POLOCINI-The Winter Sprinter- Sunday 6th March 2011-Cheshire

polocini

It's time to leave the winter behind with an early season ride around the rolling roads of Cheshire. With a choice of two fully timed distances and a timed 'signature' climb, there is something for riders of all abilities.

All food and drink is included in the entry cost along with free entry for Under 16's, chip timing, route card, feed stations, mechanic service, free photography, SAG wagon, insurance and a motorcycle outrider! We have a specific rider village on-site with support from several leading cycling brands. Plus many more announcements in the coming weeks.

There will be no pointless goody bag, but we have some extra special prize draws......................

30 miles (50km): £17.00, 60 miles (100km): £20.00

For full details visit www.polocini.com

Thanks

bigpikle

see you there - all signed up!

Anonymous

Is this last year's Torelli Jodrell Bank Sportive?

polocini

I have got absolutely eff all to do with Torelli. Look at what I am offering for the price. I am the complete opposite of sportive organisers like Torrelli.

AL

Anonymous

Polocini wrote:

I have got absolutely eff all to do with Torelli. Look at what I am offering for the price. I am the complete opposite of sportive organisers like Torrelli.

AL

Phew!

Ron Stuart

Polocini wrote:

I have got absolutely eff all to do with Torelli. Look at what I am offering for the price. I am the complete opposite of sportive organisers like Torrelli.

AL

Whow! now that's attitude man.

polocini

Ron- not attitude! Panic. If you know the history of Torelli on this forum you would understand.

AL

fungus_the_muffin_man

I'm going to give this ride a go. Torrelli had its chance and blew it big style. We aren't spoilt for choice when it comes to organised rides up here. Especially compared to down south. Yet we have some stunning scenery and a host of possible challenging routes.

If a local organisers can come up with a quality event they deserve some support. Paul prince holds a fantastic event with his mad march hare. It'd be great to have something of that quality up here.

Anonymous

I want to do it but it's the weekend wife and newborn will be home from hospital, so, erm, I'd better not.

polocini

Fungus-Thanks for the comments. Believe or not I have had a few emails from people down south asking if I was going to do events down there. It always looks like they are spoiled for choice!

As for supporting local events, the Pendle Witches Vintage Velo was my favourite sportive of 2010. It clashes with my kids birthday but I really hope to make it this year.

Cheers
AL

polocini

Here is a video of the timed climb up swiss hill in Alderley Edge http://www.youtube.com/user/Polocini?feature=mhum

Over the next week or so, I will be adding few more things to the event.

Cheers
AL

macondo01

Had brilliant time yesterday, great route. Best bit was following the 3 in 1 lads all the way to Alderley Edge (where they had a mechanical). Till that point my average speed for the first hour was 20mph. Yeah that doesnt happened too often . Then up Swiss Hill where I found a new max heart rate of 183 Got back in 3.39 moving time for the 60miles.

Met some old friends and some remarkable folk, like the guy who was back on his bike since breaking his neck a year ago. The sun came out too! Will be doing it next year. Thank you!

bigpikle

I did the 60 as well - good route once it got going in the second half. Fast flat first half but really enjoyed Swiss Hill and the nice climbs after that. Hoping the times for the climb will be posted on the website somewhere?

Good feedstops, great to have a free pot of hot and very nice food served at the end and the lovely weather really made it enjoyable....right up to the point that my riding buddies were involved in a crash that trashed 1 bike and had them hitting the ground pretty hard at 20+mph They're suffering today sadly but an otherwise quality event.

Rich.H

Results (including split times for Swiss Hill) are here;

http://www.sportident.co.uk/results/201 ... plits.html

My lad has gone off to school with a smile on his face.........

I, on the other hand, headed off to work resigned to my fate of never getting near him on a climb again.......

A good day yesterday and exactly what I expected route wise. I would definitely ride one of their events again

Rich

Anonymous

I really wanted to do this but, well, new bambino...

polocini

Thanks for the comments.
It was a sportive of two halves. The 30milers got a raw deal as I missed a couple of important signs and didn't have a Marshall at the 30/60 split. There was also some crappy signage on the 30 that was down to me getting carried away on the first half of the 60 and then running out. I had to get some crappy a4 photocopies and put them out instead.
I will be re-running another Sprinter sportive for the riders who were on the 30. I use the tagline 'high quality,affordable sportives' and the 30 did not live up to The Polocini Standard as stated on my website. The re-run will be free for all of the entrants.

As for the 60..........everybody seemed to love it! The emails and tweets have been coming thick and fast. I really appreciate all the great comments.

Cheers
AL

bigpikle

^^ thats brave and honest to admit, so well done for being upfront. I didnt see or hear any issues but as I said, was on the 60.

The offer is a generous one and hopefully people will recognise the effort and investment in offering something to make good on your promise.

Now, off to see how bad I did on that hill.....

pickled

Did this start at Woodford? If so, i Cycled past about 8:30 wondering what event was on.
I didn't know anything about this one, which was a shame or I would have done it.

