MOD Chertsey 12th July

[KeithK]

Hey Michelle, where's the write up for your ride today, c'mon everybody wants to know. At least they will when they hear the result. As always well done Michelle, I'll say no more about it.

1st race after the Winter Series for me. I joined the Surrey League today and got stuck into the 3rds. It was a new course and went up a few short stiff hills but also went down a scary fast 1 in 4. After a lap and a half I thought have this and went for it just before one of the lumps.

Not really the thing to do that...........as I blew the whole bunch went by and I couldn't get on. Misery. In only a few seconds I'ld recovered but it was too late. After that I rode as if I was away rather then off the back and thought I'ld keep clear but the buggers caught me just before the bell.

Anyways, all good training (he says through teeth gnawing at a bit wood)

[Michelle]

Keith, from my limited experience of Chertsey, it is an absolute pig to get away. The wind yesterday was particularly fierce, the big cohones prize goes to you for trying.

As to my race, a bit faster than last time I went in May. Unfortunately I have some fluey symptoms, which meant I felt weak on the couple of hills, my HR was getting up high but taking it's time to come down again, which is not too good. To be fair I have been keeping 'something' at bay since before La Marmotte ( I know, you can smell the sandbagging from here).

Another strange race though, 10 or 11 of us 3W/4W. Some unknown faces, and some others I had raced with. I would have been keeping my eye on Mellissa Wadhams from Agisko, except she had been telling me in the warm up laps all about her injuries after coming off the bke and how she still wasn't right. Still, she was a track rider so someone to be wary of. Also a London Dynamo girl there, Antipodean, will have to look her name up, Dynamo chicks are always quick. Also a new Maltese girl in full Liquigas kit, looked very handy. And a couple of other incognitos.

I took a pop off the front in the first lap, just from the sheer joy of racing again, but I didn't mean anything by it and slowed down to get caught. Did some turns on the front, but happy to report never on the long home straight. It was a bit 'track stands at dawn' along there, we'd all come screaming round the steep left hander and then slow right down, and lots of jinking to try and not get on the front, or if you were the leader to get off the front.

The Agisko girl had a couple of pops off the front, but they weren't particularly strong or fast, and I managed to latch on. I brought the group with me each time but that was the plan I did seem to want to chase everything down though, eager like a puppy!

The boys passed twice again this race - we got neutralised for a while by the lead car, a new one for me on that course. Didn't mind losing the extra two laps though. There was also a nasty crash by the red and white barriers, we slowed right down and got directed through that, I was a bit TDF and went sprinting off to catch the group in front who had sped off, but again we got slowed by the car.

By that point there was only a lap and a half to go, only half of the girls in the peloton had shown their colours and I had no idea who else to watch for. The pace did not go up on the last lap, and by the time the last screaming left hander had come, and the brakes had been applied on the home straight AGAIN I was a bit jittery. No one seemed to be going, I wanted to surprise the sprinters, so with 100m to go, I went.

On my own for about half the sprint, massive effort, bike skipping from side to side with all the pressure. Suddenly from the right I hear the ' clunk clunk' of two gear changes and someone launches herself from behind me. Too fast to get a wheel and try and get round. Bollox.

So, i get second. God she had a kick like a mule.

And then I find out she is Claire Beaumont, a good London Dynamo racer, in incognito kit. And she's about 25. So as a vet I am not too sorry to have lost to her.

But still, I think I could have held back a bit and watched to see if I could get someone elses wheel. All down to experience though.

And I did manage some very nice blocking tactics on the home straight, for someone who looked quite dangerous, so took her out

Anyhoo, that took the points up from 19 to 28, not too many to go till 2nd cat, and then it all starts for real

[Stu Merckx Man]

un lucky keith, im a bit confused though, did you get lapped just before the end, or breakaway off the front before the end?


and michelle well done, what a great result, 2nd cat soon!?

[Sylv]

Well done Michelle, as you say training group next step

We were just leaving the caf' and I asked Keith whether he'd had the text yet, he seemed a bit worried but about 5 secs later his phone beeped!

[Toks]

[quote="Michelle"]On my own for about half the sprint, massive effort, bike skipping from side to side with all the pressure. Suddenly from the right I hear the ' clunk clunk' of two gear changes and someone launches herself from behind me. Too fast to get a wheel and try and get round. Bollox.

So, i get second. God she had a kick like a mule.

And then I find out she is Claire Beaumont, a good London Dynamo racer, in incognito kit. And she's about 25. So as a vet I am not too sorry to have lost to her.

[Marek]

Nice one, surprised Claire was riding incognito, is that allowed? Surely a case for appeal to the race judge. Well done, 2nd place is still awesome considering the number of races you have done. Next time if they are slowing on the straight just try your luck and go for a time trial breakaway Nicole Cooke style, your strong enough.

Cheers

Marek....

[Michelle]

Yes I might raise the enquiry with the judges. But to be honest, as Keith has just remarked, I was beaten fair and square

The next time, however, I think I might wander over to the sign on tent and take a little lookie at who is wearing what number and from what club. Kicking myself I didn't do it this time round to be fair.

[Andrew G]

Nice one Michelle, great result. Good to read another race report from you again Keith.

