BC South East Region Women's Open RR Championship - 17th May

[Keith]

[img]http://i26.tinypic.com/28a7t78.jpg[/img] [img]http://i32.tinypic.com/et9thg.jpg[/img] [img]http://i26.tinypic.com/2mxnnt.jpg[/img] [img]http://i29.tinypic.com/2lnbwxe.jpg[/img] [img]http://i27.tinypic.com/2rcu2kl.jpg[/img]

[Michelle]

I crashed.

I went sliding down the tarmac with another rider. My helmet is now trashed.



Fortunately I'd just crossed the finishing line in 4th place.

More later - off for beer and curry!

[KeithK]

Hey Michelle, get back right now....What happened Woman????? Anyways I do hope you are OK. If you need any new kit say so and we'll get an emergency fund started straight away, let us know what you need...... Was it a bunch sprint or had a few of you sneaked away..... Did you thing you might Win or were you catching 'em......Hurry up with yer Beer and Curry..... c'mon c'mon c'mon we want to know.

Me? I never got away from work in time, didn't get to Hillingdon, even missed the Main Event.

Well done again, 4th, WoW I'm sooooooooooooooo impressed.

[Maria David]

Big Congrats to Michelle on her result ! It was a fast paced race on the rolling course at Ellens Green, and she did very well indeed to stay with the bunch. Respect !

The race was won by Emma Patterson (Agiskoviner) with London Dynamo in the shape of Susannah Osborne (2nd) and Charlotte Blackman (3rd) completing the podium.

The finish was a bit of a messy affair. I didn't actually see it. I just heard the cheers followed by a crash as bodies hit the ground. It seems that one of the sprinting riders may have touched Emma Patterson's wheel as she crossed the line and did her victory salute. While Michelle and Charlie lay on the ground being nursed alot of concern was shown by the fellow riders (especially for Ms Blackman who only recently recovered from a broken collar bone). Thankfully both riders were ok, albeit with some nasty road rash and, in Michelle's case a broken helmet.

Lisa S rode strongly and finished in 12th place. She looked pleased with her result.
I hung onto the front group for the first part of the race, went backwards and then lost interest. I crossed the line in 13th. At least the rain stayed away during the race anyway.

Good pictures, Keith. I expect Michelle will give us more details of her race soon, and Lisa will put something on her blog about it.
In the meantime, I am sending myself to bed with no supper !

Maria

[Andrew G]

The BC South East Region Women's Regional Road Race Championship for 2008
Result Sheet

1. Emma Patterson Agiskoviner.com 42 miles in 2hours 2mins
2. Susannah Osborne London Dynamo/Cyclefit st
3. Charlotte Blackman London Dynamo/Cyclefit st
[size=150]4. Michelle Le Brun Addiscombe CC st[/size]
5. Eryn Nolan Dulwich Paragon st
6. Vanessa Raw Private Member st
7. Jo Munden VC Meudon st
8. Claire Leonard Brighton Mitre @ 1 minute
9. Rebecca Curley London Dynamo/Cyclefit @ 1 lap
10. Melissa Wadams Agiskoviner.com @ 1 lap
11. Liz Rice London Phoenix @ 1 lap
12. Lisa Scarlett Trisportnews.com @ 1 lap
13. Maria David Dulwich Paragon @ 1 lap
14. Claire Beaumont London Dynamo @ 1 lap
15. Jo Foster Twickenham CC @ 1 lap
16. Crissy Harris Twickenham CC @ 2 laps

Fantastic result Michelle, and a top tongue out photo to boot .
Bad luck with the finish line helmet smashing incident, I hope the beer and curry numb the aches and pains.

[Tamar]

Fantastic result! Can't believe there was a crash AFTER the finish tho! Hope you're OK.

[Michelle]

Hey everyone, I am too hiccupy and have too much excess garlic breath to be writing race reports now.

Will tell you all about it in the morning.

Hopefully will be the best night's sleep I've had for about a week!

Hic

[Sylv]

Well done Michelle ...



... you just earned your first tongue out point Well done on the 4th place too! Hope after the adrenalin, and alcohool, has worn off, the injury is not too painful.