I had fun on my own up Blaze hill anyway.

gonetothehills

I did the 60 and loved it - really impressed as it was Polocini's first event, by the sounds of it. The food before, during and after was good, the route spot on, I was delighted with my time and the climbs in the 2nd half worked well - nice way of running the route.

Steaming back into the HQ with the 3-in-1 lads (what a decent bunch of youngsters they were too - checking I was ok as I fixed a minor mechanical as they caught me up, and a credit to their team and sponsors with their general attitude around the start/finish as well) was great fun - and very fast.

The only niggle I could find was that the venue had only one gents toilet, and there was little in the way of tables/seating to enjoy the great grub before and after, but these are mini gripes and only indicative of what an excellent event it was. Well done to the organiser and his team of very hard workers - I had a great day out.

Phil33

Al,

Thanks for your offer to re-run the event for the 30 milers. I spoke to you after the event and it's very refreshing to find somebody who is true to their word. I thought the food before, during and after the ride were great for the entrance fee and sign-on was well organised too. Had it not been for the direction issues on the shorter ride it would have been a really good day.

I was riding with George, who is 9. We missed the 30 / 60 split so ended up on the 60 mile route. We decided to aim towards Swiss Hill and take short cut directions from marshals there. Unfortunately my son was flagging when we had covered 36+ miles as he had averaged nearly 15mph! I had to call my wife (who was waiting at the finish with granny and granddad and my other son) to pick him up. Unfortunately, our people carrier only had the front seats in place so I had to 'time trial' behind them for 5 miles back to Woodford. It was a bit hairy when I ended up on the A34 with cars whizzing by at 70mph. :shock:

George was disappointed that he didn't ride to the finish so his mum could take a photo. Had we stayed on route we would have managed around 2 hours which is a decent time for a 9 year old.

Regards.

Philip Elliott

manc43

Did the 60 on sunday superb day and a great time 3.38 will do that again and a few more of your sportives.
cheers dopey drafter.

cw42

I was going in the opposite direction to you lot on sunday, getting a sore neck nodding to you all Nice to see so many enjoying the gorgeous day on sunday.

bigpikle

cw42 wrote:

I was going in the opposite direction to you lot on sunday, getting a sore neck nodding to you all Nice to see so many enjoying the gorgeous day on sunday.

Not being local I was amazed how many people were out riding! I'm sure the great weather helped but it was still good to see, as I dont see that many people out and about near home. They were all pretty sociable as well with nods, waves, smiles, hello's etc unlike some of the pompous miserable club riders round here :roll:

BaildonBob

Enjoyed being towed the first 20 miles at speed by the youngsters, didn't particularly like seeing them bomb past me on a hill later on. Very proud of the fact that over 60 miles I was 90 seconds faster than a 12 year old.

Good food, weather and company all the way round and at the finish. Looking at the times it seems many of us were of a similar standard.

Will be signing up for their next event.

bluesparx

Al, were you the guy on the timing chip table?

polocini

No, I was the guy in leather Motorcycle jeans (for 19hrs ouch) standing at the finish apologising for the crappy signage towards the end.

AL

TiBoy

The weekend did not start well with me locking the bike to my mates car and leaving the keys 100 miles away but I managed to start. What a great event, you can tell it was orginised by someone who was passionate about putting on a good event and not just making money, I was not looking forward to the idea of the hill climb in the middle but it was genius and I loved it. Got loads of energy food and drink and a free hot meal at the end. Fantastic. I even managed to speak to Al at the end who is the nicest man you could meet and was genuinely gutted about the mix up with the signs. I will deffinatly be signing up for the Kegs and Legs in May. One thing kept going through my mind as I rode the route 'If Carlsburg did sportives.........'

polocini

Here are some pics;
http://www.flickr.com/photos/55119780@N ... 512773373/

Enjoy!!!!!
AL

fungus_the_muffin_man

Sounds like it went relatively well Polocini. Unfortunately I wasn't able to make it for your sportive which is just as well as I was in a crash the weekend before which totalled me and the bike. I do promise though that when I'm eventually able to get back in the saddle and have a bike then I'll come and support your events. Don't think I'll be ready in time for the May event so it may have to be one of the ones after that.

Well done matey

polocini

Bloody hell Ian, what happened? Is there a thread about it? I haven't looked at any other sections of the forum other than this one for about a week.
I had an altercation of my own with a van. Maybe we can fuse our knackered bikes into one!!!

AL

fungus_the_muffin_man

No I did't bother starting a thread. I didn't think anyone would be bothered lol.

I got hit from the left/behind as I went across a roundabout as someone entered the roundabout. I was really lucky my helmet took a massive whack as it hit the road crushing the back of it the bianchi has a crack in the carbon where the stays meet the BB and I was lucky to get away with a bit of road rash and some a very sore lower back and shoulder. So i'm off on the sick for another couple of week still. The police attended but aren't taking it further :roll:

I'm waiting for a solicitor to get back to me about if they will take my case onboard.

What happened with you?

Oh If i'm still off the bike come May and not doing your ride or working I could give you a hand if you need any volunteers?