SL Handicap - South Nutfield - 8th May

[Keith]

A few pictures Michelle took at this evenings Handicap....

[img]http://i27.tinypic.com/2s6kga1.jpg[/img] [img]http://i28.tinypic.com/2guijbq.jpg[/img]
Marek and Stu waiting for the off. Me - sorry about the lack of ACC kit - Not done my laundry yet.

[img]http://i25.tinypic.com/2rothti.jpg[/img] [img]http://i26.tinypic.com/i3w45z.jpg[/img]
Dan. Stu

[img]http://i29.tinypic.com/2i0x9g2.jpg[/img]
Stu, yet again.

[Marek]

Stu rode really well this evening, very strong. Up on the front duking it out with the Elites and 1st cats and still having plenty left in the sprint. Well done Stu you were flying.

I went off in the group with the 2nd cat riders which included Dave Kennett and Stu. We soon got caught up by Gary Dodd and his fellow fast boys, it was only after a lap and a bit that they caught us. I tried to avoid the front from that point and sat in. It was pretty fast and a few of the guys were really winding it up on the finishing hill everytime we got there I was having to red line it to stay on. On the last lap we caught the group with Keith and Dan who both looked comfy.

I got myself into a good position for the finishing hill, only problem was that it was a hill and I could not go up it as fast as about 11 or 12 other people. Reckon I was about 13th place or so. Stu was up in the points I reckon.

Cheers

Marek...

[Keith]

Forgot to say, I came in 20th (I think) after going backwards up the last hill.

[Ian A4size]

I went home after watching a few laps, it was a beautiful evening- 'specially standing at the side of the road watching everyones efforts. I had me best bike out an all.
There was quite a big ACC turnout, Mr PVT, Stu, Marek, Keith and old blondie hisself Dan Gee, who was very interested in the dog and duck pub for pre,during and post ride "nutrition"
There seemed to be huge gaps between the groups, so i dont know how it all came together at the end.

ACCers on the sidelines... Joanna, Michelle, Dominic en family,George, Tony K and moi.

[Stu Merckx Man]

great race tonight.

i felt really strong and had buckets of energy.

as marek said we were in the mainly 2nd cat group. me and marek were doing lots of work, but on the whole the group didnt gel very well, and soon we got caught by the elites.

i thought about just sitting in, but i wanted to show off to my new 1st cat pearsons friend, daniel, who i had riddon down with after crossing paths in chipstead

the pace was pretty hot, and we had a good through and off going (a hard one though). i picked out a 1st cat cyclefit rider as the man i would follow in the through towards the off. this worked well, and i was doing 1 in 8 turns or so at the front. a couple of times i was left there for a bit, then someone like gary dodd would come flying through, and i would be in the red to get onto his wheel.

with about 2 laps to go we had the 3rds in sight, but we left them hanging, before finally going in for the kill with about half a lap left. im pleased to say i was the first one of the 2nd cats and e,1s to make contact with the back of the 3rds . we swiftly made our way through them and onto the front, where i was well placed at about 4-5 man back. i was feeling good about the sprint as i had been feeling strong on the hill before it on each lap. as we hit the hill all hell broke loose, and i saw marek fly past me. i got my ar!se into gear and started going as hard as i could, i came passed marek, and was now about 4th, but a big push on the right led my gary dodd meant a few guys got in front, and opened a small gap. i new i was battleing for 7th, and my oponent was the 1st cat cyclefit bloke. as we hit the down hill section we were yo yo-ing, and neck and neck. but in the last 70m he started edging away. unfortunately there was nothing i could do as i had run out of gears, being restricted and all that as a junior. so in the end i bagged 8th, but im dead pleased with it!

stu

[Toks]

Yes the Merckx Man return's - well done Stu

[Andrew G]

Well done Stu good to hear you're back at the front of a race (where you belong) and not got your head down the bog .

Was going to swell the numbers (watching) tonight but couldn't get there in time. Always a bugger this as I'd like to do the odd SL handicap.

[-Adam-]

My race went like this...

Sitting at the back of what I thought would be one group at the start, I was quite content. Though this being my 4th race in 8 days I was really on there for training, building form for my assault on the British Universities Road Race a week on Saturday.

Then it all kinda went wrong. Stu, Marek, Dave K et all all moved off and as I tried to ride around the likes of Gary Dodd and Dan Santoni, Mr Butler say's:

''No no, you'll be alright with these boys!''

So there it was I was with the E/1 Scratch group, christ I've barely been a 2nd cat 7 weeks! In a nutshell, it was real fast. And there were only about 7 of us, so no where to hide. Coming towards the end of the last lap I just couldn't hang on any longer. Guess I didn't help myself by working with them though! The most frustrating thing... I could see the 2nd cat group just ahead and I knew If I could just hang on a little longer I'd be ok. But... no. I was cooked. So I settled down and rode the rest of the race more or less solo, passing the odd dropped rider here and there.

