SERRL 3 Day Stage Race (1/2/3) - 23rd-25th May '09

[Keith]

Stage 1 Fowlmead 10 mile Time Trial
Place Number Name Team / Club Time
10th 25 Adam Cotterell In Gear Development Squad 00:21:49

Stage 2 Fowlmead Criterium
Place Number Name Team / Club Laps Total Time
36th 25 Adam Cotterell In Gear Dev Sq 38 01:10:18

Stage 3 Chilham Road Race 120km
Place Number Rider Name Team / Club Stage Three
5th 25 Adam Cotterell In Gear Development Squad 03:08:10

Stage 4 Biddenden Road Race 100km
Place Number Name Team / Club Laps Total Time
32nd 25 Adam Cotterell In Gear Dev Sq 6 02:45:14

[size=150]Overall Final GC[/size]
Position Number Rider Name Team / Club Time Trial Stage Two Stage Three Stage Four Overall G.C Time Difference
9th 25 Adam Cotterell In Gear Development Squad 00:21:49 01:10:14 03:08:10 02:45:10 07:25:23 00:01:57

[Snoop Doug]

Nice one Adam, getting in the top 10 placings overall The TT time

Tidy! Snoop

[-Adam-]

The results do not even go half way to telling the story of the weekend!

I shall write a bit later, off training now....

[-Adam-]

So this was always going to be a weekend that we ought to have excelled in, and I think we ticked all the boxes.

The stage one TT saw us all with a free hand to sort out some kind of leadership amongst us. I didn't really go flat out on the TT, but they clocked me at 21.49, which I was a bit suprised at. I reckoned all the times were a minute out, but I'm not gonna argue with a long 21! Anyhow, this meant I was 9 seconds clear of my team mate Josh, and Jean at 24 seconds (But on a road bike with no tri bars!). So I was best for now, but hardly enough to have the whole team working for me. So for the afternoon crit the only tactic was to attack the yellow jersey, Gareth McCullough, and try to win...

So the crit started fast, largely due to me riding off like I was in Belgium, not Kent. Though the Fowlmead circuit is pretty much as close to Belgie as you can get without actually being there! After not too long the attacks were flying off thick and fast, meaning the average speed was up near 44km/h for a while. As a team we rode superbly, covering pretty much everything that moved. Then with 5 laps to go, we were still gruppo compatto. So having been relegated to the 3rd fastest sprinter on the squad of late, I decided I had to go. Just after the line I took off solo, and put my head down. After a lap I looked round and had about a 10 second gap, I continued to nail it. At 2 to go I had maintained my gap thanks to some great blocking from my team mates and a lacklustre chase from the bunch so late in the day. The legs were screaming out for me to stop. Shortly after the bell, a lone rider cruised up my left hand side and past me. Try as I did, I just couldn't get on terms. I was then swallowed up with 200m to go leaving the other guy to take the win by 2 seconds over Josh and Jean who lead in the bunch for 2nd and 3rd. Meanwhile I collapsed over the line and lay on the grass for about 10mins before moving again.

Sunday was to be 120km of the rolling Chilham circuit, with 4 big laps going up the draggy Molash climb, then 4 finishing circuits up that bastard climb of White Lane. As still the leader on GC, and arguably the best climber on the squad, really it was down to me. Though we were keen to try to get in the escapes to try to shake up the GC. As it was the race fell apart in KM 1 when Jaco Ehlers (DeRosa) and Phil Antony (Toachim House) took off pretty much from the gun. The bunch all looked at each other and thought, no way will they last, and let them go. Lap by lap their lead grew and grew, it looked like they may have it sewn up. Despite some chase groups forming, always including us, no one made much of an impression on them. But no matter, 4 times up White Lane should have them on their knees right? Well, no... As we approached White Lane for what should have been the first ascent, we were directed straight on. We were informed after this mishap, that everyone had gone the same way, so it was now to be 5 big laps, and 2 little laps. As many a voice said, it changed the whole race. For the escapees to make it up White Lane only twice was probably doable... There were some glum faces. Anyhow, no matter. After a brief heart in mouth moment of some fool riding into me at 50ks an hour, I managed not to fall off, much to the delight of the riders around me! Shortly after we turned off onto White Lane. Duly the pace was upped and riders were being shelled. We made it to the summit, Jean and I stayed close together and he asked how he could help me for the final climb, I just asked him to keep it fast! He duly abliged. At the bottom, Ian Field (Hargroves Cycles and GB Cyclocrosser) rode away from everyone, no one could react. Then one other guy rode off, again no reaction. Then me old Irish buddy Steve Saunders upped the pace and there was a select group of 5/6 riders including the yellow jersey and known climber, Dan Felstead (Dulwich). Anyhoo, I didn't try to match their acceleration as I felt I would cramp. So I just kept pace, until that is, all 80kgs of my South African beast of a team mate Jean re-appeared! I was having none of that, I upped my tempo and soon came up to the rear of the yellow jersey group. As I did so I realised I was carrying about a km/h more than they were... So I just rode right by them, you could almost hear them all say WTF! as I cruised by and clicked up another gear to drop the lot of 'em. Only Felstead could get near me, but not passed, so I crossed the line a few seconds clear. Elevating myself one place on GC, to 9th. Again, I almost collapsed once across the line.

