Road/circuit race reports 2017

Discussion about Beacon member participation in road, track and cyclocross racing

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Yosser
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Road/circuit race reports 2017

Post by Yosser » 09 Mar 2017 11:20

First race of the year and the first of 7 races in the LVRC over 65 series of 2017. Weather atrocious but still drove down to Towcester. (Quote Carolyne Clegg I can't even get the dogs to go out for a walk! Several riders rode in capes! I went for the bare legs look a la Keith Adcock!
LVRC race report and results here;

http://www.lvrc.org.uk/race_results.asp

The report for my race is misleading. I broke away with almost 25 miles to go in a two man break with Phil Cooper (who won a crit last week). Strong man Phil, so we worked for rest of race and we were clear by several mins at the finish. Phil only weighed 10 stone and the finish was a LONG uphill sprint. Decided not to risk this lardy 13 stone in an uphill battle with a climber of some ability so decided to attack him by going flat out down the hill into the dip and then hang on the uphill 1 km to the line. It worked and Phil was left adrift by some margin before the hill started. (I was going to say; "More than one way to skin a cat" but that surely can't be PC in this day and age so decided to leave that out).

Back to the racing. Over to you youngsters...

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Post by George » 09 Mar 2017 11:59

Well done, Dave.

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Post by neilo » 09 Mar 2017 15:02

Great riding Dave.

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Post by David Cole » 09 Mar 2017 21:23

Well done Dave
David Cole

Beacon Roads Cycling Club

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Post by Tim » 09 Mar 2017 22:41

Inspirational stuff. Well done!
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Post by laurence_cooley » 11 Mar 2017 17:34

Well done Dave! I hope you don't mind, but I've commandeered this thread, changed the title and turned it into a place to post race reports for the season, so that they're all in one place.

I did a 3/4 race at Darley Moor this morning. First time I've raced there and I like the circuit (way less technical than Stourport, etc.). I was going OK until a big crash 20 minutes or so in, which I got stuck behind for long enough that I couldn't get back on to the front group. It made for good team time trial training for the remainder of the hour though! If anyone is keen, the next rounds are next Saturday and the Saturday after, and then every few weeks into the summer.

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Post by John » 13 Mar 2017 13:29

Last weekend Matt Clegg and I competed in the 2/3 Category of the University of Birmingham One Day Stage Race. Daniel Newns and Gareth Powley were also competing in the 4th Cat only event.

The event consisted of a fairly hill 10 mile TT around Great Witley followed by a crit in Stourport. Despite Matt saying he'd be happy to get round in 35 minutes he did a time of about 24:20 whilst thanks to the advantages of a TT bike I was able to finish 15th on the stage with a 23:05.

The crit race was brutally quick (42km/h) and we both missed the break. I was hanging on for the entire race just trying to stay with the bunch. Matt had the legs to attack with a lap and a half to go, but unfortunately was pulled back so wasn't able to snag 9th place on the stage.

I finished in 14th place on the GC with Matt a few places behind me.

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Post by George » 13 Mar 2017 14:43

Well done, John and Matt.

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Post by Yosser » 13 Mar 2017 15:08

Laurence re heading rustling; I don't mind at all. Good idea.

Re Darley Moor. Looks good. Next weeks race full but I will look at some of the others although 3rd cat will almost certainly be too much for ageing legs and lungs akin to yesterday's birthday party balloons. What's the course like?

Matt and John, those times look mightily impressive give the terrain around them thar hills. Good results I would say. How did the Newns Powley partnership fare?

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Post by laurence_cooley » 13 Mar 2017 15:20

Yosser wrote:What's the course like?
Like this: https://goo.gl/maps/V3GHKzc5amp. Loads of road space even with 100 starters. The start-finish line is in the bottom-left corner.

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Post by Les Ladbury » 14 Mar 2017 07:47

What's the course like?

Dave,
I was there a couple of years ago photographing a CX event. The road circuit is based on a WW2 airfield and like most airfields is not known for hills on the runways.
Should be fine for an ageing sprinter !!!!
Les

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LVRC RACE-LA FLECHE WALTONNE RR

Post by Yosser » 20 Mar 2017 10:19

Rode this on Sunday 19 March. Percy Stallard event with cats E-G. Racing alongside Steve Jolley (National age group E Champion), John French (1981 National 50m Champion), Joey Williamson (European age Cat RR champion) etc. Could be a tadd fast. Hard course and very windy, which had deep section rimmed bikes careering over the road. First attack went almost from the gun. Steve Jolley, John French, Joey Williamson and 3 others, all Cat E. Several others tried to get across but boy were they moving. I waited then jumped. Eyeballs out for a long pull. Just made it to them then hung on the back. Went through a couple of times but this felt out of my league. Sat on the back of the break for about a mile but was on or near the red zone despite sitting in. Suicide loomed as I went up a slight drag at over my FTP by some way. I took the practical view of the event as a whole and dropped off. It was some time before the bunch caught up. I rested for a while before completing the first lap and coming to the finish point. Oh no, another 1 km, uphill finish like last race! Hard going and when we crested the steepest part, eyes bulging, heart-rate maxing out, that is where they placed the yellow flag. I can hear the organisers saying “Now start your sprint if you can, still going uphill!â€￾ I was not looking forward to the next 3 laps let alone the finish sprint. Numerous attacks came and went. Tim Crumpton went late in the race. I carefully let him go as people sat on me. Not my age cat, not my problem. People gave half hearted chase. All that remains is the final miles. A very narrow road led to the uphill finish. Hectic doesn’t really describe it. I saw one rider try to muscle through on the outside before being pushed gently into the grass verge just in front of me. People at the front not ready to go too early, those at the back bunching up and cursing. I sat 3rd or 4th row back. The hill appeared, people jumped I just sat on and then people started to go backwards and I was leading the uphill sprint! I reached the yellow 200m flag and tried to go again. A rider squeezed past me in last few metres but I had nothing left to give. Hope he was a cat E rider! He wasn’t. It was Joe Rowe new addition to the F cats. 2nd in F cats I think. Wrong. At the presentation I had only come third. Someone who was an F cat rider had snuck off on that last lap and I hadn’t noticed.
All in all very pleased. Not doing the volume of work of last year and most of what I am doing is short, track stuff and indoor trainer.

