The Race Reports Thread 2011

amaferanga

Zachariah wrote:

Think about it this way. You're saying someone should be able to get in the top 10 in the category above the one they are in now just to move up. Thus making them better than the majority of people already in this category. This doesn't make sense.

A good cat 4 racer should surely be equivalent to an average cat 3 racer or even one slightly below average - someone who can keep up with the pack, but not necessarily contest the points. Self evidently, someone who can contest the points against cat 3 racers is an above-average cat 3 racer. Expecting this from any Cat 4s is unreasonable. It's like saying a football club from Division One shouldn't bother going up to the Premier League unless they can get a place in europe next season.

I don't think I said they should be able to. What I meant was that if I didn't think I was capable of at least occasionally having a good ride and picking up some points against 2nd Cats then I wouldn't see much point in aspiring to be a 2nd Cat.

Anyway, surely a good 4th Cat will very quickly be a 3rd Cat.

Zachariah

I concur.

Edited to add:

However, a bit cheeky of you to say this isn't what you meant when your previous post included the sentence:

My own view is that unless you can score at least some points against riders one Cat up from you then there's little point in trying to move upwards

walsht1105

I dont race for points, I race because I want to win or at least be/feel competitive - get points is a by-product of winning and being competitive. The different Cats are the handicap imposed to give new starters (like myself) a chance at learning the sport without being disheartened by getting battered by the top guys, that have been doing it for years, in every race. I agree that there is little point finding 'easier' races simply to get points.. but it is worth riding races you can compete in because then you learn racing, by being able to move up the group, take turns on the front, break away etc. Don't think you can really learn these skills when your hanging on the back...

So dodging a 3/4 cat race to do a 4th cat only, just to get points to move up to 3rd cat does seem pointless.. but riding 3/4 races over 2/3/4 so you can learn racing skills, build confidence and be competitive makes sense to me. I would rather not get my 3rd cat or 2nd cat by winning 'easier' races because it just means I will be found out when I move up the category and can't compete..

greeny12

Aaaanyway, back to silly race reports:

http://cyclingapprentice.wordpress.com/ ... ld-dimwit/

Toks

greeny12 wrote:

Aaaanyway, back to silly race reports:

http://cyclingapprentice.wordpress.com/ ... ld-dimwit/

I tucked in behind a guy from Redhill CC who’d also leapt from the pack and we looked set fair for a bit of a dig when suddenly – and without warning – the Redhill rider decided to start doing stunts, flying up in the air, cartwheeling, then smashing back to Earth very spectacularly.

brilliant report Greeny..I haven't race this year but I went down to support my mate Sylv from Addiscombe CC at the Smithfield Nocturne on Sunday 12th. Here's how I saw things:

I got there in time to catch the Penny Farthing 1 mile sprint which was quite impressive. The race I was most interested in though was the 2,3,4 support race featuring, Sylv of course. I watched the riders on their warm up lap and was slightly concerned coz Sylv rode by quite close to the back of the bunch. I've raced the Nocturne twice and if you're not on the front two rows on the start line its very difficult to get yourself to the front of the bunch and inevitably you'll be on the wrong side of the split when it happens; oh, and it will happen! :twisted:

No worries, once the race got going after a few laps Sylv was soon upfront and looking good. This race was no joke, I don't think I've ever seen so many amateurs looking so shattered in a criterium race. In a race like this you quickly find your level, or more correctly your level is found for you - so less fitter types were slowly but inextricably squeezed out of the group exit doors as the riders up front showed no mercy. Not being fit enough isn't something you'd level against sixteen year old, racing sensation, Germain Burton, but you kinda need to keep your bike upright when racing. He gamely raced on for a couple of laps after his crash but I don't think being dead last is a place he's familiar with

By the half way stage it was hard to count all the different little groups which had split off reformed from the front bunch. We've all been there right?, you're not a top ten contender so you're having your own little race within a race. The crowd was well up for it and all riders were being cheered and clapped; and some people even had cow bells which they tingled away in support. Typically there were lots of attacks in the final 5-6 laps, Sylv was racing smartly but also joined others to work and bring back any real threats. Two youth racers: Chris Lawless Max Gear and Tao Geoghegan Hart (remember the name!) in particular seemed to be putting in lots of digs and had back markers more than twice their age gasping like oxygen deprived goldfish

My friend was convinced Sylv had a great chance since he was in the top five positions every time the front group raced past us in the last few laps. So finally the bell lap..someone opposite me was screaming "Go Sylv' as the riders snaked past on the final descent of the circuit before temporarily disappearing out of sight. As the emerged from the bottom hairpin bend I craned my neck over the barriers to look for the gold and black jersey.

