SERRL Chilam Sun 19th april

[huw williams]

[quote="Andrew G"]Bloody hell Sylv you're an animal.

[quote="Keith"][quote="Sylv"]I am actually looking forward to doing the clubrun next week for the first time in months!

On the subject of road racing, we should speak of the calendar like we did earlier on in the season. I don't really have any open road races planned right now.

[Paul H]

Well done especially to Sylv who looked so strong throughout a very tough race and to Stu who seems to have picked up some form.

Not a very exciting race for me, I didnt feel particularly strong and spent a lot of energy just getting in the front group up the hill. I did of course have a technical issue when I found out I couldnt go in the small ring up white hill but managed to kick it over half way up which meant I again had to play catch up.

We managed to upset Rob Jackson who was whinging like a girl when Keith and I went to the front and slowed down the bunch to help Sylv's break.

In my hurry to leave so I could take my daughter to a birthday party, I left my Helmet and Glasses at the HQ - arrrgh

[Andy E]

Wow, that was indeed a tough race. As it was my first time playing with the 2nd cats I didn't have much of a plan at the start other than trying to stay towards the front in event of any split in the bunch, but after Mallorca and then the 3-day I didn't expect the legs to be fully cooperative. The first time up the main hill certainly got everyone warmed up, it was a ferocious pace with Rob Jackson and a few others constantly attacking, but I was amazed that I managed to go with them and be up in the top 8 or so along with Sylv

The attacks just kept coming for the next lap, even after Marek got off the front, i was having to sprint every 30secs or so just to hold the wheel in front. I tried to keep out the wind as much as possible (it seemed like it was coming from all sides today), and stay as close to Sylv as I could in the hope I could be of use somehow later in the race. We managed to get a little gap off the front on the 2nd and 3rd times up the long hill bit it would keep coming back together on the back of the course.. Once Sylv had gone off the front I kept myself around 5th-7th wheel in case anyone tried chasing (i thought it was just him and his 2 other companions up the road ) as we turned onto White Hill for the first time. Amazingly the legs were feeling pretty good and I was comfortably over in the first half dozen along with Stu, athough again the rest of the bunch soon caught up and it was all together as we approached White Hill for the final time. Approaching the turn the front of the bunch was all yellow as Keith, Paul, Rob and Marek had joined Stu and I for the final slog.

Hitting the slopes and although I was still feeling good I didn't want to attack as I assumed I would soon be swallowed up by all the big bad 2nd cats around me Keeping around 3rd-4th wheel I watched for any moves and just as it levelled out a bit an In Gear rider chucked it in the big ring and went for it, quickly followed by a Wildside(?) rider. I was straight on their wheel and hoping that we didn't have much further to go. We'd soon dropped the In Gear rider and then the finish hoved into view.. With everything I had left i mustered a sprint but the Wildside guy pipped me by perhaps half a wheel and I finished 10th

Pretty chuffed all things considered and now looking forward to taking it easy and enjoying a well earned weeks rest

Another awesome performance from Sylv, he even tried telling me he was tired barely halfway through the race Honourable mentions to all of Team ACC today, just to finish with the main bunch was a pretty damn good acheivement, especially Rob on his first open road race.

[Stu Merckx Man]

my first race of the year, so i was dreading it to be honest.

i was very nervous in the pack for the first few miles, and hung out near the back for the first 2 laps... not the place to be when the group split each time and i had to kill myself to get onto the front group.

i also had a VERY close calll on the first laps which just made me more nervous. on the fast decent, probably going about 45 mph or so a guy a few places ahead got a puncture. he pulled over on the outside right into my path, leaving me with one option which was to go onto the other side of the road, just when some cars where speeding towards us. i managed to squeeze through the gap between him and the car but absolutely shat myself, as i knew how close it was. a few guys came up to me and told me how they thought i was a goner, and so did i !

after 2 laps wimping about at the back i decided to get up to the front to stay out of trouble, as i reasoned it was better to get dropped from being too tired than to get caught up in a crash. so up i went to chill out in the top 10 with sylv and andy. it was 10x better up the front, and i realised i was in pretty good shape. the guy from toachim house was strong so i made sure i marked him each time he went for it.

just being in the top 10 meant i got into plenty of breaks just from the peleton splitting to peaces each time on the hill. i put in 1 or 2 digs myself, but they didnt come to anything, but quite a few times i got into some promising moves including sylv and andy, we would build a good gap, only to get reeled in again. with 1 lap of the normal course to go (meaning 2 of the white hill one to go) sylvs break went. sylv put in a slight turn of speed, and got off the front with a few others. i purposefully didnt go with it, first off thinking it wouldnt stick, and secondly i knew i would just drag everyone on to it. luckily though they started to pull aeway.

when we did the first lap of white hill i thought it was the finish, so went up white hill pretty hard at the front along with andy and paul H, helping to push the pace along, only to hear the bell. i was a bit worried as i had spent a lot of energy in the process, and was starting to feel it in my legs. it did whittle down the peleton a bit more which was good, and it also gave me a lot of confidence as i realised i was one of the stronger ones going up.