For the stat geeks
Time 1:50:54 Distance 62km Speed 33km/hr NP 262W TSS 239
Max P 807W 1 min P 521W

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Post by laurence_cooley » 20 Mar 2017 10:40

Good stuff, Dave. That normalised power is impressive for almost two hours!

Gavin, Roger and I all raced at Shrewsbury yesterday in the first of the MSW Sunday crits - Gavin and Roger in the 3rd-cat race and me in the 4th. Nothing much to report - we all finished in the bunch in our respective races, after managing not to get tangled up in the obligatory crashes at the hairpin. Gavin had raced the day before at Milton Keynes with Stuart, Matt, John and Robin. No BC points for anyone this weekend, but it's only March after all.

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Post by Yosser » 20 Mar 2017 16:18

Not too sure what to make of those NP figures. Actual P for race was 200W so an upgrade to 260+ sems excessive. GC is an excellent programme but I struggled to hold 250W on a 20min FTP test earlier in the season!

Good stuff youngsters. This page is doing it's job. I had no idea what was going on in prev seasons and this reduces the onus on you Laurence to cajole / bully / invent reports as you had to do before. Now if we all said what we were going to do in good time, then the info jigsaw would be complete.

So with that in mind;

EVENTS- MY CALENDAR
19:00 Thu, 23 Feb 2017 LVRC Derby Track League Event 4 EFGH
10:04 Sun, 05 Mar 2017 Baines JCA-Equipe Velo Road Race Race F, G, H
19:00 Thu, 09 Mar 2017 LVRC Derby Track League Event 5 EFGH
10:07 Sun, 19 Mar 2017 La Fleche WAltonne rr E/F/G
19:00 Thu, 23 Mar 2017 LVRC Derby Track League Event 6 EFGH
11:30 Sat, 01 Apr 2017 Solihull Early Season Circuit Race DEFG+
10:00 Sun, 02 Apr 2017 CC Luton Claydons Classic Spring Road Race A STALLARD ONIMPEX UK, BIORACER SERIES EVENT EFGH
10:00 Sat, 22 Apr 2017 Derek Smith Memorial Road Race FGHI HALIFAX!
11:00 Sat, 29 Apr 2017 Tunstall Wheelers/Brian Rourke - Pro-Vision circuit races Cats A B C D E F G H I
EFGHI starts 11am. ADCB starts 2pm
10:10 Sun, 07 May 2017 Enville RR EFGHI

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Post by Tim » 20 Mar 2017 22:34

Dave stick this in the 'what are you planning?' thread :D
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Post by laurence_cooley » 27 Mar 2017 18:13

There's a brief write-up of the races that people have reported on, or I've otherwise found out about, here.

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PINVIN RR, Pershore Over 65 POINTS SERIES EVENT

Post by Yosser » 30 Mar 2017 00:28

The second race of the season in the over 65’s series.

The field was just for over 65’s and as such is rare and very welcome. Age starts to cause quite rapid drop off in performance after the age of 50 or so and these events are to encourage older riders by giving them something they can be competitive at.

The course was pretty well flat, heading north from Bishampton, West to Nauton Beauchamp, South towards Pinvin and heading East to finish past Throckmorton airfield. Just under 5 laps. Not feeling my usually self and more than likely complacent in my view that, come the end game, it will be a bunch sprint I didn’t wander up to the front of the race until lap 2. “Where’s the lead car ?â€￾ I enquired. “Gone with the breakaway riderâ€￾ I was told. “Breakaway rider! When did that happen?â€￾ It turned out he had gone from the gun, and no one has chased!

Finding out that it was Joe Rowe, newbie to this age cat I heaved a sigh and decided that I certainly wasn’t going to give chase. If he made it, good luck to him. Second place though still up for grabs.

Four and a bit laps later and over 2 mins down on the winner, the bunch headed into the final Km. The wind was from the front and right so I was riding in second place, to the left. Perfect. The rider in front was Ken Bradbury who beat me to silver at the national crit champs last year. There were three main sprinters, Ken, Malcolm Fraser, and Nick Selibas. Ken seemed to panic and went too early into a head wind. Rooky mistake and not one that I expected from him. The yellow flag came and went and still I had people lined up behind me. With about 150m to go I pulled out of Ken’s slipstream and gunned it to win by a length or so to take second place.

Anne video'd the sprint but no idea how to put it here so it is on the Beacon Facebook page.

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Post by neilo » 30 Mar 2017 07:41

Well done dave, great write up as well.

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Post by laurence_cooley » 30 Mar 2017 08:58

Well done Dave. I'll edit the report on the blog to add this later on today - will try to embed the video there too.

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Post by Yosser » 04 Apr 2017 06:15

View from the old guy Part 1

Solihull early season Criterium Tudor Grange Saturday 1st April 2017

So now just about ready to talk about last week ends racing
Saturday 1st April was the LVRC’s Solihull Early season Crit at Tudor Grange. Not too many entries so raced with D’s and E’s alongside a smattering of F’s and a G cat. I had to remind myself that I had a major race the next day (Percy Stallard) so perhaps shouldn’t have entered this. Still, just cruise round. Good training...

