Eternal Second

Forgive me Blogspot for I have sinned, it is over six months since my last post. The Winter and Spring time these past couple of seasons have not had a great deal to recommend them so what with taking on an allotment and a greater commitment to work there has not been allot of time for racing. I've kept riding the bike at a lower level but come April I thought I'd better push it up a level with some six hour rides so that I was not left without any miles in the legs when the mood to race came around
For those of you who have an allotment the amount of work getting it into shape is large and it has taken me four digs to remove the Couch weed that they call 'Twitch' in these parts but on a plot that has not been cultivated fully for a few seasons its plenty of work to keep me in shape. I've filled a compost bin a meter square with the stuff, I am advised to "Burn it" but presently I'm trying to compost it with weed killer and treats of violence as it seems to be almost indestructible.

I rode down to Devon in two days staying over at Salisbury YHA and the unusual North wind (NW) was a great help on the first day so the W wind on the second day slowed my progress and Fiona picked me up at Honiton before I had to negotiate the A30

On the way to Devon - Shaftsbury

My first event of the season the local Leicester Forest '25' on the A46 (Six Hills) course just North of Leicester, I'd done a couple of speedy sessions in the week to liven my legs up but with a windy morning I was wondering if I'd done too much. I only put a 92" (52 x 15) gear on as I reasoned that it was not about going for the win but just to test the legs and get a few hard rides in the bag before the British Masters Track at the end of the month
That North wind (NE today) would make for a nice return but first the tricky outward journey to Wymeswold and the Widmerpool Island (the top 6 mile section covered twice). I was caught by my minute man eventual winner Nick Cave (Lutterworth RT) also on a fixed at 8 miles, I was concentrating on the harder sections but not trying to go overboard as I only has PR and RPM to go on which was probably a good thing as I made me focus on my ride rather than my time.
The final five miles were glorious and I'd left myself enough in the legs to enjoy them as my legs span at 120RPM+ and I was pleasantly pleased with my time and position 57:40 for 8th place.


Photo Here

Result Here



 On the Sunday I left the house at just after 8 O'clock to ride out to watch the National Championship '25' at Tattershall in Lincolnshire, I thought it would be three hours into a stiff headwind as it was it took nearly four as I battled passed the triathletes at Belvoir Castle barely above 17mph. Once I got onto the flat Fens passed Sleaford I felt the real force of a block headwind and arrived to see the final 10 riders to the finish exhausted 72m @ 18mph.

There was a changing of the guard as Matt Bottrill (Drag2zero) 49:31 finally got the better of Michael Hutchinson (In Gear) 49:58 something he has been trying to do for numerous seasons but unfortunately they both came off slower than 22 year old (former European Junior TT Champion) Matthew Perrett (IG Sigma) who ran out the winner 49:21 Bottrill had the honour of leading the team and will now have to wait for the '50' in a couple of weeks after getting so close (7 seconds) in the '10' but it was the Blue Ribband '25' that he would so dearly love to have taken but that will have to wait for another season sport can be cruel!

New Champion Matt Perrett (IG Sigma)

I almost had no time to hang around as I put my kit back on and did the return journey from the event at 20.5mph


Men's Result

Women's Result

Junior Result

2. Form and Function

After the BH excess Fiona & I had a week in Devon visiting friends so this gave me the opportunity to ride the National Championship '25' at Holdsworthy in the SW, notorious for their non flat courses but this will live in the memory as the hardest for years, I've ridden 'Hilly' events on flatter and faster roads than these so my modest time & position reflected my unsuitability for this type of course.
The event itself was top class, the village of Holdsworthy just north of Dartmoor was closed to traffic, I should have taken note when somebody at work mentioned that he had started a hilly hiking weekend at the turn village of Hatherleigh. we had a tour style ramp in the main square to start from and a band in the background, no that I noticed I was too busy trying to stay focused on the event (and upright) as light rain began to fall.

After a perilous decent and left hand er the road (A3072) climbed past the finish and climbed and climbed, I had not done a recce of the course but my minute man James Coleman of the Witham Whs told me "Don't go mental on the first climb" it was good advice and if my PR was not on max already I might have thought about picking it up over the top but as it was I was still in the inner and dreaming that it be over and my holiday begun.


It leveled out a bit but James caught me at 7 miles at the bottom of another climb on his single 65 ring! By the top he was 20 seconds to the good and my moral as well as my speed was gone from the race, up to the high point where a tractor came un announced (and not stopping) out of a side road and I had to overtake it on a blind corner on the now wet roads.
I thought I would be Ok to the finish by a succession of seeded riders (I was in the last 25 after all) caught and passed me as I toiled on the way back now knowing what was in store. Michael Hutchinson was the slowest winner since 1987 in 53:36 despite unshipping his chain and loosing 30 seconds but Matt Botrill was only 36 seconds behind and youngster Andrew Griffiths (Orbea) a furthe 12 seconds back. Julia Shaw (Drag2zero) won the womens race in 59:20

I had a restful few days off only doing a couple of hill intervals as I find the roads down here too tiring for long rides so I may as well as make it hurt but keep it short

On returning I had the VTTA National Champ '25' the next week on the E2 (Newmarket bypass A14/11) Jonathon rode as well although unhappy with his 58:09 time complaining of a phlegm chest and not able to take advantage of the fast return after a drudge out to the Four went ways turn. He did a demon warm up on the turbo and I could hardly keep up as we rode together to the start, I think he put too much into the start. I was quite satisfied with my 53:49 with plenty left in the tank, I was saving a bit for the next morning as I had the Finsbury RC '50' on the A1 at Bedford a mere 12 hours later Kevin Tye (Allstars) was fastest 3 seconds inside 30 mph and Derek Stewart (Deeside) from North of the border the fastest on standard (VTTA Champion) with + 27:01, 57:59 at 74 years of age

Jon (Pic by Sarah Brooke)

Kevin Tye 49:57 (Pic by Sarah Brooke)

I was expecting rain (see Alan's Herts Audax - below) but the morning was sunny and importantly calm after weeks of blustery conditions, I started cautiously to 'ride in' my legs I could still feel the previous days race. The two lap event gives plenty of opportunity to observe your fellow riders as you need to pace your ride without getting caught up in racing the opposition, as the race progressed the wind got up but the traffic also began to flow which tends to cancel this out. I finished with a 1:52:52 after loosing a minute on the final 12 mile leg into the wind as my legs began to feel the pressure of back to back racing, not to worry an excellent time and good to feel solid in both rides.
Ian Cammish (Planet X) was fastest 1:44:46 after 51:29 the day before, I'd broken the club record in this event in 1982 doing 1:57:21 with a double wheel change at 22 miles (broken spokes) and a slow puncture for the last part of the race while Cammish had been the winner that day 1:45:14 also some things never change

Finsbury '50' on the A1 (David Jones)