The Race Reports Thread 2011

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  • maryka
    maryka Posts: 748
    Nice work, sounds like you'll be up to 3rd cat soon enough. However I would caution you not to pull this when you get there:
    Milese wrote:
    I went, tried to get across diagonally onto a wheel but couldn't quite catch it
    A definite no-no. Don't switch your line, don't cut across diagonally to grab a wheel. Get on the right wheel in the first place or suck it up and do your best to compensate for it if you don't, but don't risk causing a crash. For your sake and everyone else's, ride safe in the sprint please!
    http://www.twitter.com/smaryka
  • greeny12
    greeny12 Posts: 759
    gattocattivo wrote:
    ^ good blog

    Thank you!
    My cycle racing blog: http://cyclingapprentice.wordpress.com/

    If you live in or near Sussex, check this out:
    http://ontherivet.ning.com/
  • joeyhalloran
    joeyhalloran Posts: 1,080
    Milese wrote:
    Ilton Circuit 12th March - 4th Cat only
    so kept my head down


    Sounds good and glad you are enjoying it, but I am also slightly concerned about this one ^^
  • milese
    milese Posts: 1,233
    My description probably hasn't lended to a full image of what happened. Points taken, but I didn't make the move blind and have already opened enough of a gap to have the room.
  • glasgowbhoy
    glasgowbhoy Posts: 1,341
    Got a 5th place today in my first competitive event. Delighted


    http://www.braveheartcyclingfund.com/Co ... IC_ID=8308
  • ozzzyosborn206
    ozzzyosborn206 Posts: 1,340
    other than a 30 min local tt, i did my first race of the season on Sunday 20th March, the Peter Young memorial road race. It consisted of about 7 laps of a 7.5 mile circuit followed by 7 laps of a 2 mile finishing circuit(or thereabouts) for the first lap i just sat mid pack thinking that if any moves went they would come back, second lap i moved up a bit and was a bit more active closing down the odd move but then i felt those efforts on the next lap so sat back a bit.

    Mid way through the 3rd lap a break went with about 5 or 6 motorpoint riders, Yanto Barker plus a few Wilier riders and a few others, myself 3 team mates and a few Corley cycles riders then drove it on the front for about half a lap but soon realised with the quality of riders up the road it wasn't coming back, then up a slight climb another group got away i didn't manage to get on the straight away but after a few hard k of chasing with 2 others we got to the group, this group had myself and another Guernsey rider, several corley cycles riders, a sigma sport rider, a motorpoint rider and a wilier rider but with team mates up the road the strongest guys in the group (motorpoint and wilier guys) just sat in while the rest of us tried to get a good tempo going, we got quite close to the group in front but with them realising we were there and our legs suffering from the effort we never made contact.

    We rode fairly well as a group on the large circuit then once on the finishing circuit the motorpoint rider started attacking in the safe knowledge that there was no risk of dragging us up to his team mates who were soon to lap us. I lost contact with the group as did a few others up the hill but managed to get back on for a lap before getting dropped for good next time round, i then rode a lap on my own and got swepted up by the rest of the bunch and just sheltered in there taking on food and gels as i was on the rivet.

    I think i ended up about mid pack of the last bunch, but by that time i was pretty glad to have finshed as from the finishing circuits i was hanging on. To say it was my first proper race of the season and also the longest race i have ever done it wasn't too bad.

    I have a local race next weekend then the week after i am doing a 2/3/4 circuit race at hillingdon on the saturday then a 3/4 road race in devon on the sunday so fingers crossed to be higher up in the placings there
  • Toks
    Toks Posts: 1,143
    Hey nice work Ozzzy, it sound like you really 'raced'. Not a bad showing for a 3rd cat :D
  • Surfr
    Surfr Posts: 243
    What a difference a week makes.

    I've just put 2 race reports on my blog.

    Paramount CRT Cat 3/4 at Sundorne Circuit, Shrewsbury

    &

    Cardiff Jif Lung Opener Cat 4 at Llandow Circuit

    http://blog.nuclear-dawn.com/2011/03/wh ... eek-makes/
  • Toks
    Toks Posts: 1,143
    Surfr wrote:
    What a difference a week makes.

    I've just put 2 race reports on my blog.

