MTBing in the snowy Pentlands

Up in Edinburgh for Christmas, there's loads of snow and the Pentland Hills are on my doorstep so the road bike stays at home in London and the MTB gets a run out.Does make me wish I had all this on my doorstep more often. There is nothing more frustrating however than riding knobbly tyres on the road.

Imperial Winter Series Race #3

Freezing conditions today with a dusting of snow across London. The Imperial Race Team did a sterling job of clearing the snow and ice from the track but three sections were still coned off. The flag dropped and for the first 20 laps it became clear no-one was going to put a concerted effort on the front or attempt a breakaway. We meanered round the track and after 30 minutes or so the 4ths were nearly on our tails. Boredom got the better of me so I went to the front and put in a dig to increase the speed. Jimbo and another rider took the opportunity to make a break leaving me to drag the rest of the peloton to bring them back. The 4ths overtook us on their second last lap - a lone rider coming through first, then mingling in with the thirds before making a solo break for the line with the rest of the 4ths completely oblivious to his attack.For the 3rds, yet another bunch sprint. On the final lap I got into a reasonable position but then found myself getting boxed on the last corner. On the charge to the line I got caught twice behind slower riders in front and had to check my speed. 20m or so from the line a rider from Rollapaluza made an impressive surge to take first and I made it over the line in a disappointing 6th place having used too much of my energy reaccelerating round slower riders. James's view that you should sprint to the line on the right hand side to avoid the congestion is clearly the way forward! No racing for me on the 26th but I'll be sprinting on the right come the next meeting.
Pictures from London Cycle Sport
Place No. club cat BC Points Series Points
1st w 31 Steven Jackson Rollapaluza CC 3 10 200
2nd w 42 William Platt Kingston Wheelers CC 3 8 150
3rd w 46 Andy Angwin London Phoenix 3 7 130
4th w 44 Nathan Smith London Phoenix 3 6 120
5th w 29 Ralph Keeler Cambridge CC 3 5 110
6th w 41 Alan Strang Dulwich Paragon 3 4 100
7th w 45 Rich Cooper Willesden CC 3 3 90
8th w 43 Phillip Burgess Norwood Paragon CC 3 2 80
9th w 73 Roland Chuter private member 3 1 70
10th w 74 Alex Pantelides Twickenham CC 3J 1 60
11th w 4 Robin Osborne London Dynamo CC 3 50
12th w 59 Ralph Carter London Dynamo 3 40
13th w 55 Andy Edwards Kingston Wheelers CC 3 30
14th w 50 Stuart Stow Twickenham CC 3 20
15th w 65 Ben Knowles London Phoenix 3 10
16th w 39 Dave Ryan Imperial Racing Team 3
17th w 60 Peter Dixon Willesden CC 3
18th w 26 Patrick Hawkins Dulwich Paragon 3
19th w 38 Stoyko Bussarov Imperial Racing Team 3
20th w 27 Steven Noble London Dynamo 3

Imperial Winter Series - Race #2

Second race of the series and my form going into this is pretty good although my prep wasn't. I like to watch this clip of Der Kaiser in action a good two or three times before I leave the flat to get me in the right frame of mind but only managed a sub-optimal singular viewing. This upset my mojo.

On to the race. A strong north easterly meant the start finish straight was head on into the wind. This meant the average speed was well down on the first week. Attempted breakaways almost seemed to grind to a halt when they turned into the home stretch. I twice found myself amongst the escapees, the first time when I was just marking and then felt obliged to do a turn at the front and the second was deliberate when I saw Jimbo take off for a small group who had slipped away. Missed his wheel so had to do a fair bit of work to catch the group. We started to get organised with a bit of through and off but found ourselves reeled in after only 1/2 a lap.

