst riding I've seen, they aren't normally like that. I think it was probably down to the wind and too many people trying to find shelter and letting their normal sense drift from time to time.

As a 4th cat you'll also be on closed circuits not the open roads. Palace always feels safe to me. If you are worried in any way then drop along to watch a race first and you can see if you think you'd be happy in the bunch around the bends etc. Don't let one freak day put you off.

P.S. My commiserations in advance for next week. I see you're 3rd last off and have Tim Stevens off behind you in the 10.

[Brian Nolan]

Dominic,

I think that must have been the same old lady that stopped soon after the turn I was on and gave me a right ear bashing - all because she was held up / slightly inconvenienced for what 2 mins tops ? I was polite to her but to no avail...
It did look hairy out there with racers on wrong side of road and wet roads with gravel on the bends. Full marks to all who took part - and kept going even if off the back. Actually full marks to all who cycled there as well - I was glad to hop in the car afterwards..
ps - greatly enjoyed the v Agreeable company of Ian, Jo & Mr Green !
cheers,

[Dombo]

I have recently received emails regarding marshalling or otherwise helping at club events. Apparently this is now a minimum once-a-year requisite for non-racing members if we are to continue the privilege of joining the club run on the same route every Saturday to the cafe in Charlwood.

Reading the reports of this race, the poor standards of riding and seemingly quite legitimate concern of other road users begs the question as to the legal responsibility of marshalls in the event of accidents at or near their junctions.

If somebody in the club's High Command can satisfactorily address this point then I may be happy to help out at such an event if it fits in with other commitments.

Otherwise you can banish me for non-compliance and I shall happily ride elsewhere.

[Andrew G]

Not in even low command Dom but in truth the requirement was always there, the wording was just tidied up at the last AGM, and it is a standard requirement at just about every club otherwise they are unable to promote events which means no events - be that road races, TTs, Reliablity Rides, etc etc.

It is was revisited and re-worded due to the extreme difficulties people had had in trying to get the required number of helpers for events which only makes their life even more difficult when they are also dealing with booking the HQ, police notifications, start sheets, and the numerous other tasks they deal with. It's not intended to be a draconian dictate just a fairer distribution rather than the same people doing it all the time to avoid the cancellation of an event. If everyone volunteers then it would probably only work out to one event every other year bearing in mind 100 CRs appear to be becoming fairly common.

[quote]Reading the reports of this race, the poor standards of riding and seemingly quite legitimate concern of other road users begs the question as to the legal responsibility of marshalls in the event of accidents at or near their junctions.

[Dombo]

Thanks for clarifying Andrew. Is there a list of upcoming events and dates so I can fit in with obligations to Mrs Dombo and the little Dombos, and put my name down? Preferably somewhere a nice ride away, near a pub, sheltered yet sunny too. Dappled sunshine would be nice.

[Snoop Doug]

Dombo - et al.

I'm going to redo the calendar v soon and send a list of events, dates and how many helpers we have and still need. Dappled sunshine on order but not guaranteed I'm afraid

Snoop

[Amy]

Dombo, Andrew failed to point out that road races are normally in the afternoon and time trials require leaving home sometime around 4am - in which case you may get sunshine but temperature-wise... The plus side being that if you can get a lift down with your bike you can ride back: I've done it from Broadbrige Heath (site of ACC Open 25 coming up) and Cowfold. Road races may be on leafy rural roads but most time trials are done on main roads, particulary dual carriages.

A compromise is the Crystal Palace races which I think are in the evening and only involve crowd control at crossing points of the course.

Hopefully out of over a hundred members we shouldn't have to turn out too often to help - unless we want to

[mrP(Boonen)VT]

And not a mention of the cyclo cross..........