I can imagine the leaders would've smacked down a serious amount of wattage on that bitch of a bend just to gain a gap. A few seconds of pain, muscles flooded with blood lactate and the odd calf muscle now rendered useless by C.R.A.M.P...here they come, "go Sylv" shout me, my friend and the ACC lady on the opposite side of the road, Sylv went past some way outside of the top ten postions and I knew it would be difficult for him to get right back up front. Wheel suckers and Co were now controlling the pack; all primed and ready for the bunch kick. I couldn't see the finish sprint but I'm sure the former Norwood Paragon 1st cat, Steve Calland got the win. It looked like a great race well done Sylv.

maryka

Great report Toks. Want to write one for the women's race as guest blogger on the LWCR site?

Toks wrote:

I couldn't see the finish sprint but I'm sure the former Norwood Paragon 1st cat, Steve Calland got the win. It looked like a great race well done Sylv.

Saw that too, wondering why as he was 1st cat all last year with over 100 points is he a 2nd cat now? (The word ringer comes to mind! )

Toks

maryka wrote:

Great report Toks. Want to write one for the women's race as guest blogger on the LWCR site?

Toks wrote:

I couldn't see the finish sprint but I'm sure the former Norwood Paragon 1st cat, Steve Calland got the win. It looked like a great race well done Sylv.

Saw that too, wondering why as he was 1st cat all last year with over 100 points is he a 2nd cat now? (The word ringer comes to mind! )

Hmm ...you maybe on to something, but I couldn't possibly comment. :? Re the women race and Elite race :x :oops: My two friends, despite my warning came out unprepared for the weather and got quite cold after about 90mins of standing around. To my shame I left before Hannah and much later Alex did the business in their respective races. Next time I'll go to the Nocturne by myself :twisted:..Anyway more importantly, massive congratulations to you and Jim on the birth of your baby girl. Try an let us know her threshold power as soon as possible

Toks

maryka wrote:

Great report Toks. Want to write one for the women's race as guest blogger on the LWCR site?

Toks wrote:

I couldn't see the finish sprint but I'm sure the former Norwood Paragon 1st cat, Steve Calland got the win. It looked like a great race well done Sylv.

Saw that too, wondering why as he was 1st cat all last year with over 100 points is he a 2nd cat now? (The word ringer comes to mind! )

You're spot on he earned 124 points as a 1st cat in 2010.

fish156

Toks wrote:

You're spot on he earned 124 points as a 1st cat in 2010. Shame on him, the win should've gone to Chris Lawless the youth rider.

Toks, looking at BC he "only" earned 91 points last year as a 1st cat, hence he's now a 2nd cat. No shame in that.

jibberjim

fish156 wrote:

Toks wrote:

You're spot on he earned 124 points as a 1st cat in 2010. Shame on him, the win should've gone to Chris Lawless the youth rider.

Toks, looking at BC he "only" earned 91 points last year as a 1st cat, hence he's now a 2nd cat. No shame in that.

http://www.britishcycling.org.uk/points ... &year=2010

Shows 124 points, but I see the confusion, he also won 33 points in Mountain Biking which is included in the total. There were only 91 road points.

Toks

jibberjim wrote:

fish156 wrote:

Toks wrote:

You're spot on he earned 124 points as a 1st cat in 2010.

Toks, looking at BC he "only" earned 91 points last year as a 1st cat, hence he's now a 2nd cat. No shame in that.

http://www.britishcycling.org.uk/points ... &year=2010

Shows 124 points, but I see the confusion, he also won 33 points in Mountain Biking which is included in the total. There were only 91 road points.

OK my bad, maybe not on paper but he's still a 1st cat :roll: I wonder if those MB points would be allowed to contribute towards a move up to the next category.
1st Category: Any junior or senior licence holder who has gained 200 points during any one season whilst holding a 2nd category licence. To retain a 1st category licence for the following season, a rider must obtain at least 100 points in events open to that category of rider.

Zachariah

Tockwith Spring Series 6 (of 6)

And so, the final race. There was only one goal for me: 8th place or better, to secure the vital 2 points for 3rd Cat (the result from round four was sixth, not fifth as I thought). My mantra for tonight: No holding back. In race four, my caution on the final bend had cost me. Race five, I let the gas off too early on the sprint. Not tonight!

