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CHESHIRE CAT : MARCH 28 / 2010

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  • Ribs schmibs - I've just bought some aspirin - gonna take a couple before the Cop - that should do it.

    I've just received the event manual: registration opens at 8am. Roll out starts 8.30am. It'll be bedlam I reckon to get an early registration and roll out. There's 2,700 riders! About twice last year.

    Probably worth queuing in good time before and take it from there. Hopefully off before 9am.

    Spare bed at the Waverley hotel nearby still going...
  • hi ccacc (cycle club ashwell cheshire catters)

    as the 'ribster' has noted it is going to be busy - i am staying just down the road from the waverley hotel on saturday night - so does it make sense that we rendezvous at the waverly early (say 7.30am) for daniel to give his team talk and go from there to sign in?

    i trust CCA jerseys are mandatory?

    Phil
  • I hope it rains. I do have a CCA kagool, a CCA shirt BUT no CCA jacket. (I got kit purchase fatigue in the spring of last year).

    Okay, rendezvous a chez vous (Waverley) 07:30

    Ciao, Daniel
  • Not sure I'm looking forward to rain!! I have a spare jacket in medium (if it fits) you are welcome to borrow Daniel.
  • i see there is a cca gillet in little gransden if you need one!
  • Bin bag under the summer long sleeve for me.
  • Discard the mudguards - forecast picked right up: dry, sunny intervals. 24hrs after: heavy rain and snow!
  • edited March 2010
    What a great day! Martin is undoubtedly the 'man of the event', and I don't just mean of the CCA riders; THE WHOLE EVENT. Not only did he climb Mow Cop without complaining, but he led the peleton to each feedstation (okay Robbie helped). Then when some idiot had nicked a sign and we were off course his laminated map was whipped out to get us back on track. Even then he was still beating out the lead tempo at the front. Big respect Martin; you are the man.

    The ride was well organised, the route was good, the weather excellent and the atmosphere fantastic. As last year it with CCA leading by setting the pace and style. Martin, Iain, Robbie, Peter and myself rode most of the event together with Phil laughing at us when we met up at the feed stops.
    I am delighted to say that the meagre ammount of riding I have done this season was enough to wake up a little of last years form and I enjoyed the whole ride (though fading rapidly by the end).

    Some fast trains in the second quarter which upped the average but we were all blowing, so took the sensible choice. My time was 7h30'. Mow Cop itself seems to have got steeper since last year; the really steep bit is like cycling up a pitched roof, I really got the feeling it was impossible to ride it, but clearly it is.
    A brilliant day out and a kind of club-run-away-day. What better way to (finally) start the season?
    My thanks to my team mates; the invincible CCA!

    Daniel
  • sounds a real buzz...well done everyone........sorry I missed it..I think.....maybe next year.
  • Fantastic day. Well done Team CCA. A big shout going out to Pete: driving me and Robbie up and back, bringing water/breakfast/bananas/recovery drink - and putting in a great ride too, of course. Cheers.

    The use of Crewe FC as a HQ was a good move: loads of parking, good catering, loos and a fairly easy part of town to get out of and into the countryside. I would recommend the Waverly as a super-cheap overnighter; includes a questionably useless tiny leatherette pillow on each bed.

    With a feed station every 25 miles - it was an event of four halves. First up, Mow Cop killer mile. Before I forget: my top tips for tackling this beast that, as a rider said along the way, 'not much training for this around your way eh?' would be;
    1. From the start, go easy. Forget everyone elses' wheel and let the foolhardy rush thru. Concentrate totally in staying out of your own red zone.
    2. Take every slightly flatter bit with open arms - don't hurry through.
    3. Keep a gear in your pocket for that last killer 100 metres - it gives you a great psychological boost. Thanks to Maynard Bike Services for servicing my bike earlier: when the heat was on - that last 28 gear clicked in as smooth as dry lube.
    4. Find a clear line away from those about to tumble. One guy in front of me went over bigtime as he stuttered to a stop.
    5. Punch the air at the top, in slo-mo, like an American 80's cola ad or similar

    I think that training ride we did with Sundon, Sharpenhoe and Hexton is pretty good for preparation.

    Respect for Skelders: at the top, a Liverpudlian rider went past us saying in best Brookie accent 'I gotta tell youz fellas, youz got the smartest kit in the field. You look like a pro team.' I duly thanked him and wondered what the giveaway was that made him know we only 'looked like' a pro team...

    Some nasty hills after Mow Cop, but none as bad as before and that mentally gets you through them. Very scenic around there, very near the Cat & Fiddle.

