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How did it go for you all then?
I heard that the Saturday cafe run did about 60 miles around to Pocklington.
Three takers for what sounded like a good training ride on Saturday am around the classic route.
What about Muzzy's heralded return to 2nd Cat RR competition?

Clubrun with a difference yesterday - fantastic weather for riding and great that we were able to make the most of it with 160 miles round trip to Spurn Head. Thanks to Bernard for his navigation to the east of Hull (it just says "beyond here there be dragons" on my map). It was Bernie, Mal, Andy J, Ian H, Willy, Rich and me; and we were cracking on with just 9 hours riding time. Memorable day although I don't much fancy sitting on a saddle this morning!

120 miles for me with just under 7 hours riding, eventually finding my way back via a "Byway" route to Beverley, then Market Weighton and Nunburholme. Made it home in time for the 4pm deadline. Well done to you guys who went the whole hog.

I was riding the Leeds RRC RR in Spofforth. With less than 30 riders starting a break went in the first mile and built up a substantial lead. After about a third of the race I got in a small group which started to work well together to get away from the bunch. However on approaching the roundabout to turn onto A661 towards Spofforth one of the marshals stopping the traffic was hit by a van. Obviously the race couldn't continue and he was taken away by ambulance with some pretty bad cuts as the initial diagnosis. Apparently some of the riders wanted to continue racing, which I find pretty unbelieveable when this has happened to someone who's sustained such injuries having volunteered to help out.

On Saturday, I did the Heanor Clarion 25 on A25/11 - a fast undulating out-and-back near Etwall in Derbyshire. The conditions were blustery, with a cross-headwind on the way out and cross-tailwind on the way back. I managed to ride a PB time of 01:03:13.

Hats off to those of you who did 160 miles! I was out for just over 3 hours in the afternoon sun and nearly collapsed it was that hot!

I was out for 2 1/2 hours round Thorner. Lovely - hot, sunny, little traffic. Bring on the heat!

Against my better judgement I rode the Yorkshire Velo 25 on the V232 on Saturday. It was probably the worst hour I've ever spent on a bike. Apart from being battered by the wind, if you survived the trucks and caravans the finish line was 20 yards from a busy roundabout so it gave you a chance to test your brakes in an emergency stop! I don't want to start another arguement about the pros and cons on racing on dual carriageways but sometimes you've got to experience something for yourself before you can make a rational judgement and I wouldn't recommend it. The irony is on a so-called "fast" course I did my slowest ever 25. Looking forward to a more sporting 25 next weekend.

I wish I'd done any of the above. Instead I spent 7 hour travelling to and from the national RR at Abergavenny only for the group I was in to be pulled out with 15 miles to go, no warning and no places awarded. We were 4 and a bit minutes behind the leaders (7 minutes had been specified in the handbook as the cut-off time) and less than a minute behind the group in front. We were riding for about 25th place - worth riding for since it's the nationals - but instead it was decided that it was more important for people to be able to drive their 4x4s to the supermarket (we were causing the roads to be closed). It goes to show what a minority sport cycling is in this country, nobody has a problem with closing town centres for fat people to wobble round a fun 'run'.
David Millar won incidentally. Deserved, he looked strong all day. I heard he spent three weeks training in France specially for the race.

I heard he spent three weeks training in France specially for the race.

Well, at least the 7 hours travelling was put to good use working that one out!

Reading all of the above it is clear the only people guaranteed to get pleasure from their cycling are the people who ride for pleasure!
I've said it before but the sports various governing bodies just compete with one another to be the most incompetent. They sanction events promoted by their member clubs on circuits that are clearly dangerous - not just to riders but also marshalls. But they've got away with it in the past so just carry on regardless. British Cycling allow Leeds Road Racing club to organise a race on main roads near Spofforth - however there are safer roads out there? Just like The CTT allow events on the A1 or A19 - its just a matter of time before something goes wrong.
Kits correct in what he says - if he was dressed as a hippo in a fun run and taking 4 hrs to run a half marathon I bet they wouldn't be pulling him out? Never mind the Tour de France this is the reality of cycle sport in the UK. I think Kit should write to the organiser and ask for his entry fee back as he wasn't allowed to continue. After all he could have simply sent the money as a donation and saved his carbon footprint for another day?
I had a better day, although perhaps not quite the result I had hoped for. I rode the Wansbeck CC Thornton Trophy RR - one of the best organised races on the calender despite being organised by a time trialling club. They had to change the course at the last minute from their usual circuit near Morpeth to a circuit at Stamfordham , West of Newcastle. Such was the positive response at the end of the race, they will continue to use this circuit in future. Now that is a course which is nowhere near Wansbeck! The course was superb and was the one they used in the Premier calender Beaumont Trophy and featured 3 ascents of the Ryalls which was a killer climb in the comic a couple of months back. The last time up it I was in a group of 3 and heading for about 10th place. The main bunch behind us split and a group got across to us. I managed to hang on and took third in the sprint despite leading it out & took 12th & four more points. A fast race, despite the heavy roads and climbs, and the drive back on such a boiling hot day was as bigger test of endurance as the race!

Further to my previous post the marshall is now out of hospital and fortunately recovering from his injuries. However it would appear that if you are marshalling a race you are only covered by BC if you are standing at the side of the road. Obviously this has major implications for the way races are run, and if you are involved in a race over the coming weeks I'd recommend that; if marshalling you keep a high degree of awareness of the traffic around you and that you are complying with the highway code in your actions, and if you are riding you also comply with the highway code and cannot be sure that a marshall's presence guaruntees safe passage along the course. Obviously this is my own opinion and no doubt we'll hear more on the subject over the coming weeks....

Pauls B/M: scary stuff about marshalling. I've had a driver nearly knock me over while marshalling a road race.

I have to wonder what BC are thinking with the 'stand at the side of the road' stuff. That's fine for a TT where you are just pointing direction, but it's asking to have a car plough into the bunch in a road race.

If correct it must be something to do with the fact that races are run on roads which are essentially open. Therefore if you're pulling straight out at a junction while racing or standing in the middle of the road marshalling you are contravening the highway code and are liable if any subsequent accident occurs.

Marshalling is one of the grey areas BC haven't really got hold of. It could also be the end of circuits in the region that feature roundabouts - the spofforth circuit and the circuit at Sharlston although in my opinion its no great loss - there are other roads that can be used - it just might mean the promoting clubs might not be able to run events on their doorstep.
How can roundabouts be marshalled without stopping traffic? The roundabout on the Spofforth circuit is at the bottom of a hill - it wouldn't be safe to make the bunch give way and you cannot marshal a roundabout effectively from the side of the road?
On a brighter note its good to know the marshal is going to be ok

Re: National road race elimination.
There's a letter in the Guardian sports pages making the same complaint. The reason given seems to be that the organisers did not want to mix the riders in the front bunch on the final town centre laps with the remaining contestants!
Might as well limit the field at the start then!