    Paramount CRT Cat 3/4 at Sundorne Circuit, Shrewsbury

    &

    Cardiff Jif Lung Opener Cat 4 at Llandow Circuit

    http://blog.nuclear-dawn.com/2011/03/wh ... eek-makes/
    Hey wll done, just read your reports. Keep racing you'll get better. Remember if you're looking to place (and I'm sure your are :wink: ) you'll need to reduce what I call 'ego-pulling'(towing the bunch around for lap after lap. Unless you're really strong there's always payback for these efforts - your threshold power will be seriously compromised, and any top 10 plans you had will dissappear up the road :D
  • Surfr
    Surfr Posts: 243
    I like that. 'ego pulling'. It pretty much sums it up! I'd not intended to be out front, it just kid of happened and nobody came past. I should have sat up earlier though as you hit the nail on the head. I'd burned too many of my matches (using the earlier mentioned analogy) early on. It *was* grin inducingly fun though :)
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,645
    Nice one Surfr, how do the two circuits compare? I've raced and Llandow and, like other motor circuits, hate it (I've never enjoyed circuit races but with my current level of fitness they offer the only options flat enough to be viable!). I've never ridden Shrewsbury though. Sounds like you are really moving in the right direction. It's a shame you couldn't get over for the Monday evening races at Maindy track the past few weeks, the first one only had 6 people taking part (5 from the one club) so points were guaranteed for just finishing! Unfortunately I didn't realise how few were doing them until after the second race and couldn't make the final one.
  • Surfr
    Surfr Posts: 243
    Totally different. Pace is pretty constant at Llandow with only the gradient and the larger of the 2 chicanes providing any slow down. Shrewsbury is much more sprinty out of the 2 hair pins and S bends. It's a tighter course too at Shrewsbury.

    Maindy sounds fun too but its bad enough travelling 8 hours each weekend to race for 2 hours total. Doing it mid week would be too much. I'll definitely be doing the Pembrey series of 5 around June though.
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,645
    Might give Pembrey a go as well, I've been told it's better than Llandow but that doesn't say much lol. Just been considering my first road race in over a decade and will be getting an entry in as soon as club mates have confirmed the course is the generally flat one I think it is! Are you riding the Abergavenny RC handicaps? They are a good introduction to road racing on a reasonably flat circuit.
  • Surfr
    Surfr Posts: 243
    Abergavenny sounds good but I've missed the boat. All 3 races are full as are the reserve lists. Obviously popular!

    My only planned proper RR of the year is the Angela Davis next month. I'll probably stick to the crits and circuits otherwise this year. Not sure how well I'd fare on the hills.
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,645
    Yep, it filled up quickly this year. I was going to do the final one but missed out so will be on lead car duties instead.
  • ozzzyosborn206
    ozzzyosborn206 Posts: 1,340
    http://www.londoncyclesport.com/index.p ... &Itemid=86

    results and report for the race i did, happy for fellow guern tobyn horton showing what hes made of
  • milese
    milese Posts: 1,233
    edited March 2011
    4th Cat Portreath Circuit Race

    I travelled down with a friend and, having been advertised as a 1pm start we arrived at around 11.30. Turns out that as it is a military base they open the gates at 1pm, let everyone in, then the races start from 2pm. The 4th started at 3pm, and the E123’s when we finished.

    Made for a lot of waiting around, and means an hour race becomes virtually a full day experience. I heard some 2nd cat saying he was going to go home. Still, it is the nature of using military bases and the circuit was very good. Just be aware you don’t need to turn up early!

    The course was a little over a mile long, a reasonable climb in it, a long straight with a nice right hand bend at the end. The surface wasn’t perfect with a few rough patches or pot holes but it was perfectly racable.

    25 riders started with 3 neutralised laps. So I rolled around at the back. As soon as the end of the 3rd lap approached I moved towards the front, tried to stay in the first half dozen without doing any work. The pace was fairly easy for the first proper lap, until at the start of the 2nd lap a MDCC rider jumped and I followed, one other rider came with us. We certainly strung the group out but didn’t ever get that much distance. I was blowing quite hard so sat up and eased off. Questioned whether it had been a good idea.

    Another ride took over at the front and pulled the group. A few other MDCC / PNZ wheelers attacks came but never really got far. I had learnt my lesson about going with individuals so let a few of them go as they didn’t seem overly dangerous. A few laps later an MDCC rider went hard up the climb so I kept them in check, followed them around the top and put in a bit of effort to get a wheel when I realised there were 3 MDCC riders in this attack.

    We pushed a bit a long the top but then stopped working when a OKCC joined us, not aware of the gap we had created, he screamed at us that we’ve got a good gap. We then worked hard together to make sure the 5 of us stayed away, which we did. In the final lap myself and the OKCC rider stopped working, leaving the onus on the 3 MDCC riders in our group.

