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Off to Burton Fleming and the East Coast RR for me - the last vets race of 2013 - along with Tim, Paul W, AndyC, PaulW, DaveC and Muzzy. Cool, bright and breezy, with the wind from the south blowing up the circuit's main hill. Due to the size of the C's and D's entry (50-59yo) the two groups were split, which was unfortunate. I towed our lot through the neutralised zone and up to the top of the hill where the attacks started - about three seconds of recovery meant you went from front to back of the small group. My undoing - as last year - came on the climb on the second lap. I never look at the powermeter during races but downloading the info told the story; strung out along the crosswind and tailwind sections of the circuit meant six minutes or so at 300W before the hill kicked in, and (this season at least ) I can't do more than that. I TT'ed round until the D's caught me, let the main group go by and dropped in just behind a group of four off the back. We worked together (you're meant to stay away from other groups in vets races but I figured I was unlikely to have a major impact on the placings) and picked up much of the remainder of the Clifton contingent on the way to the finish!

As Phil said.east coast rr for me.A/B group.felt ok as the 1st lap cracked on but the attacks happened on the climb on the 2nd lap which soon had me blowing a gasket.so a lap and a half solo until I saw Tim and we rode together until we saw Phil and joined his little group.tough day for me but only my 2nd rr.roll on next year.

I did the Burton Fleming RR aswell and it turned out to be a tough but enjoyable race.

Set off in the EFG group, steady 1st lap, then 2nd lap up the hill I got dropped along with one or two others but managed to get back on on the flat bit. Stuck with the group untill the end, finishing about 8th, although I think a few tagged onto the A/B group when they went past!

Dave

Out of the Saddle Autumn RR for me down at Thurcroft just outside Rotherham for a BCF 2/3/4 race. Interesting triangular little circuit which was just a fraction over 2 miles long, which meant 25 laps (and lots of sprints)!

I was the only Clifton rider (although there was 1 Cycleworks rider on the start line) but with over half the field 2nd cats I knew it was going to be pretty tough.

As usual we set off at a lick with lots of early attacks but nothing that stuck. Despite this, with plenty of attacks, the pace was pretty high and it was really tough to keep my position. This meant the sprints out of the corners were tough as I was constantly mid field. This really started to tell on the corner into the home straight. After a fast narrow downhill it was a sharp left turn and the straight up a little rise, which then climbed steadily to the finish line.

Mid-race this really started to bite and on a couple of laps I couldn't close the gap and started to drift off. I was tempted to sit-up a couple of times (and earlier in the year I might have done) but I managed to dig a little deeper and claw my way back on.

A 10 man break got away about mid-race and I thought that would be that, but one of the Swift Racing guys just sat on the front of the bunch for 5 laps, got into TT mode and brought them back from a 40 sec lead!

2 laps to go and I was still there, then disaster. Down the fast narrow descent a guy hit the verge on the left and catapulted across the road taking 3 others down with him, one who hit the ground very hard. I managed to stop, but a couple of others piled in. But that was it, the remains of the bunch had gone. Finished the last lap in a small group with the rest of the field coming in dribs and drabs.

No illusions of getting a place, but gutting to have hung in there for 23.5 laps and not be there for the finish! Still I didn't go down. Daft thing was, I had moved up just before the descent to give myself a buffer on the climb which put me in the crash zone. Some of the back markers were able to thread through as the bodies were all on the right of the road. Still that's bike racing.

So pleased I got round, didn't get dropped and pleased that I was mentally able to hang in there for a couple of tough laps. My legs hurt so much today!

Saxton next week so that will be another really tough test.

John

Spoilt for choice yesterday - BC race at Thurcroft or LVRC race at Burton Fleming. The Thurcroft event has been a happy hunting ground for me in the past and I came so close to winning the 2nd cat race when I was one. But now I'm not one and as I now qualify as a "B" vet I thought I might give the LVRC race another whirl. I really like the Burton Fleming circuit and done pretty well in BC races there - its hard and safe, a good racing circuit and I love the uphill finish. And its easy to get to.
But Jesus - yesterdays race. I haven't raced that hard for years. The A's & B's only amounted to 25 riders so on the one hand you know if you get round you aint got so many to beat in the sprint but from the gun its like being in a break and there is no hiding place and no soft pedalling waiting for others to close the gap! Fairly steady opening lap but then the big guns came out on the climb through the finish and I only just managed to hang on to the leaders. There was a rising southerly wind which meant the only place on the circuit out of it was the finish climb and then its a long fast false flat to follow which made it impossible to get back on alone. I was hanging in there ok for a few laps but then I'm not sure what happened but somewhere around halfway in the race I became an unwitting (not unwilling) participant in the race winning break. If this had been a couple of laps further on I would have absolutely buried myself but I managed half a lap and let them go. I was in good company - Ged Milward who went on to win was a Div Champ and I think Darren Otter was the other & still wins a few vets races plus one another (who didnt last much longer) and the pair were never seen again. I was recaught by the bunch, just managed to hang on. I was pretty stuffed after that and getting dropped for the last couple of times through the finish but always getting in a hard working group and getting back up to the leaders so that on the last lap I was still in with a shout of a placing at the finish with just the two away. Really kicking myself I couldnt do much better than about 10th. Hung about for the presentation but there must have been a few B's in front of me as I left without envelope. But still probably my best ride of the year.

In case you hadnt guessed the above post was from me!

Strewth - I thought Cath had really hit the ground running there!!