Andy Hicks and myself had unfinished business from last season in this the final TT of the season, The 'Classic' season closer and now celebrating its 40th year the Redmon GP des Gents in the Surrey heartland of Dorking and the A24 where we (Andy at least) ply our sport week in week out. We were beaten last year by ace tester Dr Michael Hutchinson and Dave Pollard of the In-Gear racing team, we went away licking our wounds badly prepared and ill served by the course and the conditions. This year we only had to contend with an invited list of past winners including a couple of Yates brothers paced by their semi-pro sons and some other stooges and their professional pacers but then that is the name of the game to see an old soldier whipped around an unsuitable course for a man who should be sitting with his feet up reading the Sunday Telegraph colour supplement.
Andy and I do not fit into either category, we are a bone-fide club team of some class but could we pull the wool over the wolf's eyes and steal a win? The organiser did us the dis-service of starting us early Again! Last year we finished and the good Doc was still doing his warm-up in the sunshine.
Skydiver Andy
Andy and I has been out on the rain soaked roads in the cold. This year the same off a good hour before the favorites but at least it was dry and windless this year, we had also done a survey of the course, the 'Original' out to Clark's Green back and along to Ockley before climbing to Kingsfold and returning along the A24 to Beare Green (18.65 miles) We coasted around well above 'evens' on the Saturday and I thought it might suit us better than the lumpy (& bumpy) Newdigate ride last year.
The 'Classic' course
Andy moved his aero bars apart to give himself a better view of my back wheel and with no spray to deal with he had the opportunity to tuck in nice and tight on the fast sections. There was still danger, plenty of cars doing I don't know what! but at least the road surface was better. Andy looked more Skydiver than cyclist in his Casco helmet and his harness/number (back and arm!) combo and a BLACK! skin-suit Do the SWRC not have the capability to reward our National Road and Time Trial Champion with some race-ware to befit his status than a dull generic garment, he should be in a 'Speed-suit', he might break a few National records, he's not slowing down (much) as he gets older
I start steady, we are into a headwind going South but I think its more from the East and we are well protected by the ample tree coverage (Surrey/Sussex has the most of any county, Leicestershire the least, It's no wonder I feel battered some weeks) We already have the Morley family pair (Kingston Phoenix) in our reach, at 73 potential challengers but not at their speed. Soon after the Pearson CC all women pairing of Karin Brameld and Allyson Fenton fall four minutes as we reach the Clarke's Green roundabout. Andy takes it all a bit wide (National RR you say?) but we are soon together and heading back, this is allot faster than last years course, we touch 40mph at some points, probably dropping down to Ockley (12.98m) where a car turning right nearly has me going up the pavement, that is where a ride around the course is invaluable, we were prepared for it and we only lose a few seconds
The road down to the far end is a real roller coaster, I have to make sure Andy is still on my wheel over all the rises, this is where we lost it last year, Andy into the red on a climb and it takes valuable recovery time to get over, a luxury you can ill afford to give away when the top teams know what they have to beat.
Past Winners 1976 - 1993
The Marches Road rises up to the Owl Pub at Kingsfold (16.83m) it is the only part where I have to ease back a bit and give Andy due respect his age (I hope he does the same for me next time up Coldharbour!) We catch pair No 1 Alistair Lang and the oldest man in the field 82 year old Geoff Goat of the promoting club, and now we are on the Dorking Road with the final push to the finish. Mole Valley (Specialist Cars) has all their Porche, TVR and Noble super-cars out the front but we leave them standing as we get into top gear at Clark's Green once more. Andy has to come through for the last 200 meters and unlike last year when he had nothing left this time I had to hang on not to get left behind. We had what I though a decent time 41:51 26.74 mph Av. for a fairly hilly course, that's faster than Andy has gone in a '10' this year, the Standard +2.00 does not look that impressive as we had +5:23 when losing to Hutch/Pollard last year but a different course and we don't know what the Standards are based on, we hope its not a bit of gamesmanship. Its a long wait for the rest of the field Greg Hunt and Dan Sadler (RT 316) we saw out recce the course with us so taking it serious but 42:20 only good enough for 6th and at 49 never going to trouble us on Std. The next team unusual in that 53 year old Kevin Tye was pacing 49 year old AndrewMeilak (Velorefined) but seeing how the former is the VTTA National '50' Champion and the latter merely a very fast Veteran and their 40:14 good enough to go fastest but 1:45 behind on Standard so maybe their plan may backfire. My tip after breaking the age standard Hour Record during the year Robert Gilmore (Houndslow & Dist) and some time Pro Wouter Sybrandy (Sigma) only managed 43:40, at 64 Robert has put up some useful individual times but here he could not hang onto the youthful Dutch rider The other 70+ contender Ben Fielden paced by his teammate from the GS Stella David Shepherd, he and I have had some rare battles over the years and this season we have been nip and tuck as we are the same age. 43:31 and a +1:16 makes them 2nd on Std. by a single second Tye/Meilak 3rd +1:15 There's always somebody you never think about, this year its another Sigma rider Peter Hardcastle pacing the 40 year old lady rider Elise Sherwell (Look Mum no Hands!) 41:12 is a phenomenal ride and +1:05 gives us a scare.
