Many thanks to Richard and Dave for the video and getting it on line.
I am very happy how the course has turned out; hardly any of the wooded sections are 'single track'. So this can mean full rider on rider racing for the whole circuit.
A few bins to move, a fence to move, pits to lay out and a few hundred metres of tape to add and we will be there!
Daniel and all. I will be there to help in the morning but would like to be able to watch my girls race at 10am, then will race the 40-49 category so could do with not marshalling the women's race to get ready.
Question
Will Lucy be under 10 or under 12. She is 10 and bday is 5th March. In grass she was place in under 10s but not sure that is right.
Well I have to say, I think that went rather well! We are getting many favourable comments on the course and venue. All this doesnt happen by chance and a great deal of people have been involved.
We had a committed, motivated and creative core team. Claire Lewis brought event defining ideas to the fore and indeed it was her idea in the first place to approach Princess Helena College. Mark and Dave can best be described as course architects, but they did much more than that. Peter grasped the marshal gauntlet, made and executed an effective plan. Richard laid tape from here to the moon and created the now famous course video. This was hugey useful for allowing people to preview the race route but also for The Commissaires to scrutinize it. It would be remis not to mention Sams corner.
Planning is nothing without execution and CCA rose to the occasion proving the army of marshals we needed for this course, long suffering and hardy judges (it was very cold on the finish line). We staffed the sign on to ease the administration and our catering team worked tirelessly to provide nourishment and refreshment (tea, still only 20p). Special mention to Daisy who I am pretty sure worked non stop from 07:00 until 17:00. Our bakers provided cakes which would impress even Paul Holywood.
Thanks to our Commisaires Mandy Burchett and Stevie Wyer (stepping up at the last minute) and the Eastern League, especially the judging team fast results eh? Thanks to Flamme Rouge Cycles who provided the prizes for the U12, U10 and U8 races.
A cycle race promotion is nothing without riders and we had a near full field. Racing was intense and committed. We saw some skilled and inspired riding; some even riding the run up; we considered impossible to ride.
Princess Helena College have been wonderful in supporting us to stage this event on their site, especially Ian Robinson and James Bentall. Our sincere thanks to the Headmistress Sue Wallace-Woodroffe for allowing us to stage this event.
So a team effort from CCA. Thank you to all who helped.
Amazing pics Nathaniel. Some of them are contenders for War Photograph of the Year! Very evocative of the day.
What a great triumph. It's easy to just gloss over it: but what a beauty of a venue - riding through what felt like a country estate and gardens. It was a bit like Hogwarts. Harry Potter and the Dilemma Over Which Tyres to Use, Part 2 [124 mins, Cert 12A]. All the branding and gazebo action looked great. Bibbed marshals and everyone keen to help and orientate [So sorry I couldn't help out: will do next time]. The Flamme Rouge gazebo looked proper smart - looking forward to the 'bring a spanner and get building a bike' launch party, Jamie. Against all the idyllic Country Life/whizz bang UCI vibe - was the cafe, resolutely 'selling' tea at 20p. Well done all for such a high quality event, and for keeping it real.
Despite wearing a Belgium Team tracky top on registration, my bluff failed and I was gridded at the back for the Vets 40-49 race. Still, I noted the space down the side of the launch straight so put myself furthest to the right. Good idea it seemed and upon the start, I put the foot down and managed to claw up a few places before the first hairpin. From 'normal' road stuff, to greasy leaves and turf, and into the gnarly woods. Semi-Harry Potter, half Return of the Jedi speederbikes. It turned incredibly technical. Someone said to me beforehand that CX is 180bpm for 45 mins. Nonsense. It's the most undulating physical effort. From eyeballs out on the flat, to tongue out, 4mph, trying to weave your way on an impossible turn, in thick mud, maybe going downhill. The advantages of front of grid start are made apparent as we are now squeezed into a line, hopping the roots that stick out like the trees are trying to trip you up. Twisting all around the place, I reckon the team mapped this route out by sitting in a pub and following the trajectory of the pinball machine in the corner.
Out of the this, and over the obstacles and then down the slope that looks like nothing on the video preview, but in reality feels like you're about to have a gravel face-exfoliation at any slippy second. Terrifying - but exhilarating. Clipping out and stamping back into reluctant SPD pedals - a reminder why I ditched these darn things 10 years ago. Surely some insane 'But it just might work!' collaboration between Shimano and that tap-dancing Roy Castle.
Over the log, quite well, having honed leap-of-faith skills all week in the darkness on Guilden Rec at 10pm at night, while head shaking neighbours twitched curtains. And into/out of the pretty gardens, with a whack in the face every lap from that jutting head-height conifer branch upon exit, for good luck. Over the pav
A big chapeau to all the organisers and helpers, from our brief visit, this looked a fantastic event. Great venue and great looking course. Sorry I couldn't help, but had two little boys in tow (they really enjoyed their Halloween cakes!)
