Rollercoaster week

A bit of an up and down week for me as I try and cram in as much racing as humanly possible to bring my form on a bit. Started last weekend on the Saturday with a 20:48 in the Lea Valley '10' on the E2/10 on the A14 (Newmarket By-Pass), first of a fine week of weather which has seen us reaching for the factor 30 rather than the overshoes and undervest
Dr Hutch (In Gear) was the star with a winning time of 18:52 from up and coming James Wall (Echelon) 19:28 and Richard O'Rourke (Flitch Crono) the only other rider inside 30mph 19:41. I wasn't off until late in the day 17.00 so the prospect of starting the Norlond Combine '50' at 06.30 the next morning not so hot
The early starters were greeted with still (if cold) conditions to ply our way up and down the A1 between Sandy & Buckden a couple of times, I started well although cautiously and I was miffed to have one of the bearings in my rear wheel collapse at 6 miles, I carried on to 10 miles (21:40) but then the unstable nature of the disc meant I had to ease off. By the time I'd completed lap one (23m) I was still at 54 minutes (25mph) but I was at risk of having doing some (permanent) damage to myself or my wheel, the wheel expensive to replace so I stopped.
I moped around the HQ while the other riders finished and Ian Cammish (Planet X) the undisputed king of this strip of tarmac ran out the winner with 1:49:49 (20:32 the previous day) from Mark Howard (Shaftsbury CC) 1:52:22 after a year out 'road racing' and Tristan Davenne (Newbury RC) 1:52:06 I was so put out by this result that after driving back to Leicester and having a lie down for an hour I went out to do 30m at 22mph cross country on 81" fixed
I had been due to ride the Hull City RC '10' on the Uber fast V718 on the Tuesday evening but as the event had to be moved to another course due to roadworks I gave the 250 mile post work round trip a miss and did a speed session on 93" fixed to hone my edge for the coming weekend where I have two National title races. Before that I rode a 40 mile evening crit at Mallory Park with some of the country's best Elite/1st cat road men and ride out and home making 85m for the day
After a rest day on the Friday I have the VTTA National '25' on the Sat afternoon on the A1 further up this time at Newark, this was my PB course in my comeback season and the day promised a great deal and I had chosen to ride a 'fixed' in an effort to improve my pursuiting position for the Masters track in July. Jon Thomas had made the journey up for the day so I went out to give him a shout and decide on gearing as the other imperative was not to overstress my overworked legs for the next days National '10'. In the end I decided on 53 x 14 (100.6") and apart from the incline around Newark I managed to handle it pretty well to a decent 6th place 53:33 Jon came in with a seasons best of 57:56, of the fast (younger) riders 44 year old Barry Charlton (Lyme RC) was fastest 50:58 from scratchman Rob Weare (Leamington C & AC) 52:30 (49 years) and Ian Dalton (Cherry Valley) 52.53 (44 years) but of course we were all out shone by the sun and the old'uns who run out the winners on Standard, 79 year old Ron Hallam (S Pennine RC) +27:55 with a ride 19 seconds outside the hour from 73 year old Derek Stuart (Deeside)+26:21 (58:01) and Frank Kerry (Lancarshire RC) +26:09 58:51 a year older
The main event of the week (my final event of a packed programme) was the Stratford CC promotion of the National '10' the first of this years Championships and one that has come to attract a breed of super fast 'testers' with their worship of Power and Aero, and this year three of the all conquering National team pursuit squad to have a tilt at the fastest championship on open roads.


Riding a fixed wheel was meant to save my legs a bit for today but I think the 120 RPM (35mph) finish had done a bit more damage than anticipated and although I was back on gears for this one I could feel a bit of deep down trauma waiting to break through once the pressure was on. I did a bit of a warm up along the course after Julia Shaw (Utag Yamaha) had clinched the Women's title with 20:31 from Sarah Storey (Horizon) 20:58 and Lynne Taylor (Born to Bike) 21:52. Earlier in the day Oliver Rossi (PCA) had done a storming 20:29 to win the Juniors from Conor Dunne (Glendene CC) 20:35 and Tom Stockdale (Team Qoros) 20:51


Photo c/o Edward Moss
I was only the 91st fastest entry for this event run in descending order so you have to keep an eye on those around you who are your peers and not much chance to gauge your performance apart from the turn on the A46 near Alcester in Warwickshire. I set out steady to try and run myself in. I got to 5 miles in 10:24 and the second half harder than the first so my 100% 20 minute rides this year looking like a goner but as I began to pull a bit better I could feel myself going not too bad, deep down there was not much substance to my effort but even the long drag up from the Little Chef at Salfords Priors (good thing I didn't go for the all day breakfast!) with a tail wind was not as bad as it looked. Finishing on the windy B road to Alcester I did the second half in 11:08 for 21:32, my time would only be good enough for 78th place but a week a long time and as the women' race it was a repeat of last year Michael Hutchinson the eventual Champion had stretched his winning margin (over me) to nearly 3 minutes.

