Draggy Strip - National 10 Mile

My second claim club the Hinckley CRC were promoting the National Championship '10'  TT on the local Wolvey course near Lutterworth. It would provide a contrast to last years event on the Uber fast V718 along the Humber estuary. I set a PB in coming 83rd with 19:58, this year it was on a course I have ridden over sixty times but never got inside 22 minutes (best 22:01 in 2011 & 22:05 in 2009) a difference in speed of nearly 3mph Av. and while the Wolvey course does not look on paper that slow a couple of drags and a 'draggy' road surface along with almost zero traffic makes it a true test for the 'Testers' art of power and pacing

'Warming up' in the rain

In the meantime I'd improved my PB in the '10' by a single second on the 'V' in July and in a full dress rehearsal I'd done 22:02 in the Tuesday evening before the race, I usually ride a 92-94" fixed on an evening hoping to attain 100 rpm but Here I'd put my gear up to 100" so only a modest 90 rpm but I tried it on gears and not a great deal of difference so I opted for the fixed on the day. I had a good chance of winning my age category being the second fastest, but there was a clutch more C's (50-55) just behind me there could be no slacking

There may be no traffic on this road but there was plenty of farmers driving combines and tractors up and down the lane in the week before the event, it was harvesting after a hot few weeks the men and machines work around the clock to get the job done so when I rode around the course the day before there was plenty of action. As I arrived marshals were sweeping up wheat over spill on one of the junctions but then just on queue the heavens opened as we were all warming up at the HQ and what looked like a potential clash of interest for the road space disappeared as all the workers disappeared unable to do any more.

21:57 on my fixed (2nd 'D' 50-54)

So a warm-up in the rain (I was to ride three events on consecutive days, all in the rain!) on the rollers with everybody doing likewise, some under gazebos more prepared but on summers like these I seem to have done it a lot more than normal. The field laid out in order of fastest so my 62 made me 88th fastest in the field of 150, , my minute man only a second slower but I planned to catch him! Almost all the riders fastest times have been done on the 'V' but here on the lowly ranked K41/10 there would be a democratisation of conditions and times. I went to the start. it was pleasantly warm and still, I'd taken my visor off on this course you need to see the road surface and in the rain it's just a distraction.

Rain did not stop the action

I went as hard as I dare in the conditions but lost a few seconds at the turn with a car taking my line so I just had to take it slow and safe, my HR showed 156, almost a record for these days and only 154 on the way back but my average 150 so as good as I could have hoped. I was closing in on my man all the way, I could see the Oxford rider in his orange kit getting closer but in the end I was 3 seconds shy of the catch. The last mile is the fastest and gears would have helped but I still hit over 35mph as pushed myself all the way. In the end a new course PB 21:57 almost exactly two minutes slower than last year. Things were looking up in the age awards he fastest in my age group Ian Greenstreet had a puncture after a couple of miles and that threw the competition wide open

Bottrill's final National

The rain eased a bit for the final ten 'The favorites' but the roads were still wet and the conditions much the same for everybody. James Boyman (Farnham RC) was top of the leader board from a lowly No 90 (60th fastest) 20:01 from monster big Josh Williams (Revolution Racing) the coming man at 23 years who had placed 4th in the '25' just after him at No 91 with 20:08. Nobody could dislodge him until 7th from the end Richard Bussell (RST Sport) 19:36, only four races to his name this year but a 18:17 on the 'V' and a ten year old bike put together for £1000 to take on the best in the country. Ryan Perry (Langdale) the winner of the National '25' went out but did not come back, unshipping his chain at the turn and then flinging his machine into the hedge. The final three, local Matt Clinton (Mike Vaughn) who rides the Tuesday evenings on a regular basis and does 'low' twenty rides came within five seconds 19:41 but he was up against the man riding his final National after a couple of years dominating the TT scene and the defending holder and final man. Matt Bottrill (drag2zero) As last year it was close all the way but Matt could not dislodge the leader, his time 19:45 only good enough for third, only four riders inside twenty minutes (last year 85!) and the winner a few seconds inside two minutes faster than the winning time in 2014 17:40 so all things considered true to the course that had managed to tame the favourites and let some new talent into the fray.

Winning my age was not to be I missed out by 13 seconds, I did however improve my place in the country to 81st perhaps if Ryan had not flung his bike it may have made for different result o7ò


CTT Result

Velo UK Report

Alan Kitchen Photos

Winners £1000 bike