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by GrahamMartin Sun May 04, 2014 1:53 pm
Hello all,

I thought I'd get the ball rolling with the following news from the Isle of Man:

"in the Youth Boys A prologue time trial on Douglas Promenade [of] the Isle of Man Youth Tour ... in third place was Robert Gray (Clifton CC) in 1-40.846sec." Rob is also currently listed as 5th place on the BC standings for National Youth A Boys - good enough for a Cat 1 license at the start of next year. Further results eagerly awaited...

Looking forwards to hearing how people got on at the Ilkley CC - AvantiGas 2 day, Team Cystic Fibrosis and Vets races over the weekend.

Graham
by DamianE Sun May 04, 2014 2:12 pm
I was at the 2 day. Sadly a puncture after 30 miles of the first stage made it more of a 1 day than a 2 day. Up until I had felt surprisingly good and it was a diminished field when I stopped. In no small part due to prior punctures, never seen so many! Andy and John got to the finish but outside the points. They did the team time trail without me as completing a prior stage was a prerequisite for continued 'enjoyment' so I was handed my licence and came home. Lots of racing these next few months, looking forward to it.
by PhilBixby Sun May 04, 2014 2:26 pm
MarkD and Tim in the A/B race and AndyC and me in the C/D's down at Harworth for Minty's RR. After a dousing on the way out of York it was perfect weather for the race. In the C/D race, Fred Easton did his traditional dash "from t'f***in' gun" but got pulled back by the bunch, and so it went for most of the race. Ones and twos attacked, got small gaps, got pulled back. I stuck around towards the front of the race and watched for anything likely looking, but didn't have the legs to go with the three or four very determined individuals who went for it on the final lap. Kept myself tucked on the outside of the very bunched bunch on the wiggly run to the foot of the final uphill run to the line, reckoning if I gassed it hard enough brute force might bring me a top ten. Sadly I met an oncoming car midway through this cunning plan and had to sit up and brake. No brown envelope (but to be honest there were others who were more deserving) but good fun. Only 235W NP overall, but some very seriously lined-out fast bits on the downwind sections - you get plenty of pace change with vets races!
by mart66 Sun May 04, 2014 2:51 pm
Cystic Fibrosis race for me.

Bit of a disaster really. On coming out of the race HQ for a warm up I noticed that one of the lead cars had come out of the car park just before me and turned right. What I failed to notice, as I was fiddling with my Garmin settings, was that it came to an abrupt halt. BANG! Fortunately, I wasn't going fast enough to do any series to damage to either machine or myself, but not the best way to get into 'race mode'. I suppose the take home message is not to be distracted by gadgets!

I should have turned round and gone home at that point really. After about 2 miles of racing I hit a small, but horribly jagged pot hole and punctured. Race over.

Hopefully better news to come from Rich D who was looking strong. Last I saw he'd popped off the front of the bunch and was trying to bridge up to the break.

Martin
by AndyM Sun May 04, 2014 5:15 pm
Ilkley Avanti Gas 2-day for me.

Stage One was 54 miles of the Pennypot Lane circuit at Beckwithshaw. Some serious power in the bunch and it certainly felt like it - 't was a hard race. Lots of folks jumping off the front and being brought back as no-one wanted to let anyone gain time in the first stage. As a result, the top 50 riders finished together in a big bunch kick with John and self safely in the bunch around 35th position. The best I felt over each lap was up that final climb of Bland Hill, so was a big disappointment to have positioned myself so poorly on the run in, and in the whole race to be honest. 304W NP.

After 2.5 hours of working on the tan it was time for Stage Two. This was a team time trial of about 4.5 miles, over 2.5miles of which was climbing. Was a real shame that Damian wasn't able to start and so John and I lined up for our 2-up, both worried how our legs would feel after the morning's stage. Turned out I actually felt great, better than I had in the morning, and we clocked a time of 13:03 which was quicker than a few teams with 3 guys, and just over 1 min slower than the quickest team. 357W NP.

Stage Three was 44 miles of the Darley/Dacre circuit which basically comprises of hills and descents, and more hills - we covered a cool 1300m of vertical ascent in the 44 miles of the race. We were lucky enough to have a strong headwind over the hardest part of the circuit too. I was feeling really good at the start actually, had recovered well and wasn't feeling too uncomfortable in the bunch. But once again I was terribly positioned and just struggled to move up and, as a result, was dropped after two out of 5-and-three-quarter laps. My peak 60 minute wattage included about 30mins of solo riding, so clearly I had the power to stay in the pack, I just really need to work on my positioning and moving up the bunch - especially on circuits like that where this is critical. I settled in to a nice solo ride to the finish, with a little bit of company from ones and twos along the way. Happy to finish such a hard race to be honest, a lot of people didn't finish the stage (edit: from the results 28 riders didn't finish the stage) so it's a small victory to get to the end. 336W NP for the first hour 326W for the first hour and a half, and 306W for the whole race, and I was suitably spent at the finish.

Very well ridden by John and Damian - both were riding very well yesterday and John rode well today too, and also have to say the event was fantastically organised and would love to go back and race again next year after learning from my mistakes!

