Welcome to the forum
Letchworth Grand Prix Circuit Races - Sunday 26th June - THANK YOU!
The Tarmac Tour of Hertfordshire Series launched this week as a series of town centre circuit races in Hertfordshire between June and September. This is the second year of the series and has grown to include more rounds across the summer. Tarmac has taken up the lead sponsorship of the event after a successful series in 2015 and we are involved again....
Whats in it for us?
We are excited to be organising the BC accredited racing elements of the Letchworth GP again alongside Kinetic Cycles.
Last year was a great success despite it being cold in June - who'd have thought!
We had over 300 entrants across 12 races in the day, and no serious incidents
The event is great for the profile of the club and we had lots of club participants and some good results last year
So whats different this year?
This year the Letchworth Grand Prix is on Sunday 26th June with events running slightly earlier in the day from 10am to 6pm.
The course will still be based around the Broadway Gardens in Letchworth, but following competitor feedback, has now been extended to include a run up towards the worlds first roundabout.
There will be races for everyone from youth, novices and more experienced racers. The event is live on the BC website. Follow the link below:
We need your help!
Our role in the event is to make sure the racing elements run smoothly and we will need support from as many club members as possible to do this.
I will be responsible for overall co-ordiation of the race events and Dave Hadsley will be chief marshal. We are going to need volunteers for a variety of roles including sign on, youth gear checking, rider penning, judging and crossing point marshalling. More details of roles and shifts will be published in a few weeks.
Please keep this date free in your diary its a great day to be involved in
Jamie
Click Here for the British Cycling event link
Whats in it for us?
We are excited to be organising the BC accredited racing elements of the Letchworth GP again alongside Kinetic Cycles.
Last year was a great success despite it being cold in June - who'd have thought!
We had over 300 entrants across 12 races in the day, and no serious incidents
The event is great for the profile of the club and we had lots of club participants and some good results last year
So whats different this year?
This year the Letchworth Grand Prix is on Sunday 26th June with events running slightly earlier in the day from 10am to 6pm.
The course will still be based around the Broadway Gardens in Letchworth, but following competitor feedback, has now been extended to include a run up towards the worlds first roundabout.
There will be races for everyone from youth, novices and more experienced racers. The event is live on the BC website. Follow the link below:
We need your help!
Our role in the event is to make sure the racing elements run smoothly and we will need support from as many club members as possible to do this.
I will be responsible for overall co-ordiation of the race events and Dave Hadsley will be chief marshal. We are going to need volunteers for a variety of roles including sign on, youth gear checking, rider penning, judging and crossing point marshalling. More details of roles and shifts will be published in a few weeks.
Please keep this date free in your diary its a great day to be involved in
Jamie
Click Here for the British Cycling event link
Comments
The novice one had a major extremes of riders from people who ride at 12/13 mph through to some very good riders (know a few GB triathlete who took part) who've never got round to getting a crit license. It was less intense than the cat 4 race and spread out very quickly mainly due to a very tight corner near the cinema.
Average speed, I can check my Garmin account, but it was around 20mph
Before anyone asks, results will be posted to BC in the next 48 hours.
Also if anyone has any ideas or suggestions that the'd like to share whilst fresh in their mind from today please post or email me at jamie@ccashwell.com.
Until next year!
JRVM
Very entertaining racing too. You can view the course in two ways: crazy good, or crazy bad. It’s self-fulfilling though as you know exactly what you’re taking on here with the twisting kink on the corner by the cinema, but more obviously - the completely dead turn on t’Broadway. So everyone who signed up was thinking crazy good. Action everywhere. Great spectating.
It paid to get there early and loop the course repeatedly for half an hour and practice the corners… Richard Maynard: ‘Martin, forget about putting the foldaway chairs up and get on that course!’. Legs were feeling good despite a nasty bite on the calf by a horsefly and two pints in the Edward yesterday.
Then watched one of the youth races. I don’t recognise many of the CCA youth riders, though Sam Quiggin seemed to be having a strong and intelligent race.
Then it was the Men’s Novice Race. There was nothing noticeably novice about this race and it was a fiercely contested race, with intelligent riding across the field. Very good to watch. The compact course meant you could wander around and get different vantage points. I think we had just two CCA riders: Andrew R and Taff riding really well. I don’t know where they placed: but Taff was about 15 seconds from the front and Andrew about 25 seconds at the finish, as it all strung out at the end.
A quick chat with Andrew after his race and he wisely told be to get to the pen super early and bag a frontline start for my 4th Cat race. Sure enough, on to the startline and got a prime position. Getting ready with 33 others, Tim D whispered sagely Obi Wan style to get in the top 5 on the dead turn, or else. I knew that’s where it was all going to happen. No hanging around: boom, we’re off. I didn’t clip in well and lost a good few places from the off. The first 4-5 laps are of course, mad. Very technical and you have to do everything to get past fading riders and find the front. The dead turn was decisive. Completely nuts going from silly fast, to zero, turning the corner any way you can depending on who is around you and galloping through the gears to the fast straight. I almost made the front group a few times, but lost out on the turn. My sprint isn’t good enough to bridge the gap and it became clear the front six-seven riders would have their own race.
