Welcome to the forum
Lea Valley Road Race
Hi All –
I was the sole CCA racer at the Lea Valley RR this past weekend. I had two main aims. Not to get stuck at the back of the bunch – especially in the early laps; and to give it full-beans at the end. Both of these being where I made mistakes my last race.
It was a beautiful, hot & sunny Sunday morning as we rolled out of Ashdon at 9am for 4 laps of a 25km course (unusually long for a cat 3 /4 race). In previous races, I have spent a lot of effort in staying with the bunch for the first few laps, needing 20-30 watts higher NP than later in the race, due to some poor initial positioning at the back of the bunch & really not thinking about positioning on the way into corners.
This time, I was determined not to make the same mistake – starting with being far more aggressive in where I sat for the pre-race briefing.
Well, it worked! I happily spent the first couple of laps around a third of the way down the bunch. Having more chain gangs under my belt helped a lot with confidence in holding my place in the bunch. Also, just being that much quicker to close a gap helped a lot… spending a little energy quickly saves plenty down the line.
To be honest, I think the bunch was a little conservative. Every surge was followed by a lull with no real sustained push. I think people were worried by a combination of the heat & the distance. So, it felt more like a fast group ride than a race.
I spent my time making sure I stayed where I wanted to & trying to experiment a little. Some conclusions:
1) It is far easier to move up when the bunch is in a lull than when it is racing
2) I found it easy to stay with the bunch when we went fast (for which I credit my new aero handlebars! Haha!)
3) Kicking hard at the start of a climb helps a lot, if I want to be in the same position by the time I'm at the top
Mostly obvious stuff, I think. But still. I enjoyed proving it to myself!
I also tried to pick out the better riders. Although this mainly ended up with picking out who to avoid… the guys that don’t stay on their line or move over without looking.
(as an aside… check out this Strava rant from one of racers: https://www.strava.com/activities/1674457073 .Totally unnecessary. Plus, he was def one of the guys I wanted to avoid!)
Anyway, after about 2 ½ laps, a race broke out. The bunch went for it after a hard turn into the bottom of a small climb. Up until that point, my NP was ~270w. Then I needed 700w to stay on the climb & 330w for the next 10m or so. This was the hardest part of the race, for sure. The winner escaped from the bunch around this point, and stayed away to win by ~1min (see https://www.strava.com/activities/1673593949 )
The bunch then calmed down again, with tension gradually rising as we approached the end. A few people tried going for a flyer off the front, but all failed to stay away. I was really unsure what to do. The finish line is at the end of the biggest drag up on the circuit (just over 1km @ 8% according to the Strava segment). Although I was not really losing positions on the climbs, I wasn’t moving up during climbs either. I was really worried about blowing-up on the climb – within sight of the finish line! So, I elected to try to stay near the front of the bunch for the climb, and kick hard as it flattened towards the finish line.
Not sure that was the most successful strategy. I lost quite a few places at the bottom of the climb (to those that went early). I made some of those places back (from those that couldn’t sustain their early pace). But, by the time I was at the top, I didn’t really have enough left to do much (I did take a couple of people just before the line though!)
Still, I did finish strongly and managed 16th overall and I never found myself struggling at the back of the pack, so I was pretty pleased with my progress.
If I could do it again, I would try pushing harder at the start of the final climb – most of the people that did so managed to hold on sufficiently well to the end. The other thing I am now keen to have a go at is a flyer off the front! 2 things to think about next time…
As Martin has said, the club chain gangs are really excellent training for racing. Both from a bunch-riding skill & confidence perspective as well as for sustained hard-riding fitness. Racing is amazing fun. Rolling through the Essex countryside on sunny Sunday morning at >40kph in a 60-strong bunch is exhilarating!
Strava: https://www.strava.com/activities/1673562311/
Veloviewer: https://veloviewer.com/activities/1673562311
Mat
I was the sole CCA racer at the Lea Valley RR this past weekend. I had two main aims. Not to get stuck at the back of the bunch – especially in the early laps; and to give it full-beans at the end. Both of these being where I made mistakes my last race.
It was a beautiful, hot & sunny Sunday morning as we rolled out of Ashdon at 9am for 4 laps of a 25km course (unusually long for a cat 3 /4 race). In previous races, I have spent a lot of effort in staying with the bunch for the first few laps, needing 20-30 watts higher NP than later in the race, due to some poor initial positioning at the back of the bunch & really not thinking about positioning on the way into corners.
This time, I was determined not to make the same mistake – starting with being far more aggressive in where I sat for the pre-race briefing.
Well, it worked! I happily spent the first couple of laps around a third of the way down the bunch. Having more chain gangs under my belt helped a lot with confidence in holding my place in the bunch. Also, just being that much quicker to close a gap helped a lot… spending a little energy quickly saves plenty down the line.