    This was it, the final show down. I started the day needing 5th place to move to third cat, but that wasn’t in my mind. I was playing to win. I stayed in the last position through the final bend and down the slope, the OKCC rider went before the final bend and everyone got going. I followed in closely, keeping wide to ensure I’d be able to get round. The OKCC rider had been caught, and I was already in front one of the MDCCs, nearly got run onto the grass as someone went round. I kept driving up the outside in the uphill sprint and managed to get a win by about half a length.

    Well pleased. Was nice as the other 4 in the break were no slouches or novices, having seen a few (all?) of them at Springtime pursuits earlier this year.
    Now to chase 2nd cat (and shave my legs?!).

    Garmin data - to follow.

    Edit: Garmin data http://connect.garmin.com/activity/75366166
    Was a short race and figures are diluted by me doing a cool down lap and leaving course before turning it off!

    Did a sporting 25TT today in 01:07:36. Didn't enjoy it. Struggle mentally with TTs.

    Garmin data http://connect.garmin.com/activity/75353372
  • jibberjim
    jibberjim Posts: 2,810
    Milese wrote:
    get a win by about half a length.

    Well done! And glad you're up to 3rd cat!
    Jibbering Sports Stuff: http://jibbering.com/sports/
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,666
    Good effort Milese!
  • ju5t1n
    ju5t1n Posts: 2,028
    Congrats Milese – and you're right, it's time to shave those legs.

    My race today was the Bill Jinks Memorial Road Race near Coventry (the 3/4 race). It was a nice undulating circuit – new I think, well I've not raced it before. We had the National Escort Group motorcycle marshals looking after us, and they did a fantastic job – very impressed. I finished a reasonable 19th from what I'm told ended up being a full field of 80.
  • dave milne
    dave milne Posts: 703
    Biddenden 3/4

    Fast paced 70 miles at 24mph average. No hills though.

    1 Addiscombe guy got off the front and stayed away then as the bunch was winding up fot the sprint there was a mass pile up. I flew over my handlesbars at 30 mph into the grass verge. I'm fine my bike is ruined.

    The people in the middle were not so lucky. One guy was in a really bad way and got airlifted to hospital. Hopw he's ok
  • Surfr
    Surfr Posts: 243
    Sounds nasty. Was it this crash?
    5567746231_8b3cb10c49_z.jpg
    2518 by britishcycling.org.uk photos, on Flickr
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/britishcyc ... otostream/


    BC say all are on the mend on their Twitter account.
  • dave milne
    dave milne Posts: 703
    Yes - I am the rider on the left upside down in the grass
  • Surfr
    Surfr Posts: 243
    Ouch sorry to hear about the bike.
  • frankieh
    frankieh Posts: 85
    I was there, really nasty crash.

    The photos were taken by Dave Hayward;

    http://www.davehaywardphotos.com/SERRL/ ... 0644_PhdFa
  • Hibbs
    Hibbs Posts: 291
    There's a "before" shot too:

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/britishcyc ... 568331616/

    Looks to me like theres a touch of wheels between the guy in the middle (blue/yellow), and if you look under his BB you can see a front wheel - that guy.

    Hope everyone's ok.
  • tomb8555
    tomb8555 Posts: 229
    Hibbs wrote:
    There's a "before" shot too:

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/britishcyc ... 568331616/

    Looks to me like theres a touch of wheels between the guy in the middle (blue/yellow), and if you look under his BB you can see a front wheel - that guy.

    Hope everyone's ok.

    Looks more like the guy stood up for the sprint and pulled his foot out!
  • dave milne
    dave milne Posts: 703
    According to Dave Hayward his front brake sheared off and fell into his front wheel. He was taking the pics.
  • Hibbs
    Hibbs Posts: 291
    tomb8555 wrote:
    Hibbs wrote:
    There's a "before" shot too:

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/britishcyc ... 568331616/

    Looks to me like theres a touch of wheels between the guy in the middle (blue/yellow), and if you look under his BB you can see a front wheel - that guy.

    Hope everyone's ok.

    Looks more like the guy stood up for the sprint and pulled his foot out!

    Yep, don't know how I missed that great big yellow thing up there!
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,645
    Well done Milese, good to see a new racer doing so well and your tactics have certainly improved. Unlucky Dave, sounds a nasty crash but glad you got away without injury.

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