I wouldn’t say it settled down, but concentrating on my bunch and the riders behind, made life simpler. I became conscious of potential bandits and kept anyone from trying it on from getting away. There were 3-4 others helping out, some needing more encouragement than others to take the front. One rider doing me head in a bit was wearing bright coloured oversocks. It's amazing what oxygen deprivation does. All I could think to say was, 'C'mon Socks!' as I tried to egg him through to the front. He didn't oblige. Then again, on reflection afterwards, I think the group thought it was some internal mantra to myself and a version of Jens Voight's "Shut up legs". C'mon socks.
But, essentially, it felt like a slightly intense Tuesday chaingang. Everyone should give these crits a go: there is a surreal ‘Come on Martin’ ever-repeating on such a small course. It’s really encouraging and works the adrenalin well. Well worth experiencing.
I remember looking down after only 14 minutes in, thinking flippineck, but soon enough the 5 lap board appears and the end is in sight. I can see we are wearing out our group pretty well, dropping riders. I was aware points would be in my bunch. 3, 2, 1 lap to go and it ramps up, but there’s no way anyone is going to get away now and I’m feeling pretty good even managing a wink to my youngest by the barriers, dazed by the whole thing. Slight up hill suited me on the final bend and it’s a sprint for the line. Delighted only one of the shy riders at the back got past me but unsure of the result. Soon enough though, Dave H lets me know I’d come 9th. Wahey! I was made up. Cue 'BC point' celebratory cupcake from the scout gazebo. Meaningless stats: 12 miles @ 22.7mph. It’s all about the sprints. Thanks to Richard for fine tuning my bike this week: every gear change super smooth.
The other races were good. Great to see Richard's Kinetic Welwyn team in action. The Masters stood out. Iain doing amazingly in a brutal pace for I suspect a mid table position. The u-16 boys race was fast. And I watched most of the 2/3 Cat which looked so slick. I can see from Strava there was a crash near the end on cinema corner. I hope nothing too serious. Travis looked so composed. Bright future there.
Give the upcoming crits in this series a go. I’m going to try and get to MK or wherever this summer too. The riding standard was very high and safe for my lot. Get on to the Monday grass track sessions and Tuesday club chain gangs that simulate the efforts really well. Allez!
Jamie… Well done. Just seen your note for top of head feedback. In no order;
- Cinema corner needs fresh tarmac
- maybe the concessions, kid’s stuff and stands could be more compressed/less spread out
- liked the music and compere
- course probably optimal: I wouldn’t change it
- good food and coffee. just add frite van!
- the multi-storey car park is very handy and wasn’t much used. Free on sundays.
- everything seemed really slick and well run. Locals very interested and happy.
Made the mistake of being very shy and polite at the start and ended up lining up right at the back, trying to start my Strava just as the whistle blew.
Managed to battle my way through over the first 3-4 laps into the lead group which was very well behaved. I even led for a lap!
flying through the Start-finish line I saw 2 laps to go....where had all that time gone. then the bell and realised I'd got it wrong, should've moved up sooner. Came out of the last Cinema corner in 6th (ish place) and finished about there......wished I'd moved up sooner.
Oh well, learnt loads and will definitely be doing all of the other races in the series. WGC looks quick, and the Hitchin one sounds like a laugh over the town centre cobbles.
Massive thanks to everyone who helped organised the event. it was a brilliant day and I'm hooked.
A couple of observations from me though...
1. As a marshal in the morning watching the open course pre-race riding, it was dangerous at times. We had some v.young riders (u8s and under) going round at the small time as adults trying to get "race pace" laps in. There were several near misses. I think the format of letting everyone getting in sighting laps at the same time doesn't quite work. Perhaps staggered slots of 15 minutes might work, rather than a mass 45 minute free for all? Also...
2. Any chance the programme can be tweaked to allow another pre-race sighting lap slot early afternoon. Seems a little unfair for those racing say after 3pm, to be expected to turn up before 11am to get a feel for the course. I had a couple of u16 a little disappointed they couldn't ride the course . Just an idea...
As I say just a couple of small suggestions, but overall it's great, it doesn't need changing much!!
Steve L.
Jamie and Daves organisation was superb and it didnt really even take too long to tidy up. The BC photo finish didnt turn up but somehow Stef, Daniel, Theo and James got all the results in super quick time, a terrific effort.
Sorry to Ian above, didnt realise you were in the novices race otherwise would have given you a cheer. So many of our riders rode so well, Martin got in the points and i reckon he would have been in the front group if hed got clipped ina bit quicker. Ride of the day for me was Travis, barely out of the first 5 for most of the race and looking comfortable in very strong company including the junior national champion. Shame about the tumble at cinema corner, think Sophie came a cropper there too, hope both are ok.
It was even dry which is a rarity at the moment, oh and the toastie van was fab.
Think ive got some pics on my phone, ill have a look.
All other ideas duly logged.
Don't forget The Berko, Welwyn and Hitchin rounds over the next few weeks. All will be great fun I'm sure....
The Welwyn one is on the same day as our Club and Interclub TT, so get an early time slot on that and jump in the car and head over for a double-header day. 17th July.
Some photos from the event here by a Nomads guy I think
Ian C: grab a club jersey at next tuesdays club night. Three tuns. From about 8pm. Well done on your race.
I've entered the Berkhampstead and WGC races though, so I will say hello to any CCA guys I see.
I've considered joining CCA, but like so many people family and work commitments mean that my time on the bike has to be flexible, so club runs and chain gangs would be a challenge to squeeze in.
Thanks for all the help though, really appreciated.