I didn't think Nathaniel's amazing photos needed any words to convey the whole atmosphere and at times drama of yesterday but Martin's great report does them justice.
I don't think I could add to that except to say thank you again to everyone who helped, raced or just watched and cheered.
At the Basildon race today I must have overheard 3 or 4 snippets of conversation singing the praises of yesterday's event and someone even shook my hand and congratulated me and hoped it would return next year.
Fabulous photos Nat, really captured it. Results below. Well done to all. A full podium for the u 10s and a one two in the youth! brilliant. Also looked like Sophie and Harley had a great battle for 2nd and 3rd u 14 girl. Also well done to all those having a go for the first time, hope you enjoyed it.
Most of all thanks to Daniel, Dave and Pete for heading up such a great club day.
U 10 1 Sam Quiggin 2 Rhys Cairns 3 Iestyn Hill 5 Ethan Storti 8 Alistair Oppen 10 Gethin Hill 12 William Murphy 13 Louis Oppen 16 Ella Friedlander 17 Tom Richards 19 Eleanor Hadsley
U12
3 Jo Hadsley 9 Evan Foulkes 13 Hector Duckett 17 Maizie Ross 18 Lucy Friedlander
Youth
1 Noah Field 2 Adam Lightfoot 15 Harley Pell 16 Sophie Lewis 18 Felix Field 23 Sam Daniels 24 Archie Foulkes 26 Freddie Cooke 38 Dan Ward 39 Alfie Duckett
50+ /Women
23 Jackie Field 1st V Woman
40-49
32 Tim Duckett 36 James Davies 37 Vincent Friedlander 38 Mark Wyer 44 Martin Lawless 45 Jon Cooke 53 Phil Keen 55 Richard Lawrence 59 Dan Hall 64 Michael Parker
For me the stand out race yesterday was the Youth race. This comprises U16 and U14 in the same physical race. Adam Lightfoot rode an absolute stormer and not only won the U14 category but came second overall to a dominant U16 winner. That was non other than Noah Field.
I saw Noah first at about the halfway point of his first lap. He was in the lead and was confident and competent and riding with authority, pace and grace - in short he looked like the winner already. He maintained a furious speed throughout the race, kept his focus and took a sweet victory. Congratulations Noah, that was an inspiring ride.
In the girls U14 race Imogen Chastell (Welwyn) took the win but the battle for second place was thrilling. I'd hoped that the tarmac straight would produce a good sprint and Harley and Sophie did battle for the line in glorious style. Sophie 'left everything on the road' to catch Harley, but she was too far ahead. So Harley took second and Sophie 3rd, but what an effort. Again inspiring racing.
Of course there was more great racing.
I am loving Nathaniel's atmospheric and evocative photographs. Thanks for taking these Nat.
Great photos Nathan, again. My favourite is the 4 little boys perched on top of the obstacle course whilst all the mud sweat and gurning goes on, with a lovely autumn-leaves background ... which sums up the atmosphere for me. Brilliant to see so many people having a good time and to know that so much effort has gone into making it so, and that they're inspired to do it all over again next week
A great day which has been captured so majestically in words, photos and truly deserved praise.
Nathaniel your Superb shots capture everything and more I can remember and leave me smiling.
To the whole army who made this happen you are truly amazing and should be very proud of this achievement.
The course has left me mildly battered and bruised and wanting to do it all again. I finally crashed which was good, couldn't get my foot out on the hurdles which will teach me to concentrate next time and keep focussed because there is so much to get wrong if you don't.
Great support all the way round the course which kept me going and trying to stay in touch or in front of my fellow competitors.
Ha, Martin, the "half buried asteroid" is interesting. Every time i went through the bomb hole i wasnt sure if i was going left or right of that. I think i mostly went left but not entirely sure!
Also i noticed James who was in front of me on the first lap bunny hopped the log and gained a lot of time. Was a great move, did you do it every lap?
Oh, and the first 3 riders in the seniors were riding up the run up! imagine that.
just a quick 'congratulations & thank you' to everyone for putting on such a good event, and with a cracking course; the only one I've ridden that comes close in terms of variety, scenery and 'flow' is RAF Halton in Central League (which won their 'course of the year' last season).
I could have done without the long drag up to and beyond the finish line as thats where I seemed to go backwards each lap, and perhaps also being cruelly robbed of a bunch of places when taken down as collateral damage (thanks Martin!) but a very enjoyable blast all the same
If the school are kind enough to let us do it again next year I'll be at the head of the queue
Almost everyone seems to have enjoyed racing this circuit, certainly we thought we'd got a cracker on our hands and I am very pleased it seems to have turned out that way. I too very much hope we will be able to return to this venue; watch this space as they say!