Past Winners 1994 -2014
So it only remains for those Yates brothers to come in, to be fair Christian is on better form than Sean these days and both paced by semi-pro 'Chips off the block' so to speak Jesse and his 55 year old dad Sean (In Gear) could not keep the title in deepest Sussex 41:25 -0:27 and younger brother Christian a year younger than me paced by Sean's eldest 19 years old Catford/Banks Liam to 41:28 -0:53 on Standard
So Andy and I were 5th fastest again on time but more importantly we took the Bill and Marjory Griffiths Trophy for the best Standard time for a 'Gentleman' now we all know, or at least every one of us that has tried to keep up with Andy when going up Pebble or White down thathee ain't no 'gentleman' in fact he can be a bit of a monster but I was glad he was on my wheel and now all we have to do is defend it in a years time when he will be just that little bit older and I will be that little bit wiser o7ò
Final event of the season a 15.4 mile GP des Gentlemen in and around the lanes South of Dorking from North Holmwood to Beare Green, Clarkes Green, up to Rusper then back through Newdigate and finish outside Holmwood Park. This is a two-up but with a difference 'The Gentleman' today is Andy Hicks' and I am his 'Pacer' I ride at full time trial pace and Andy gets to come past me in the last 200 meters and cross the line first.
So no changing position, Andy gets a free ride to the line, he must have thought there was a catch but who else would come up with such a one sided competition than the French! Traditionally its an old pro with a young turk but these days its got a bit competitive and old pros are not the 'Puffing Billys' they used to be. Andy is a handy athlete and I have to 'Pace' him over a hilly course not my favourite parcours at the best of times, Andy always drops me out on the club runs when the road goes up.
Andy and myself in the Surrey lanes (Pic Matt Scoles)
We do not have a chance to practise, I go around the course the day before as it's a few years since I rode this with brother Alan (I rode a version with President John Bromley in the 90's) but now in its 39th year its become a bit of an end of season 'Classic'. Its rained in the night but by the time we take to the line among the early starters its warm enough for Andy to discard his arm warmers. We have done a ten mile warm up "Do a bit at race pace" says Andy he was suitably quite when I was on the 'rivet' concentrating on going a bit faster than he usually does in a time trial.
The skip speaks! - Hutch warms up
We still managed second spot (Pic Matt Scoles)
As we head up the A24 there is a bit of headwind but I'm more worried about puncturing on the wet roads, Andy is tucked in, I take it steady, to give us both a bit of time to get into the flow of racing. When we get onto the Capel bypass I begin to pick it up but I have to keep my legs spinning its not your normal Dual Carriageway course. I've put a 53 ring on instead of my usual 56 as we pass onto the Rusper road, suddenly Andy is not there, I wait, I might have dropped him on the greasy corner but we get together again and he is blowing a bit, the road surface is very bad and I almost overshoot a corner and all the time Andy is trying to stay with me with almost no vision. I give him some encouragement on the stiff climb up to Rusper as we catch our four minute team (two minute intervals) and then the first team on the road from the promoting Redmon, the riders going very slow now we are at the top of the course but out of the trees, the light is better as are the roads
SWRC - Dream Team
A sharp left and we have a nice decent but it is tricky with the broken surface in the tuck position we begin to motor a bit, past the tearooms at Tanhouse farm, no time for a stop today Andy! Newdigate is thankfully free of the early morning paper buying throng but once left and onto Henfold lakes we are behind a tanker and a car insists on passing even though we are flying almost blocks the way but they all clear away and we have a clear run to the finish. There is a slight drag up to Inholms Lane and while I pile on the pressure Andy looses my back wheel again and when It comes for him to sprint past me at the 200m mark (which was at least double that!) his legs were gone to jelly and I could see he had had a tough time on my wheel but like the champion he is he got out the saddle and gave it everything he had
Winners - Pollard/Hutch (In Gear)
We saw a few SWRC friends around the course, I don't think Andy noticed as he was concentrating, it's difficult to go fast in the spray of a back wheel in a tuck position and avoid all the pot holes and muck but he did a magnificent job, we were leading with the biggest 'plus' on standard right up until the last of the 52 teams came in and then it was Michael Hutchinson and Dave Pollard (In Gear) the defending champions that beat us, they had to do the fastest time on the day as well and I think our fifth on time not too shabby for a combined age of over 120 years o7ò
