Thetford Winter Series 09-10 Rd 1

2hr younguns

24th

Brad Lovell

40:58

:47:00

47:56

40th Tom Wright 43;02 49:08 51:43

2hr Veterans
2nd John Smith 37:23 39:59 42:49
30th Paul Brown 48:16 49:05 49:44
108th Bob Mitchell 44:53

4Hr Solo Male
4th Richard Jones 38:21 43:15 49:37 49:54 48:03 45:23 44th Lloyd Bettles 38:20 45:51

4Hr Vet Male
15th Dave Loveday 42:45 46:00 54:04 1:01:49 01:03:06
26th Mick Pilcher 44:49 48:39 56:17 1:07:08
37th Dave Gardner 44:43

Gorrick Spring Classic

Smiffy Third in a spin out in Supervets for the extra distance.

RESULTS

Being as I was travelling a distance as well I elected to enter the ‘Super-Vets’ class, which meant I got to do an extra lap (four) over the ‘ordinary’ vet competitors. I lined up alongside 17 other victims, I mean racers, and looked forward to trying to get warm – the pre-lap, in company with Rick Fetherston (more of him in a minute) was followed by some tootsie-thawing action as my feet slowly came back to life.

I squeezed onto the front row and got a good start into about 3^rd place. I soon moved into second and I could see Steven Jones (AW Cycles/Giant UK) just a few seconds ahead. The early part of the lap swooped through a few small coppices followed by a longer section of nicely bermed singletrack. This was nearly my undoing, as I caught an overhanging tree with my head and nearly lost my hat, such was the impact. I tried to settle down but couldn’t find a steady rhythm. Jones was not so fast as me on the open sections but was obviously familiar with the terrain (I’d never seen the place before) and used this to advantage, holding me at bay with ease. Actually, Jones admitted later that both my-self and Rick Fetherston (Mosquito) just behind me were giving Jones the run of his life – excellent stuff.

The course had a series of very tight singletrack together with occasional deep troughs to cross – both are features that give my bike and I a lot of trouble; the Strike’s high BB together with steep angles make the bike very ponderous and/or twitchy. Wrestling with the geography, I still tried to keep Jones honest, and I felt I was safe in second. Not so fast Smith; ’slow’ starting Fetherston now arrived on the scene, and shadowed me through till early on lap three (of four). He sneaked past in some lapped traffic, and took off before I could latch on to his wheel. That really was that, and I watched him ride out of view as he set out to catch Jones.

At this point my lack of long-range fitness came into play; my first two laps were competitive, lap three less so. On lap four I fell off the planet! I was ‘safe’ in third, and treating this race as a shake down for Thetford in a couple of weeks I was contented to just stroke it round for the finish. As it was, Fetherston caught and passed Jones on the last climb of lap four gaining a fine victory. He was quick to shake my hand at the end, and I was happy just to have rattled these guys’ cages.

Thetford Dusk till dawn 2009

2 teams and a big solo crew.

RESULTS

Info from Glynn.

Just added old plumz for easy comparison (sorry dont know if your order is correct) a lot steadier than ours & an impressive last lap from Bob, I was struggling to stand up by that point! Our Results:- B&B Results James - 50.14 Paul 54.10 James - 52.17 Bob 47.00 Glynn - 46.03 Troy 49.00 Glynn - 49.41 Graham 51.10 Steve - 50.07 Paul 51.23 Steve - 51.30 Bob 48.15 Steve - 103.06 Troy 50.48 James - 50.38 Graham 54.04 Glynn - 50.59 Paul 49.11 James - 55.58 Bob 50.38 Glynn - 51.37 Troy 53.35 Steve - 56.00 Graham 54.45 Aprox Steve - 103.01 Paul 54.45 Aprox Glynn - 55.37 Bob 48.03 Interesting.. Well pleased with my first 2 consecutive laps (quicker than James, or perhaps not as his first lap was longer), but this is how not to organise a team, 2 laps each, James missing the changeover & Steve doing 3 (notice where it went bad for us there), but Steve did a great job still..then only one lap rest & straight out for a few times & to top it all off I missed Steve at the last changeover so the poor sod had to do another double, then I bonked on my last lap & struggled with a poor 55.37. Oh well leson learned we will be back!

TransProvence 2009

330 km and shedloads of superb trails. 20 racing stages downhill some up to 45 minutes long, mind blowing.

