Elveden 3

Vam Polecat

On Saturday 11th MAy. Anyone else from CCA riding?

tduckett

Im not sure who else from CCA ia riding, but apparently Laura Trott is riding both the ladies race in the morning and the 2/3/4 in the Afternoon!

Vam Polecat

Wow.

There's still places in the 2/3/4 so ...

glewis

I shall be racing in the Youth B race at 1ish can't wait to Laura Trott racing! There are 24 places left in the U16 and 25 left in the U14. Overall there are 279 entries in total. (quite alot)

Gareth

jackie Field

The Field family will be there. I'm first off in the mad 4th cat race Jackie is in the ladies and Noah youth B with Gareth. Tom D did it last time.

Vam Polecat

I am signed up for the 4ths only race, but now seriously considering applying for the 2/3/4. If nothing else it should be safer.

Neil M

I was just looking at booking a place in the 4th cat but think I'm to late?
Does anyone know if I can still enter?

Vam Polecat

4ths only are fully booked
2/3/4 have cca 20 places

On-line booking via the BC website.

Neil M

Cool thanks, I've entered the 2/3/4th I don't think I'll have much chance of hanging on but will be good training either way :)

Tom D

I am having to withdraw, errr double booked my girlfriends birthday, goog luck to anyone riding from cca its a great circuit and if its sunny will be amazing..

Nathaniel Rosa

Neil what sort of time are you heading up there?

Neil M

I've moved to the 4th cat in the morning now so will be heading over early.
I'm on a night shift after so think the 2/3/4 would have been cutting it a bit close.
Also looking wet at the mo, I'm not sure ill make the trip if it is, don't really want to increase the chance of smashing up the bike!!

Jane

Oh no, that's the trouble when you buy a v nice bike!!!

Good luck, All. Laura Trott should be quaking in her little shoes

Nathaniel Rosa

How did you manage to move to 4th? it's full?

And so..nice, you're taking black mamba?

Vam Polecat

Rode the Lotus Cycle Racing League event last night by way of preparation. E/1/2/3/4 mixed field, good standard of of riding generally, got stuck in, attacked the field a few times, rode actively and really enjoyed it. Got boxed in at the chicane on final lap, so ended up out of position for the final sprint, but a top third of the field finish, some 90 riders.

Good fun. Anyone else thinking of doing the mid-week Hethel events? Was the lone CCA shirt among a flood of Iceni Velos.

Neil M

Haha yea ill be taking the trek mate.
I asked to be on the reserve for the 4th and he had someone cancel.
Have you entered?

Nathaniel Rosa

Awesome
.. Awesome!

Yeah, not going to be in yours though =(

I was wondering, anyone? hopefully someone reads this... I am in the 2/3/4 race at 3.30pm .... what time should we be arriving there to sign on? I literally have no clue. Do you have to get there early in the morning or?

jackie Field

Hi Nathaniel

I am in the 4th Cat Jackie is the ladies and Noah the youths. I think when we have left before at about 2 ish people are still arriving for the later races. Maybe see you there

Vam Polecat

Sign on closes 20 minutes before your race, opens 75 minutes before. So unless you want to watch the earlier races not much point getting there before about 2.

Nathaniel Rosa

Thanks guys

Stuart, I wish I could have been in that one! But oh well, there are 3 other blues in the one I'm entered into so it won't be such a shock

Good luck everyone.

Neil M

Ok so that's my second race complete :-)
Was a full field of 100 riders, I worked hard to try and stay towards the front throughout the race.
Felt comfortable and managed to stay out of trouble
A break of 4 I think managed to stay away for the win
I finished in 14th fairly happy with that but was in a good position and feel I could have done more (went to early) and lost a few places.
Still it's early days and I'm learning a lot
Good luck to the guys racing this afternoon

Vam Polecat

Nice job Neil and nice to meet you afterwards.

I failed to appreciate how badly and quickly the field would disintegrate, got caught behind a crash, and played catch the wheel over and over again, until exhaustion.

We got ourselves a nice little group of six and rode through and off to the end, where I got second in our minisprint. Not sure how many riders were out in front of us, probably no more than 30 something.

Very nice circuit, and fantastic small group practice session a small patch on hurt feelings of not staying with the lead group.

Nice to meet you as well Stuart.

jackie Field

My second race as well. Very different to the first. Managed to stay with the pack for the first lap. No pile ups today but I think one guy went down after a puncture. Bit twitchy at times in the bunch on the first lap but all good experience. I guess if you can do it, Neil's stay at the front tactic is the best plan. Met John in the pack but no time for talk as a lot of concentration needed.
Unfortunately got dropped off the back of the pack on the climb (just like the chain gang) and then struggled to find people to work with. Latched on to a rider from Cambs Tri club and we worked together to the end with some odd help along the way. Would have been a pretty miserable plod in that wind without the help. My Av for the first lap was 23 which then dropped steadily to level out at 20.3 for the last 2 laps. (would have been considerable less by myself I think)

If I carry on with this road racing malarkey then will need to think about the bike as I ran out of gears on my single ring X bike today.

Stayed long enough to see Laura Trott and her sister lead off the women's race.

Stuart

Neil M

Any news on the afternoon races??

Nathaniel Rosa

pretty wet. really, really wet I had to wipe the mud off my glasses pretty much constantly when I was behind a wheel

I'm pretty gutted, I punctured just before the last lap. But I think a lot of other people punctured too, literally every couple of minutes you rode past someone walking back. We started off in order (2 front then 3, then 4) because they didn't want us to break Laura and it was a 'rolling' start, I looked behind to see what was what, and realised that I was the behind. I worked a bit over the first few miles to get up to about half way up the group (which hadn't strung out yet) but then I could feel the speed increasing at the front to a pace I knew I wouldn't be able to do 30 miles at so I stayed behind the wheel of someone who was quite large but was still giving it some boot, another rider passed us and I took his wheel and him I and another rider worked together for the rest of the race until I dropped out, noone passed us and noone was behind even on the really long straights so I was probably actually doing alright, but oh well... i'm hooked now.

Nice one captain Neil of the Black Pearl

I noticed that aswell Vam, starting at the back of the pack there was constant slow down, REALLY FAST speed up, slow down, SPRINT to catch up, it was ridiculous.

Neil M

Well done mate, we def had the better weather in the morning.
Can't of been easy.
Any ideas on the rest?

Nathaniel Rosa

Jez finished in the group, the first group so did well. that's all I know because people really didn't hang around

jackie Field

Well done you PM people. Sounds like a re run of Elvedon 1. Grim in the rain. There was a load of punctures then as well.

glewis

Gareth here, took part in the U14 race! The racing started off very quickly unlike last time, all of a sudden much of the field had split up. I was left alone fighting the wind which was very difficult, I managed to catch a rider who was also alone we worked for a lap, but then they were slowly slowing down. I was working hard for a lap alone to catch and Ipswich CC who then looked relived to see another rider however all of the work I did to get there wasn't enough as I went past he sat on my wheel for pretty much the last 2 laps! I was trying to make him come through to do some of the work but he just followed my wheel, eventually he came past, by then I was exhausted and he just stormed past me! Pretty happy, as my avrg speed was 18.1mph which I was pleased about considering it was the windiest day ever (on my record) and I only had a wheel for 1 lap!
Total dis: 18.55 miles

Gareth U14

Neil M

I've just re entered the 4th on the 8th June if anyone else fancies it??

Vam Polecat

Giving it so me thought...