Several laps later and already been in two early attempts to break away. Just got pulled back the second time and then a group of 5 went away. A quick number check revealed all of them to be Cat D’s so relax Dave, not your Cat’s, got a big race tomorrow, remember?
Cue later. Much cursing and swearing. Several other attacks gone and had to be pulled back and the business end of the race is at hand. Cat F win in the bag as have now lapped main competition including the very rapid finisher Ken Bradbury who missed the break I was now in. Just make sure you don’t crash! Last lap, (take it easy, big race tomorrow), someone goes for it and comes over me. B******s, I’ve got to go for it. Too fast into last corner, catch inside pedal on floor and bike lifts to the right. Smoothly for Christ’s sake! Gun it to the line for 1st in bunch sprint and cat F winner. And still upright.

Can’t help but think I should have taken things a little more sensibly as well as take it easy. Big race tomorrow, remember…


My Left Hand P1 (expensive) pedal after race. Ooops! Can't get the image on here. Post on fb.

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Post by Yosser » 04 Apr 2017 08:15

Just found this on fb. Finish of Fleche Waltonne RR I reported on above.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SRGC3L0JsDQ

Video of finish from behind showing how narrow the road was. Note dog walker, car etc on RHS. I was towards the front somewhere. Notice speed drop as hill really bites and note the yellow 200m flag carefully placed at top of steepest point then try to sprint for the line! Punishingly awful. Anne can be seen on the RHS wearing red top and photographing finish.

Good to have video just in case you thought I was exaggerating how awful that finish was!

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Post by laurence_cooley » 04 Apr 2017 12:28

Keep the reports coming, Dave! Hopefully some of us can live up to the standard you're setting at Birmingham Business Park this weekend.

I know you were racing a different event to this one on Sunday, but any ideas who the Beacon rider behind Andrew is in this photo from the Echelon LVRC race?

https://www.facebook.com/CCGiro/photos/ ... =3&theater

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Post by Yosser » 04 Apr 2017 12:56

I am struggling with that one Laurence. Mind you I did't spot AC until you mentioned him!

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Post by Tim » 09 Apr 2017 15:29

Matthew Clegg won his first race today at Birmingham Business Park in top style attacking 15mins in then staying away from the 36 chasers with one other rider who bridged and then out sprinted him by a tyres width to win!

A ten strong team then raced in the 3/4, Roger Cutler getting about 7th in a 62 strong field. Full report to follow with pics and vids in due course.
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Post by JessRJ » 09 Apr 2017 20:01

Well done Matt!!

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Post by laurence_cooley » 12 Apr 2017 15:27


Yosser
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Post by Yosser » 22 Apr 2017 22:40

I know this is several weeks late but the reasoning is in the report.


View from the old guy Part 2
CC LUTON CLAYDONS CLASSIC SPRING ROAD RACE. A STALLARD ONIMPEX UK, BIORACER SERIES EVENT Milton Keynes Sunday 2nd April 2017

So now just about mentally recovered to discuss the next day’s racing fiasco. (Having won Solihull early season Crit previous day).

Sunday dawned bright and clear. The drive down was almost surreal and majestic. Sunshine, radio 3 was playing, (I kid you not), the dawn chorus LIVE from a welsh wood. Just birds waking to the new day. Bloody marvellous! And then, in an almost surreal and definitely ethereal way, the music broke in with  Joseph Parry and Richard Davies – singing Myfanwy. The day could not get much better and this was definitely going to be a good day.

The venue was superb and I have the pictures to prove it. (Green Dragon Rare Breeds Farm & Eco Centre). Car parking was plentiful with an entire field and hard parking. Bloody hell. Some day in prospect eh!
Any downside? Well yes. It was a Percy Stallard and the competition was out in force. Also having to race with the E cats. Things normally pan out so that they clear off and we oldies can then enjoy ourselves. But this wasn’t a normal day. Oh dear no.
For a start off they had a hill. I mean a proper hill. Then, just to confuse me, they finished the race with a sprinters paradise. Round a rt hander and there it was, straight and flat. All I had to do was get there.
The hill killed me. Even worse, the race stayed together. Bugger off E cats, please. I blame it all on Joe Rowe. Several times the Es broke away and Joe decided to go with them. And because he was an F cat, that meant I had to chase too, along with all the other F****** F’s. This new boy to the F cats is going to be a nightmare this season. Not only did he pip me to the end of Fleche Walton, thereby taking the lead of the Percy Stallard series by a single point, but the next week, on a sprinters course, he clears off to win by minutes in the Pinvin Over 65 race. No respect that lad. But not today Joe. Not today.
I suffered up that hill. God did I suffer. Lap 2 was bad but final time up I got cramp. First in the left leg. (Ride through it dam you). Then the right as well. I almost cried. So near and yet so far. I soft peddled and dropped to the very back of the bunch. Then I was off the back. The road levelled. I made one huge effort and just made contact. All I had to do was hang in there, recover and then make my way to the front, and that finish. I could taste it.
I made it, recovered, then moved up to the front and sat there. Someone even took up the front position and just led me in. Ralph “Cipolliniâ€￾ Keeler (Cat E) tucked in behind. The F cat was going to be mine. Ignore all the Cat E’s and concentrate on the few Cat F’s left with not a sprinter amongst them. Joe Rowe eat your heart out. Not only was the lead of the Percy Stallard series up for grabs but revenge, REVENGE I say. That corner I mentioned previously was in sight. Steady, STEADY, keep calm. Wait for the yellow flag, that’s all you have to do. Then it happened. John French took a flyer. No worry, he was an E cat, not my problem. Well that was the brain talking. Unknown to the brain the body took over and there I was, going after him. WHY? I rounded him and the corner was upon me. That’s OK, just over 200m left, I knew they wouldn’t catch me. I rounded the corner and there, 200 m up the road was …not the finish line but the Yellow flag. What? Who moved that. Still 400M to go.
The rest played out in slow motion. I hit the 200 metre to go point still clear. But the legs were now cramping and I was ploughing through treacle. 100 m to go, still there. Just 50 m left and a flash of red Lycra came by, Ralph! Please god let him be so far ahead of the rest that I still have a hope. No chance. They ALL came by. My last recollection of the race was Joe, serenely and stately almost, drifting past in what felt like slow motion, on my right. Worst of all was Rob Mattheson who after the race said well done assuming I had got the bunch sprint. He hadn’t even noticed that he had passed me. Good bye Cat F win. Goodbye Percy Stallard win. Good bye Percy Stallard series lead.

