Hog Hill Winter Series, Race 1: Addiscombe Win!!!

[Toks]

If there was a more impressive or inspirational win on the domestic Road Racing scene this year, i didn't hear about. Watch this space. Today was simply amazing!

[Snoop Doug]

you tease toks, c'mon spill 'em........da beanz that is

[Toks]

[quote="Snoop Doug"]you tease toks, c'mon spill 'em........da beanz that is

[Sylv]

Well what do you think Snoop? George won of course! And in convincing fashion. He is working in a synagogue now till 1am so I'll spill the beans ...

I'll let him post the details sometime later as it will make for an exciting report. Let's just say there were a breakeway, a couple punctures (one of which ended my race), and a thrilling to watch finish!

I got a phone video of the finish will have to upload it tomorrow.

Glad I chose to ride there rather than drive, ended up with a nice round 100km on the clock instead of a meager 30 - and in superb weather.

[George]

Beautiful day at Hog Hill the sun was shining and a headwind up the climb what more could I ask for.

This is the first time I've raced here and the track is very exciting and entertaining for a critirium, I would say much better than Hillingdon.

Off we went and Sylv was doing some early pace setting near the front, I bid my time for a few laps then attacked up the hill with about 40 mins to go got some space between me and the pack and just worked at time trialling it round.

Johnny from Team Economic Energy was trying to bridge and was around 20 seconds back for what must have been 30 mins.

Then 5 laps to go I got a front puncture, luckily it was slow so I shouted at Tok's and Sylv who had retired with a puncture as well to prepare my wheel for the next time round.

In I came to the pits just like Lewis Hamilton we changed the wheel but fumbled with the spindle, when I rejoined I was 20 seconds behind in second position.

For the next 4 laps I played catchup, Toks was shouting some terrific encourage ment and time gaps which were getting smaller and smaller, 15 seconds, 7 seconds, 3 seconds then I was on him and we rode together up the hill for the penultimate time.

Tommy the other racer, asked me how many more laps to go, I told him we were going into the last lap and it was him or me for the win

Didn't want to leave it till the sprint so I attacked him on the climb just after the start of the lap, instantly got a 3 second gap, 4 second I was for sure gonna get the win.

Then the long drag towards the hill he was catching me, I was a little concerned, pushed the legs harder but they wern't responding too well.
Into the last 300M and the steepest part of the climb he was closing in on me I could see the line, I could hear the roar from the crowd, but could I keep Johnny at bay.

Well I just managed to get over the line first, it was a very thrilling entertaining endvto the race esp[ecially for the spectators, I punched the air on the line and was happy for another Agreeable Victory

[Keith]

Awesome George, well done.

[Marek]

Holy cow, that is amazing. Excellent riding, you must have been flying. Not going to be a 3rd for too long then.

Cheers

Marek....

[Toks]

Steph and I decided to make Hog Hill (Redbridge Cycling Centre) our outward destination for Saturday's ride. I managed to make it an interesting loop by riding around some of the quiet North London back streets (Hackney ) before we eventually headed out to Essex. We left around 11.30 and got to Hog Hill two hours later. The 3/4's and seperate women's race were already in full swing. Obviously I was really interested in the 3/4 race which featured Sylv and George but I also had an eye on the womens race which featured Liz from Eagle Road Club. She's a very strong rider and does the popular Regents Park loop with her boyfriend Chris; and at one point I tried to get her to join the mighty ACC. I woulda got her too if it wasn't for Chris.

The 3/4 bunch cruised by and George gave me the thumbs up. He looked like he was on a holiday camp. Sylv looked comfortable but not quite in the George 'stroll- along-the-beach' mode. The women rode by shortly after and Liz was part of a four girl front group which had pulled away from the rest; the group included two Dynamo girls and the eventual race winner. With around forty minutes to go Steph and I left them all to it and went and got warmed up and carbed up with coffee and cakes. I emerged back on to the circuit 10 minutes later and George being that chlostrophobic young man he is decided he needed some fresh air. A tad early perhaps but as we all know he's far too strong and excitable to hang around for long. Behind him the chase was on. Jimmy from Economic Energy was chasing hard and behind him was David from Ecomonic Energy and behind him was a guy in a Rapha top and then finally the bunch. A few laps later George had settled into full Jen's Voight mode and had a 23 sec gap on the Economic Energy rider.