Tim, the folding chair is mine. Thanks for taking care of it.
I have a grey knitted hat and water bottle as the only other lost property.
DD the hat is mine. I remember taking it off at the start finish area after getting rather warm riding the course in my civvies! I you could whisper me your address I will pop round and pick it up one evening if poss
Yes, fantastic photos Nathaniel - even the one of my eldest after he came off on the gravel in the final U-turn (though he picked himself up and made sure he came across the line in third before coming to me!). By the way, thanks to the lady who was the first aider for doing a great job of patching up his knee.
It was a fantastic location and a brilliant day; thanks to everyone involved!
We did lose quite a lot of blood, nothing too serious I don't think. We were very happy to have Claire Lewis as our capable First Aider.
Time to check over your bike Steve and put a drop of oil on your chain. Next up is the fantastic Mistley, described by Tim Duckett as 'like cycling in a giant bag of Jon Innes'.
Comments
I am very happy how the course has turned out; hardly any of the wooded sections are 'single track'. So this can mean full rider on rider racing for the whole circuit.
A few bins to move, a fence to move, pits to lay out and a few hundred metres of tape to add and we will be there!
I think it is going to be a cracker!
Question
Will Lucy be under 10 or under 12. She is 10 and bday is 5th March. In grass she was place in under 10s but not sure that is right.
Daniel
We had a committed, motivated and creative core team. Claire Lewis brought event defining ideas to the fore and indeed it was her idea in the first place to approach Princess Helena College. Mark and Dave can best be described as course architects, but they did much more than that. Peter grasped the marshal gauntlet, made and executed an effective plan. Richard laid tape from here to the moon and created the now famous course video. This was hugey useful for allowing people to preview the race route but also for The Commissaires to scrutinize it. It would be remis not to mention Sams corner.
Planning is nothing without execution and CCA rose to the occasion proving the army of marshals we needed for this course, long suffering and hardy judges (it was very cold on the finish line). We staffed the sign on to ease the administration and our catering team worked tirelessly to provide nourishment and refreshment (tea, still only 20p). Special mention to Daisy who I am pretty sure worked non stop from 07:00 until 17:00. Our bakers provided cakes which would impress even Paul Holywood.
Thanks to our Commisaires Mandy Burchett and Stevie Wyer (stepping up at the last minute) and the Eastern League, especially the judging team fast results eh? Thanks to Flamme Rouge Cycles who provided the prizes for the U12, U10 and U8 races.
A cycle race promotion is nothing without riders and we had a near full field. Racing was intense and committed. We saw some skilled and inspired riding; some even riding the run up; we considered impossible to ride.
Princess Helena College have been wonderful in supporting us to stage this event on their site, especially Ian Robinson and James Bentall. Our sincere thanks to the Headmistress Sue Wallace-Woodroffe for allowing us to stage this event.
So a team effort from CCA. Thank you to all who helped.
What a great triumph. It's easy to just gloss over it: but what a beauty of a venue - riding through what felt like a country estate and gardens. It was a bit like Hogwarts. Harry Potter and the Dilemma Over Which Tyres to Use, Part 2 [124 mins, Cert 12A]. All the branding and gazebo action looked great. Bibbed marshals and everyone keen to help and orientate [So sorry I couldn't help out: will do next time]. The Flamme Rouge gazebo looked proper smart - looking forward to the 'bring a spanner and get building a bike' launch party, Jamie. Against all the idyllic Country Life/whizz bang UCI vibe - was the cafe, resolutely 'selling' tea at 20p. Well done all for such a high quality event, and for keeping it real.
Despite wearing a Belgium Team tracky top on registration, my bluff failed and I was gridded at the back for the Vets 40-49 race. Still, I noted the space down the side of the launch straight so put myself furthest to the right. Good idea it seemed and upon the start, I put the foot down and managed to claw up a few places before the first hairpin. From 'normal' road stuff, to greasy leaves and turf, and into the gnarly woods. Semi-Harry Potter, half Return of the Jedi speederbikes. It turned incredibly technical. Someone said to me beforehand that CX is 180bpm for 45 mins. Nonsense. It's the most undulating physical effort. From eyeballs out on the flat, to tongue out, 4mph, trying to weave your way on an impossible turn, in thick mud, maybe going downhill. The advantages of front of grid start are made apparent as we are now squeezed into a line, hopping the roots that stick out like the trees are trying to trip you up. Twisting all around the place, I reckon the team mapped this route out by sitting in a pub and following the trajectory of the pinball machine in the corner.