It was an unusual evening. The finish straight, normally a bloody battle into the wind, was calm. What little wind there was, blew against the riders on the second side of the triangle. The third, the one with the chicane, almost felt like it had a slight headwind instead of the normal tail boost.

The pace was noticeably faster from the off in strict mph, but perceived effort was the same due to the unnatural calm. Quite a few wobbles since we were taking the bends faster, which also produced some abrupt braking that rippled backwards through the peloton. I kept myself mid-pack but managed to generate plenty of aggro through my attempts to move up.

I must now confess that I am one of the riders complained about on this board. I am new to racing and have next to no experience riding in a group (my club is not a BC-affiliated racing one, more of a social thing for the gentler rider - I'm the only one in it who goes for racing). Pretty much everything I know about racing prior to this year has been watching videos and reading t'internet.

(Before this series I did one race on a circuit in late Jan, a very tame affair compared to this - in fact, if I'd been as fit then as I am now, I'd have won it on my own)

So, the impression I got from watching the pros on TV is that you go for it when you can, grab any gap, fill every space. But when you're actually there pedalling, it's very different. You can't fill a space if it means half-wheeling. You can't push out to overtake if there's anyone next to you, and speculative movements to the side are a heinous sin. You can't even take a racing line on a curve for granted in case there's another body in the way (that last one was particularly difficult to understand). There are many, many subtleties to bike racing I'm only just beginning to understand exist, let alone heed and follow when the adrenaline's pumping and my brain is frazzled.

To anyone reading this who took part, I can only apologise if I caused offence - I'm certain I at least didn't cause injury! On the road, I'm a picture of prim and proper cycling, almost to a fault (I once waited five minutes for some lights while the club members took to the pavement) and outside of racing I'm a staid, responsible father of two holding down a steady job (probably amateur psychologists will now be nodding thoughtfully, thinking "Ah ha! Typical repressed personality trait surfacing in a controlled outlet"). It's taken me by surprise how reckless I've been on the track and I'm trying to mediate my behaviour.

Back to the race. No breaks got away more than a few seconds (in length, not in distance from the peloton) despite the lack of wind - we were motoring round at a decent speed the whole time. Primes went to whoever was at the front and made a quick sprint, though for some reason the group decided to quicken up for them as well (another thing I don't understand - it's not like the Prime-hunters are making a break and need to be chased down, but that's how everyone reacts)

I stayed in the middle until the last five laps, when I tried to move up. Sticking to the rules, this proved incredibly difficult and when the bell sounded I was still too far back and in the middle-right. Fate took a kindly swing my way on the second straight when someone messed up on the left of the group, forcing one side of the peloton to slow down amid shouting and cursing. My section kept up momentum and we approached the third straight at high speed, though I was still off the front.

Here's where things took a turn for the bizarre. I had a space on the outside and took it, hoping to repeat my successful dashes for a placing. But the pace was just that bit higher and though I had the speed, I couldn't accelerate quickly enough to get in front for the chicane. I squeezed in as best I could - probably the correct, approved choice would have been to cede position but this would have meant being out of the points and thus not an option.

I know, I know. But the guys taking the chicane should have gone a bit wider given the number of us going through. Two wrongs don't make a right, people in glass houses shouldn't take two in the bush, and so on.

In I went, scraping my right pedal a good one on the raised kerb of the chicane. I was still too far back but kept up, once again overcooking the final bend. Disaster! Into the gravel.

Never mind, keep going! I did half the sprint off the track, bumping up and down on the pock-marked, lumpy concrete. My sprint finish is my weakest area anyway, and even when I got back on the track I was overhauled by what looked like half the race. No move to third category this time.

Dejected, I gathered my kit and made to leave. The mature gentleman I mentioned in last week's report came up to me and gave some advice (in a very friendly manner - he was genuinely trying to show me the ropes) for which I am thankful.

I passed the organisers, who were busy totalling up the series points for the final standings (sadly I couldn't stay for the ceremonies) and asked where I placed.

Tenth.

Ah well. One more point (and, if confirmed, makes me joint national number one category four rider! Woo!). If only I'd got to the front earlier, pushed that bit harder, been better at taking corners...

But at least I didn't hold back.

Zachariah

And another thing: Here's a video of the series from May 31st. It's of the 2/3/4 race, and is wrongly dated July 31st. I'm not affiliated with the club who posted it so sorry for the blatant plug for bikes (which I'm sure are very nice).

