Canary Wharf Tour Series

Corporate Ascents

Is anybody planning to go and watch the race or is anyone in the fun race beforehand?

bigbelly

Applied for my company team, but wasn't selected. But will def watch the rest of the line up.

deptfordmarmoset

I know the race is at 7pm on Tuesday 25 May, but I don't know anything about the fun race before. Does anybody know what time that's scheduled for?

It's just over the river from me so I might as well take both races in.

kurako

Here's the route. I'm pretty sure there's a large-ish drain cover at the right turn just before Waitrose. Just where the have the start/ finish arena on the map. That could be interesting although I suppose they'll take a wide anough line to miss it.

http://www.tourseries.co.uk/CircuitMaps/CanaryWharf.pdf

I wonder how they'll cope with all the peds coming out of Barcap and swarming over the road having squeezed between the cabs on the rank or the psychotic D7 bus drivers. :shock:

(ok ok. I'm sure it'll be a closed circuit)

MadammeMarie

Corporate Ascents wrote:

Is anybody planning to go and watch the race or is anyone in the fun race beforehand?

I'm racing beforehand. Are you?

I posted something a while ago about this, I know at least two posters here who work in Canary Wharf, but nobody replied (billy no-mates, me!).

MadammeMarie

deptfordmarmoset wrote:

I know the race is at 7pm on Tuesday 25 May, but I don't know anything about the fun race before. Does anybody know what time that's scheduled for?

It's just over the river from me so I might as well take both races in.

The amateur race will take place from 6pm. I think all the teams are already formed, I'm afraid! Each team as 5 riders, 2 female and 3 male, and the last rider is one of the professionals.

deptfordmarmoset

MadammeMarie wrote:

deptfordmarmoset wrote:

I know the race is at 7pm on Tuesday 25 May, but I don't know anything about the fun race before. Does anybody know what time that's scheduled for?

It's just over the river from me so I might as well take both races in.

The amateur race will take place from 6pm. I think all the teams are already formed, I'm afraid! Each team as 5 riders, 2 female and 3 male, and the last rider is one of the professionals.

Thanks MadammeMarie. I'm far too old and slow for racing so I'll simply be happy to pootle under the river and have a watch.

Will there be any way of identifying Radaristas?

kurako

MadammeMarie wrote:

deptfordmarmoset wrote:

I know the race is at 7pm on Tuesday 25 May, but I don't know anything about the fun race before. Does anybody know what time that's scheduled for?

It's just over the river from me so I might as well take both races in.

The amateur race will take place from 6pm. I think all the teams are already formed, I'm afraid! Each team as 5 riders, 2 female and 3 male, and the last rider is one of the professionals.

I'm not racing but I'm thinking of hanging around to see it. Got quite a few keen cyclists where I am.

Which team are you in? More to the point what bike are you using?

MadammeMarie

Kurako wrote:

Which team are you in? More to the point what bike are you using?

I'm with one of the banks (sent you a PM). They are giving us the bike to race with, a Boardman hybrid type w/disk brakes, flat bar. Never rode a flat bar before, so that will be interesting....!

Corporate Ascents

Which team are you riding for - I'll look out for you - do you know which pro rider will be riding your last leg?

kurako

MadammeMarie wrote:

Kurako wrote:

Which team are you in? More to the point what bike are you using?

I'm with one of the banks (sent you a PM). They are giving us the bike to race with, a Boardman hybrid type w/disk brakes, flat bar. Never rode a flat bar before, so that will be interesting....!

Ha ha. I can see why you wouldn't want to admit to working for that motley crew ;-)

I suppose the flat bar boardman makes sense since it's sponsored by Halfords. I wonder if you have to wear outsize hi-viz and facemasks too.

Oddjob62

Bit of a bump for tonight.

Might head down seeing as the weather is so nice

nobunaga

MadammeMarie wrote:

Corporate Ascents wrote:

Is anybody planning to go and watch the race or is anyone in the fun race beforehand?

I'm racing beforehand. Are you?

I posted something a while ago about this, I know at least two posters here who work in Canary Wharf, but nobody replied (billy no-mates, me!).

Lucky you for getting to be in it. I have had a few friends trying to get in but they could not. Good luck.

Clever Pun

I had no idea this was on... bugger

MadammeMarie

THAT WAS GREAT FUN!!!!! I had never raced in my life - well, does SCR count? - so it was a brand new experience. The bikes were not the hybrids promised, but single speeds, dropped handlebars. Luckily had time to ride it a couple of laps before the race. I was first off in my team, nerve wrecking. The start was a bit tricky b/c there were too many of us and not enough space! We were too close to each other, which made the start difficult. Shame. Managed to over take someone, though!

The atmosphere was good. After the race, the hospitality area saved my evening, because I was starving and they had good food. Also, got to hang around a bit with the other teams - the Reuters lot were a riot! Shame I couldn't stay until the end of the professional race. The temperature dropped big time and I was in lycra shorts, freeeeezing! That damned wind!!!

Just a couple of thumbs down: the organization was not good at all. Everything was a bit confusing, we were given wrong information all the time, which led us to hang around a lot, freezing in our lycra. The amateur race started half hour late. And the hospitality area should have been next to the start/finish line, not opposite Waitrose! And the screens, don't know what they were there for, b/c they were not showing the race.

