Banking Crisis - National '50'

National Fancy Dress Mechanic - 1st Prize

Jon - Ready for the off - note the matching Gel

Jon Thomas and I had a pretty torrid time at the weekend in the Nat '50' held over three windswept laps of the South Manchester course near Holmes Chapel. Moved from the Uber fast A50 some of the speed gloss had been lost but the organisers had done a good job to re-locate the 190 rider (150 men & 40 women) field to another location albeit two hours later in the day.
Jon & I were over an hour apart so we just had to get on with our own preparation, I chose to do my usual 'Spin and Stretch' in the morning while Jon prefers 40 minutes on the Turbo to build up a head of steam. The women were well into their race when I went out on the course to do a bit of pre-race warmup, I gave Jon a cheer as he went past on the Old A50 with a surface like a ploughed field you had to move around to find the best line and 2 or 3 blind corners all to the frisson of danger but the event was well marshalled and there were no incidents although I saw plenty of riders with a line of cars on their tail as there were precious few places to pass. I went to the timekeeper a minute behind Andy Jackson (Pedalsport) a mere youngster at 33 but he only beat me by 2 minutes in last weeks '100' so I had a good target to chase but also Steven Whitewick (UTAG Yahama) a minute behind one of the fastest in my age group so I was a hare as well as a hound.
Mick Ward who I'd been to stay with last week in Shropshire was here again today, with a personal interest, he was the National '50' champion 50 years ago (and the last winner on a 'fixed' before gears became ubiquitous (until Obree) a sprightly 75 years he was my mentor for the day although so much has chanced from when he was racing it's always good to have a steady influence on a big day. To be honest if had needed to do a storming ride I would not have raced twice in the week but I too have my aim on other events and in the light of its changed venue this race had just become another 'training' ride at the end of a hard week, it was touch and go if my legs had recovered (from Thursday)
As soon as I began I knew the truth that they had not and I was in for a bit of a battering as Mick had said on his reconnaissance "I cannot tell which way the wind is blowing, it all seems hard" my reply was "No problem Mick wind is not a problem in these days of 'Aero'" less of a problem yes but when your legs fail you that can be a problem. I tried to make it work, settle into a pattern, as fast as my legs would stand but there was no getting away from the truth, I'd left my effort on the tarmac at Mallory Park. Now my only task to finish the race, because of the laps there was lots of overlapping, Mark Holton (Shorter RT) 1.49.13 (eventual 6th) caught and passed me on his 2nd and then young team mate Adam Duggleby (my 2MM) going just as smooth and only slightly slower 1.52.18 I pressed on to half way just over the 58 minute mark with a sinking heart, Whitewick had come and gone and I felt no stomach for the fight, I caught riders on their final lap, I envy them, I know I will be slower then as well. As it begins to rain, but then does not the wind on the verge of stormy blew the trees and Jodrell Bank telescope in the vertical position (a sure sign) less it acts like a sail (apparently), you notice too much when the race does not have your attention.

With so many riders on the course, I thought I would catch (or be caught more!) but from half way I only caught one and it was a long and lonely lap to the finish, I will fight another day and to be fair I was not too perturbed by my result as I feel I have turned the corner 7 days before when I had the stomach and the legs, today I only had the appetite for a fight and once that was sated I was happy to finish bent but unbroken. Jon on the other hand had a much more difficult time, plagued with cramp almost from the off he thinks a combination of disrupted preparation and flying too and fro across the Atlantic played havoc with his physical state and its hard not to disagree, as the saying goes "Fail to prepare, prepare to fail" but when out of your control a bitter pill to swallow, his eventual time 2.09.06 not a ride he will want to remember.
I managed an hour for the second half 1.58.16 for 51st place, 6th in my age group which was won by local man and course record holder (until today) Chas McCulloch (Shorter again!) 1.47.10 for a magnificent 3rd overall a mere 2 seconds behind Matt Bottrill (I-Ride RT - formerly De Rosa RT) and my tip for the day on a course more suited to the road man than the pure time traillist. However it was a purest who won the day, once again and champion (& for the 10th time in a row) Michael Hutchinson (In Gear) 1.43.18 an astounding ride on a sporting course, a negative split after 52.05 for the first half and a last 10 miles in 19.17
We gathered for the presentation at the HQ away from the stormy weather, most riders had a story to tell of racing on the lanes of Cheshire, Fiona and Mick met early starter McCulloch on the course (very nice man!) who told of a heart fibrillation attack which saw his pulse over 300 which makes his medal all the more remarkable. The prizes were presented by a youthful Barry Hoban Champion in 1961 a mere 48 years I think Mick was hard done by! Womens race won by Julia Shaw (Utag Yahama) 1.54.40 who like Hutchinson makes a clean sweep of the '10','25' & '50' titles
Mick & Hutch discuss pacing and the jacket of his book



I had a chat with Hutch (flogging his sailing book) about race pacing but more impressed with meeting Jonny Helms of the promoting club (Warrington RC) and Cycling cartoonist for 67 years, Mick was my drawing teacher from Leicester Poly (25 years ago) apparently I was the first person he spoke to in his 'New job' the result will stand but the stories make the day


Podium McCulloch 3rd - Champ Hutch - Hoban (1961 Winner) - Bottrill 2nd