SL Handicap - Chertsey 12/6

[Andrew G]

Well done Adam, nice one Dan although it seems you missed the main bunch from the results (lots of people in 9=), and indeed Fred

[quote]June 12, 2008 - TriSportNews. com - Surrey League Handicap Series #7 - MOD Chertsey - E/1/2/3/4 - 30 miles

8 Adam Cotterell TriSportNews. com 2
31 Daniel Gower Addiscombe CC 3
32 Fred Schwartz Addiscombe 3

[Daniel Gee]

It got a bit messy on the last two (2) corners and while keeping an eye on someone who nearly took me out I lost contact with the bunch on the last bend. Unsurprisingly I didn't manage to catch them before the finish line.

The thirds group was disapointingly feckless, five or six of us wanted to work together and though & off but the rest seemed to have no interest at all beyong hanging on the back which annoyed me a bit. It didn't take the later groups any time at all to catch us, though at least things sped up nicely once they did.

Good fun though even it was pissing down. Amazingly the rain stopped exactly 10 seconds after the finish

Didn't realise quite how far chertsey was from home. Got home at 23.30 after getting lost a dozen times with a hundred and twenty miles on the clock for the day

[Andrew G]

[quote]It got a bit messy on the last two (2) corners and while keeping an eye on someone who nearly took me out

[-Adam-]

Thank you, what a difference a week makes.

[quote]A spirited ride to Lisa for keeping on going despite being far from her best, especially since it was her first race in the wet. Chapeau! Watch out for her smashing her 10 PB any day now.

The view from my shiny new white bike was as follows... Apart from subconsciously swearing at the rain in the knowledge that my bike was not going to be white for very long, I had a fairly decent ride tonight. My group rolled through well on the and caught the 3rd cats after just a couple of laps. Shortly after the scratch boys caught up as we passed Lisa who despite my shout, couldn't get on. But like I say, theres more to come from her this season I'm sure. The real fast me then continued to work together while we chased the remaining 4th cats down. And as I saw even the likes of Gary Dodd sitting in a fair bit I didn't see why I shouldn't either! So I waited and waited. After the 4ths were reeled in the attacks started. Notably Colin Roshier and Paul Delahunty seemingly content to keep firing off up the road. Then, in a moment of madness I went off after Delahunty on one occasion as we hit the finishing straight, as I got up to him he had given up! But as I/we had a good gap I kept going, spurred on by the thought of the 'home crowd advantage' I went for it. And after the home straight was out of sight. But with 4 laps to go I knew it would be very very tough to stay away. With that in mind I really only went at 90%. After almost a lap on my own, the peloton came back up to me and I filed in once more. And was then congratulated by my new found neighbour Gary Dodd, which was praise indeed (he only lives a mile down the road from me! I'm dreading be asked to go training with him!!). Having ridded some of the way back with him from my shockingly bad ride in the handicap last week, I think he was impressed to see me actually do something!

After that I recovered for a while, but made sure to stay close to the front to avoid getting caught behind any spilts. Eventually it came down the a bunch sprint as you know. Now the past few times I've really cocked up sprinting there, its really hard to judge. If one had a pro lead out, say Wiggins and Greipel for example , I reckon you could win the sprint there from 3rd wheel out of the S-bend. However, in the 'slow' reality of Surrey League racing there is obviously no lead out as every man thinks they're gonna win. So instead of being to near the front then getting swamped, I wanted to do the swamping this time. I found Gary's wheel just after the S-bend and knew that was a good place to be. However, when whichever muppet it was that started the sprint with about 400m to go, I lost contact with him. However, the road to the right did open out in front of me. So as the sprint proper started I went all out. But could never really gain on anyone, nor was I losing ground which was a shame. A few fell by the wayside to leave me crossing the line in what I think was about 7/8th, although I think Keith has me down at 9th. Which is a pretty good result, and I'm happy with that. I've done enough bunch sprints now in races to know that things have to go 100% your way in order to win, and tonight, they didn't. So as I was saying to Lisa, I remain confident that there wasn't I rider there that I couldn't beat, and I will win a race at Chertsey one day. Hopefully before they build crap houses all over it!

Anyhow, my bike and I are now clean once more. Although the white overshoes have had to go into a bucket of bleach in the hope that they might live to fight another day!

Thanks again to the organisation, I shall continue not sniffing coke in order that you might let me ride the next one too...

[Andrew G]

[quote]Anyhow, my bike and I are now clean once more

[quote="Andrew G"][quote]Anyhow, my bike and I are now clean once more

[Stu Merckx Man]

well done everyone. especially adam!

[Michelle]

Adam

[Michelle]

And Dan

And Fred