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West Suffolk Wheelers Grass Track Event
What's the perfect way to spend a warm, summer Sunday afternoon?
Ten CCA members decided it would be to sit on a lovely village green, with a picnic, under the club gazebo and enjoy each others company (well maybe not if you're a sullen teenager) Oh, and occasionally get out of our deckchairs for a race or two.
This long running event is always well attended, a fairly short track for grass track at 250m, which is usually hard, dry and fast. This year with a fair amount of rain having fallen, the grass had grown thick and quite long making it hard going. Vince and I found ourselves frantically changing our rear sprockets, being over geared for the conditions.
The races actually came thick and fast, with 6 seniors and 4 youth riders, CCA was easily the best represented club. The youth races were well fought with Ellie and Ella in the under 12s taking it to the boys, picking up 2nd and 3rd in their omnium races. Joe and Archie were racing in a small but hard fought combined U14/16 field.
The senior races were unusually not in an omnium format so that meant 5 individual races with prizes on offer for all. Dan Hall, had is eyes on the sprints, these being his preferred events. The big sprint race was the National Series 800m race, consisting of heats, repechage, semis and finals. Dan didn't disappoint with a 2nd place in the minor final.
A hectic Devil Take the Hindmost provided a bit of relief for those of us who like a longer race before another sprint, a 500m handicap. Dan and Iain both had good handicap marks and made it through to the final. After learning from the heats that he needed to get a better start, Dan smashed it, holding off all but one of the women riders to claim first male. Amazing stuff, holding off more than one National Champion.
Unfortunately for him the National 8km series race came too soon after but for those of us who prefer endurance events, this is what we'd been waiting for. The race was fairly sedate for the first 5 or 6 laps, with Daniel Doncaster showing strong near the front with myself trying to keep as close to the front as possible, hoping not miss the inevitable split when the pace upped. Luckily I didn't and I made it into pretty heady company, along with Iain. Eventually the heat turned up too much and falling off the back I found myself working with another rider to try and chase down Iain, who himself had been distanced. This was important as Iain was holding 6th place for all important series points and BC ranking points. Iain was too strong and claimed a fantastic 6th. I managed to distance my collaborator on the last lap for 7th. Really pleased with that, a real pointer to the benefits of our Monday night training sessions (even if Dan's programmes cunningly seem to be sprint biased)
We all piled in to the village hall for excellent cake and cheer on our CCA prize winners.
Training sessions are every Monday evening at Small Gains from 7pm. They and the races are really good fun, friendly and accessible to anyone no matter what your level of experience or ability. Come down and see what it's all about and maybe think about entering the club champs on the 1st July. Even if you don't enter come and watch the club champs, there will be gaps between the races where you can just have a go round the track on one of the bikes we have to use.
Ten CCA members decided it would be to sit on a lovely village green, with a picnic, under the club gazebo and enjoy each others company (well maybe not if you're a sullen teenager) Oh, and occasionally get out of our deckchairs for a race or two.
This long running event is always well attended, a fairly short track for grass track at 250m, which is usually hard, dry and fast. This year with a fair amount of rain having fallen, the grass had grown thick and quite long making it hard going. Vince and I found ourselves frantically changing our rear sprockets, being over geared for the conditions.
The races actually came thick and fast, with 6 seniors and 4 youth riders, CCA was easily the best represented club. The youth races were well fought with Ellie and Ella in the under 12s taking it to the boys, picking up 2nd and 3rd in their omnium races. Joe and Archie were racing in a small but hard fought combined U14/16 field.
The senior races were unusually not in an omnium format so that meant 5 individual races with prizes on offer for all. Dan Hall, had is eyes on the sprints, these being his preferred events. The big sprint race was the National Series 800m race, consisting of heats, repechage, semis and finals. Dan didn't disappoint with a 2nd place in the minor final.
A hectic Devil Take the Hindmost provided a bit of relief for those of us who like a longer race before another sprint, a 500m handicap. Dan and Iain both had good handicap marks and made it through to the final. After learning from the heats that he needed to get a better start, Dan smashed it, holding off all but one of the women riders to claim first male. Amazing stuff, holding off more than one National Champion.
Unfortunately for him the National 8km series race came too soon after but for those of us who prefer endurance events, this is what we'd been waiting for. The race was fairly sedate for the first 5 or 6 laps, with Daniel Doncaster showing strong near the front with myself trying to keep as close to the front as possible, hoping not miss the inevitable split when the pace upped. Luckily I didn't and I made it into pretty heady company, along with Iain. Eventually the heat turned up too much and falling off the back I found myself working with another rider to try and chase down Iain, who himself had been distanced. This was important as Iain was holding 6th place for all important series points and BC ranking points. Iain was too strong and claimed a fantastic 6th. I managed to distance my collaborator on the last lap for 7th. Really pleased with that, a real pointer to the benefits of our Monday night training sessions (even if Dan's programmes cunningly seem to be sprint biased)
We all piled in to the village hall for excellent cake and cheer on our CCA prize winners.
Training sessions are every Monday evening at Small Gains from 7pm. They and the races are really good fun, friendly and accessible to anyone no matter what your level of experience or ability. Come down and see what it's all about and maybe think about entering the club champs on the 1st July. Even if you don't enter come and watch the club champs, there will be gaps between the races where you can just have a go round the track on one of the bikes we have to use.
Comments
I can underline just how fun and friendly the Monday evening training sessions are. We are very lucky to have such a unique opportunity on our doorstep. Worth going to just for the fitness, skills development and lolz, never mind if you have no intention of actual racing.
I can't make the CCA Biggleswade event in July (gutted!) but hope to race in another event this summer.
Upcoming grass track events:
As above there's a great atmosphere at the grass track from my experience, so why not give it a go.
I'm tentatively thinking I might even be able to ride Witham...….