EDIT: Full results now up, and I finished 34th overall and John finished 37th out of 75 starters.
Last edited by AndyM on Sun May 04, 2014 6:50 pm, edited 2 times in total.
by RichardD Sun May 04, 2014 6:46 pm
Team Cystic Fibrosis with Martin for me. I had a bit more luck and managed to finish. Nice undulating/hilly circuit and the weather kept fine. A break went on lap 2 of 11 that dangled off the bunch by 30 secs for a couple of laps and I gambled it would be brought back. It didn't. Wanted to have a go after half way but decided to have a dig with 6 still to go. I was going to bridge and the gap was increasing, but managed to stay away from the bunch for 3 ish laps, before simultaneously breathing and squeezing a gel. Realised after, that normally I eat in the bunch or at least drafting. Went straightdown the windpipe and felt I was going to choke. My bottle had bounced out on a pot hole on lap2 but luckily Martin had stuck around and managed to hand me his on a hill a lap earlier. Always something new to learn (don't squeeze a gel too hard when puffing like a train!). Was caught half a lap later and didn't have the legs for the sprint for teh minor places. Came in about 15th I think.
Sounds like the club had quite a weekend with all the racing, Wiggy 300 and Pock Peddle. Well done all.
by JohnS Sun May 04, 2014 9:38 pm
Some days you're reminded that cycling can be a harsh mistress, and today was one of those days!

After a good weeks racing (just outside the points on last Sundays 2/3/4 race and placing on Tuesday and Thursday) I thought I'd got this cycling game sorted.

So into the Ilkley 2-day with Andy and Damian feeling reasonably good. First stage was 55 miles round the Pennypot circuit and the previous weeks miles started to tell. First couple of laps were tough and I struggled up the climb after Pot Bank. But I dug in and after the first couple of laps I started to feel better. Plenty of attacks but nothing stuck and was pleased to finish in the bunch although had little left for the sprint.

Stage 2 team TT was hard but we managed a respectable time mostly down to Andy's efforts.

And then to today. Warm up the first climb with Andy and the legs didn't feel too bad. Into the race and I knew I was in trouble. Managed to hang on up the first climb but I just didn't seem to have anything in my legs. Onto the second climb and as the pace ramped up for the prime I was dangling off the back. Chased with 2 others and managed to rejoin the bunch at the top of Darley Head, but of course we were straight back onto the climb. As soon as we hit the steep section I was out the back again. Managed to pick up a couple of stragglers and we rode 1/2 a lap together but I dropped them on the climb. After that I was a long, lonely and slow ride.

I should have packed but stubborn fool, I wanted to finish. And I did. Felt some satisfaction in this but can't help feeling I should have done better.

So there you have it. Just when you're getting a little over-confident, mistress cycling turns round, smacks you in the chops and reminds you that there's always more work to do.

Great event, just need to improve my climbing for next year!!

Great ride by Andy and thanks for the great company.

John
by timj Mon May 05, 2014 9:38 am
That 2 day sounds pretty hard work so well done for finishing in those positions.I had atrip to Bawtry for Minty Mem RR..A/B race with some strong names on the start line.So it was breaks trying to form but nothing stuck,Had a couple of big efforts on the drags and felt i could keep going only to get dragged back in.Nobody wanted to give anybody a sniff ,only on the last 2 laps one rider managed to stay away for the win .A fast but pretty safe race ended with the bunch or what was left sprinting up the drag,got in a good position and really nailed it only for a rider in front to blow,lost about 5 positions and momentum but think (Phil says he was on the line)got 10/12th.Not confirmed but felt fairly close to front.Good race,well done everyone else.24.9 MPH AV/50 MILES.
by like my bike Mon May 05, 2014 9:02 pm
Isle of Man Youth Tour - firstly well done to the 3 Clifton riders who travelled over to the I O M this is part of the national youth series so its youth racing at the highest level in the UK. Fanstatic performances with the highlight Anna Docherty finishing 3rd overall on GC, Rob Gray finished a respectfully 11th in the massively competitive Youth A competition results in this category are hard won! Finally Douglas Blackwood did a great job at his first ever IOM well done for getting stuck in.

http://www.manxtimingsolutions.com/Yout ... dayGC.aspx

http://www.iomyouthtour.com

A J
by docp Mon May 05, 2014 10:06 pm
Thanks for posting that about the Isle of Man Youth Tour Andy. Anna's tucked up in bed after the journey back so hope you don't mind me posting this on her behalf. She started well finishing 2nd in the time trial on the first day but Stage 2 was complicated by a crash and she was 6th in the GC at the end. She made up time in the last stage to finish overall 3rd in the U14 GC and 2nd in the points comp -delighted!

Thanks to everyone at Clifton who's helped Anna along the way ever since the first Go-Ride sessions at Hemplands School. She's had fantastic support from coaches and other members - really appreciated.

Yes -Brilliant riding from Rob and Douglas in the ferociously competitive U16 boys -well done to them.

Paul (Anna's Dad)
by alanbacon Wed May 07, 2014 11:47 am
A brilliant gutsy performance from Anna to pull back to 3rd overall..............Rob started the weekend with a very fast prologue time finishing in 3rd place ( and would have got him joint 5th in the junior category). Some dubious timing decisions robbed him of a few seconds and about 4 places on GC in the hilly second stage when the race was stopped and restarted but left him 11th place. Last stage was a 1 hour critierium. Rob was very active through the race getting away 3 times in short lived breaks, but it was a frustrating finish and he got blocked and swamped in the melee, coming in around 30th in the bunch.
Douglas rode very strongly through the whole 3 days especially on the last day.....inflicting some real pain on a group of 6-7 riders !
Great experience for the riders and the parents aliike. Fantastic riding to watch and appreciate. Thanks from me also for the fantastic coaching that the clifton club has made available. :D

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