It’s taken me three weeks to face up to what was a harrowing experience. All I had to do was wait ...

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View from the old guy part 7

Post by Yosser » 14 May 2017 22:36

I've been told off for posting in the wrong location so here is my re-posted post. If you get my drift. Is this where it should be now?

View from the old guy part 7

ENVILLE – STOURBRIDGE VELO, L.V.R.C.PROMOTION
PERCY STALLARD, CATS E & F SUNDAY 7 MAY 2017

So where was I? Oh yes, view from the old guy part 6 ended thus; back from Patch’s party and going to bed early. Actually not that early as I stayed up to watch MOTD. I know, not taking things serious enough.
Sunday 7th May dawned bright and clear if a trifle sharp to start. This was a Percy Stallard event and is a key race in the LVRC calendar. I had finished second in my age Category last year which had been my first RR for 35 yrs. (13th June 1982, a 3/J race won by… John Hitchcock)!
Back to the plot. An excellent field was assembled and in my age category, along with many other strong riders was Joe Rowe who was the winner at Pinvin, Don Parry, reigning National R.R. Champion and, newly promoted to this age group, the very rapid sprinter Ralph Keeler. On top of that we were racing alongside the star packed Category E riders. Racing 4 times up Six Ashes Hill with that lot was going to be guaranteed pain.
From the off the pace up the hill was high. Several attacks went and were pulled back but eventually some of the fastest Cat E riders escaped. Crucially for me the F cats were all together. The second time up the hill the pace was unrelenting. I found myself in some trouble and dropped to the back. The elastic stretched and then, as the summit was in reach, it snapped. I took a deep breath and latched on to Johnny Poole’s back wheel as he came past, himself distanced from the pack. John is a strong rider, so if he is in trouble… Over the top, once slightly recovered, I lifted the pace ,came round John, a good mate of mine, and shouted to him to get on my wheel. We strained every sinew, did through and off and contact was re-made with the main bunch in less than a mile. All I could do was think was, “we aren’t even half way through the race yet and another twice up that hillâ€￾. For the rest of the lap I conserved as much energy as possible. Tucked in the peloton, Crouched deep on the bars. Following wheels as tightly as I dared. By the time the lap was over there were about 5 of the fastest riders now up the road in two groups. Crucially non of the F cat riders had been able to make it off the front. I felt stronger now. The hill came and this time I was mentally more prepared for it. I employed the age old trick of going to the front of the bunch as the hill started and then dropping back towards the tail end as the hill progressed, thereby allowing myself the distance of the length of the bunch to before I would be detached. I didn’t actually need to do that as I was feeling much stronger this time up but still on the limit. An attack of three riders went clear towards the top of the hill. Ralph Keeler was one of them. Good grief he was strong! Riding away from most of the bunch on a hill. He will be giving sprinters a bad name! A chase ensued downhill. The three stayed away. I launched an attack and caught them up by diving on the inside of a car that was holding us up somewhat. (I know, I shouldn’t have). Ralph looked surprised to see me but that slow car had also towed the bunch up towards us and soon we were all back together. John Poole then attacked, got clear and stayed away. Good lad I thought, not my category! Last time up the hill the peloton seemed resigned to a sprint. All the main contenders were there. On the last lap we took the detour to the right. The 2Km uphill finishing straight came with all the F cats intact. I was lying second behind a non sprinter type rider. He was not going to figure. I glanced over my shoulder, Ralph, hard on my wheel fixed me a sprinters stare and behind him was Don Parry. I didn’t bother looking for anyone else. These were going to be the main players in the final act. The flag hove into sight and I left it as late as I thought sensible. I kicked hard but almost as soon as I did I knew it was too early. Uphill, head wind and legs that felt dead from that hill, took their toll. Ralph came by first, clear winner, then as I closed in on the line over came Don, struggling but pulling ahead almost in agonising slow motion. So third it was. Good race and beaten fair and square. Power figs show that I was considerably under my normal sprint power at the end. The race had take it’s toll but it had been the same for us all so chapeau to them all.

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Post by laurence_cooley » 19 May 2017 16:40

James T was 5th (and I was 17th) in last night's second round of the SSSCCRRL. Our group was larger than usual (I presume because of entries on the line) and worked together quite well and we stayed away from all of the faster groups. I was kicking myself that I didn't get in the top ten, but was a little far back coming into the final, blind, corner and the only way I could have moved up would have been on the wrong side of the road. Full result here.

