Clifton CC

Good work guys and congrats to Darren for the win! Sounds like a good outing for Clifton.

Cyan Skymoos wrote:The race next Sunday up Bland Hill is made for a strong rider, and Cam or Andy can win it... I'm absolutely convinced of that. Make it a hard race and it will be a small group at the end.

I rode over to Harrogate yesterday to ride the route.. it looks good! The only thing that worries me is the steep descent with those two tight corners Is the finish line just at the top of that steep rise going east?

Yes Andy, it basically finishes on the highest point of the circuit. The descent isn't too bad apart from the smell of brake blocks smoking carbon rims.

I rode the race in April and although no one got away there was only maybe 20 riders left at the end...I got in the points and I'm a fat old bloke who can't climb...keep your powder dry and you'll batter 'em up there fella.

Cyan Skymoos wrote:I'm a fat old bloke who can't climb...keep your powder dry and you'll batter 'em up there fella.

...but who set a HC course record back in the day!

Well done on your win at the weekend.

Thanks Greg, I couldn't have won without Cam. I wouldn't have held off a 60 man bunch by myself that's for sure. I'm also sure any hill climb records I might have were taken when I was 20 years younger and about 10 kg lighter.

Great result for Clifton, congrats to both Cam and Darren on making a break really happen. I've only raced that course twice but I love it - beats Newbald with all the grit and punctures. Wish I'd been there but was darn sarf doing family things.
Good luck to all at Bland Hill this weekend.
tom

I was just a mobile spectator at Walkington on Sunday but it was bloody marvelous to watch. In other years I've always had a go in the sprint in this race but we were so close to Darren & Cam I was just waiting to see what happened. I was close enough to the action to see Darren stick his hands in the air which was a great relief. A great shame Cam was swept up in the sprint but it should be some consolation that you helped a team mate gain the win. Your time will come and it will be all the sweeter when it happens. Great to see Darren get a win because I know a win was what he wanted and even if you dont carry on road racing at least you can have no regrets. One Hell of a last race if this is the case? Promise you will post the photo up Darren?
As for me I had the lamest first attack of the race on the first lap and a short spell on the front to slow it down soon after Darren & Cam got away but to be honest I was feeling rubbish and havent done anything this week - sure I'm coming down with something? But I'm riding at Beckwithshaw on Sunday and looking forward to it - years since I've raced there.

Photo of the winner

http://www.veloclubbeverley.org.uk/2012 ... road-race/

Cam is referred to as an unnamed Clifton rider. Did you have your number covered up, Cam?

So, four of us raced the Crosstrax RR today - Paul M, Cam, Martin and myself. Great weather meant short sleeves and no legwarmers for 4 laps of the Pennypot circuit, with a very light breeze. Was comfortably staying within the first 15 wheels for the first two laps as planned. Dropped the chain on the rise after Pot Bank, so after stopping to fix it I had a lovely solo chase back on. Unfortunately, there was a small crash in the bunch as someone's rear tyre popped, increasing my solo chase to a two-up. At this point the commissaire's car gave us a slipstream, which I was very grateful for, and I was back in the bunch before the road leveled out and the pace rises. Sat in the wheels for the final lap and a bit and then poorly positioned myself for a go at the sprint, only to be caught up behind the usual antics of pushing and shouting when someone changes line and half the field looses momentum..

Still, I was happy to finish in the bunch, and also happy for it to be the first race when I was actually confident in the wheels and in all the corners right from the off. Just a shame I didn't get my act together for a finish that no doubt could have suited me. Well done to Cam and Martin for both finishing top 20

Well done all at Pennypot!

I was solo representative down at Harworth for the Tumby's 2nds/3rds/4ths race, which used a shortened version of the usual circuit due to roadworks near the usually-entertaining mini-roundabout. Sadly this didn't mean a shorter race - more laps kept it up at 67 miles. It was pretty quick too; easing a bit after a sizeable break got away, but the pace raising again every time anyone had a dig off the front. An unwanted moment of excitement too when the bloke two bikes in front of me went down at speed in a touch of wheels; thankfully both rider and bike flipped the right way and the bloke in front of me remained admirably calm. I finished in the bunch after 2hrs38min at 25.5mph and 244W which to be honest I was happy with given half the field were 2nd cats and I got dropped last year!

mart66 wrote:Photo of the winner

http://www.veloclubbeverley.org.uk/2012 ... road-race/

Cam is referred to as an unnamed Clifton rider. Did you have your number covered up, Cam?