Midlands XC Round 4 Sherwood Pines

The finale
RESULTS

Bob 7th in Grand Vets

Lloyd a superb 2nd in Masters

Smiffy 3rd in Vets

Hollie cleaned up in Youth Ladies

James a super fast 2nd in Youth Male

Masters World Champs - Pra Loup

Today a week after the event is the first day I can actually say i have recovered fully from the hell I put my body through during this years World champs in Pra Loup France. I think the French course designer was trying to make a statement to next years hosts (somewhere in Brazil) that no matter how hard they try they will not be able to make it as hard as 09, it was totally brutal.

The Course; well it went up, alot and very steeply. As soon as you left the arena you started climbing luckily the first climb was only about 100 meters but it was one of two climbs on the course that registered 37% on my garmin at the top it spat you out onto a rock strewn twisty near vertical descent which only the brave managed to ride out it then kicked you down a flight of metal steps into another rock and rooty descent that once again had johnny bloody foreigner off his bike and running and that was it the fun was over welcome to hell.

It then climbed almost entirely for the rest of the 6 k that was left.

The conditions; For a start you are at 1700 m altitude it's the middle of a very hot summer so the dust was insufferable, and as I said it is hot as I started my warm up at about 10.45am it was 37 degs. Luckily though during the second half of the race some cloud gave some amount of relief from the intense sun.

The preperation;

I had been in the alps for about a week and had plenty of time to pre ride the course and I was totaly happy with every part, I knew it was going to be super tough and I must admit to feeling a little fearful as all of my practice laps were completed around the 30 min mark it meant for a five lap race it was going to be a long slog. Another thing was playing on my mind, what gears to use, on one bike, my Giant I had a triple chainring setup but on my S-works the one I felt most comfortable on I only had a double which felt fine on the practise laps but for 5 race laps I wasn't sure I would be able to manage. I had plenty of time to change things about but crucially i decided to stick with the double on the S-works.

The Race;

I was gridded second row which was excellent and meant I had quite a clear run to the first corner, as I looked around me I noticed just to the front was Riccardo Milesi two time and current world champion directly to my left was Geoffry Maes current 30-34 world champion top company indeed but I was never in awe and was there to race just like them. I got a good start and up to the first climb I was in touch with the leaders I lost a few places but felt comfortable. As usual with any race you trade positions alot with the riders around you and for the rest of the first lap I could of been at any point as high as 15 but as low as 25, the dust was already causing problems with vision and breathing. The second lap was much the same with all riders jostling for position but for me I was having trouble with breathing, the heat and altitude were making my lungs and throat scream I knew if I was to finish I would have to back off and try to settle in to a more sustainable rhythm.

As I started the third lap I was really starting to suffer and each time I hit a climb, scrabbling around for more gears, I now knew I had made the wrong decision and it was a big one, my legs were starting to hurt my lungs were on fire I still had 2 more laps. Things were starting to pass in a bit of a blurr as the pain from my legs took over and I started to make small mistakes like not making gear shifts when I should and having to get off and run and not be able to tackle technical sections that I was able to cover easily earlier in the race. I was starting to worry about being lapped so I tried to give a push to get round for my final lap which I achieved, but at a price, my breathing was now very ragged and I was virtually riding the whole course in my easiest gear but I also knew I was going to finish. I crossed the line after 2hrs 32 mins and promptly collapsed in a tired heap hoping that if I was suffering so much then others were too.

The support; There was a brilliant gaggle of Brits out there shouting and cheering from what seemed like every corner on the course and it is true what they say about it giving you a lift, without the support I dont know whether I would have finished. A big thanks go to Paul Morris and family for making the journey, your support and company was very much appreciated and to my family who made the whole week very very special.

The aftermath; My legs hurt for two days, I was coughing up dusty slime for five and like I said at the top I think I have only just fully recovered. Without a doubt in my mind it was the toughest course I have ever rode which goes hand in hand with saying it was the toughest race I have ever done made doubly difficult by my choosing gears that are alright for blasting around the Central flatlands of the UK but for the French Alps.. what the hell was I thinking.

Before the race I had the goal of top twenty which at some points of the race I achieved and I honestly think if I had made the right gear choice I would have achieved easily but in the end I finished 24th five places better than last year so a bit happy but...lesson learned!!!

Full results here

Kielder 100 Miler

KIELDER 100 Mile SITE

Look at the state of me in that picture - and that is after only 25 miles just after the first feed station.

Results now available

Riding 100 miles is hard
When all of those miles are off road its even harder.
When its in an area with shedloads of climbing and after a week of biblical rain:
ITS MENTAL

100 miles over 10 hours and very very tired ;-)

aparently only 25 riders got under 10 hours so must have been quite well up there, posibly could have joined them but I blew big style at the 95 mile mark and really grovelled in that last section with no brakes to add to the fun.

Photos from Joolze