Hillingdon - 4th Cats - Boxing Day '08

[Keith]

Michelle lining up with the boys:
[img]http://i41.tinypic.com/9id84n.jpg[/img]

Addiscombe represented by Serge & Michelle:
[img]http://i40.tinypic.com/10zqxqv.jpg[/img]

Finish line crash:
[img]http://i43.tinypic.com/29pvjbn.jpg[/img]
Fortunately, I don't believe anyone was seriously hurt.

[George]

Ooh nasty

Looks like Serge got the win from the photo, well just from the rider on the grass is this correct?
Nice to see Michelle well out of harms way

hey its good to see other people posting in this forum again

[Michelle]

Well now, what, I hear you say, is the point of racing when there is absolutely no possibility of getting any BC points? My thoughts precisely, Adam, which is why at this stage in the game I was not going to show my nose in the E123 race.

But hey, what happens? I get told that as a 2nd Cat woman, I can go in the 4th cat blokes race, but I cannot get any BC points?

Hmmmm, what a quandry. Only.....less of a quandry than it may seem, as it was only a 'training' race so the points were not supposed to be in the picture. So if it doesn't matter which race you race in, cos you can't get any points anyway, pick the one you want to go in.

So I hogged the front line in the 4th Cat race, and we were off. A bitter strong cold wind today, but luckily not down the back straight or up the hill to the finish, but an Easterly making the little hill after the sweeping bends an absolute pig. In all, I was just in the mix to see if I had any speed at all in the legs. Up till today, only 2 trips out with the 18's in the last 14 weeks, so I wasn't out to prove anything. Average speed for this race was about 22.5mph and I sat in all the way through and saw 27 and 28mph at one point, with a bit of a tailwind on the back straight so I was pleased with that . In all, a good race, tough but not exhausing, got my backside poked by someones handlebars ( ) but that's the only thing of note. Serge had a little pop off the front for half a lap, but needs some strong ACCers to be able to make that stick. Come on all you 4th Cat blokes, get on the forum and get your asses over to Hillingdon and get some through and off going, you stand a good chance.

The only other thing to tell you about was the crash at the end, which I was too far back to get caught up in. That was nasty, 3 bikes in total, someone apparently went over into the grass then swung back onto the track and caused someone else to come down. He went rolling along the tarmac but got a wheel in the ribs and that bloke went right over the top of him. Carnage, and the awful sound of carbon hitting the ground. I think a collarbone went. Ouch.

I think Serge came 8th. I rolled in about 18th.

I am sure Keith will tell you about his outing.

[Serge]

My race report is a little different as this was my first ever road race !

I arrived at the circuit a little late so after registering and pinning my number there was no real time for a "proper" warm up and a couple of quick laps had to suffice.

At the start line and I was very nervous, too much energy drink and lots of fit types on posh bikes made me feel like I might get shelled out the back after a few laps. I also felt a little lost without my power tap, I like having it as its great for pacing and gauging if an effort can be sustained (plus I am a power data geek).
As it happened it was ok and the start was very easy going and was a warm up in itself. This was great as it meant I could just whizz round and get used to it.

Michelle later told me that I was being a little bit of a liability early on not holding my line very well (that will be why they were shouting at me ).
So maybe 15-20 minutes passed and I thought I might go to the front and have a go up there, it was ok but it felt very windy and I was getting buffeted about all over the place so dropped back a few places and sheltered for a while.

After a while I became a bit bored with this so thought I might test the water with a proper dig and so lined myself up to sling shot down the little rise at the far end and around the corner into the back straight, it worked ok (in my head anyway !) as I got away with no one with me and stayed away for nearly half a lap, which was more than anyone else at that point. I was reeled back in on the drag back to the start/finish. Be it with a bit of egg on my face .

I sat in for a while and then Michelle came up alongside. The 5 lap board had just gone up and the pace picked up slightly, lap on lap it seemed to increase. With a lap to go I asked Michelle if the "slingshot " could work on the final lap (sorry did not hear what you said ?). So put myself on the outside and with 1 lap to go got ready to sprint up the finish straight.

As if from no where what seemed like 30 people I had not seen before appeared all around me and I realised where the term "wheelsucker" comes from !
I went with all I had and it was going ok until I saw that a rider had been forced onto the grass on my right. By now I was standing and in full sprint (thats not saying much !). A chap was coming past me on my right so I found a little extra and pushed harder but to no avail. In front a rider was literally leaning on a rider on his left. He then moved and with no one to lean on went down to taste the tarmac. OUCH!!! I shouted rider down and swerved to my left. Luckily no one else was there. As you may see from the photo at the finish line I was busy looking at the rider who pummelled into the guy who was on the ground only to go over the bars himself.

Lots of broken bikes but I hope everyone is OK.

I think I finished 8th which means a couple of BC points. Bad choice of dates today I know, but a few more ACC would be great as most clubs have at least 2-3 riders and I am sure we can beat most of them ?

All in all a little scary, but it was a good learning curve and I will be back for the rest of my BC points (another 8 I think) .

Thanks for the support Keith and Michelle. (oh and Rachel !)

[Andrew G]

Well done Serge on your debut. 4th cat only races can attract the odd nutter and the odd crash but I would say don't look back and just ignore the crash. There is nothing you can do about it and you're better off riding forward and keeping out of harms way. Sounds a bit callous but if it was someone you know and care about that went down you can always pull out next lap in a safe manner.

Always nice to hear about someone new having a go at racing to see if they like it.

[-Adam-]

[quote="Michelle"]Well now, what, I hear you say, is the point of racing when there is absolutely no possibility of getting any BC points? My thoughts precisely, Adam

[Antloony]

[quote="-Adam-"]To learn my dear friend, to learn

[Michelle]

I know you are way beyond and above caring about BC points now Adam, but for some of us they may feature more prominently in our plans.

So ner.

[-Adam-]

What for?

Your a 2nd cat Michelle, and a decent one at that. Just concentrate on winning rather than gaining points. When I got promoted to 1st cat I was more annoyed that I came 2nd that day than I was happy to be promoted. Winning is everything.

[Stu Merckx Man]

[quote]Winning is everything.

[quote="Stu Merckx Man"][quote]Winning is everything.