Clifton CC

I had a chat with Toby before the race, I said if you've got the legs have a go, it was tight and very twisty, just the sort of race a break might get away in...out of sight out of mind. I also said if it comes down to a gallop he should take my wheel and I'd put him in a position where he could use his sprint, it's clearly faster than mine.
I don't know if Toby thought he was so strong he could chase it all down and still batter everyone in the sprint or it was maybe just a little inexperience?
I was confident the break would come back, it was never more than 10 or 15 seconds, and there's always an acceleration in the group in the last few miles as guys are trying to get near the front for the gallop, and that sort of gap will soon disappear..Don't Panic!! and don't be a bunch engine....the sit in sprinters are laughing at you. If you think they aren't coming back attack like you mean it from 4th or 5th wheel and bridge by yourself.

It was just complete inexperience really, and certainly not because i thought i was strong enough, having not done many races i wasn't sure how far a breakaway needs to be to make it to the finish without being caught.
So it was that that took up my concentration and because i couldn't see you Darren, it didn't really enter my mind to look for your wheel.
Its all a learning curve though, and each race i do helps me improve more for the next one.
It also shows the importance of being part of a club like clifton, all the advice is great!

I'm not knocking you Toby, attacking races at this level is what you should be doing in my opinion. As you go up through the ranks - which I'm sure you will - you need to be a little more cagey. Many of the guys who never put their wheel on the front until the end of 3/4 races, and soft tap their way out of 3rd cat struggle a bit when they go up the ranks into harder races.

Agreed tbh, I had a great time up at the front, far more interesting than sitting in the bunch for the best part of 2hours

Well done all, sounds like Clifton had a great showing on Thursday! And Toby, that photo of you stringing out the bunch is great! How'd everyone get on with races this weekend?

Andy

Tom Simpson RR at Howarth for 60 miles around an undulating to flat course for me and four other Clifton riders, Cam, Darren, Tim and Andy. Played out eventually into a bunch sprint. I think this race attracts some good riders from the region and elsewhere and it started out quite cagey. Slow enough in fact that the break from the CD race which set out a few minutes later caught the AB bunch! Lots of shouting and honking on car horns from the organisers eventually separated us and it wasn't until about 5 of 10 laps that the pace picked up and various attempts to break were made. It looked liked none would succeed as the well known strong riders were marked and there were plenty of strong enough riders to chase down and bring the bunch together, whenever anyone else tried to clip off the front. The uphill finish was into a headwind along quite a narrow lane and I saw Cam and Darren giving it a go as we tried to make it through a tight bunch. In the end no podium joy for Clifton but was pleased to complete the longest race I have done feeing ok and have a look at the Tom Simpson memorabilia (including a nice looking Peugeot bike) at the clubhouse. Not sure all the local clientele subscribed to the althletic ideal though, as Tim and I noticed at least one or two downing lager at 9 am.

Good luck to those doing the midsummer RR at Barton next week. Can't be there unfortunately.

Ill start tonight.Tom Simpson for me and Darren Cam and RichD.A good field of racers in which last year was a fast race.Spent most of the early mid race laps at or near the front trying to cover most moves which is propably why after eighth climb i lost a few wheels only to get back and the yo yo effect took its toll into the wind.The bunch disapeared into the distance.Race over for me.A bit annoyed because i knew it was a bit longer race than i have been doing so i should have saved a bit.I felt pretty good all race until then so dont really know what happened . ran out of steam.50 odd miles @ 24.6mph for my race .The otherlads seemed to be going well.cheers

Too much choice this weekend - Tom Simpson, Cycleworks but I was Cliftons sole entry in City RC's road race on the Little Weighton circuit - 2/3/4 - 50 mileish. I think I must have ridden this circuit more than any other but never had so much as a point from it - and today was no exception - one of those circuits that I never seem to do anything on. I once got in a break I think it was in 2004? . Cool and very breezy this morning. A break of 5 was away before I was even clipped in never to be seen again. Absolutely nothing happened after that. Dont get me wrong I like this circuit - its a good advert for road racing - quiet roads, a few draggy bits and sections where you are absolutely flying along in the bunch - 30/40 mph for a few miles. Plus its a stress free day out, a steady half hour drive and a chance to catch up with guys I've been racing with for 20 years - guys I thought had packed up! I've had a slack week in fact a slack few weeks since the Divs so I needed a good race and it didnt disappoint. I wasnt that aggressive during the race but I was going ok and on the last lap I was in a good position coming down into Little Weighton. The circuit drops into the village upto a T jnc and then its a steady climb upto the line of about a mile or so. Anyone who knows the circuit will know coming into the village is a fast stretch - 35 mph+ over a railway bridge. I was on the inside up against the curb but just as we went over the railway bridge there was some panic as a horse and rider coming the other way took fright at 30 riders coming the other way at speed. More luck than judgement that no one came off - cyclist or horse rider - in fact it was a miracle considering the speed! You can guess the rest - some riders managed to squeeze past the horse and carry on whilst the rest of us just waited as it did pirouettes in the road and eventually finished up in someones front garden where the rider was able to dismount. So that was race over. It was probably fortunate there was a breakaway and they managed to pass the horse ok. What would have happened if the field had all been together when that happened I dont know what the commissaire would have done considering how close we were to the finish? Apparently the horse rider ignored marshalls warnings about the race approaching and carried on regardless. Unbelievable. Just glad to get away from there in one piece without a hoof print in my face. The excellant sarnies and home baking afterwards were some compensation though...........

