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Tour of Herts, Berkhamsted Castle. Sun 10 July 2016
Hi everyone
A head's up on the next ToH crits, following the Letchworth event... Berkhamsted Castle, Sunday 10th July. Click HERE for details.
It's a 1km closed road circuit, around the ruins of Berkhamsted Castle, with the promise of all the food, kid's stuff, beer tent etc on the castle grounds. Sounds like a plan to race and then watch with a good picnic.
The course has a different dynamic to Letchworth. No obvious dead turns. Maybe a bit of a hill. Will be interesting. I'm going in the 4th Cat race again, trackstanding on the startline for maximum headstartage, if allowed..?
Let's av it Ashwell! See you there
I'm watching the aptly named Breaking Away finale for motivation. Spoiler alert...
We need some retro cool Club apparel to buy, eh.
A head's up on the next ToH crits, following the Letchworth event... Berkhamsted Castle, Sunday 10th July. Click HERE for details.
It's a 1km closed road circuit, around the ruins of Berkhamsted Castle, with the promise of all the food, kid's stuff, beer tent etc on the castle grounds. Sounds like a plan to race and then watch with a good picnic.
The course has a different dynamic to Letchworth. No obvious dead turns. Maybe a bit of a hill. Will be interesting. I'm going in the 4th Cat race again, trackstanding on the startline for maximum headstartage, if allowed..?
Let's av it Ashwell! See you there
I'm watching the aptly named Breaking Away finale for motivation. Spoiler alert...
We need some retro cool Club apparel to buy, eh.
Comments
I've entered this. Going over tomorrow to check out the course, nice little 75 mile round trip for me! Loved the Letchworth GP so much I've entered this and WGC the week after. Strictly Novice but with great ambitions. Although not a CCA member yet, hoping to get over on Tuesday night to join up and grab a shirt........although the best laid plans etc.
Will report back on the course. (From a beginners perspective!)
Full range of kid's races too. Weather forecast good so far for a family picnic/day out.
C'mon CCA... This Sunday 10th July.
It's much less technical than last week in Letchworth. there was a lot of gravel around on the bends, but assuming (hoping) that will get swept up before the racing starts.
Hope this helps?
hope this helps.
Arrived a little late and just got on with it for the full 40 strong 4th Cat 30-minute race, 18 laps as it turned out. With poor clipping in at the Letchworth crit, I was determined to get it right this time. I asked the commissaire if he'd let me track stand the start... 'One foot on the floor please. And do your number properly.'. That was me told. Anyway: all worked out fine. Elbowed my way to the front on the line and clipped in smooth to make an instant top-3 to the hill.
The hill reminded me of Huffer's hill. Straight, 250 metres or so. Loved it: I could reel in any of the riders who had powered on the previous corner and flat. Indeed, there were few breakaways across the races and I expect the hill is why.
The dog-leg turn at the top was tight at speed. I clipped my pedal on the road a few times. And at one point I thought us front six would get away here - when a rider came down just behind me and took out a few others causing a block. But the bunch got going and we didn't work hard enough as a chaingang.
On the descent, Richard Maynard would bellow me tips and reassuring thumbs ups on my positioning when good. Rebecca's and Dan's cheers welcome too along with the family's cowbells.
I was a bit bobbins on the fast turn at the bottom that took us to the lap end. I would consistently lose a bike length here and have to earn it back on the climb.
I like listening to the handbags moments along the way. It's always the rider who is fading and actually in the wrong who berates another rider doing just fine. I guess they need someone to blame. The standard of riding was very good. But it's quite white knuckle stuff all the same. Not for the faint hearted.
I made a vain attempt to breakaway on the hill on the last lap, and sort of guessed it would be a bunch sprint for the points. I was fifth on the last bend but sort of boxed in and outgunned by younger legs and bandits on the dash for the line... but 8th. Wahey! 12.5 miles @ 24.7mph, 823ft climbing.
Watched the other races after, and then packed up and was on my way home, when the tannoy announced that the Cat 4 top-10 would be invited to the Champion of Champions race. 10 laps with the top-10s from the other senior races, handicapped so we'd get a 15 seconds head start, and the women a lap head start. Good idea! So I unpacked everything, sobered up, had a pork pie and got involved.
We did all right for 6 laps and held the faster guys when they arrived. But their power told on the final bends. But... got 12th so very happy. 7 miles at 25.0mph. Felt like a tasty CCA Chaingang lap! Our Monday grasstraction evenings and Tuesday chaingangs sure are good training for these. Go for them!
Not sure I can do next week's one in Welwyn. Looks good though: go for it! Weather forecast nice too. The last in the ToH series is in Hitchin - but clashes with the club Belgian trip for me. Take your summer season form to the HItchin cobbelsh and av it!
Just a quick update, after enjoying the Novice Letchworth GP so much I signed up for Berko and WGC (Novice).
Arrived in the drizzle which was quite disappointing as having Recce'd the course the week before I knew a couple of the corners were going to be quick. Oh well, it was going to be the same for us all.
I tried to apply the lessons learnt at Letchworth, so got pole position in the holding pen, sprinted to the start line and was placed perfectly for the start. At the gun had my usual poor attempt at clipping in, but as I was so well placed I was still in the top 5 going into the hill for the first time. there were lots of attacks from the off but managed to close them all down and held 3-5 position for the first few laps.
As with Letchworth, I was surprised to see "3 laps" to go, it had all gone past in a blur. On the penultimate lap there was a crash at the top of the hill which I avoided and left about 8 of us out front. Into the last lap, I decided I needed to be in the lead going into the last corner so pushed hard up the hill and managed to get in front. Into the last corner I tried to carry as much speed as the damp conditions would allow and then just buried myself towards the line. I assumed I would be passed on the line, but no..........I won!!!
I've never won anything, so I'm totally made up with my result. I even got asked for an interview!
Big thanks to Berko Cycle Club, apparently they've only been going a year and they put on a great event, brilliantly marshalled.
Right, WGC next week to prepare for, can't believe I will go as well there, but loving the excitement of racing.....life in the old dog yet.
Why not go for the 4th Cat one at WGC, or dare I suggest you be greedy and do both Novice and the 4th Cat?? I bet you'll do well.
I think there'll be a few CCA riders there: you could work together.
Modern times: the final corner and sprint in the Champions race, in slow-mo;
pic.twitter.com/pS4tXT7XMq
Turn your sound off: sounds like we were being cheered on by a drunk Steven Hawking.
4th Cat probably too much for me at the moment. next year hopefully.
The whole concept of working together with other people seems unthinkable at the moment, the racing is just so manic. I guess the reality is that I am working with other people to close gaps etc. but it's very unspoken. Maybe that's a product of Crit style racing, I would imagine things would be a little more orderly on a longer circuit?
Love the Slo-Mo of that last bend, it looks a lot grippier in the dry!
https://britishcycling.org.uk/events/details/139140/Welwyn-Garden-Petit-Tour
the novice is a very mixed bag of abilities and experience. fair few older guys like me, and lot's of people just wanting to give it a go. I'm totally sold on the experience as I find the prospect of riding even Cat4 totally intimidating.
I've asked James McK for an early slot on the interclub in Guilden so I can finish and drive over with plenty of time to spare. Registration for the 4th Cat closes 11.30. Chris: something to think about then? The course looks flat and is Mitchy approved, when I spoke to him at Biggleswade. I think it will suit the Power people... Royston beauty parlor waxed bronze legged sprinters, Italian photographers and Wattbike riders.
I hope more CCA can sign up too. Forecast is good.
Fingers crossed the weather ok for the chain gang. I'll be there unless it's dreadful weather. Usual last minute assessment.