Out of the this, and over the obstacles and then down the slope that looks like nothing on the video preview, but in reality feels like you're about to have a gravel face-exfoliation at any slippy second. Terrifying - but exhilarating. Clipping out and stamping back into reluctant SPD pedals - a reminder why I ditched these darn things 10 years ago. Surely some insane 'But it just might work!' collaboration between Shimano and that tap-dancing Roy Castle.
Over the log, quite well, having honed leap-of-faith skills all week in the darkness on Guilden Rec at 10pm at night, while head shaking neighbours twitched curtains. And into/out of the pretty gardens, with a whack in the face every lap from that jutting head-height conifer branch upon exit, for good luck. Over the pav
Sorry I couldn't help, but had two little boys in tow (they really enjoyed their Halloween cakes!)
Great job!
I don't think I could add to that except to say thank you again to everyone who helped, raced or just watched and cheered.
At the Basildon race today I must have overheard 3 or 4 snippets of conversation singing the praises of yesterday's event and someone even shook my hand and congratulated me and hoped it would return next year.
Also well done to all those having a go for the first time, hope you enjoyed it.
Most of all thanks to Daniel, Dave and Pete for heading up such a great club day.
U 10
1 Sam Quiggin
2 Rhys Cairns
3 Iestyn Hill
5 Ethan Storti
8 Alistair Oppen
10 Gethin Hill
12 William Murphy
13 Louis Oppen
16 Ella Friedlander
17 Tom Richards
19 Eleanor Hadsley
U12
3 Jo Hadsley
9 Evan Foulkes
13 Hector Duckett
17 Maizie Ross
18 Lucy Friedlander
Youth
1 Noah Field
2 Adam Lightfoot
15 Harley Pell
16 Sophie Lewis
18 Felix Field
23 Sam Daniels
24 Archie Foulkes
26 Freddie Cooke
38 Dan Ward
39 Alfie Duckett
50+ /Women
23 Jackie Field 1st V Woman
40-49
32 Tim Duckett
36 James Davies
37 Vincent Friedlander
38 Mark Wyer
44 Martin Lawless
45 Jon Cooke
53 Phil Keen
55 Richard Lawrence
59 Dan Hall
64 Michael Parker
Seniors
18 David Mithchinson
I saw Noah first at about the halfway point of his first lap. He was in the lead and was confident and competent and riding with authority, pace and grace - in short he looked like the winner already. He maintained a furious speed throughout the race, kept his focus and took a sweet victory. Congratulations Noah, that was an inspiring ride.
In the girls U14 race Imogen Chastell (Welwyn) took the win but the battle for second place was thrilling. I'd hoped that the tarmac straight would produce a good sprint and Harley and Sophie did battle for the line in glorious style. Sophie 'left everything on the road' to catch Harley, but she was too far ahead. So Harley took second and Sophie 3rd, but what an effort. Again inspiring racing.
Of course there was more great racing.
I am loving Nathaniel's atmospheric and evocative photographs. Thanks for taking these Nat.
Great photos Nathan, again. My favourite is the 4 little boys perched on top of the obstacle course whilst all the mud sweat and gurning goes on, with a lovely autumn-leaves background ... which sums up the atmosphere for me. Brilliant to see so many people having a good time and to know that so much effort has gone into making it so, and that they're inspired to do it all over again next week
Nathaniel your Superb shots capture everything and more I can remember and leave me smiling.
To the whole army who made this happen you are truly amazing and should be very proud of this achievement.
The course has left me mildly battered and bruised and wanting to do it all again. I finally crashed which was good, couldn't get my foot out on the hurdles which will teach me to concentrate next time and keep focussed because there is so much to get wrong if you don't.
Great support all the way round the course which kept me going and trying to stay in touch or in front of my fellow competitors.
Thank you for a great day CCA:)
Also i noticed James who was in front of me on the first lap bunny hopped the log and gained a lot of time. Was a great move, did you do it every lap?
Oh, and the first 3 riders in the seniors were riding up the run up! imagine that.
I could have done without the long drag up to and beyond the finish line as thats where I seemed to go backwards each lap, and perhaps also being cruelly robbed of a bunch of places when taken down as collateral damage (thanks Martin!) but a very enjoyable blast all the same
If the school are kind enough to let us do it again next year I'll be at the head of the queue
cheers
Simon
(StNCC)
I have a black folding chair that was left at the finish line, anyones? and i have lost a bag for one of the CCA flags if anyone has it?
Tim, the folding chair is mine. Thanks for taking care of it.
I have a grey knitted hat and water bottle as the only other lost property.
It was a fantastic location and a brilliant day; thanks to everyone involved!
S.
Time to check over your bike Steve and put a drop of oil on your chain. Next up is the fantastic Mistley, described by Tim Duckett as 'like cycling in a giant bag of Jon Innes'.