Race in France in May anyone??

[Marek]

http://www.ccbrimeux.com/-La-Cantonale- ... 2009-.html

Sylv, what is this all about. It looks like a great race, is very cheap to enter, maybe a bit tough for me, but I am thinking about giving it a go if we want to send over a crack team. What do you reckon guys. Sylv, if you could give us the highlights from the description that would be great.

Cheers

Marek....

[Sylv]

Bof ..

I'll have a look in the morning

[Sylv]

There you go - I've translated it all and put it up nicely in a Pdf: http://www.ccbrimeux.com/La_Cantonale/P ... nale-A.pdf

[Andy E]

Looks excellent, unfortunately i'm doing the Fred Whitton that weekend

[Paul H]

Looks ok but not sure I want to do a 1st cat race plus it looks a bit flat.

We are meant to be climbing Mt Ventoux the day before as well.

[mrP(Boonen)VT]

Marek,
I would have done that, but couldn't make that weekend.
If it's on next year, I'll be up for it.

[Huw Watkins]

Looking from afar (i.e. Dynamo), this is definitely worth a crack.

They're a great experience and it would be fantastic to get more UK riders into these races. They are bl**dy hard though.

I think there are about half a dozen Eagle Road Club riders and ten Dynamos and planning on doing the Cantonale. Speaking personally, I wish I'd picked this event instead of the slightly hillier one we rode a while back.

[Andy E]

Hey Huw, i enjoyed the write up of your efforts last month, sounded like great fun If there's any talk of one later in the year i'd be interested.

[Huw Watkins]

Will do, Andy. Gordon's been the man for this. I think Rich Hoult might be riding this weekend?

[Marek]

Huw, if he writes a report on it could you stick it on here as well as I would be interested to hear how it went. And if you wondering who I am then I was the tall guy chatting to you a bit in the early season Alfold race when George and Paul had ridden off up the road.

Cheers

Marek....

[Huw Watkins]

That's me, Marek.

I'm sure a report will be written - I'll post it up here.

See you on Sunday at the SERRL with the 14 Dulwich riders.

Huw

[Huw Watkins]

Andrew - race report from Martin Garratt

See you there next year?


[color=#0080FF]"What a cracking race- one of the best races I've done I reckon- here's my story....

turned up to find more English cars in the carpark than French- Wildside/Eagle/Gemini/various Private entries
English accents everywhere- obviously they needed some cannon fodder to kick and make themselves look good..

Then lots of really young guys turn up and things get worrying
warmed up (not long enough) but hey it's a road race right?
Started uphill- luckily not the start/finish hill which was posted at 10% but was more like 20%

Noticed Tom/Rusty/Cam moving up BEFORE the race had even started!!
Hmm- train of thought ran: okay sit in, do nothing, don't burn any matches, eat drink eat drink eat drink eat drink etc

We're off- it's quick but not as quick as last year- not yet anyhow. Everyone is much further up than me- but that's okay it's easier back here right?
15 mins gone, the bunch is all over the road and it's now really quick, we're going downhill at 60+kph and I see someone up ahead cartwheeling into the left hand ditch (did I just see that?) Yep suddenly the whole bunch implodes right infront of me and there are bike and rides at 90degrees to me. I slam on thinking either I'm going down in about 1/3 sec or someone's chainring is about to slice through my calf from behind. Incredibly neither happens and I grind to a halt cms from the carnage. Someone's buried and screaming, I follow another rider who's making a path through the chaos and out- we're riding again.

so much for not burning any matches, about 15mins in and I've done the whole box trying to get back on. Mercifully I rejoin with Gav and a small group. Stu was trying to find his real wheel at this point.
Try to recover- no chance. we hit the main climb on the first loop about 2 mins after
I go up at about 186 the whole way (last time I saw that HR I was sprinting)
Somehow manage to stay on and at last a chance to "recover" a lined out section after the descent, then we re-trace the route back to the start village. Rusty shouts move up for the hill! But the whole bunch is across the road so no chance. We hit the hill- luckily I find my way through and manage to get on a strong wheel for the flat exposed section over the top. It lines out....face starts to warp but I'm still on and descending into the valley in a long line (I think wish I had a bike cam on for this one)
More hills, Cam is coming back towards me (I'm f*cked) he says ripping open a powerbar..
Another 1/2 hour spending a LOT of time in the 12 and finally things start to ease up a little. we crest a hill out of Brimeaux and the whole bunch rides easy for 5mins- I finish my 2nd bottle just in time for us to hit a 5KM stretch of exposed crosswind. We're in the left gutter and the hammer's dropped again.
Then we flick right onto a narrow track with a fresh gravel surface. nice. More crosswind, crazy descending and I'm in trouble. Then we hit the last big climb 20KM to go. legs are bending, I'm going backwards. fighting it to stay on but it's not happening. Now theres 7 of us watching the two fragmented lines up ahead. we're not getting back on but we show promise and least going through and off. 2miles late we pick up Chaz \Hollosi (Gemini) who works with us. Its 10KM to go and everyone's f*cked. No one wants to work. a tiny guy pushes it on the climb where the crash happened. I go with him and we drop the others.
it's a 2 up to the finish. we work well and come in together and sprint for the line. I get it by a tyre and join the others gasping.

What a day! Awesome event- well worth the journey.Thanks Gordo for organising. can't wait till next year"[/color]
M

[Andy E]

Bloomin 'eck, that sounds seriously tough Great write up by Martin, chapeau to all who finished.