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Post by Yosser » 19 May 2017 20:16

Good rides though regardless of finishing pos'n. Both in the leading group, and finishing time in what in the Tour would call S.T.

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Post by Yosser » 20 May 2017 01:35

View from the old guy part 7

STOURPORT BC CRIT CAT 4’s TUESDAY MAY 9th 2017

I usually ride the Warwick’s eve 10 on Tuesdays for some FTP traing but this was a good chance to ride with some fellow Beaconites. Also this was being run by the Beacon (Laurence) so good to support this event. No real idea how this would pan out. Even the supposed slower BC riders are a step up from what I am used to. It wasn’t as bad a s I thought but the usual fast young pwerson’s start. Finally settled down and I realised that I was definateluy going to finish without beind disgraced, then that I would probably finish in the nain pack. When the obligatory ‘5 laps to go’ came up on the lap board I was still there. Time to make my move I thought. let’s show the youngsters how its done. I then worked hard to get to the front. 3 laps to go the board said, time to take control of the peloton I thought. I glanced over my shoulder at the poor fools who had failed to realise what I was about to release upon them. I raised the pace and came round ‘Dave Cole Corner’ as it was known. I swear I could see the surprise on his face. Get a load of this Mr President, youngsters, pah! I t was about to get tasty, I leant on the pedals and... I was right, it did get tasty. The next time Dave Cole saw me pass byI was in last place! No respect these kids. In my day…
The final lap was a desperate face-saving effort. 13th was my finishing position out of 31 riders so not too bad. Sometimes you have to accept that Tempus Fugit. I’m sure I was 25 only a couple of years ago.
Ah well. Some sedate TT’s to come this W.E.

View from the old guy part 8...

BEACON OPEN 10 K33 10D SATURDAY MAY 13th 2017

So here we go, dressed all in full TT garb, like some gnome looking for a garden pond to fish and riding a fully rigged go faster bike, hoping to do a time that a half decent OAP would do on a mobility scooter. Bizarrely I did go faster than an OAP on a disability scooter. Faster than I had any right to go considering that I had done a time of 25:15 only a week before. A new PB of 22:41 and coming first in V60 age cat. I ask you, me winning a TT prize in an open event. Tomorrow ...


...and 9

SPORTZMAD 25 R25 -WALES SUNDAY 14th MAY 2017

And to complete the weekend …
Drove over to the famous (notorious) R25 course. Weather conditions good. Sunny, no rain with the wind being in the right direction, if a little too strong to be ideal.
This is a fast course due to two main factors. The long starting hill that you don’t have to go back up to finish and the traffic. Ideally a gentle westerly head wind on the outward leg is overcome by the hill on the way out and then the tail wind helps you back. That was how it was except the headwind was very strong. I made the turn at an average speed of 26.1 mph and turned for home. Unfortunately I leant too heavily on the home made Garmin support stick and broke it. The Garmin hung down at an alarming angle. I spent the whole of the double turn island wrestling it off and then tucking it up my shorts, next to the caffeine gel. Mental note, don’t put the wrong thing in your mouth. (You know what I mean)! The return leg was done without recourse to the Computer. Bliss, just how it used to be. Just stamp on the pedals and hurt yourself, simples. Unfortunately I hadn’t aclue where the finish was and the Garmin was up my shorts, I wrestled it down without loosing too much speed but a fair amount of dignity. A passing motorist was definitely of the opinion I had been ferreting around up there for an indecent amount of time. Garmin retrieved and I noticed that it had stopped at 21.4 miles. Bugger. So where on the course was I? Some short time later I convinced myself I had finished as I passed a lay-by with several cyclists and cars scattered around. Having no time or distance to guide me I sat up and sort of cruised and also sort of kept going if you get my drift. My doubts wer that I wasn’t going up that hill yet. I think that is where the finish should have been. My mistake was brought into glorious relief when rider #82 came roaring by in a full TT, I’m still racing, kind of speed. Bugger again, I’ll follow him. A full 3 miles later was the real finish. I must have lost a chunk of time and I had come to get a second PB. What was the damage.
Relief! A very respectable 57:02 and about 50 sec PB. It was only on the way home that I reflected on the miserly 3 secs off doing a 56. Ah well.

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Post by jdtate101 » 21 May 2017 14:07

GCCC Great summer road race today in Winchcombe was a sorry affair for me, lady luck deserted me completely on lap 3 out of 9 (9.5km lap), as I got hung up behind a crash and lost the bunch. Tried to chase on but it was hopeless as they were going full gas to pull back a small breakaway. Decided not to abuse myself for another 90mins and rode back to the HQ, tail between my legs. I probably would have been dropped anyway after another two laps as the legs weren't behaving themselves as much as I'd hoped. C'est La Vie...

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Post by slogfester » 21 May 2017 17:16

Bad luck, James. We (A group) passed the race but I don't think anyone spotted you? When they went past us the break was still about 1 min.
Belt up, we're going for a ride

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Re: Road/circuit race reports 2017

Post by Yosser » 22 May 2017 18:13

James, I take your mishap, getting trapped behind crash, and raise you ...


VIEW FROM THE OLD GUY (VIA THE TARMAC)

The Worcester St Johns GERRY HUGHES RR

So onto Sunday’s latest test of strength. A good field for the race but unfortunately for any thoughts of me winning, a large contingent of E cat riders, many of some note. That combined with a hard course around the area of Great Witley. A full field assembled for sign on and briefing at Little Witley village hall. Mike Hopkins looking anxious as he was down as a reserve for the CD race. By way of compensation he then showed me his new road machine, the full rig, top spec, Trek Madone. Stunning to see one in the flesh, er, steel, er carbon. £11k to spare anyone?

