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Ashwell Autumn Grass Track Meeting - Sunday 9th September
Under 4 weeks to go until this event and entries are very thin on the ground. At the moment all those who have entered are guaranteed BC points! Only 4 senior entries, 2 Youth and 1 Go Ride. No ladies at all!
Pre entry makes things so much easier for us in terms of working out the prize fund and the catering so if you are thinking of riding please pre-enter.
For all those who are grass track curious pop down to one of the Monday sessions with the aim of racing in this event. In what looks like a smaller field this would be the perfect opportunity to start your grass track palmares. One or two sessions on a Monday night would give you plenty of experience for racing.
I also need the usual army of volunteers. If any of those who volunteered at the spring event are unable to help out this time round could you please let me know. You were all a magnificent team last time out and as every manager worth their salt knows, you never break up a winning team.
Pre entry makes things so much easier for us in terms of working out the prize fund and the catering so if you are thinking of riding please pre-enter.
For all those who are grass track curious pop down to one of the Monday sessions with the aim of racing in this event. In what looks like a smaller field this would be the perfect opportunity to start your grass track palmares. One or two sessions on a Monday night would give you plenty of experience for racing.
I also need the usual army of volunteers. If any of those who volunteered at the spring event are unable to help out this time round could you please let me know. You were all a magnificent team last time out and as every manager worth their salt knows, you never break up a winning team.
Comments
Entry on the day is accepted in all categories. Youth riders, come and show off all the skills you've been learning all summer on a Thursday. It's also the Youth club championships so the chance to be named 'Club Champion' in your age category for the whole year.
Andy N and Will S, can you confirm your availability yet? I'd need you from 12.45 to about 5
Ashwellians are tough - I think almost every rider and marshal had either ridden to the seaside (and back?) on Friday or buried themselves on a tough CX course yesterday. Everyone still gave it whatever they had left, although Matt's approach of lying on the grass was perhaps a bit extreme!
Jenny's right we are tough and when needed really pull together as a team. Vince gets a special mention for cycling to the seaside, racing at the CX yesterday and almost single handedly running the Go-Ride races, a triple crown of CCA toughness. (Not forgetting the bugle playing)
My first attempt at organsising an event and despite a few rookie errors, I think it went quite well. I have to apologise to the judging team for asking them to judge a race that it would appear only existed inside my head. The 'Reverse Win and Out' was met with a lot of blank stares but I think it was great fun to watch and proved pivotal in the overall omnium results.
Great racing by CCA too. Martin with some canny and strong racing bagged himself first vet and 5th overall. Strong riding by the female riders, mostly riding in mixed races but really taking it to the boys and men, from Jenny in the seniors, Ellie in the youth racing and Dottie in the Go-Ride.
I may be tired and have had a few self-congratulatory beers but I'd happily do this again next year. Overall I found it very fulfilling.
After a long weekend of riding, I've got all the helpers and race organisers of today's grass track event, front of mind. From a racer and parent's perspective, I thought this was one of the smoothest and most enjoyable grass track events I've been to. Cheers everyone. It felt like a super smooth running machine. You'd never have known the stand-in race commissaire was in Ipswich with just an hour to go from the start of the day!
In the Senior Omnium...
Sprint race!
I had the National Champ in my heat. I don't think he went into the drops! Iain did really well and made the final. But all the CCA racers found it hard to undo the top riders in this discipline. Matt S tumbled over the line. Hopefully just cool scrapes and burns to make war stories from tomorrow at work.
Devil!
Men and Women combined. I saw Jenny shoot off early and took her wheel. It saved me from an early exit that caught me out in Biggleswade in July. The pace eventually cranks up and soon I'm looking over my shoulder to see no one else behind. I clung on by hiding and sprinting before we eventually made way for the top guys who fought out the sprint.
Reverse Win and Out!
Once we had the rules explained, a new favourite to the agenda, I think. A 12 lap race, with 5th place on 8 to go, 4th on 6, 3rd on 4, 2nd on 2, 1st on 0. I targeted 4th place. I worked to the front and put the hammer down soon after 5th place was done in the hope it might catch some out and be ignored by the top guys. It worked!
5km Enduro!
Killer! At least it was one lap less than we thought, as everyone thought we were still neutralised. Once we were off, I found myself near the front. I didn't like it there, but no one wanted it. I put a burn in to thin it out a bit and it worked. Then the top guys turned the screw. I didn't think I'd hold on. I got a 'Hup!' in and managed to hide in the galvanized, thinning front group. For a bit. Went pop with 2 laps to go and started to fall away - but happy with that.
Slow Race!
With unused confectionery from May's soggy, abandoned slow race, it was like Willy Wonka had taken up grass track. We were all weighed down with sweets, it helped us all to slow down and track stand. Dave Wells adopting a curious 90 degree to the course approach - but not crossing the line. The whistle went and we pelted it as fast as we could so we could stuff our faces with mini Mars Bars.
Meanwhile, the Youth cycling was great to watch. There were tonnes of riders racing which was nice to see. The Logie v Gabriel 1-lap sprint 'penalty shoot-out' to decide the U-8 Club Champs was a nice way to finish the day.
Whatever you like about cycling, I guarantee you'd love to bolt-on grass track racing as part of the fun you get from the sport. Everything gets mothballed now, but think about jumping into one of the training/testing sessions in the Spring.
As Martin said get yourself down for next season, there are bikes available to borrow so all you need is a set of pedals to get started, I'd say after 2 sessions you'll most likely be online looking for a squat rack and a new bike!
Dave thanks for yesterday. Win & out is a great race.