A quick note, Josh had a chain snapping, mech hanger bending mechanical mid stage, meaning he didn't finish. After accepting relagtion to last on GC, he was clear to start stage 4...

Since Josh more or less had a rest day on Stage 3, the plan was simple. We'd keep the race together for a bunch sprint, which Josh would win. On the off chance I could escape to steal time for GC, I had the green light. Realistically however, on a flat course like Biddenden, it was never going to happen... At the start the heavens opened, meaning the roads were exceptionally slippery. This meant for the first half of the race I was either at the front or right at the back, just for my own safety! The legs weren't feeling up to much, so at the half way mark, 60km in, I decided I would ride on the front to control it, and bring us all to a bunch sprint. Ian Field had the hump with me for chasing him down, he asked me why, I relpied...

'Sorry mate, but we're gonna win!'

He replied: ''Who's gonna win out of you lot!''

'Er, not me obviously, but trust me, we're gonna win'

''Whatever'' He scoffed.

To his credit, he was the only man intelligent enough to sit in from that point on. Several others continued to attack, and each time I would get myself back to the front and chase. Each time an attack was nullified, and someone else would try. After a little rest, I'd return to the front, put my head down, and nail the bastards back. On the penultimate lap, a dangerous move of 3 forged clear, including Steve Saunders and Cam Austin. I knew this would be hard to control. As we went through the finish with one to go, about 20km, I was still on the front riding tempo. I then asked Josh and Jean to decide who was definately going for it, as up to that point they had both been sitting in. Jean duly came to the front and helped me out, well, I say helped, he pretty much took it over for 10km! He was sooo strong!! When he was on the front, the speed was rarely below 50km/h. People wanted to help, but simply couldn't go through. Each time they did, he would soon usher them out the way as they were going too slow!! The break was duly brought back, and I returned to the front, with another team mate Jake, to control the last minute efforts. At 1km to go, I was dead. Josh asked me to close one final gap, I did, then had to leave him to it. He took up the sprint and flew ahead to win by about 3 bike lengths from Tom Hemmant (London Dynamo). What a legend. Mission accomplished. Jean and I crossed the line sitting up celebrating mid bunch while the fools around us were sprinting for 31st... haha.

Just after the line I found Josh and hugged him, shortly after Jean and the rest of the lads joined us. Then, low and behold Ian Field, who had to settle for 4th, came and congratulated us. Thats the sign of a class rider I guess.

Watching your team mate win when you've worked so hard to get him there is nothing short of amazing. It felt easily as good, if not better, than winning for yourself. The pictures on London Cycle Sport speak volumes.

So a bit of a roller coaster weekend, gutted to miss out on the win on Saturday, but very happy with the team performance. Whoever said In-Gear couldn't ride huh.

[Antloony]

Excellent write up Adam and good riding from your crew, well done.

[Michelle]

Now this is a curious one, and some thing I have been meaning to ask you for a while.

On a post late at the end of last year, when I stated my interest in gaining points, you said to me 'Winning is everything'. But since then you seem to be coming from diametriacally opposite ends of the scale, being happy to domestique for various others in your team. Why the change?

On another note, really enjoyed this write up, glad you felt you had a great few days, it certainly came across like that

[-Adam-]

Winning is everything.

But what matters is that the jersey crosses the line first, it doesn't matter who's in it. Both Josh and Jean were capable of winning the stage on Monday, and dare I say it, I could have probably gotten close. Had we not worked together though, we almost certainly wouldn't have won. See the logic?

I know they'll pay me back.

Right now, Josh and Jean are faster than me in a sprint. Thats not to say they're better riders, there's more to racing than sprinting.

I wouldn't go as far as to say I have been playing domestique, we have just been riding to our strengths.

It is true that as a solo rider, winning is everything. But when you ride in a team, you have to be realistic. There is more to being a good racer than just winning races. Just think of the countless Pro's that have never won a race...

[Sylv]

Well done Adam & co

Saw one of your team mates riding in Sanderstead tonight

Jaco is all over the De Rosa catalog i picked up in Butlers

btw do you know what the Tenterden course is like

[-Adam-]

It's the Wally Gimber course Sylv.

Two drags on a largely flat course, not sure where the finish will be though...