Hutch knows the way to go

His time at half way 9:04 was un-mached even by eventual silver (& team pursuit maestro) Ed Clancy (Motorpoint) 19:20 (9:08) 2nd last year had to settle for the bronze Andy Tennant (Motorpoint) 19:31 (9:25).

The runners-up perspective "I could not have gone any better"


Mens Result

Womens Result

Juniors Result

It's National Time!

This year I decided to ride all the National Time Trial distances, starting with the 10 mile on the 23rd May. Only 91st fastest entry could I manage to improve on my overall place of 68th last year? Not the fastest course (K33/10) at Salfords Priors in Warwickshire but should be a fine test for defending champion Michael Hutchinson (in gear) but last years silver Andy Tennant back again and Olympic medalists Steve Burke and Ed Clancy (all Motorpoint) also feature

Stratford CC Website
Start Sheet

Then the 25 mile promoted in Yorkshire on the 5th June - I managed to make it at 52nd fastest entry and never having ridden the Blue Ribband of the Time Trialling season before (rode the Junior version in 1979 won by Darryl Webster) should be a good event the Boroughbridge venue of some classic events in the past. With 219 entries for the 150 places and controversially Alex Dowsett (7th World Under 23 TT 2009) has had his entry returned after he had no qualifying time (after initially but ilegally being given a wild card entry by the CTT)

Yorkshire Velo Website
List of riders

The 50 mile is the most local to the South Western RC in the South at Petersfield, it is a tried and tested fast course, starts at Hillbrow and does two laps between Buriton and the Bramshott on the A3. At the present time I'm the 7th fastest man in the field (how low can I go?) entries close on the 25th May and the SWRC hope to field a strong team

Details of the a3crg... event
Entries (so far)

R + R

Team Verticale - Rin, Martin & Matt

Planning to ride the South Pennine '25' at Etwall on the way up to the Lakes for a weekend of R + R did not quite go as planned, the morning we had squally showers and the brisk NE wind made the A50 a fairly hostile place so after signing on I then backed out of riding after talking to a few other riders, I apologised to the organiser and we set off North feeling we would have better weather in the NW where sun was forecast.
Sure enough above Stoke the temperature began to climb from below eight degrees to the seasonal norm of fifteen by the time we got to the Lakes, I did a rapid 25 mile lap of Windermere above evens (not that easy) just to pressure my legs as I was meeting up with some friends who were riding the Fred Whitton on the Sunday. I was not entered in the event (never ridden a sportive) but I was up for a few gentle miles to see them over the first half as they were relatively inexperienced at this sort of thing although Rinaldo had done the event last year and had a couple of work colleagues, one Matt from Sweden said they had only just commenced riding their bikes at the start of the month because of the terrible winter (& we think we had it bad!)
Tour style climbing




I rode out and met them as they came through Ambleside from the start at Coniston, the first part over Troutbeck & Kirkstone (highest point) I knew quite well but Matterdale towards Keswick and the NW Lakes are new territory for me, there was a long section on the A66 perhaps the fastest section of the ride. I was going to return from here but as it was turning into a beautiful day and the four of us were working well together I thought I'd carry on for the rest of the ride.

Honister at 45 miles is a brute of a climb with a large burnt patch on the road where some unlucky soul had overheated their sports car (Lamborghini) and set it on fire trying to get up the 25% climb, a couple of riders had crashed on the decent one wrapped in a foil blanket we were urged by marshalls to take it easyier than the near 50mph on the decent of Kirkstone
Buttermere YHA


Just after we stopped at Buttermere Youth Hostel the first checkpoint where I looked after the bikes and the lads filled up bottles and got some grub, I had taken enough for the day, I did sneak a refill but it wasn't a hot day and I was able to enjoy the scenery in this part of the Lakes Newlands and Whinlater are still serious climbs and you had to pace yourself as you would in a race.