We set out down to wards Great Witley, past the old village hall, home to the Little Mountain TT for so many years and then turned smart left towards Martley. I am sure that most of you will be aware of that hill that we used just to start the old LMTT. Yep it got a little feisty up there. I held on fine until over the top the two top riders in this race made their move. When I saw them already several hundred yards clear I had a choice, stay and go for a win in Cat F, or try for a result in the overall race. I decided to go for the latter and moved to the outside to attack. At that point the bunch pinned me in as a car came the opposite way and it was some several seconds later that I could strike out. I jumped from about 10 wheels back so that by the time I hit the leading riders I was going almost flat out and they had little chance to “get the wheel”. Clear of the bunch I hammered it. I closed to about 50m but then Chris Davis looked over his shoulder and their pace seemed to lift a notch. I also tried to raise the pace but could feel the inevitable red zone creeping through the legs. I felt like an overweight burger addict running for the late night bus. I steadied into a regular TT pace that I knew would not be good enough against either of them let alone both working well. “Come on Dave, lift it”. John Poole had bust a gut and got on to my wheel. We rotated the lead well and the gap stabilised. Tantalisingly close on hills as the distance narrowed but almost 20 secs away by this stage I guessed. John and I settled for riding virtually the entire rest of the race in this no man’s land, hoping rather than believing we could catch the two in front but feeling that we could stay away from the bunch who were almost a minute in arrears. At least I should be safe for the Cat F win!
Then disaster. We climbed the big hill again with the bunch nowhere in sight. John was looking stronger than me so I just held his wheel all the way up. Over the top we hammered it down the other side, seeing if we could pull the leaders back a little. And then it happened. Descending on the hoods I hit one of Britain’s ubiquitous pot holes. A drain cover, sunken of the course of time to a relatively deep sided dip rather than jagged and more obvious hole. My hands bounced off the bars and as if in slow motion I watched myself hurtle over them towards the still rapidly moving road surface. I could only roll my head under my left arm and hope. (According to my Garmin, and analysis of suitable software, I was moving at just under 34 mph at this point). I made quite a mess of most areas of my limbs and areas of my shoulders as well.

The race organisers were excellent First aid delivered by St Johns (I think), and a van came and picked me and the bike up and back to HQ I insisted that I was OK to look after myself as Anne was away partaking in a Tri Worlds qualifying event many miles away. I had been checked for head injuries, (They said I looked vacant, I assured them that was, a good sign of normality).
I drove to the Alexander A&E to get wounds dressed and to check for breaks and if stitches needed. No and no. Amazing after that speed.

Well I suspect that that’s it from me for some time. I look like I have been star of the Mummy returns (Part 7 ?) I will shortly see if I can pedal on an indoor trainer. Mobility is now becoming painful as tissue damage shows as swelling. Liberal dosage of Ibuferen and alcohol got me some sleep last night.

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Re: Road/circuit race reports 2017

Post by neilo » 22 May 2017 19:32

Glad there's nothing broken Dave! Take it easy and get well soon.

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Re: Road/circuit race reports 2017

Post by martin mc » 22 May 2017 22:22

Ouch Dave, hope you heal quickly. You can use the time off bike to perfect your already well proven training plan.

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Re: Road/circuit race reports 2017

Post by Yosser » 23 May 2017 10:18

Thanks for the support guys. I have already made an addendum to current plan Martin, "At all times grip bars very tightly on British roads".

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Re: Road/circuit race reports 2017

Post by Cleggy » 23 May 2017 15:06

Hope you heal up soon Dave! Got a report from the Mallory Park 3rd Cat crit last Thursday:

A near full field of around 60 graced the revised finish line atop the hill of the famous motor racing circuit. It was warm, dry and we had been promised clear skies until at least sundown; how we had been deceived… The race started energetically with attacks from the go, the field staying strung out for the first few laps with tight chicanes being taken at frightful speeds. As the culprits faded from the tough wind down the seemingly never ending pit straight, the group settled into a prolonged game of “headwind cat and mouse”. Having numerous “allies” in the form of Leicester Forest CC and the Dynamic Rides Race Team, I was able to go with friends on around 4 or 5 breakaway attempts, all of which the field were hellbent on chasing down! Following this, the race completely changed. The heavens opened and standing water covered the tarmac. It became a race of attrition, with more and more of the field dropping out every lap. It was so wet it was difficult to breathe due to the spray from the wheel in front. The remaining field seemed to unanimously calm down. “Let’s just get through this in one piece” was called by a few riders. The pace stayed high but everything was smooth and people weren’t taking risks on the chicanes; a problem I’ve been affected by multiple times last season. 35 minutes more of grim riding passed surprisingly quickly until the bell for 5 laps to go. Suddenly attacks were going left right and centre and once again, the field was strung out. Amazingly, nobody went down through some incredibly sketchy corners. At this point I started to move up through the group with a good friend from Leicester Forest. Down the final straight before the hill, riders jostled for position with wheels darting all over the road. I had somehow managed to surf wheels through the group and got into the front 5 riders when everyone started to wind up the sprint. It was all going to plan, I felt good, I was positioned well and it was an uphill finish. Then the rider in front shipped his chain sprinting. I had to freewheel behind him a third of the way up the hill and riders flew around us. I grabbed a gap but doing so dug REALLY deep and the previous hour of attacks and attrition set in. I managed to get past a fair few of those who’d blown up before the finish and bagged 9th place; a point at least! The field rolled round for a warm down lap but it was so cold that many abandoned. Thankfully the same friend from Leicester Forest spared me the 25km ride back to Leicester and put the heater on full as we shivered all the way... Onto Tudor Grange tomorrow!