Not too disappointed, still got an awesome training ride, I wasn't hanging about on my own. Averaged 37.5kph (Course was a little rolling for me!) and did 307w for 70mins for the power folk out there. So thats a hard ride and not too far off what my last fitness test at Kent Uni indicated I'm capable of.

Super motivated for the BUSA RR so I'm happy with where I'm at, very tired right now though!

[Toks]

[quote="-Adam-"] Averaged 37.5kph (Course was a little rolling for me!) and did [size=150]307w for 70mins [/size]for the power folk out there. !

[Michelle]

Well done everyone.

Not to worry Adam, I think a few people went right over the edge last night, you were not the only one.

Well done to Lisa for hanging on in there. It's hard being dropped by the boys but it makes you tougher!!!!! Or something.

Stu you do a great write up. You need to book some time with Mr Pedant........

[Daniel Gee]

Gnarlier tha Gnarls Barclay .

Some absolutely terrifying corners too

[Tony]

Was good to get out and watch last night. I arrived in time for the closing stages of the race and the groups had almost come together. Amazing the difference that someone seeding the groups correctly can do (save for the odd person who wound up in the wrong group). With 'normal' riding the groups should come together from the rear of the field with everyone together in the closing stages. An extra-ordinary effort in an early group can, of course, result in a unexpected winner.

ACC guys were all looing pretty good on the road. After a tough race Stu bagged a very respectable place in the dash for the line.

On the way back we had the privilege of Gary Dodd latching on to the back of us through Merstham. He was saying that last time he raced there he chased down a break of two very late in the race and felt bad about doing so. This time, I think he said the winner had chipped off the front in an early dash for the line and no one chased immediately. So he let them go and was happy to bag 2nd place for himself.

A fairly quick ride back to Croydon with the ACC train. I wasn't up to much - but managed to sit in ok at the back of the group. Some things never change!

[Andrew G]

May 8, 2008 - 34th Nomads - Surrey League Handicap Series #2 - E/1/2/3/4 - 32 miles

Pos Name Club/Team Cat Time
1 Joshua Cunningham Bayeux Landscapes 4J 1:23:00
2 Gary Dodd Sigma Sport RT EV
3 Andrew Davies Fit-For 2
4 Mike Hawkins Norwood Paragon CC 2
5 Daniele Santoni Pearson Cycles 1
6 Philip Watkins Old Portlians CC 2V
7 Guy Powdrill London Dynamo 2
8 Stuart Chamberlayne Addiscombe CC 2J
9 Steve Atkinson GS Stella 2V
10 Nigel Carpenter Norwood Paragon CC 2V
11 Rob Robins Sydenham Wheelers 3
12 Joe Godding San Fairy Ann CC 3
13 Shaun Reed Bayeux Landscapes 3
14 Marek Siwicki Addiscombe CC 3
15 Andrew McKie Norwood Paragon CC 3V
16 Kevin Davey Norwood Paragon CC 3V
17 Andrew Middleton Pearson Cycles 3V
18 Daniel Clark Brighton Mitre 2
19 Paul Thatcher Brighton Mitre 2V
20 Anthony Chandlen Norwood Paragon CC 3
21 Simon Donne Epsom CC 4
22 Keith Lea Addiscombe CC 3
23 Simon Hazeldine Norwood Paragon CC 3V
24 Leigh Smithers Redhill CC 3
25 Russell Childs Racing Team 316 3V
26 Graham Wood AD Cycles RT 3V
27 Graeme Hadlow Bayeux Landscapes 3
28 Trevor Chilman Redhill CC 3V
29 Daniel Gower Addiscombe CC 3
30 Steve Trott GS Stella 4V
31 Tony Gordon Pearson Cycles 3V
32 Toby Leyton Brighton Mitre 3
33 Jonathan Masters Redhill CC 3V
34 David Kennett Norwood Paragon CC 2V
35 Jason Salter Bayeux Landscapes 3V
36 Paul Tunnell Addiscombe CC 3V
37 Paul Gosling Bayeux Landscapes 2V @ 1 lap
38 Justin Browne Glendene CC 3
39 Tim Sales Redhill CC 3V
40 Gavin Garrett Redhill CC 3V
41 Nick Mann Metropolitain Police CC 3V
42 Adam Cotterell TriSportNews. com 2
43 John Leitch Festival RC 3V
44 Ben Fancourt Addiscombe CC 4
45 Mario Manelfi agiskoviner. com 3V
46 Lisa Scarlett TriSportNews. com 3W

[-Adam-]

My worst finish of the year. Oh well.