To be honest, I think the bunch was a little conservative. Every surge was followed by a lull with no real sustained push. I think people were worried by a combination of the heat & the distance. So, it felt more like a fast group ride than a race.
I spent my time making sure I stayed where I wanted to & trying to experiment a little. Some conclusions:
1) It is far easier to move up when the bunch is in a lull than when it is racing
2) I found it easy to stay with the bunch when we went fast (for which I credit my new aero handlebars! Haha!)
3) Kicking hard at the start of a climb helps a lot, if I want to be in the same position by the time I'm at the top
Mostly obvious stuff, I think. But still. I enjoyed proving it to myself!
I also tried to pick out the better riders. Although this mainly ended up with picking out who to avoid… the guys that don’t stay on their line or move over without looking.
(as an aside… check out this Strava rant from one of racers: https://www.strava.com/activities/1674457073 .Totally unnecessary. Plus, he was def one of the guys I wanted to avoid!)
Anyway, after about 2 ½ laps, a race broke out. The bunch went for it after a hard turn into the bottom of a small climb. Up until that point, my NP was ~270w. Then I needed 700w to stay on the climb & 330w for the next 10m or so. This was the hardest part of the race, for sure. The winner escaped from the bunch around this point, and stayed away to win by ~1min (see https://www.strava.com/activities/1673593949 )
The bunch then calmed down again, with tension gradually rising as we approached the end. A few people tried going for a flyer off the front, but all failed to stay away. I was really unsure what to do. The finish line is at the end of the biggest drag up on the circuit (just over 1km @ 8% according to the Strava segment). Although I was not really losing positions on the climbs, I wasn’t moving up during climbs either. I was really worried about blowing-up on the climb – within sight of the finish line! So, I elected to try to stay near the front of the bunch for the climb, and kick hard as it flattened towards the finish line.
Not sure that was the most successful strategy. I lost quite a few places at the bottom of the climb (to those that went early). I made some of those places back (from those that couldn’t sustain their early pace). But, by the time I was at the top, I didn’t really have enough left to do much (I did take a couple of people just before the line though!)
Still, I did finish strongly and managed 16th overall and I never found myself struggling at the back of the pack, so I was pretty pleased with my progress.
If I could do it again, I would try pushing harder at the start of the final climb – most of the people that did so managed to hold on sufficiently well to the end. The other thing I am now keen to have a go at is a flyer off the front! 2 things to think about next time…
As Martin has said, the club chain gangs are really excellent training for racing. Both from a bunch-riding skill & confidence perspective as well as for sustained hard-riding fitness. Racing is amazing fun. Rolling through the Essex countryside on sunny Sunday morning at >40kph in a 60-strong bunch is exhilarating!
Strava: https://www.strava.com/activities/1673562311/
Veloviewer: https://veloviewer.com/activities/1673562311
Mat
Comments
The breaks used to go after the climb in my experience, when people are too tired to put that extra effort in over the top. If you’re vaguely fresh and see the fast guys moving up to the front on the hill then get stuck into those wheels and stay with them!
Also hill sprints can happen a bit like this: 4th cats go early and blow half way up, 3rd cats go later and blow 200 yards before the finish line, 2nd cats sit behind them and then go and win it... (not category riders, just giving you the picture of experience), so if you can keep your head on your shoulders and not panic when people go past you and you’re feeling ok, then you will almost certainly go past them when they cook 200 yards before the line...
BTW I thought it was a very well organised race. There were huge numbers of LVCC people around helping out etc.
And special thanks to Stef and Daniel D - I think the only accredited marshals in CCA? - who give up their precious time to ensure these races can go ahead - and do so safely.
The next available ERRL Regional B race I can do is the Mid Suffolk Road Race - Sunday 12 August. So I've just applied. Me, Mat and Dave W raced this last year. Tough but doable course. It's got a good hill finish. I missed the break last year and don't intend to let that happen this time.
C'mon CCA - apply too - and let's see a team there and we could help each other.
https://www.britishcycling.org.uk/events/details/167858/Mid-Suffolk-Road-Race
My friend gary is putting on the suffolk race I'm going to ask him if I can get a ride as crrl
edit, I've entered, I'm getting a ride. Cya there
Sorry Stef, you are right... I didn't see you! I second Martin's thanks. We are all lucky that so many people put themselves out there so that races (and other events) can go ahead.
I did have the Mid-Suffolk RR on my "to-do" list... But the date seemed familiar somehow. Fortunately, I have realised why before discussing the race with my wife (it's our wedding anniversary!).
But, I have entered one the following weekend, 19th August (also a cat 3/4). I can easily offer lift there to anyone else who wants to race.
https://www.britishcycling.org.uk/events/details/168015/CC-Sudbury-Road-Race
Mat