on the last lap i downed the last of my gels and got right up near the front for the start of the hill, there were quite a few people in the breaks so i knew i would have to finish very near the top of the pack to get any points. we tapped out a hard but steady pace, and i stuck myself next to andy on the outside, right at the front. keith put in a little dig but got pulled in pretty quick. i few people put in some hard attacks half way up, and it was hard work holding wheels, usually andys, who by the way, is in fantastic form. with about 1/4 of the hill to go andy went with an attack by a guy in white who had been strong all day. they got a 20 m gap which they managed to hold onto for the remainder. i was glad andy was slightly up the road because it took the mental pressure off me to attack (which is what i felt i had to do, but didnt want to). with about 800m to the finish, and with some climbing still to go a medway velo guy went on the attack with an in gear rider. i went after them but couldnt quite get onto their wheels, i was only about 3 bike lengths off, but i just didnt have the legs. this move took us off the front though, and although i couldnt get round them, i knew i didnt have to worry about anyone from behind, and i finished in a comfortable 14th.

andy did really well, and i think must have come 2nd out of the guys that were in the peleton. paul H keith and marek did well, but were suffering by the end, and rob did brilliantly for a rookie.

i was really pleased with today. i can hardly believe how far i have come in 3 and half months, pretty much starting from scratch again. i guess it just payed to keep the faith in huws training, and doing most of my riding in lbp- 20 . i think its my 40 mile commute that has been the main factor, as it seems to have given me a good base.

far from this season being a wash out for me, i think maybe it could be a good one, just so long as my form keeps going up, which it seems to be doing.

cheers
stu

[Sylv]

[quote="huw williams"]"Grrrrrrrr"

[huw williams]

Top 15 result is in...

SERRL Event 6 Chilham
Road & Track - 2/3/4
Place Rider Club Age Cat Disc Cat Rank Pts Series Pts
1 Daniel Felstead Dulwich Paragon CC Over 23 30 0
2 Malcolm Davies Kent Cycles Road Club Over 23 25 0
3 Brett Harwood Westbrook Cycles - Team Scott Over 23 21 0
4 David Seager San Fairy Ann CC Over 23 17 0
5 Chaz Hollosi Gemini BC Over 23 14 0
6 Sylvain Garde Addiscombe CCA Over 23 12 0
7 Toby Roberts Team Toachim Over 23 10 0
8 Julian Bray Dulwich Paragon CC Over 23 8 0
9 Matthew Miles Wild Side 707 Road Team Over 23 7 0
10 Andrew Ellis Addiscombe CCA Over 23 6 0
11 Sean O'Regan Victoria-Ciclos Uno-Plowman Craven Assoc-Pro-Lite CC Over 23 5 0
12 Niall Digby Sigma Sport.co.uk Over 23 4 0
13 James Bowtell In Gear Cycling Development Squad Junior 3 0
14 Stuart Chamberlayne Addiscombe CCA Under 23 2 0
15 James Holland-Leader agiskoviner Over 23 1 0

[Toks]

Hey guys just a tip from me. If you're ever in need of a few points but not strong enough to get in the top 5 follow Julian Bray, Dulwich Paragon on the last couple of laps. He's wiley old fox a real expert at sneaking into the top 10.

[Rob W]

Wow that was fun,i want some more of that.i didnt feel to bad in the pack and anything flat and down hill (the decending in Majorca has payed off).But stupidly i didnt listento Huw and take it easier in the week,heavy legged on anything going up.well done to all ACC at the race,and well done to Marek for not stopping at the cider factory.

[kieran]

well done guys, sounds like it was a hard race. Must say I enjoyed my day at legoland, mainly sunny with a bit of wind, did a few rides too (the Dragon, pirate falls, jungle coaster, dino safari etc) none too hard, my max hr was probably 140bpm.

[Sylv]

[quote="Marek"] Sylv, you cannot do the first of these, but I am contemplating doing the second one as well:

03.05.09
Benenden Cranbrook
3, 4 W J
100km
09.30

10.05.09
lamberhurst / Frant
2,3,4,J
100km
09.30

[kieran]

[quote="Sylv"]How was Legoland Kieran, I was an addict as a kid! As you can tell:

[img]http://farm1.static.flickr.com/199/buddyicons/8506755@N08.jpg?1179906169#8506755@N08[/img]

[Sylv]

Does anyone's kids here still play with Lego

Still remember the day I opened the box to this, can't have been much more than 6

[img]http://media.peeron.com/pics/inv/setpics/918-1.1118081270.thumb2.jpg[/img]

[-Adam-]

Good rides again, but what happened to the team tactics?

Glad at least one of my boys gave you a run for your money...

[Michelle]

Like we're gonna tell you about team tactics!

Your team mate did do well. However I saw most of the juniors struggling and out the back. It's pretty tough on youngsters on a course like that.