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Club CX Championship

Entries have opened for the Central League CX race on 15th January. I have entered the Senior Race at 2.15.

I don't think there's any need to get in quick but let's get as many CCA's racing as we can

Pete
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Comments

  • I'm in and so is Richard.
  • I'm in. That's 7 of us, so far.
  • Just entered. Making it 9 in total so far for CCA
  • edited January 2017
    course plan on facebook...
  • ...looks easy enough....
  • not sure I like the sound of mech wrecker corner
  • Online entry for this closes tonight. Central League have arranged for us to have a separate wave start for the Senior race and will also give us our own category in the chip timing system. It helps them to do this if everyone enters in advance but it can still be done if you enter on the day. Even if you're not a league member it's still cheaper to enter in advance, and easier for you on the day as they have your race pack ready and waiting for you.
  • Link to the live results page. For those who can't make it but want to keep up with the action this even has live lap by lap results! Surely no better way to spend your Sunday afternoon.

    app.lap.io/event/2017-central-cx-league-13/results?category=CCA
  • is there a chance to get on the course in between the V50 and Senior race? Or do I need to get there for 11:30 to get practice laps in?
  • According to the race timetable there's a window of 20 minutes for course practice. In reality this could be reduced if there's still people racing and in the past Central have been quite strict in not letting you on the course if there's still racing.
  • Not long now. 11 of us signed up now
  • Looks like my first lap will be practice lap then. We have Nick M as well, so 12 in total. See you at the start line.
  • edited January 2017
    What a day. Congrats to all who took part and the of course the new club champions. Us eastern league riders have not seen mud like for some time. It reminded me of some of the National events I have pitted at. Difficult to stay on even on flat straight parts.

    I am sure everyone will have there own stories. For me a broken mech (one of many I think) just after the pits so had nearly a full half lap running through the wooded section. This put paid to any hope I may have had but carried on because I wanted to finish. Dave and Tim lapped me just before the finish and looked to have had a very close race. Mark Wyer came in 3rd.

    Best comment from Vince as we all started together - he just kept going on about how good everyone else's tyres were!!

    Hopefully someone can post full results later but I'm off for a bath after 2 hours of cleaning bikes.

    Hopefully get some pics up in due course.
  • edited January 2017
    1st David H
    2nd Tim D
    3rd Mark W
    4th Peter D
    5th Daniel D
    6th Stuart F
    7th Vincent F
    8th Martin L
    9th Dan H
    10th Richard L
    11th Nick M
  • Chapeau to all that took part and congratulations to Dave H. From what I saw at Berkhampstead the muddy conditions suit him well.

    Keep the stories and photos coming.
  • We’ve really not had the weather for slimey mud this season. It was therefore quite challenging to race in such conditions today.

    The Corby course is excellent featuring off camber grassland and woods. The woods proved particular challenging as there were two run ups and a steep descent (or in my case ‘fall down’). I think I may have surprised Richard when I crashed out of the woods on the penultimate lap; or maybe amused him.

    Mud build up was rapid and anyone with only one bike had a really hard time. The CCA pit crew was made up by Youth riders and Stevie who did an amazing job. With two brushes, a couple of buckets and a battery powered pressure washer. Great job guys - there was always a clean bike available. A special big thanks to Tom, Sam and Alfie.

    Dave had done some great preparation work with the organisers and we were allowed to line up after the main race had departed so our start was equitable and fair. It is noteworthy that many of the CCA riders ended mid table in the main race despite starting a few minutes down on the main event.

    Great to be in the same race as the V40 youngsters and great to see some of the occasional CX riders like Martin and Vince chance their luck.
  • One of the best bits of today was the giddy start line. Rain easing back, it was great to see all the CCA jerseys on the line aiming to race each other. The tittering and ribbing was good. Whistle! The very first pedal stroke confirmed what I'd been expecting since the forecast predicted half a day of heavy rain on a course now ridden a few thousand times. My wheels span and I didn't move anywhere. It was like rollers night on mud.

    Incredibly tough going negotiating the turns, especially when you turn your handlebars but the bike keeps on going in the previous direction. My technique and confidence at CX is low and the rest of the field were gone from me in half a lap. But, it was good to admire the skills of the others. This discipline is an art, and also an incredible aerobic effort.