On a good day you can see Snowdonia as you descend from Cold Fell to the final check point at Calder Bridge within sight of the coast and Sellarfield, the Isle of Man was clearly visible but the two climbs everybody want to conquer which come in the final twenty miles are Hardknott and Wrynose. There is nothing to prepare you for the 'shock & awe' of these two idiot bits of unique British approach to the countryside, while the Victorians were off reshaping the world this little bit O' Blighty was left with an almost un-passable 'pass' which still has the air thick with the smell of burning clutch, if they were on the continent would have a beautiful engineered series of hairpin bends up the side of the mountain buy here we get a higgly piggly ribbon of lumpy tarmac with an average gradient of 25% but in places must be over 30%
Top of Wrynose

Many were dismounting before the cattle grid that marks the first approach but I just had to wring every ounce of energy from my legs to force 39 x 25 gear up all the way to the top, you need to rest on the not so steep and then sprint the hairpin bends and the very steep bits out the saddle as you lift your front wheel off the ground seated, I estimate only two in ten managed it but it is a brute of a climb and one for the box tickers rather than the cycle purist. Aparently the film of local fastman fell runner and cross rider Rob Jebb (Wheelbase) going over is something to behold.

We all descend into Little Langdale after regrouping at the top, I left the lads to finish their ride back to Coniston while I rode back to Windermere 110 miles in 7:30 that last part of the day putting the average speed back half a mile per hour. Not the best day of R + R but certainly one of the most beautiful.

Below Parr

After the cancellation of last weeks event due to the police having to close the A50 after a fatal motorbike accident we the riders were left to reflect on the fragile nature of our relationship with the other vehicles we share the highways with for sport and for pleasure, it's something we face every day but here it rubs up close and on this occasion all we have is a wasted journey.
Still feeling a bit poorly all through the week I did not do much in the way of training as I have the Zenith 2 Day (3 Stages) at the weekend to worry about, 20+ 1st category riders and no place to hide when the mood takes them to start racing. I used the opening 'Prologue' of just under 3 miles to see how I feel and almost 30 seconds slower than last year confirmed my belief that the days racing would be tougher to get through than I would like it. Matt Bottrill (i-ride) was the clear winner 5:36 from team mate Adam Duggleby 5:52 and Matt Clinton (Mike Vaughn Cycles) 5:54, I had been 10th the last couple of years with a time just outside 6 minutes but my 6:31 only good enough for 45th.
The afternoon stage 70m on the roads around Bruntinthorpe aerodrome and a group of 15 got away almost immediately, the bunch held them at 20 - 30 seconds and there was a bit of team tactics between the strong i-ride/sportscover riders who both had men in the break, on the penultimate lap we had them pegged at 8 seconds as more riders came to the fore, I did a few stints on the front as I felt more confident in my ability to last the distance but then it all went to pot and they got away from us again and took over 2 minutes out of us to the finish. A group of four clipped away on the last lap but I found myself strong and well placed enough (little bit of local knowledge!) to get up for 5th in the bunch sprint 25th on the day and moved me up into the top 40 overall.

Heading out wrapped up on the second day

It had been warm and calm on the Saturday but Sunday greeted us with bitter NE wind for the 80m mile stage around Walton/N. Kilworth and Shearsby, a much tougher course with a long creeping climb which we were lined out at over 20mph and the string broke over and over again as legs gave out and riders found themselves shelled out the back. I had started with two tops and a gillet thinking I would take it off after an hour but in the end I never warmed up enough and I was glad of the overshoes and arm and knee warmers, I could feel the previous days ride in my legs for the first few laps and just had to take it every attack at a time until over half way when I took a Cafeen gel to help me over the closing stages (or not sleep until Tuesday!)
There were little breaks away all the time and the i-ride team controlled it for Bottrill in Yellow but there was a split and a mad dash when a 'Fourtrack' farm vehicle split the bunch and a group of three including eventual stage and overall winner Richard Lambert (Cottingham Cou.) got away leaving his two companions in the difficult conditions to time trial away to win by over two minutes after only being 36 seconds down overnight so a single rider without a team managed to get one over with a superb solo effort.

Bunch strung out on the main hill past the feed station

As the teams tried to pull the leader back the bunch was in a single line and I had to haul myself past riders 'sitting up' in the string numerous times but as the distance and the speed took its toll I was tailed off with half a lap to go on the fastest stretch of the course where we were descending at 45mph and there was no room for error or weakness and I found that a week of being off colour had made one more effort only a hope. I got together with three others including Phil Axe (Sharrow) who can usually get up in the top 10 but like me the wrong side of 45 to stay with this company at this speed, we mopped up a few shelled out and three riders on the floor from a spill in the bunch which was down to about 30 riders by the finish

Full Result Here

No racing next week as we are up in the Lakes, I might take a ride up to the top of Wrynoes to cheer the riders over in the Fred Whitton on the Sunday, hopefully a bit of a rest will see me back to full strength as I have the National '10' on a fairly local Staffords Prior course just South of Birmingham in a couple of weeks, don't hold your breath as my 20:40 qualifying time (4 secs off a PB) makes me 91st fastest on the day but I'd like to think I can improve on my 68th of last year.

Stafford CC National '10'