Tom Simpson for me. As Richard says, a negative race. So much messing about early on that we had the embarrassment of being caught by the C’s And Ds. However, just shows that it as much about ability as age, as there are some strong riders in the over 50s. I got more involved at the sharp end in the last few laps. Tried to get in an ill-fated attempt at a break or two. But, pause for a second and the bunch are on your back again. Opted to then try and conserve as much energy as I could for the sprint. Not exactly covered myself in glory in any sprint before but actually surprised my self a little bit. Not a top ten but about 12th or 13th and a bike length behind Richard. Felt I had actually learnt something: It’s all been said on here before by more experienced racers than me but, if it looks like it’s going to be a sprint: it pays to keep something in reserve, don’t fall asleep(!), follow a good wheel (Thanks Darren!) and don’t go too soon. The sprint flowed a short sharp climb so wasn’t exactly at high speed so not too frightening. All in all, probably one of my better “sprints” and although I did not come away with a “brown envelope” came away feeling reasonably pleased.

Like Richard and Tim also spotted that guy drinking a pint of beer at 9.00am in the working mens club cum HQ. I actually remember him from last year doing the same thing. He looked well on it…

Was looking forward to the Tom Simpson race, but it turned out to be a bit of a non event really. Yes the first lap was very steady, I thought we were neutralised for a long time, but how they caught us within a short lap is amazing. When they caught us no one knew quite what to do. At first we let them go, but a guy from our race jumped in with them, so we chased em down and sat on the back of them for half the race, like a big clubrun. At this point I'd lost interest and decided to just sit last man and get some training miles in.
When the racing did eventually start it was fast but the head wind up the climb made it negative, and all the strong guys just chased each other down.

Cam and Richard you both did a really good gallop and you were right up there with some very fast sprinters who've been doing it for years - well done guys. I sat up when I knew the money had gone, I need to stop doing that.

Barton Wheelers "Midsummer" (Ha!) Road Race yesterday for me, along with AndyC, and Tim in the A/B race. Blustery strong winds and occasional downpours - that circuit always gets interesting weather and yesterday was well up there.

I was just back from my French jaunt with the general fatigue of 650-odd miles in my legs and no recent intensity - a pre-race-day leg-loosener just, well, didn't do any loosening. So the plan was to just tuck into the bunch and see how it panned out. The C/D race really shifted right from the gun, and split during the first lap, with both Andy and I finding ourselves in the back half trying (but failing) to close the gap before it was too late. Andy said afterwards "what happened there?" The answer from the box of tricks on the bars was that I was doing 320W+ for the entire first lap just trying to stay in there - the strong blokes didn't really attack but just pulled it apart.

After that it was a case of just sharing the work around to avoid the humiliation of getting lapped by any of the faster groups - in the event the A/B break passed us on the last lap. Speed sensor died so no figures there but average power 280W for an hour and fifteen. I've never put in so much effort for so little!

This morning saw Phil, Tom, Melly and I tackle the Ilkley CC 'Day at the Races' on the proving grounds at Sherburn Aerodrome. The circuit was a flat 2.7 mile loop which, as it turned out, worked out at 1.3 miles directly into a pretty strong headwind, followed by 1.3 miles with a screaming tailwind!

The 4th Cat race turned into a fairly pedestrian half lap into the wind (unless you were on the front, in which case it was bl**dy hard work!), followed by a 30+mph drag race half lap with the tailwind.

As it turned out, because the race could only last 45 mins (to accommodate the next race) we only raced for just under 19 miles at an average (according to my Garmin) of 24.2mph, so the race seemed to be over before it had started.

Felt pretty good today and would have liked to have had a go at the end, but couldn't negotiate my way through all the bikes and bodies- that's my lack of race craft / bottle showing Something else to work on!

Even so, another finish in the bunch, so happy with that. Good effort by eveyone else as well- I kept seeing the Clifton jerseys dotted about the bunch at various points, so the club were well represented, which is always nice to see.

What Nigel said really - an odd race; no-one really had the strength to turn it into anything more, although Tom had a good go just after the bell, sneaking through to the front on the lee side of the bunch and leading everyone out onto the downwind leg! Darren was lurking around and talking about having a crack at the E123 race which might have been a bit more consistent - did you have a go, matey?

Have to say Sherburn isn't a patch on Tockwith (or Croft, for that matter), although full marks to the Ilkley club for having a go at it and for running a very slick event complete with BBQ caterers and an ice cream van (not exactly doing a roaring trade thanks to the 13c/25mph temp/wind combo). A fair chunk of the circuit was just too narrow for the very bunched-up 4ths, and 95% of it is straight (with a particularly lovely bit past a sewage treatment works). Bit of mainly-fresh air though, and as Nigel says it was good seeing our lot have a good crack at it!

Really enjoyed today only my 4th race and 1st in a Cat4 only event, didnt really have a plan other than to try and finish with the bunch. Coming wide around the outside of the last long sweeping corner I some how managed to find myself in 5th position into the final bend on to the headwind straight to the finish line, my only problem then was the legs, but a finish with the bunch was a welcome outcome for me. Well done to all the other Clifton guys Phil, Tom and Nigel who put up a good show.