    The initial, fairly doable grassy bit, wound into the woods. The less confident you are, the more you ride on the edges of the rutted course. At the edges, the more your wheels pick up detritus and leaf muck, and the effort increases markedly. Without a spare bike or washer or boy with a big stick to clean your other bike in the pits, things just get tougher. Until your wheels refuse to turn further. Passing the pits, it was great to get cheered on by the weather-beaten CCA crews.

    I had to stop and take huge handfuls of Corby gravel n' grime a lot in the first few laps. Less so latterly, as I got into the swing of things more and went through the centre lines. By then though, this was a lost cause, but a good workout and a way to build technique. The course was mostly tame; conditions aside. A lot of pushing and hauling in the second half of the lap - but more often winding and doable.

    I was lapped by Tim, Dave, Mark, Peter and Daniel - who glided along and away from me - very impressive. It was great to see this was a proper battle. The notorious clogging gravel on the far side of the lap really worked its magic. Sure enough, on the last lap, my rear mech hanger had had enough and said goodbye with a light 'ping' sound on one of the steep climbs that was rideable. This turned out to be an interesting competitive moment, as I had to run to the finish line from there on in to claim any kind of placing.

    I wasn't alone. At least Vince and Stuart lost their mechs too. I wondered where everyone in the senior race was, only to do the maths that that race probably lost 30% of its bikes too, to the conditions.

    Party time and war stories after the race. There should be a good group pic on its way. Cheers for winner Dave and the others who rode so well in daft conditions. A quick catch up with everyone in the car park and then home down the A14 in the gloom, stopping off to watch Vince spend a fortune at the Godmanchester Shell's jet wash - blasting our bikes on the roof rack in the dark - only to realise his missus' car then looked like it had been dumped on by a dinosaur and have to clean that too.

    Well done CC Ashwell for a good show.

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  • A great CCA day out, proper bonkers and well done to all who took part, Ill go through the results once ive got all the mud out of my ears but off the top of my head, Logan, Archie B, Maisie, Felix, Noah, Sam, Jackie and Dave all category winners.

    I think my favourite race of the season. I always enjoy my battles with Dave, and despite having the lead a couple of times and despite Dave having a tumble on the last lap i knew once he got past me with half a lap to go i was in trouble, hes always got a good last half a lap in those legs!
  • Great racing with everybody today. My race plan was very simple today: finish, beat Dan, don't be last at the first corner (like last year). I managed 2 out of 3! :). I stopped every half lap to de clog the bike of mud and didn't dare change gear, which mostly worked as my rear mech survived but on the last lap the wheels finally stopped turning and after failing to sort that out multiple times meant Vince, Martin and Dan powered past. Very tough race especially given it was an hour race and when I past the line at one hour and 4 minutes I still had another lap to go. Ended up racing for one hour twenty so double my normal race time.

    Well done Dave, you and Tim must have been going at light speed as I didn't see either of you pass me. I thought Mark was in the lead when he came past me with Pete on his tail! :)

    Great course, above my ability, excellent!
    First race of year where cleaning the bike and kit took longer than 5 minutes. A strange year of cross indeed...
  • My favourite race of the year too. The thing I enjoy the most about cross is the small races within a race especially with team mates and to do that with the other categories and on such a great course. What's not to like.

    Tim was very strong, I thought he'd got away so many times but different strengths on different parts of the course always seemed to bring us back together. I had one last match to burn on that last lap which was the only thing separating us.

    Martin is right CX is a bit of an art, especially in those conditions, and I've certainly learnt a fair amount of that at the Wednesday night sessions run by Mark, Tim and Jackie. Young or old, experienced or novice you will always improve your riding at those sessions so if you want to improve for next year sign up.
  • No shortage of good pics coming though on Central CX's facebook. Some here © Richardhowesphotography.com

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  • Photographic evidence that for one glorious minute I was in the lead. My season is complete...
  • Great set of shots Thanks Martin.

    Hole Shot for Richard!!! That was not on his to do list!!!

  • well done all and especially dave for the win.
    i would say it looks like it was a lot of fun... but it doesnt.. it looks like it was an absolute nightmare, - well for all of that dont get the mud thing anyway.
  • Great pictures and looking at them I'm very glad my foray into CX was as brief as it was. You're all bonkers, but who am I to talk?

    Well done everyone :)
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