[glyn]

Results and photo's are now up on the Surrey League web site at http://www.surreyleague.co.uk/results/r ... ul12-w.htm

Glyn

[Maria David]

Hey, well done on your result Michelle - great riding. A first place (again) won't be long coming.

By the way Claire Beaumont is quite new to road racing - she hasn't been a London Dynamo member for long, which will explain why she was not in club kit. (My own experience of women's club kit is that it can take quite a while for stocks to come through, so it wouldn't be surprising if London Dynamo were having the same issues kitting out their women racers.)

[Michelle]

Yes looked at her profile on BC earlier today, you may be right. I think I am getting her mixed up in my head with someone else.

However, I did think she was at particular pains to explain to me exactly how difficult it was to get Dynamo kit - sounds like you have to buy it out of a garage.

Still, her new nickname is Camoflage Claire and I'm sticking with that.

[-Adam-]

Well done Keith and Michelle.

But I can assure you its certainly doable to get in a break there, I've done it three times on the trot now!

Results from my race:

Pos Name Club/Team Cat Race # Time
1 Anders Christensen Team Cycle Kingdom 1 2:01:19
2 Mike Hawkins Norwood Paragon CC 2
3 Paul Delahunty London Dynamo 1 @ 0:11
4 Lewis Atkins agiskoviner.com 1
5 Paul Pickup Team Cycle Kingdom 1
6 Andrew Davies Fit-For 2
7 John Heaton-Armstrong Fit-For 2
8 Colin Roshier Team Quest 1V
9 Matt Seaton Rapha Condor Recycling 1V
10 John Glaysher agiskoviner.com 2
11 Adam Cotterell TriSportNews.com 2
12 Sam Humpheson London Dynamo 1 @ 3:39
13 Simon Hazeldine Norwood Paragon CC 3V
14 Simon Smith John's Bikes RT 1 @ 3:42
15 Simon Whiten Imperial Racing Team 2
16 Paul Thatcher Brighton Mitre 2V
17 Mark Trevis Southdown Velo 2
18 Gavin Ryan London Dynamo 2
19 Robert Stimpson Python Racing Team 3
20 Phil Starr Python Racing Team 2
21 Matthew Carden Team Quest 2
22 Phil Courier Badabici 2V
23 Paul Gosling Bayeux Landscapes 2V @ 1 lap
24 Kevin Sparks London Dynamo 2
dnf Matthew Jones Pearl Izumi 1
dnf Ken Prince VC Meudon 2
dnf Philip Glowinski VC de Londres 2
dnf Richard Newey agiskoviner.com 2V
dnf Adrian Goatley agiskoviner.com 2
dnf Mickael Metayer Kingston Wheelers 2
dnf Lee Smith agiskoviner.com 1
dnf Tristan Natolie awcycles.co.uk 2
dnf Darrell Pembroke agiskoviner.com 2

How satisfying to see the time gap there, and the number of DNFs
Felt good but in the end I was outclassed by all the 1st cats in my break. But the fact that I'm getting into the breaks with them just goes to show I'm developing in the right direction...

[KeithK]

Hey Michelle, great write up. Wot do you mean fluey!!! Next time wave to me from the other side of the car park or wrap your head in a towel but don't breath on me Woman....I don't want to get ill, not now.

In all honesty Mich I don't think you need to worry who has signed on. Sure it's nice to know who's there but you have the legs to give them something to worry about. For a first season you are doing so well. I'm just so proud of you Mich.

Stu, it was the 2nd lap I went clear on and by the end of the lap I was last on the road. I was on me own for 11 of 14 laps. I kept picking riders up but only two were going at any pace and they didn't like the steep descent so packed. I wouldn't have been lapped but when the lead group, with Adam, of the E/1/2 caught me I sat up thinking the big group behind was part of the E/1/2 but it was the 3&4 and when I cleared off again a youngster from Glendene(not sure?) joined me. I was being lapped and was interferring with the front of the race. It didn't matter what I felt about the situation I had no choice but to sit up and let all the grubby and unwashed go past just before the bell. Still it only hurts me when I think about it.

[Michelle]

Oh Gawd, you know that means - you better not think about it then. Gutting though.

Anyhoo, obviously I am not in yours or Adams league ( not quite yet anyway ) so my thorough inestimation of ones ability to get away is slightly tarnished by my inexperience in racing. So bluddy well done, and I will bear you and Adam in mind when I next fancy a proper workout at Chertsey.

I do hope it hasn't put you off racing again - nice to see you on the circuit. Next time i'll let you pee in peace!

[Toks]

Pos Name Club/Team Cat Race # Time
1 Claire Beaumont London Dynamo 3W 43 1:09:40
[size=150]2 Michelle Le Brun Addiscombe CC 3WV 37 [/size]
3 Stephania Megri Melita Pedal Power CC 3W 36
4 Helen Bullimore Crawley Wheelers 3W 41
[size=150]5 Lisa Scarlett TriSportNews.com 3W 33 [/size]
6 J Wadsworth De Laune CC 4W 45
7 Melissa Gillian London Dynamo 3W 46
8 Rachel Przyloylski Private Member 4W 39
9 Melissa Wadams agiskoviner.com 3W 38
10 Rebecca Charlton Team Terminator 3W 40 @ 1 lap
11 Ania Ruszkowski Dulwich Paragon CC 4W 42