Race Reports

[palinurus]

Icknield RC event over in Luton today.

No mud for me either, dryest event so far. I did have to clean the bike on account of the sand pit on the course.

Ever since I've got a racing license I get called up and get a position near the front. I made the front row today- what's going on there then? Most of the second row came past me, but I did stay up near the front. There was a pile-up in the sand so I ran through that to avoid it, then ended up in a little race with four others.

Then three, then just two, me in front. So I had someone to race against, good. Kept ahead, even after falling off in the sand (that stuff is tricky).

Except he came past me in the sprint and I had nothing left.

Learned something. I wasted too much energy trying to put a gap between us, should've let him through and followed him. Then I shoulda done what he did to me.

Don't know how I placed. I think third or fourth out of the vets though.

 

[jpembroke]

One word: shimanotenspeedchainsarelame.

first lap.

Yep, someone had same problem at Gloucester last week. I run 8 speed. I love 8 speed, me.

 

[jpembroke]

10th at Stroud today. Tough course (as usual): lots of climbing, very technical off camber singletrack sections, mud, and lots more climbing. And it rained! Strong field too so pleased with the result. Bloody knackered now.

 

[palinurus]

Fourth dry event in a row for me, a London League/ Central League event at Hillingdon.

I didn't get gridded this time. Or I doubt I did. I couldn't hear the starter. There were 100+ riders between me and the start line, and it was windy.

So I rolled out near the back, got past a few, at the first small hill (the whole course was easily rideable, except the barriers) some of the riders were walking up- there was a terrible bottleneck. Made an effort to overtake as many as I could, and it was quite a few. Then the usual pattern, in a little group of four or five riders. After a few laps got out in front, briefly. Then on the last lap all my power just disappeared and I lost maybe six to eight places.

What I didn't like was the grassy sections- normally I like the grassy bits. It was really lumpy and rutted, really started to hurt after forty minutes.

 

[Christopher]

raced sat at Otterspool Park, near Liverpool. Great fun but very hard. I liked the technical singletrack bits but need a grippier front tyre, slid around lots. I wore my long-sleeve Cyclechat jersey, hope it appears in the photos. Finished much much nearer the back than the front but expected that.

Next one I want to do is on 8th November at the Lake District Vistors' Park at Brockholes.

 

[Dave5N]

Nice one Frustuck. 'Tis a a tough sport.

 

[dan_bo]

Good egg Frrrrrrrr. I got up on saturday morning and felt as deflated as my front tyre, so I got a coffee and went back to bed. I'll be at Otterspool next time (7/11) and the 8th is the (fixie) recce into cheshire. I'll see you on the circuit soon eh!

 

[Christopher]

hope so Dan! I enthused much to the missus & she may now come and watch me flail around in the mud one weekend, if we can get ourselves organised I had assumed she would hate doing so.

I am down in that London this w/e where she lives, no CX events convenient to hers this w/e though - shame.

 

[palinurus]

Finally got a bit dirty.

Inter-regional championships, Leicester, in a vets team. I don't know why I was entered either, I guess everyone else was busy.

I started in the second row back- lucky again. Then pulled my foot out of the pedal almost immediately, lost a good few places, then on the first muddy descent a rider came down in front of me and I hit his bike and came down too- as did a few others. Lost a good few more places. Better field than usual, hence I never really got back into the race after that although I pretty much retained my position from then on.

Course was slippy and with plenty of tricky cambers but no sections which really required running.

One good thing about vets races- only 40 minutes!

 

[mr-marty-martin]

that course was class! and o was the first corner crash, realy split the feild...

 

[palinurus]

It was a good course.

How did you do?

 

[mr-marty-martin]

was 6th or 6th in the fist 2 laps of the youth then blew up big style, had no room in the car for rollers so couldnt warm up properley like usual, so think i blew due to that...

 

[palinurus]

Any idea what your team standings were? I've no idea, I can't imagine ours were very good- we only had one rider get a good overall position.

It was that crash at the first corner that I ran into. No idea how many came down, I was focussed on getting up and getting moving again.

 

[palinurus]

Milton Keynes today. At the bowl. I thought Milton Keynes bowl was some sort of whopping great stadium or something.

It's a dell.

Most significant mistake: I assumed the start would be in the same place as the junior race. It wasn't. It was a nice wide bit of grass with a climb at the end. Hadn't practiced the climb since I didn't know it was part of the course. It was steeper than it looked, wrong gear, slowed right down, many riders got past.

Settled back into it, got past a few then just rode around getting more and more knackered but mostly retaining whatever position I was in. One of my clubmates got past, no-one else.

For the first time I wasn't lapped by at least one of the leaders (although the laps were pretty long).

 

[Blott's Mate]

4th cyclocross yesterday. Last 2 have been mainly on grass & confidence increased. Yesterday's was 90%+ single track through woodland.Thick leaves covering mud & lots of steep downhills, handbrake turn at the bottom & back up again. Nearly bottled & went home but did it. Best result so far. Out of 4 races done 2nd last;2nd last;3rd last & yesterday 7th last 36 out of 42 Woo hoo!