June 22 2008-Getting Closer

[Daniel Gee]

SERRL EVENT 15 Tenterden 100Km 2,3,4

Place Name Team

1 Simon Lawn Sigma Sport
2 Ishmael Burdeau Agiskoviner.com
3 Tom Crouch Felt Racing
4 Ivan Jordan Kent Cycles
5 Andrew Dulwich Paragon
6 Phil Anthony Downland cycles
7 Simon Fox Team MK
8 Alex Kirk Shavedlegs.co.uk
9 Malcolm Davies Kent Cycles RC
10 Patrick Jones Dulwich Paragon
11 DAVID SEAGER SAN FAIRY ANN CC
12 Matthew Smith Gemini BC
13 Joe Godding San Fairy Ann CC
14 toby roberts downland cycles
15 JAYSON WEALE MEDWAY VELO
16 Phil Stark
17 Robert Jackson VC Deal
18 richard masters wigmore cc
19 Phil Dempsey Private
20 fraser wildman ODLS.com Racing
21 Martin Bryant Ciclos Uno-Plowman Craven
22 Nat Spurling Finsbury Park
23 Andrew Wills Downland Cycles
24 Andrew Dolan Downland Cycles
25 Daniel Gower Addiscombe CC
26 Phillip Webb San Fairy Ann CC
27 Mark Powell GS Invicta
28 Graham Hills Southborough & District Wheelers
29 Ben Macland V.C.Meudon
30 Roger Todd Team Larkfield Cycles
31 Philip Murrell Finsbury Park
32 Alan Williams
33 Spencer Denham Kent Cycles
34 Patrick Hawkins shavedlegs.co.uk
35 maxx mccalla

will add a report soon.

[Daniel Gee]

Cycling appears to be alive, well and thriving in Kent @ the moment. We shared sections of the course with two (2) other cycling events.

There was a hundred mile TT moving in the opposite direction to us and a charity bike ride moving in the same directions as the race, and all on sections that were run on single track roads. Needless to say things got a bit crowded on a couple of occasions and I felt sorry for the charity riders toiling along on their mountain bikes who had to suffer a crazed peloton sweeping round them.

The HQ was almost impossible to locate and so, having found it just before the start time I didn’t have the opportunity to warm-up and spent the first lap simply hanging on for dear life at the back.

With the wind was behind us on the initial half of the course which was pretty damn flat and so the bunch stretched out quite seriously as we hurtled along at easily 30 mph. From what I gather the winning break was away & gone within the first ten minutes.

On the return leg the wind was properly intense and things slowed up considerably. About two miles from the finish line there was a nasty old climb that enabled me to move up the bunch somewhat. | thne settled comfortably into the middle of the pack for the second lap which again was frantic when the wind was behind us, the bunch stretched out in a single pace-line hurtling along again, before bunching up on the return leg.

Having learnt from Thursday’s error I was far more careful about my gear selection going over the climb and as we began the run down to the start/ finish line I was surprised to find myself on the front.

Had a fine old-time mixing it up on the front, thru and offing, attacking and chasing down attacks but as we turned into the wind I decided discretion was the better part of valour and drifted gently back down the pack which had literally halved in size.

It was about then I realised that I probably shouldn’t have chased down Marek so enthusiastically on the club run on Saturday.
I was hoping I would recover as I sat on the back for the next two (2) laps but my legs were, frankly, in agony, I held on reasonably comfortably, which loads of others didn’t, but I had nothing much to spare.

Things slowed down considerably, into the wind, on the run up to the final climb and I snuck through the bunch to get a better position for the finsih. There were a couple of attacks that got caught quite quickly & then we hit the climb.

Initially I was doing quite well and made up some more places but as the gradient steepened the pain in my legs were excruciating, and more and more people started coming round me and then no-one else was coming past me and all I could see was the race going up the road.

I lost my temper at this point, gritted me teeth and tried not to whimper or cry out while I chased like mad, I started catching people towards the summit & then I was over the top & the bunch were about a hundred metres up the road with stragglers strung out behind them & legs screaming in agony &, no joke, tears in my eyes I chased for all I was worth & caught them

The last two miles to the finish were the longest and hardest I have ever experienced on a bike, what seemed like no distance an hour ago now seemed like a hundred miles and as others in front of me dropped off the back I had to keep digging deeper & deeper to make sure I didn’t lose contact.

& then finally, thank god, the finish line.

Quite surprised when I found out I was 25th as I thought I was a lot further back than that.

Edenbridge next week, hopefully I can do even better-except C-B-C the day before; d’oh!

[Snoop Doug]

[quote="Daniel Gee"]The HQ was almost impossible to locate and so, having found it just before the start time I didn’t have the opportunity to warm-up and spent the first lap simply hanging on for dear life at the back

[Daniel Gee]

thats what I love best about cycling Snoop,

the crowds, the adulation, the exotic locations, the plush venues

[Snoop Doug]

I tell you what Dan, try the Bec CC hill climb @ the end of the season. It's a killer - but the buzz is mega! CHeck George out having a good laugh in the background

[img]http://i25.tinypic.com/2eg64qe.jpg[/img]

[Daniel Gee]

snoop i'm hurt

[quote]So - had a quick nerve steadying natter with Dan at the start. Called up and of course I had to be held up for the off (too steep to diy this one). That felt weird as I've done all this years events with me acting as pusher

[Snoop Doug]

d'oh!!! I feel your pain

[Marek]

Hey Dan, good effort, when I heard you had raced after your efforts on Saturday I did wonder how you were going to get on. Maybe you should consider taking it a bit easier the day before a race, it does tend to help.

I rode the course you are going to be riding on Sunday this evening in a time trial and it is a tough course. Some of the course is being re-surfaced and drains the legs. There are a couple of long hard climbs and lots of draggy sections, I would recommend having an easy day this Saturday, but if your a glutton for punishment go for it.

Cheers

Marek....

[Michelle]

God Snoop in that piccy you have your ' Mr Potatoe head angry eyes' in! Scary.

Blummin well done Dan, I bet the opposition were quaking in their cleats for a while. Don't go chasing Marek next Saturday, for Gods sake.

My 'instructions' before a race are to taper off a couple or three days before. On the day before, do an easy half hour to 45 min spin (ie HR below 130) with about 3 or 4 x 30 second sprints at race pace designed to let the body remember what it feels like to be going fast. And to do a thourough warm up before the race including some sprinting sessions, as per above.

Why don't you go and keep people company in the 17s on Saturday, and then have a few little pops off the front, sprint for some signs etc. You should win all those, especially if you don't let other people know that there are sprints

[Andrew G]

Another day = another race for Dan . Nice one, race and report.

[quote="Dan"]Having learnt from Thursday’s error I was far more careful about my gear selection going over the climb

[Daniel Gee]

I'm gradually learning from my mistakes Andrew-but I'm a bit slow on the uptake & seem to tend towards misplaced goog intentions & choas & prayer rather than sensible preparation & strategy & tactics.

Michelle I'm givng serious consderation to going gently on saturday 'specially after Mareks "the seasoned veteran of a hundred seasons" wise words of wisdom; its just very hard not to get caught up in the exuberance of the moment & damn to tommorrow