Pinarello Marc

Some pics here from Tockwith. I was contacted by the photographer via email:

Hi,

I was at the Tockwith Cycle Racing last week with the Knaresborough Camera Club. I managed to get a few good pictures of the riders. Would you be kind enough to pass on this link:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/markwebster58/

Many thanks,


Mark Webster.

Hope there are some of use!




.

Zachariah

Thanks! Ha ha ha...There I am...Got to get a new top, I didn't mean to race with the zipper down, honest...Dammit, that's not very aero, is it. Could have saved myself a second.

acidstrato

does anyone have or know of any photos taken at castle combe summer series on the 16th June?

looking for the finish of the 3/4 race

ta

Zachariah

Tockwith Summer Series

Race 3 of 6

(For those of you wondering what happened in races 1 and 2, I wasn’t there, so they were of no consequence)

The first New Thing was: We were to go round the (same old Tockwith) track the OTHER WAY ROUND. My mind was blown. No more scary runs into the chicane and super-tight bend on the last lap, no more uphill sprint into the wind. Hooray!

In a fit of pique, the wind decided to compensate by changing direction almost completely, though due to the layout of the track this still meant we faced less out-an-out wind-in-face riding than when going the other way round. The longest straight, the one with the chicane, had a significant tailwind.

AND...It was a mix of 3/4 riders instead of just the 4th Cats. Tonight, I predicted, would be run more in the spirit of reconnaisance than competition. I was almost right.

The start-line pep talk warned us to ride safe – last week there was a crash. We set off, my plan startling in its simplicity and directness: I would wheel-suck Team Dirtwheels again and hope for the best in the last couple of laps. I know, I know, dazzlingly brilliant (and original).

The plan succeeded 50%. I stayed behind a fast-looking chap in DW gear, did my best to stay out of the wind and kept my head down. Honestly, I couldn’t say if it was any harder work than the 4th-only race – didn’t seem to be, at least until near the end. Primes, as before, went to whoever happened to be at the front and cared enough to do a mini-sprint.

Halfway through, a worryingly big break got away – looked like at least seven riders. They stayed in front for a good chunk of the race but never got more than 50-70 meters from the peloton, and were absorbed back with over 10 laps left.

There were some wobbles – thankfully nothing my fault this time. I scrupulously copied the line of the guy in front as best I could, and we floated along at a good lick. I tried to move up nearer the front as the laps ticked down, but what with being ultra-careful and not at all dangerous, it was pretty damn hard and on the penultimate lap I was firmly in the middle of the group as we sped toward the tight bend (which is now at the BEGINNING of each lap, remember).

Then – calamity. I could see it coming. The guy two bikes ahead of me locked a wheel going in, flipping him over. Chap in front of me had no chance and went into him, another guy getting hit to the side. I hit the brakes in time and, being in the middle, had no choice but to come to a complete stop while the front half of the peloton sped off on the long, wind-assisted section. Race over.

I helped up the guy who took the worst of it – big cut to the forehead and grazes all over. Another guy with some big scratches was sitting on the grass, vowing never to race again. I was, I suppose, lucky.

Lessons learned: Stay even further at the front than before, especially in the last few laps. But not right at the front, that wind is a right bugger. And some times, it’s just not going to happen and there’s nothing you can do about it. C’est la course.

amaferanga

You'd probably get on better if you just ignored the Dirtwheels guys. They're neither the best riders in general nor are they tactically very astute.

Zachariah

York Summer Circuit Series, Race 5 (of 6)

(Missed last week, scared off by rain)

Just under sixty-five riders lined up to start another flat, windy crit on the Tockwith circuit. There had been another crash last week, and this showed in the nervousness around the tight bend off the start/finish straight. The entire peloton slowed right down to negotiate this turn, though this had the counter-productive effect of making everyone sprint into the narrow chicane immediately after.

The speed was intense the whole way through, averaging about 28mph for the forty-ish minutes (forgot to zero the computer at the start, again). This was despite everyone slowing to 23mph or less for one side of the triangle that faced almost directly into the wind, so the general pace was furious and I really felt it. For the first time, I doubted I’d be able to finish with the main group.

Luckily it wasn’t just me who was feeling the pace. As the laps counted down, everyone decided to really bunch up on the windy section and to take the bends even slower, so all those who weren’t already lapped squeezed up. There had been a couple of attempts at breakaways but nobody was strong enough to keep the speed up all the way round the track. On the final lap, it was a crush as everyone tried to get to the front.