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Re: Road/circuit race reports 2017

Post by petemarshall » 26 May 2017 16:48

Yosser wrote:
23 May 2017 10:18
Thanks for the support guys. I have already made an addendum to current plan Martin, "At all times grip bars very tightly on British roads".
Descend on drops, hold bars lightly (race position ). May not always work but the recommended way 😊

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Re: Road/circuit race reports 2017

Post by Yosser » 26 May 2017 18:17

Nice one Matt and well written, I could have been there. You do find that the higher cat races you get in the more likely they are see the break ahead as an opportunity and attempt to bridge over to a break in one's and two's. The younger, or lower cat bunch just seemed determined to pull the break back. Either way, good ride.

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Re: Road/circuit race reports 2017

Post by laurence_cooley » 03 Jun 2017 16:45

Just a brief update to note that Gavin finished 8th in a 3/4 race that five of us did at Tudor Grange on 18 May, and then John came 6th there the following week. Matt got his second win of the season this Thursday, in a 3rd-cat race at Mallory. Well done Matt.

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Re: Road/circuit race reports 2017

Post by GavPass » 05 Jun 2017 16:52

I got a 9th at Curborough on Friday too, and John Hunt got 10th in a strong attack at the end of the Redditch Road Race among a hugh bunch finish

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Re: Road/circuit race reports 2017

Post by laurence_cooley » 06 Jun 2017 22:20

Here's a write-up of May's action: http://www.beaconrcc.org.uk/hubub/2017/ ... -may-2017/.

Keep the reports coming. I've already got a fair amount for June's summary.

Jamie Dennis came 2nd at Stourport tonight and I was 9th. It was a small field but in very windy conditions with torrential rain half-way through, it was tough going! My socks will never be white again.

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Re: Road/circuit race reports 2017

Post by Yosser » 07 Jun 2017 08:41

Sunday 4th June 2017. Tommy Godwinn LVRC RR
First race back after the "off" was a Percy Stallard event. Most of the field were E cats so I knew it would be hard. In the end there were 6 E cats away and I came 8th O/A and 2nd in my Cat, losing out in the bunch sprint by a wheel.

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Re: Road/circuit race reports 2017

Post by Tim » 09 Jun 2017 19:25

Well done guys. Great stuff Jamie! Not surprised as he looked v comfortable at the race at Tudor Grange recently
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Re: Road/circuit race reports 2017

Post by Tim » 09 Jun 2017 19:26

Laurence you are making 3rd cat this year...can feel it in me bones!
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Re: Road/circuit race reports 2017

Post by laurence_cooley » 19 Jun 2017 21:55

Last week's SSSCCRRL was back at Charlton, and with only 60-odd riders racing, there were three handicap groups instead of five. A combined group 1/2 worked together much better than group 1 usually does, and we very almost stayed away - only being caught by a breakaway from the scratch group well within the last km. We'd dropped quite a few riders who sprinted to top-ten places when group 1 stayed away there last month, and I was much better positioned than that time coming into the final, but the scratch breakaway caught us by surprise and flew past. Will Fotheringham from my group managed to latch on to them for 5th, which was good going because I thought we'd dropped him a lap previously!

I also raced a 4th-cat crit at Curborough on Saturday and came 8th, but got the points for 7th because the winner was a 3rd cat who'd been promoted since he entered the event online. I then spent most of the rest of the afternoon pouring cold water over myself.

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Re: Road/circuit race reports 2017

Post by laurence_cooley » 27 Jun 2017 13:00

Matt finished 5th in last Tuesday's 2/3/4 race at Stourport. Not only did he comfortably stay with the 2nd cats when they caught the 3/4s, but he put in a few attacks for good measure.

Well done to Robin for getting his first BC points on Friday too, with 9th amongst the 4th cats at a Lichfield-run event at Curborough, where there were separate 3rd and 4th-cat races within a race.

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Re: Road/circuit race reports 2017

Post by Tim » 27 Jun 2017 20:48

Well done Laurence, Matt and Robin! Feeling left out. I really need to work out where and when I can get myself into some more races to bag myself a point this year too!
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Re: Road/circuit race reports 2017

Post by Yosser » 28 Jun 2017 10:56

View from the old guy LVRC National RR Championships 25 June 2017

I had very mixed feelings about riding this event. Although one of my 2017 targets, mentally noted at the end of last year, things had developed. Anne had her main target as retaining her National sprint Triathlon title at the start of the June and then we had to work on maintaining her form for the Europeans, which by unfortunate coincidence, fell on the same day as my Nationals. I wanted to go with her to Germany but she was resolute in not jeopardising my chances, so we decided we would go our separate ways on this. The second thing that had happened is I discovered that track racing again. I turned up at the LVRC National Omnium Chaps in February only to see how it went, and ended up in the Silver medal position. I then went regularly to the Derby Velodrome to compete in the LVRC track league and won my age category. So I decided to have a go at the full BC National track champs. So I have been track training for a month or so, and consequently putting on some timber, (now 83Kg compared to 79Kg same time last year). Note that weight increase, and I wasn’t exactly a “grimpeur” at last years weight either!

And so to the race. The following is from the race programme;

RACE ROUTE AND DISTANCES
The course is exactly 8 miles each lap. It has 700 feet of ascent per lap.
Race EFG, 6 LAPS

I read this with disquiet. Almost 50 miles, with the best in the country and a total climb equivalent to climbing the Tourmalet. (For the pedants, that’s from Sainte-Marie-de-Campan, the eastern side).

