Goodwood July 31st

[Gavin]

I am racing my first race at goodwood on this day.

Anyone from the addiscombe also racing. I probably be driving down from croydon.

Off for 2 weeks to France now.

Have fun people.......


G

[Toks]

Good luck in the Marmotte Gavin. You we're looking pretty strong when we last rode so I'm sure you'll be fine. I'll be in France on wednesday with Super AJ for the Etape...Goodwood on the 31st looks tempting. I'll try and persuade the aforementioned 'hero' to come along as well so perhaps we'll see you down there.

[Gavin]

Toks,

Marmotte was top hope the etape went well today.

May see you down at goodwood....

Cheers

G

[Gavin]

I will be racing this sunday at goodwood for the first time in the 4th Cat race.

Anyone else racing or going down there?

All the best

G

[Toks]

I'm gonna get down there. I've tried to tempt Tim (liguigas) to come a long. Here's my number 07946 757 086

[Gavin]

Tim is well fast he would do well I think.

[Maria David]

Jackie Morgan-Smith and I will be at Goodwood on that day, but it'll be in the afternoon for a women's race.

Maybe see you there.

[Gavin]

Good Race today it was my first race and I achieved my 3 objectives

1) finish
2) finish in the peloton
3) don't finish last.

I achieved all 3 so was happy not sure what position somewhere in the high 30s I would guess. Simon H finished 3rd in my race which was quite impressive.

I left after 2 laps of the next race which had Toks, Tony Kelly in it and 2 other addiscombe who I don't know the name of. It was fairly fast interesting to see how they got on.

Cheers

G

[Toks]

Cloudy, Rainy, Sunny, Cloudy, Rainy, Sunny - Hey welcome to GOODWOOD! I arrived at the ridiculously early time of 9.30 despite the fact my race didn?t start till 11.30. There was just enough time to say ?good luck? to Gavin and Simon who were both psyching themselves up for the start of the 4th cat race. A few minutes later they we?re off. The bunch of 60 riders stayed glued together for more than an hour. On the penultimate lap I yelled at Simon, ?Get to the front?. I knew Gavin?s goal was to finish in the bunch and that plan was being carried out faultlessly. For Simon to get points and make that jump to 3rd cat (Hi Ajay) he needed to make the top six. At Goodwood, the finish line is about 80 metres from a chicane. On that last lap you need to enter the chicane in one of the top five positions to be guaranteed a placing. As the riders approached the chicane for the final time Simon looked to be in 4 or 5th place. With 50 metres to go a powerful sprint saw the big fella surge to the front. ?YES he?s going to win?, ?Go on Sime!? It looked like he?d done just enough for top spot. Damn! With a couple of metres to go he was nudged back into 3rd position? Job done! Well done Simon, and equally well done Gavin - finishing safely in the bunch.

Col du aubisque, Col du Marie Blanc are all fading memories now - no more novelle cuisine! From now on it?s a strict diet of meat and potatoes mate: road races and crits with thirty and forty something blokes, some of whom would look a little out of place on a Pyrenean climb. So here we are then guys its lap 6 of 18 and ACC representatives in the 3rd cat race are yours truly ?yo-yo boy? and Brian. Not exactly a crowd pleaser this one, the bunch of 60-70 riders remains a oval shaped mass and not even the most tentative attacks are given a chance. All runaways and sneaky chancers are snapped up within seconds? A few laps later we?re taken over by the E12 group, I catch a glance at Brett Perez who looks like his half asleep he?s so comfortable. With 4 laps to go my average heart rate is still only 152 and the average speed is a fairly manageable 25mph.

A few Agiskoviner riders surge to the front in a five main train so I and couple of London Dynamo guys give chase. Now with 3 laps to go I?m on the front and my heart rate hits 175, I flick out an elbow and park myself back in the bunch. As the commissionaire shouts out ?last lap? I steal back a few places and re-enter the top 15. The pace slows once again and everyone gets ready for the inevitable bunch sprint - one last swig from a drinks bottle, a tightening of shoe straps and hands in the drops. In no time at all the chicane looms for the final time. Have I followed the advice I gave to Simon? A slight wobble here, a bit of break there and Phew! we?re safely (on the penultimate lap they?d apparently been a crash) through the chicane and the sprint begins in earnest. ?What a Bozo!. For some reason I forget to stand up and sprint?. [Don?t ask, I know]. Never mind this time my lucky number is 7. Take care Dudes!?!!

[Simon C Izoard]

Bien Joue!

I feel for you about the etape visit, I'm still having withdrawal from a climb on Monte Bignone that was part of a stage for the 96 Giro.
1km of almost 20%!!!
I didn't go backwards! and you have no time to notice the heat! blinding

Had a great spectators view (with Ian et al) of the Newchapel race last Thursday, making me a bit nervous about turning up at Newdigate on the 11th (I know Chris is coming to that one, hope the Tri went well?) Well done to all ACC riders at the CW 10 saturday morning. I almost broke 25min at seven in the morning, after 5hrs sleep. No chance of the CR after, sounded a bit much anyway.

Any advice for Newdigate hcaps, always worried about race pace!

[Gavin]

I was thinking of giving the Newdigate handicap a go on the 11/8.

I managed a 4th cat race at goodwodd and have only been out with the 19mph group twice.

I have been told the handicap races are a little different mainly because you have to do a lot more work at the front.

Maybe some of the grand masters of addiscombe will give us some wisdom?

[Ian A4size]

Go for it gavin its good for you!

[SimonH]

??

[Ian A4size]

you know you love it simon! A great chance to bowl along as fast as you like and no one to tell you to slow down!

[Marek]

Hi Gavin,

The Handicaps are brilliant and you can do as much or as little work as you like. I find they are great training for proper races as I like to do a lot of work on the front in the Handicaps to build up the fitness for the weekend. I know I am a sad man but the only way to get better is to put yourself through it.

Because they set you off in your ability group you tend to try and work together to stay away from the chasing groups. The idea is that if you work together really well that you may be able to stay away from the chasing pack. It has happened in some of the races that the 4ths have won the race as the others have not been able to catch them.

Most of the time the groups gradually converge and when the elites come through to the front merry hell breaks loose with everyone trying to hang onto their coat tails. It is awesome, drafting off some top class riders you get a really good tow and if you are lucky you may just be able to stay on to have a go in the sprint.

Newdigate course I seem to remember is a relatively rolling course. It starts at the pub and then basically does the short club run route, going up Partridge lane but does not turn off towards Charlwood just goes straight back into Newdigate. Last time I did this course I had a hangover and only managed one lap, next time I will come better prepared.

Overall they are great fun and an excellent way to get a feel for being in a breakaway in a proper race as you get the opportunity to work hard at through and off all the way.

Cheers

Marek...