Those already there, spread out and blocked the track. This slowed us down even further and we chugged along the windy section in an almost perfect square. After nearly dropping off, I’d got my breath back and was stuck mid-pack. The final right turn into the finish straight came up, and a gap opened on the inside.

Now. When I say a gap, I mean a huge whopping hole in the right side of the peloton as it approaches a wide, gentle right-hand turn. Into what will be a short sprint to the line. A turn we have taken every previous time with the group covering every part of the track. And so I zoom into it, making up a few places and going for the sprint. No top ten this time, I’m around 15th or so (we don’t get told positions past 10th). In the process I manage to offend at least one person who tells me off afterward. But another guy passes me and says “Ignore the prick.”

I need some advice here. I am convinced I made a legitimate move. There was loads of space for everyone, nobody crashed or lost points because of me (or even had to brake as far as I could tell). The gap appeared because people were slowing, not because they were taking position for a turn. What are you supposed to do, just not try and get points if you don’t have a cast-iron shot at them?

Anyway. Despite not getting the much yearned-for point, I was fairly pleased with the race. No crashes, only minor wobbles – the worst thing was people over-braking as we approached bends. I’ll be back next week to p1ss someone else off, no doubt.

Safe racing!

greeny12

I'm back racing... and still as rubbish as ever...

http://cyclingapprentice.wordpress.com/ ... -reloaded/

oldhairylegs

greeny12 wrote:

I'm back racing... and still as rubbish as ever...

http://cyclingapprentice.wordpress.com/ ... -reloaded/

Brilliant blog Greeny.
You should put all of them together in a book like Clarkson did and make a fortune....

Zachariah

Yorkshire Summer Circuit Series, Cat 3/4, Race 6 (of 6)

In which Zachariah discovers his true talent, and delivers the wittiest comeback ever.

And so to the last in the series. This time my aim was simple: Stay out of trouble. Treat it as a fun night out, and don't let the competitive demon get the better of me. Go with the flow. This would be a night to enjoy the sport of cycling for the sake of it.

With the wind present but not quite as strong - but back to its usual easterly direction - the race went at a good lick from the start. The only thing different tonight, was there was only one prime instead of the usual two.

A mysteriously dull race for the most part, now I come to write about it. Twenty-four laps, as usual. Twenty laps passed quickly and uneventfully. I got lots of practise using that sign where you point across your back to indicate to the person behind you're avoiding something ahead, when we passed lapped riders a few times. There must be a name for this sign.

(One chap takes the lantern rouge every time, an excellent bloke who gives it all he's got for a few laps then falls off every time. As far as I can tell he does this every race I've attended. Respect to this guy!)

I found myself nearish the front with a few laps to go, having stayed behind a fast-looking fella when he moved up at around eight to go. The peloton was in a strange state. There seemed to be a split, but it was barely visible. I was in the front half, and the second half just seemed to be a fraction of a second behind and playing catchup out of each bend. It really does take it out of you when you have to make up a gap after every turn, so I stayed hard on the wheel of whoever was in front.

Looking back, the first half of the race was much faster than the second. If you can hang on to the faster guys for the first ten or so laps, the rest can be sat in quite easily (or maybe this is just the way my body warms up, though I do have a thirteen-mile ride to the race that should be doing this for me). At any rate, the last five laps I felt better and better and was looking forward to going for the sprint when the bell sounded.

So much for bottling up the demon of competition. Approaching the last bend, I was feeling good and ready to go. My position was terrible, though. Just behind the first ten riders and in the middle. If I had been on the outside, I could have gone early. The group took the last bend with a predictable surge. I was in with a fighting chance!

Someone cut me up on the left. I braked hard, just avoiding his rear wheel. Off balance, I just managed to stay on the track. Nul points again.

I was not pleased. People shouted my number. "That was not my fault!" I shot back. "That was not my fault! Shut up!" (Amazing, I know. You can use it later and claim it's yours.) I get shafted, and also the blame for ruining everyone's shot at 11th place. Meh. That's racing.

Very frustrating. I had the legs, I had the lungs, but not the brains. If only I'd been on the outside! I could have so easily gone ahead before that turn, and almost certainly been in the points. But instead I was stuck in the middle again. Now there's just one more race on my calendar for that last, elusive point: The York City Race, a cobbled, narrow nightmare of a circuit. See you there. For now, I'm temporarily off the wagon and am chilling with a nice big bottle of beer, and frosted doughnuts. To hell with racing weight!

maryka

Zachariah, don't get upset as I'm saying this is the nicest possible way, but you seem to get shouted at a lot in races. Reading back through your past few reports, you've said things like:

I must now confess that I am one of the riders complained about on this board. I am new to racing and have next to no experience riding in a group

So, the impression I got from watching the pros on TV is that you go for it when you can, grab any gap, fill every space.