I cannot tell a lie, I was pleased to have recovered sufficiently, after my crash a month ago, to consider this race a possibility. The big sprinters were Ralph, Keeler, Don Parry, (defending champion), and possibly myself. However with this sort of terrain and field it would be a case of; a) could you stay to the end and then, b) what sort of sprint do you have left. I was fairly sure that there were riders aplenty that would be determined that it wouldn’t be a bunch sprint, and they had been given the course to do that. And yes, of course it was an uphill sprint!
The race unfolded at a steady pace for several laps. Unfortunately for me, that steady pace was high! At one point, two lads from one particular club sat on the front for mile after mile at a relentless pace on the main uphill section. When a friend of mine, a regular competitor on the LVRC circuit, asked them after the race why they had done that they replied because they didn’t think the race was fast enough! I could only speculate at their fitness levels and beyond that, why not attack us instead of towing us? At least that would have left me behind to suffer in peace. (To confuse the issue even more, one of them was a DNF a short time later). Suddenly, about halfway through the race, there was a touch of wheels and riders came down right in front of me. I swerved to avoid them and went for a very narrow gap, touching arms with the rider on my left and almost clipping one of the fallen riders handlebars with my pedal on my right. I held it upright but only just. Too close for comfort. I looked over my shoulder. Riders were getting up quickly re-mounting so no real damage. One of them was Ralph. I made my way from the back to the front and steadied the pace down. Someone came past and raised the pace so I just sat second wheel. It was not up to me to tell people not to race when there is a crash, this is a national champs after all. However I didn’t feel good about that and when he peeled off I moved through and steadied it down again. The crashed riders got back on. Ralph had several cuts but was going well enough. Fourth time up the hill and I heard a loud “go on Dave” and saw my Brother-in-law and partner Jo at the side of the road. They had just finished watching on TV, my wife Anne, his sister, finish the European Tri championships in Düsseldorf before hot footing it from Lymington to watch me. labouring up the finish hill. I glanced at the lap board, yes just a couple more laps of pain and it’s all over. While I’m at it, praise for the event team and Tim Crumpton. Their organisation was excellent; efficient and yet not officious. As an example, each race had a different colour for their numbers, ours, F cats, being Yellow, and they had a lap board in a matching colour for each race. Sweet!
Things now started kicking off, with riders attacking, getting gaps and being pulled back. Ralph came steaming past at one juncture and shouted at me to “come on Dave, not again”. There was a break trying to establish itself a short distance ahead. (Ralph and I had had a couple of races recently where people had clipped off and the bunch and rued the decision not to chase as we were forced to sprint it out for second place only. One sprint each if you want to know). We pulled them back but there was an ominous “dead feeling” in the legs as I chased. Oops, this just might get painful!
Onto the last lap and I could feel the strength draining. Two lads, (yes I know, lads, over 65 years old race) had broken away and had a good lead. Worse than that, we weren’t chasing that hard. Bronze medal sprint OK people? By now I had little to offer. A couple of people went for it but were pulled back. Then Don Parry went for it, trying to bridge the gap I raised myself out of the saddle and sprinted onto his wheel. That hurt! He looked over and gestured me through. I didn’t refuse, I just couldn’t make it. We all settled back. Don, to his credit, did another pull on the front and it looked to me that he almost halved the lead to the break. However no one took up the mantle to help him, including me. It was also very near the finish and a bunch sprint was now on. We had caught one of the riders but the other was hanging on for dear life. Surely he couldn’t survive. I couldn’t do anything about it and probably wouldn’t anyway at this stage knowing I had very little left for the sprint. The 1 Km board came and went. The pace raised noticeably, the effort even more so as we were now climbing that b****y hill. The lone rider still away but the gap down to about 100m max but not reducing. Jeez but he’s strong! The yellow flag now hove into view. Just starting to be a sprint now and yet the escapee rider is STILL holding on. I’m still in the mix and near the front. Then that moment we all know so well explodes. The moment when nerves or judgement kick in and the sprint kicks off for real. Ralph Keeler goes for it, Don Parry is winding it on as well, I jump, we all jump and the initial feeling is OK. Then it happens, cramp in one calf and seconds later, the other. I’m forced to slow and riders I was catching, now move remorselessly away. I see Dave Woods, Rob Matheson and at least one more rider, who I can’t identify through the blurred vision, ahead and pulling away! Then I see Don, a superb sprinter, is also tying up, bloody hell it must have been a hard race. As the line approaches the cramp brings me to an almost dead stop and at least one more rider catches me on the line. Did I beat him or not? No matter really I suppose but a place in the top six of the National RR would be nice.

I stay to chat with Richard and Jo at the finish before making my way back to the H.Q. When I get there I look at my mobile for news of Anne. Message; “absolutely shocked, came 1st, I’m waiting for the presentation”! My wife had just become European Champion.

At the presentation it turns out I didn’t get in the top six but I am fairly sure that I got 7th . I will have to wait for the results due later in the week. The winner, with that superb solo effort, was Ray Robinson and second, winning the bunch sprint despite his off, went to Ralph Keeler with Dave Woods a very popular 3rd place on the podium. Dave has such a pleasant demeanour and rarely gets the placings his rides deserve due to the lack of a gallop, hence the cheers. My good friend Rob Mattheson was 4th and for once didn’t wait on my wheel for what he calls the “ooomph” moment. I had no ooomph left!

Super day, super race and a proper course. If Rob reads this I will just say “not my sort of course Rob”. He knows what I mean!

What a good day.

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