In the women's race Liz had been dropped. Purely and simply this was cause she was carrying too much weight (her boyfriends words not mine) The front three looked like they were on a club run and I wondered if the two Dynamo girs would do the old one two to the other rider. Mmm

Back to George. "Toks get me a front wheel I've got a puncture". Oh my gosh so much drama, with fifteen minutes to go it looked like the G-Man had the race comfortably sown up. Sure, the guy behind George was strong but George had him pegged at 20 secs and was definitly good for the win. According to the commissionaire George couldn't hava a lap out. I got the wheel out of the George's wheel bag and gave it to Sylv to do the honours. As George crested the hill Jimmy from Economic Energy was right on top of him. While George and Sylv fiddled with the wheel change Jimmy took full advantage and raced by. I reckon he had around 25 seconds by the time George got going. David from Economic Energy was coming up fast behind George but I was confident he'd never catch George. With 4 laps to go I shouted out 12sec, (it was closer to 16) but I didn't want George to blow up trying to get him back. With three laps to go I shouted 7 secs (it was really 10). To be honest with you I didn't think George could do at this point but true to his Smiling Assassin credentials he must have surged on the penultimate lap and at the bell they both honked up the hill together.

With the girls things were pretty much as they were except Liz had dropped and was now in 5th position. The 3 up front would be fighting it out for the win and Liz stood a good chance of 4th if she could stay with the girl just a few metres in front of her.

George knew he couldn't risk sprinting against Jimmy and jumped him hard just before the descent. On the windy curvy section George had a massive gap and it looked like job done. I was freezing my proverbials off on the sidelines with a big cheesy grin on my face. But then I couldn't believe it. Despite the big gap JImmy was coming back fast. George was clearly tiring. "sprint George" I shouted he's coming'. Sylv put out a max of 819watts on the climb, I reckon George musta been close to 1100 on that last blast up the climb. He dug deep and despite a great return by Jimmy beat him comfortably in the end by about six bike lengths. A great day at the races!!!

[Toks]

Women
1 52 Ruth Middleton Veloclub Londres 2
2 57 Jo Allen London Dynamos 0
3 58 Tracy Corbett London Dynamos 0
4 55 Elizbeth Chittenden Eagle Rc 4
5 54 Anna Grundy TEE 2
6 51 Debbie Knott Hemel Hempstead 3
53 Jennifer Hewitt SIGMA Sport 2
56 Rebecca Hurley London Dynamos 2

Can't find the mens???

[Michelle]

Cool George, how good it that. Well done mate, what a win at a horrendous course!

Thanks Toks for the heads up for the women's racing. I don't think I know any of them aparte from Jen Hewitt. Someone new ones to look out for in the summer

[Andrew G]

Quality George, just need to practice pit stops.

[Sylv]

Regional B
1 George Brent Addiscombe CC
2 Jonathan Tomlinson Team Economic Energy
3 David Barnes Team Economic Energy
4 Alexander McNeill Rapha Condor
5 Christian Spencer Davies Private Member
6 Dermont Kearey Mosquito Bikes
7 Tim Smith Arctic Shorter
8 Greg Conti Private Member
9 John Meehan Stratford CC
10 Ian Coles North Road CC
11 Daryl Gannon Finchley RT
12 George Pear Southend Wheelers
13 Paul Bird Team Economic Energy
14 Graham Wheeler Team Economic Energy
15 joint Slyvian Guarde Addiscome CC
15 joint Steve Green PCA Ciclos Uno

I don't know what's worse, it looking like i finished last or having 4 mistakes in my name/club

[Toks]

5th and 6th position don't look right. I'm sure Dermot was 5th. He jumped away from the bunch[quote="Michelle"]Cool George, how good it that. Well done mate, what a win at a horrendous course!

Thanks Toks for the heads up for the women's racing. I don't think I know any of them aparte from Jen Hewitt. Someone new ones to look out for in the summer

[Tony]

Top banana, George.

Sounds like a well-deserved and very dramatic win. Lewis Hamilton style in more ways than one....

I guess you must have been within five laps of the finish or you could have taken a lap out. With disturbance that hanging round for best part of a lap makes to your rhythm, etc. you probably did the right thing anyway. Proof is in the final result!

[Maria David]

Well done George, great result !

Looking at the women's results, all the women there apart from 2nd, 3rd and 4th raced in the 2008 season and are solid riders. The Dynamo girls ride in Richmond Park on Saturday mornings (Rebecca and I think the other two were there yesterday morning) so the trip to Hog Hill is probably being treated more like an extension of the training ride than the actual race. Judging by the results and where Jen and Rebecca finished (or didn't, as the case may be) they can't have been going for it that hard!

Maria
www.2wheelchick.blogspot.com