No I didn't Mart...Unless you finish in the top 10, you are nowhere and not worthy of a mention . Still chuffed to help a team mate to a win though . Enjoyed last week's race more than today's. A pity, because I thought the circuit was great. Negative race reallly and very suprised to see the bunch stay together. No-one reallly wanted to commit, as it became apparent there were quite a few riders intent on chasing everything down. Tried to force the pace a little early on but not many coming thru so stayed in the bunch. Undecided and too cautious about what to do in the closing stages and eventually settled down for the sprint. Followed the wrong wheel and got checked but didn't really have the legs (although it didn't feel like hard race I feel absolutely shattered now). Counted about 15 riders or so ahead of me at the finish. After moaning about the weather all year I left wishing that it had been more inclement today. A bit more of a windy day might have shook things up a bit. At least the Elite,1,2,3 race (which started before us) looked they were actually racing with 2 small groups up the road when I left - with Kit looking good in the chasing group.

Crosstrax RR for me. Very well organised - shame about the race. Felt pretty awful all race and really had no right to stlll be there at the end. I'd been watching Mo Pharah win the 10K last night and when I got up this morning I felt like I'd run it with him! Never really enjoyed the race very much and in hindsight I think I would rather have gone to Harworth with Phil - I've never been out of the points there. Riding a support race you really see the gulf in talent. I would have preferred a longer race but I reckon another lap and we'd have been about lapped by the elites who really were racing! Last time I finished a race on the Penny Pot circuit was an Ellis Briggs GP - a 90 mile Elite race. I finished alone in 16th place behind Chris Newton having spent 2 laps away in front of a very small bunch. But elite races then seemed more accessible - I wouldnt dream of entering one now even if I was 15 years younger, a stone lighter and still a second cat!

I quite enjoyed yesterday's race. Sunny day and a nice circuit.

Spent the first two laps at the back of the bunch and then tried to move up. I'm still pretty poor at moving through the bunch and when we got to the final climb I was boxed in. Managed to find a bit of space and, to my surprise, started to move through the pack pretty quickly. The draggy bits had obviously taken a lot out of some of the bigger guys in the pack.

Think I finished about 15th but this being based on the lazy calculation of not being in the top 10 but being within the top 20. Certainly an improvement on my performance in April when i was dropped after half a lap!

PS - 25.5mph average, Phil! That sounds like one brutal race.

Barton RR for me today. Only Cam and me representing Clifton.

One statistic I didn't want to add to was the number of crashes we've had this season; unfortunately, I did.

On the last lap I was moving up on the outside when a guy swung out in front of me taking out my front wheel. I didn't have time to react. Skidded across the road losing quite a bit of skin and taking down 4 other riders.

Fortunately, there were no serious injuries which was quite amazing as we were pelting along at around 25mph. So very fortunate really. Also, fortunate that I didn't take Cam down too.

On the racing front the course is good - don't think I saw a pothole all race. The climbs/grinds weren't long enough to stretch the field out though. I had kept my powder dry in the pack for the first four laps and was just moving up when the crash happened. So, frustrated, but ultimately thankful that it wasn't worse.

Martin

After last weekend's race which had a strangely unsatisfying feeling I couldn't resist entering this race at the last minute. Probably my last race for the season. Only when I was driving to the venue that I remembered doing this course a couple of seasons ago - my second ever RR. Didn't fair too well then getting shelled out of the back after less than 3/4 of 1st lap! A big circuit of about 11 miles and a big field of 70 riders which did thin out quite a bit - no doubt aided by the crash! Not a flat course by any means and the fast bits were very fast indeed. Distance was about 55 miles at about 24.5 mph. Tried to stay at the front and got involved in a few digs but nobody really had ther HP (horse power not the sauce!) to get much of a gap. Martin was very unlucky to crash and not his fault. After the crash the race looked ominously like developing into a bunch finish. Was determined to give it a go and managed to get some daylight on the bunch getting into a three-up down the road. Felt quite strong. We could have done with three more though. Looked good for best part of 10 mins (it felt like 10, pobably more like 5....It's a bit like the fisherman relating the size of the fish he didn't catch with his outstretched arms )until bunch were on our backs again. I then foolishly made another effort to get across to a few more escapeess but this came to nowt so bunch sprint it was. Powder was 'un-dry' by then so did not feature in the sprint. Not a natural sprinter so will have to work on that for next season. But came back feeling better than last Sunday: pleased that I made an effort or two and my legs are telling me that I have been in a race


Martin....your address is on the back of your license. I will stick it in the post tonite.