Welcome to the forum
Racing at MK, Thurs 11 August
I'm going 4th Cat racing at MK, Thurs 11 Aug, if anyone else fancies it?
4th Cat and Women's: 6pm.
3/4: 7pm.
https://britishcycling.org.uk/events/details/146496/Corley-Cycles-/-Abbeygate-Developments-Summer-Series--15
cheers
Martin
07977 652 247
4th Cat and Women's: 6pm.
3/4: 7pm.
https://britishcycling.org.uk/events/details/146496/Corley-Cycles-/-Abbeygate-Developments-Summer-Series--15
cheers
Martin
07977 652 247
Comments
Gareth
I hope to get there around 5.15pm.
Maybe one or two more fancy it. I'm sure Entering today fine. There's an initial silly £10 series registration fee. I can offer a lift back to one rider and bike.
We'll be at one very soon...
Good luck CCA-ers tonight, enjoy yourselves!
Just as well the start is laid back as compared to the high octane Tour of Herts crits. The pace quickly settles into a very easy pace. I wonder if the regulars are taking it easy: maybe they’re thinking about the autumn already. This race is well within the grasp of any CCA chainganger. There is nothing technical on the MK bowl loop to really perturb the rhythm. TT-ers would do well: steady as she goes.
Me n’ Dave stay well up at the front, top 6 and out of trouble. Every now and then it concertinas and it’s a bit knuckle-on-knuckle with another rider. But, really, this is a disciplined race. Especially at the front.
We both do our bit on the front to sort of make ourselves welcome with the others. Just enough. ‘Alright Dave… Get off the front now…’. ‘Dave: get off the front.’. ‘DAVE! Off! Now!’. Dave went a bit mad - by his own admission after - and did too much mid-race. It probably took the sting out of his sprint.
There is a break, I think in part an invitation for a few more to join and try and chain away. But these tactics just won’t ever work in the Cat 4 races where everyone is unsure of each other and fancies themselves in the sprint. I dabbled with the idea all the same with a hatful of riders, but we instead reeled in the two eager beavers on the front and it was back to a bunch.
During the day I’d been receiving pearls of wisdom from Adam S by text. He said it was vital to be on the front for the final climb on the bell lap. The circuit was getting clogged up as the bell went, as the hammers were going down here and there, but the bottom of the course is super wide and it’s here I went around everyone to hit the bottom of the climb first.
Nothing else to do now but go for it. I hear the sound of someone getting shoved on to the grass banking behind me and am glad to be up front.
I had noticed cramp creeping in on the last 4-5 laps. Something I’ve never really had before, and Dave said he had the same. Maybe it was the conditions, but I also think we did a bit too much on the front. As I climb the last bit, the cramp goes into a very weird place, like someone has slipped lead-weight boiled eggs into me calves. Maybe just 20-30 metres to go and I’m still first, but my legs feel very strange and I’m suddenly in the wrong gear. I see other riders creep past and I feel like I’m pedalling a Grifter - but - hold on for I think 7th. Wahey! Points!
Dave suffered a little for the over-burn earlier on but is thinking he got 14th. Brilliant. Results all TBC.
Quick chat with Dave, coffee and scampi fries from the garage, banging’ techno along the A421 and back in time for the Olympic track cycling.
So. Great fun. This race felt very much like a cagey chain gang. Lots of CCA riders would get a kick from this series I think and do very well. Av speed 23.1mph - well within reach if you hide in the bunch. Time running out for this series - but something for 2017 to think about.
Caught a glimpse/blur of Cam in his race. They were going like rockets. Terrifying.
Learning points:
- don't just trust Satnav: getting to a start line with literally two minutes to spare after running between car and HQ as the only warm-up is not good preparation, and crippling cramp is a given... when the start seemed to be a very civilised pace, I thought my team mate was being a gentleman at the front and holding it down for the benefit of me getting a warm-up, but apparently that wasnt his doing...
- Sitting on the front for four laps is just plain stupid if you're not in a breakaway! Once again, I made the mistake of just trying to get a feel for the effort at the front- felt fine for a while, but only realised afterwards the toll it took on my legs- almost literally went backwards on the hill, and had to hide in the wheels until they'd recovered enough to nosey back up near the front to Martin.
I think this was the least brutal race I've done; certainly felt less beaten up afterwards, and if I can resist my magnetic attraction to the front of the bunch, I can see better results next time...
Cheers Stuart. The 4th Cat race is 45 mins + 5 laps. The Fields would like these.
Chain Gang Tuesday's for Dave?
And we'll done to Jenny on her Cat 3
Let's see what's left in the legs after 2 x TTs over the next couple of nights.
Anyone else in?
Gareth
Dave.
I can't make it – however, I can see on the BC calendar there are a few crits going on locally for a few weeks yet and will likely have a pop at one or two to try and get a few more points. I'll post on the forum when I know - but there's a few 4th Cat ones going on that London way til mid-Sept. It would be good to have a few CCA riders to team up with. It was great having Dave around as each other's wingman in the bunch last week.
Also... anyone up for the Orwell Velo road race 18th Sept? Cat 3/4 ERRL one. Sort of a last chance to dance before the road stuff mothballs. Again: it would be nice to get a few Ashwell teamsters together on this.
Good luck fellas!
** on the assumption I have the legs **
I'll have a think about the 18th - day after the Brogborough TT from memory...
Gareth, that would be awfully good of you if you wouldn't mind... Also feel free to throw something at me if you see me on the front for more than half a lap - might stand a chance if I can save a bit of energy for the end...