    After Feed 1 to Feed 3, it's rolling. More big hills in the Peak District and then flattening out west to Shropshire and the edge of Wales for some great big group riding. As Daniel points out, the CCA boys along with Robbie's mates Kev and Jez kept on the front. A great selfless team effort. Mixing it up with a bit of thru and off with a few others - though some bumpy rolling off the front with some of the other riders would have made Trahern weep: I'm guessing they're not used to group riding. We made a lot of friends this way and were thanked throughout and at the end. That was very kind. In fact, very few went past us. We were putting in quite a steady lick.

    So off from Feed 3 to the end. Quite warm and sunny by now and the Spring smell of bonemeal everywhere in the fields. A few more bumps and then flattening out with the brisk wind behind us. After a few miles I was suspicious that the arrows had died out. And after a few miles more, sure enough, we came to a t-junction with no signs. We'd been had. One bloke said, 'I was wondering why those two blokes before in a parked land rover were laughing'. He should have said something: that's the sure sign of cycle event sabotage. So out comes the laminated map [funny how no Garmined rider could help] and off back we go, picking up oncoming victims along the way. Praise be I got it right with maybe 40-50 riders in tow [I dared not look back] and we got back on track. No UCI approved super cyclo-sportive would be complete without a random dog. Ours turned up on the way back to the route proper. It took out Peter: but fortunately just scuffed his brake lever and dusted his bibs. Phew.

    Maybe the group was a bit miffed by the diversion, but whatever, the last 15 miles got a bit naughty with it turning a bit racey. We'd clumped into a massive peleton by now and were putting in amazing speeds. I recall the sound of this large group flying along the lanes and minor roads as something special. I stayed near the front - every Give Way sign brought on yelps from the back as the group compressed to a stop.

    Got back to the HQ at pacey speed then. In total, 106.5 miles on the clock and albeit meaningless really, 16.7mph av. 7hrs 27mins official time. Maybe 10-15 mins on there for the diversion?

    A recommended ‘season opener’ event. Makes you feel ready for the Spring and Summer. The overnight stay is a good idea. Actually, it could easily become a Club weekender.
  • http://www.robcrayton.fotopic.net/p63934377.html
    http://www.robcrayton.fotopic.net/p63934307.html
    http://www.robcrayton.fotopic.net/p63934435.html

    Chapeau!
  • All good fun. Until next year eh!
    Nice one chaps.
  • Team shot at Feed 1;

    http://www.ccashwell.com/cheshire-cat-2010.html
  • More photos (some unpleasant) can be found at
    http://sportivephoto.thirdlight.com
    Search on the rider numbers; Daniel 657, Iain 841, Peter 951, Phil 1303, Martin 1383, Robbie 1379
  • With no real big mileages in my legs this year and having not ridden for the previous 2 weeks my plan to beat the ‘cat’ was to take it steady – by mile 5 it was clear my ‘schedule’ was different to the rest of the CCA team as I watched them move effortlessly through the other riders ahead.

    Pleased to say I can claim the ‘first to the top of mow cop award’ but only due to a delay to the rest of the team caused by an unfortunate early puncture for Iain.

    Managed to catch up with the team at the feed stops and stay with them for a short while out on the road but the CCA ‘Blue Train’ was moving far too quick for me to stay on board - well done chaps, you did look good!

    I struggled between 50 and 60 miles against a relentless headwind but managed to recover well for the last 25 miles after the last feed stop and even after being forced off route by the ‘sign post thief’ I felt really good on the run in, finishing about 15 mins after the rest of the team.

    Total distance for the day just shy of 110 miles - which included my 2.5 mile pedal from the hotel to the start and slight route detour.

    Would be good if we could put together a bigger team for next year!
  • Phil, I'll join your train next year 8-)
  • can anyone explain the official times that have been published - apparently i was only 2-3 mins behind the 'blue train' overall but 4 mins quicker than robbie!! and my last leg i did in 1hr 20mins whereas you 'slackers' took 1hr 40mins!! it makes no sense!!
  • Possible explanations:
    Robbie punctured just before finish (and Daniel assisted)
    Your diversion at the 'stolen sign' was shorter than ours.
    You were faster than you thought.
  • The results sheet is, to say the least, bizzare. My split times are correct, but they have simply added up the cycling time to give the overall result. Surely your time should include stuffing one's face with sausage rolls at the feedstations? My timesheet time is 6h36, but I crossed the finish line 7h30'59" after I'd crossed the start line. I think 7h31 is better measurement!

    Phil you might have gone faster than the 'blue yrain' in the last section. We got quite lost, Robbie punctured in Crewe just before the end and, simply, you could just have been travelling faster. I personally clocked 1h43' for the final section.

    Daniel
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