Oh, my team came on 8th place.

Kurako, where were you?

kurako

MadammeMarie wrote:

THAT WAS GREAT FUN!!!!! I had never raced in my life - well, does SCR count? - so it was a brand new experience. The bikes were not the hybrids promised, but single speeds, dropped handlebars. Luckily had time to ride it a couple of laps before the race. I was first off in my team, nerve wrecking. The start was a bit tricky b/c there were too many of us and not enough space! We were too close to each other, which made the start difficult. Shame. Managed to over take someone, though!

The atmosphere was good. After the race, the hospitality area saved my evening, because I was starving and they had good food. Also, got to hang around a bit with the other teams - the Reuters lot were a riot! Shame I couldn't stay until the end of the professional race. The temperature dropped big time and I was in lycra shorts, freeeeezing! That damned wind!!!

Just a couple of thumbs down: the organization was not good at all. Everything was a bit confusing, we were given wrong information all the time, which led us to hang around a lot, freezing in our lycra. The amateur race started half hour late. And the hospitality area should have been next to the start/finish line, not opposite Waitrose! And the screens, don't know what they were there for, b/c they were not showing the race.

Oh, my team came on 8th place.

Kurako, where were you?

I was hanging at the Cabot Square end. One of the guys from work brought a couple really awesome cameras and I was taking photos. May have missed the first few riders due to, er, being in the pub. I think team Credit Suisse took it down in the end. The big ginger bloke is a monster!

deptfordmarmoset

Glad you enjoyed it, MadammeMarie.

I must admit I had no idea how the ''Grand Prix'' race worked and when the riders came out of the bend just after Waitrose, it was clear quite a few of them had cleat/upside-down toeclip issues.

But you're right - that wind was nasty.

unscarred

I was just surprised how little publicity this got. Given I work at 25 Canada Square, right next to the hospitality area, the number of people in my office who didn't even know it was going on was very disappointing.

Fortunately, I live in Woking, so I should get to see the last race in the series.

lardboy

There's coverage of this on ITV 4 at 7 o'clock tonight.

CXXC

/quote]
I think team Credit Suisse took it down in the end. The big ginger bloke is a monster![/quote]

nope we (BarCap) took it, I was 4th rider chasing down the Ginger beast from Credit Suisse

MadammeMarie

Kurako wrote:

I was hanging at the Cabot Square end. One of the guys from work brought a couple really awesome cameras and I was taking photos. May have missed the first few riders due to, er, being in the pub. I think team Credit Suisse took it down in the end. The big ginger bloke is a monster!

I'm desperately seeking photos out there! Only 6 on the official site. Can you publish them somewhere?

WesternWay

MadammeMarie wrote:

I'm desperately seeking photos out there! Only 6 on the official site. Can you publish them somewhere?

Search in flickr gives you a good few

Corporate Ascents

MadammeMarie - well done yesterday good ride - it was good to meet up.

mtb-idle

Mme Marie,

I was there last night too spectating. A great event altho yes too much hanging around and it got flippin cold especially in the pits area.

I had my stills camera and HD video cam with me and shot some footage. I will see what i can find and let you know.

MadammeMarie

MTB-Idle wrote:

Mme Marie,

I was there last night too spectating. A great event altho yes too much hanging around and it got flippin cold especially in the pits area.

I had my stills camera and HD video cam with me and shot some footage. I will see what i can find and let you know.

Ooooh, thank you! We are still waiting for the organizers to send us the pics they took of us in the podium.

MadammeMarie

Corporate Ascents wrote:

MadammeMarie - well done yesterday good ride - it was good to meet up.

Thanks! I really enjoyed it.

jonginge

Highlights are on again tomorrow on itv4 at about 1pm... setting the dvr to record

coopster_the_1st

JonGinge wrote:

Highlights are on again tomorrow on itv4 at about 1pm... setting the dvr to record

Or go to the ITVPlayer http://www.itv.com/itvplayer/ (look up ITV4 and 7pm Wed 26th May)and it is available on there for the next 29 days

roundthebend

I watched a bit of the program last night, but I'm not really sure I understand the concept of this race to enjoy it on TV. I'll hopefully be going to spectate at the Peterborough one again as it's a good atmosphere and you get a really good admiration for how fast these guys go and for how long.

Can anyone explain, briefly, the tactical side of these races? Why do riders break away from the "peloton" then slow down again? Why were they looking over their shoulder so often and moving out of the way to let others pass?

White Horse

The riders score points at the finish. So 1st place gets 1 point, 2nd get 2, 3rd gets 3 and so on. The scores of the top 3 riders of each team are combined and the lowest score wins the race.

So, if 1 team has riders placed 1, 7 and 10th they score 18. Another team has riders placed 2, 5 and 6th, they score 13 so would win the race, despite not having a rider cross the line first. Riders were getting clear and then realising they were just dragging 2 riders from another team to an almost certain victory as one rider from that team would pretty much only have to finish high up in the bunch gallop for say 15th place to take the overall win.

I must admit, I don't think the commentary team or presenters made that clear at all and I only know it from watching last year. Makes for interesting tactics once the teams suss out that they must place 3 riders well rather than just lead out their top man or hope their sprinter gets in a weaker breakaway group.

roundthebend

Wow, that's complicated. It sounds like hard mental work for the riders, never mind the physical effort.