To anyone reading this who took part, I can only apologise if I caused offence - I'm certain I at least didn't cause injury!

I squeezed in as best I could - probably the correct, approved choice would have been to cede position but this would have meant being out of the points and thus not an option.

In the process I manage to offend at least one person who tells me off afterward. But another guy passes me and says “Ignore the prick.” I need some advice here. I am convinced I made a legitimate move.

Someone cut me up on the left. I braked hard, just avoiding his rear wheel. Off balance, I just managed to stay on the track. Nul points again. I was not pleased. People shouted my number.

Now I don't know you., I've never seen you race, but from reading your reports it sounds like you're the problem rider, not others. Or are you just going to be one of those guys who whinges over every non-perfect race, has an excuse for everything, shouts back angrily when told off? Don't be either one of those guys.

My best advice is learn to race properly. Find a few mentors to ride/race with you and listen to what they have to say. If you're constantly getting shouted at, then you're not doing it right. Fix it...

Zachariah

I can't help but agree. I have been sweetness personified when told off before, though - last night I snapped back because I really don't think I was at fault, but I have admitted it every time, and recognised my numerous failings.

I'd love to have somebody analyse what I'm doing wrong, but without a racing club member to come along and not knowing anyone else into racing, it's going to prove very difficult to get somone on board. Thanks for the advice!

ozzzyosborn206

i did two races in england at the weekend, first up was the 2,3 crit at Hillingdon, having raced there earlier in the season and got 4th while my team mate who i was again with this time got 2nd the two of us and the one other Guernsey rider were confident we could do something, as seems to be the case there lots of break went stayed away for a lap or two and came back, we made sure we always had at least one rider in each move, fast forward to the last lap and one team mate was positioned well about 5th wheel while my and the other team mate were mid pack, not ideal so coming into the 2nd to last corner i stuck my nose in the wind signalled to my team mate to get on my wheel and went full gas round the corner on the outside taking us straight to the front for the last corner, onto the finish straight i sprinted but started to die quite quickly with the headwind at which point my team mate realised this and came around me to take the win, i ended up mid pack somewhere which was a bit annoying as i would have liked some points and was still happy we as a team got the win.

Next up was the surrey league rr i will report on this when i have a spare 5 mins

rsturbo

Super6 Billy Warnock rr 7.8.11

Started as a 4th cat this year, first proper year of racing, done several races getting good results and now have 3rd cat, 36points, 4 off a 2nd cat licence.

Anyway this was the b race and fairly flat with a couple of short hills. Pace was just under 25mph and attacks where hard to hold.
I kept in the top 20 as I always do to watch and go with attacks, and keep safe!! In the last 2k I was bunched in a crazy and unpredictable bunch, (you all know what I'm on about) and started to wiggle my way to the front to get a good position on last roundabout. I was in the top 6 in the ra and took it really tight gaining another 2 spots.
400m to go and instead of sitting in a wheel letting the bunch join us, I floored it.
The line drew closer, I looked under my arms to check my position gave another dig, lifted my arms and let the loudest YAAS out....1st place!!!
What a feeling, all that training, hill repeats in the rain, time trials and most of all the hard runs with the infamous Bundy all paid off.

I'm 38 and will be a 2nd cat by the end of the season.
It's about training hard and correctly and total belief in yourself.
My other results are 3rd, 3rd, 4th, 10th and 7th in different ranking events, O and forget a 1st place :twisted:

Not bragging, well a bit, but just want to show that age is no barrier, the mind is!

Zachariah

Congrats RSTurbo, excellent result!

rsturbo

Zachariah wrote:

Congrats RSTurbo, excellent result!

Cheers mate, sounds like your in shape too.

greeny12

Latest race report from the Dunsfold 4ths... in which your author has been consumed by delusions of adequacy:

http://cyclingapprentice.wordpress.com/ ... believing/

amaferanga

rsturbo wrote:

Started as a 4th cat this year, first proper year of racing, done several races getting good results and now have 3rd cat, 36points, 4 off a 2nd cat licence.

If you started as a 4th Cat then you need to score 50 points - 10 to get your 3rd Cat and then 40 as a 3rd Cat to get your 2nd Cat. Maybe you know that and the 36 points you mention is on top of the 10 you got to go from 4th to 3rd?