Well done to to Lisa and Maria too!

[Michelle]

Today I feel like this

And also like this

And (for crashing)

and this is what my head feels like from the beer. And from the crashing.


I started off at the back of the neutralized zone (AGAIN mupppet) but this time it was only about 200m long.

Pace picked up almost immediately, but not too quick and my legs felt strong going up the rollers. The old heart rate was bouncing up to 177 with no problem at all - which was great. From the start the race was controlled by Chalie Blackman of London Dynamo, who had 2 other team mates to keep her company. Everytime she hit a hill she stepped up the pace, but I went for it, not red lining it too much but thankful for the rests on the descents. We must have shelled quite a few riders in the first couple of laps but I wasn't looking behind me! I was generally sitting in about 4-7 from the front.

The pace slowed down for a lap, and Maria was with us at this point. I was thoroughly enjoying myself, and I was going to have a bit of a chat and see how she was doing. The look on her face put me right off. That was some scary looking concentration Maria, there was no way I was gonna interrupt whatever place you were in.

Oh well, no chatting then.

Charlie suggested that we might want to work together in order to keep the other group away so we got some through and off going. Couple of times I hung off the back to get a breather but on one occassion was told to work in no uncertain terms. So I stayed right where I was sucking someones back wheel .

I think we lost Maria on lap three, then we shelled a few more out the back and were reduced to 8. With two laps to go the attacking up the hills started again, but I think the lead was tiring as the attacks petered off before the brow of the hills. Then the attacking stopped and we just pottered round for a while, HR down to 130's thank Christ for that.

Then on the final lap we were down to 7 women, the pace picked up, I racked my brains to remember where the line was. I was happy, I knew I was in for some points, as long as I didn't puncture or crash or do anything stupid .

I thought there might be some lead out for the sprint but there wasn't. I clocked the sprinters legs and backside of No 2 and thought she could maybe sprint (she won!) but couldn't get on to her wheel. Put my head down and went for it big time as the line approached, all I could remember was seeing spectators on the rhs of the road and thinking I am aiming straight for them.

Knew I'd got 4th over the line, then suddenly off the bike sliding along on the side of my helmet then spinning to a stop on the tarmac on my back looking up at the sky and then in a split second into Keith's concerned face. More bloody whiplash I thought. I wiggled everything, it was all ok and the ambulance guy checked me over and gave me the thumbs up.

Charlie Blackman had also come off and was gunning for whoever she thought had taken her out. But the word on the street was that a spectator had encroached onto the road, shifted everything right, and Charlie and I both ended up on the tarmac.

So...I have a trashed helmet. My Addiscombe cycle jersey has no collar. There are burns on Keiths best thermal top. And I have a few friction burns on my shoulder back and hip bone. My head is bruised and my neck is sore. My bike needs new shifters and possibly new handlebar tape, the front mech is out of line, but most worryingly of all there is a big chip off the rear left stay

It is my nice new carbon bike. How do I get it checked out to know if the frame is ok?

Still, went out last night for a few pints of lager and a fantastic curry which was entirely necessary.

[glyn]

Full result and photos are now up on the Surrey League web site at http://www.surreyleague.co.uk/results/r ... /may17.htm

Glyn

[Stu Merckx Man]

hey michelle thats amazing, well done, but sorry to hear about the crash!

[Marek]

Great result, some good photos of the finish, looks like you are really giving it some on the sprint. If I was the 1st cat London Dynamo rider I would be a bit peeved not to have won with a team mate in the break. Whats next, the Nationals?

[Michelle]

I dunno Marek maybe it was a tactical decision on her part.

Not sure about the Nationals but I still think there is improvement there to be had for me.

Must be all the training I am doing trying to keep up with Keith and you lot on the chaingang.

[Toks]

Damn! bad luck on the crash Michelle I hope you're pain free very soon and the bike repairs aren't too steep. I love the fact you can race hard but still manage to remain very sociable at the same time! .Arguably the 4th best women's racer in the South East??...mmm sounds pretty good to me

[Snoop Doug]

Wahey!! Tongue out and a 4th place - tip top and no mistake!!!

Well done - huge respect

Snoop