So it looked like it would be a classic Hillingdon bunch sprint and I settled back into the peloton. A little bit too comfortably it would seem. Out of nowhere the bell rang for the last lap while I was near the back thinking there were another four laps to go. Ooops. Fortunately I managed to move my way up and by the last corner I was sitting perfectly behind Jimbo as he wound up for the line. In the bag I thought but as we made it towards the final curve Jimbo cut into my line and I had to ease on the brakes. I made a few continental style hand waving protests which almost backfired as the rider in third was creeping up on me. Second place then. Good fun although there was a pile-up behind us on the final sprint (which explains the big gap from 8th to 9th!).Place Club Cat Series Points BC Points
1st w 42 William Platt Kingston Wheelers CC 3 200 10
2nd w 41 Alan Strang Dulwich Paragon 3 150 8
3rd w 44 Nathan Smith London Pheonix 3 130 7
4th w 68 Krisitian Borbely Sigma Sport 3 120 6
5th w 51 Luke Ollett Inverse/Bike Food 3 110 5
6th w 70 Przemyslaw The Gregarios 3 100 4
7th w 53 Alex Turner FVS Tri 3 90 3
8th w 47 Thomas Sutherland Twickenham CC 3 80 2
9th w 55 Andy Edwards Kingston Wheelers CC 3 70 1
10th w 61 sean molyneux Metropolitan Police CC 3 60 1
11th w 50 Stuart Stow Twickenham CC 3 50

12th w 63 wayne thomas READING CC 3 40

13th w 59 Ralph Carter London Dynamo 3 30
14th w 3 Jon Noton Inverse Racing / Bikefood 3 20

15th w 16 Charlie Pearch Rapha Condor 3 10
16th w 60 Peter Dixon Willesden CC 3

17th w 66 Andrew Stevenson Inverse Racing / Bikefood 3

18th w 71 Estelle Rogers Rollapaluza CC 3w

19th w 62 Nick Franzini London Dynamo 3
20th w 39 Dave Ryan Imperial Racing Team 3
21st w 69 Mark Phillips Rapha Condor 3
22nd w 27 Steven Noble London Dynamo 3
23rd w 2 Paul Redman Thames Velo 3
24th w 9 paul shoobridge private 3
25th w 7 Mike Diggins Gregarios Superclub Ciclista 3
26th w 58 Mick McManus RT 316 3
27th w 67 Mike Inder Thames Velo 3
28th w 21 Lionel Birnie Gregarios Superclub Ciclista 3
29th w 52 Kieran Dineen InverseRacing 3
30th w 49 Phil Glasgow New Forest CC 3
31st w 32 adam elderfield Inverse Racing / Bikefood 3
32nd w 31 Steven Jackson Rollapaluza CC 3

Pictures from London Cycle Sport

2010 Race Season Starts!

First race of the new season at Hillingdon and the usual mix of fun and danger. The 3rds set off first and soon caught the large mob of 4ths. Chaos ensued as some of the 4ths tried to mix in with the 3rds - but at least this gave us an opportunity to have an enjoyable rant at those riders.The occassional futile break thankfully strung out the peloton but these were brought back easily and led to some dangerous bunching. There was some dubious riding on display and I was almost unseated twice during these regroupments. Inevitably, there was a bunch sprint finish. I got on to the second wheel on the final drag and ended up 4th over the line. Happy with how I raced and reckon I could have upped my sprint a notch. A few points in the bag and looking forward to next week.
3rd Cat Race Imperial Winter Series - Saturday 5th December 2009 (Hillingdon)
Place Series points
1stw 40 Tim Benham (DHCYCLESPORT.CO.UK) 200
2ndw 28 Ben Jacobs (London Dynamo) 150
3rdw 23 Andrew Brown (Gregarios Superclub Ciclista) 130
4thw 41 Alan Strang (Dulwich Paragon) 120
5thw 42 William Platt (Kingston Wheelers) CC 110
6thw 33 David Murrell (London Phoenix) 100
7thw 29 Ralph Keeler (Cambridge CC) 90
8thw 6 Mark Northover (CC Giro) 80
9thw 13 James Lowden (Lewes Wanderers) 70
10thw 27 Steven Noble (London Dynamo) 60
11thw 3 Jon Noton (INVERSE RACING/BIKEFOOD) 50
12thw 38 Stoyko Bussarov (Imperial Racing Team) 40
13thw 1 Rob Pelham (Lewes Wanderers) 30
14thw 48 Justin Lord (GS Henley) 20
15thw 16 Charlie Pearch (Rapha Condor) 10
16thw 17 Calum MacLean (Edinburgh RC)
17thw 34 Russell Painter (Norwood paragon)
18thw 36 Tav (Inverse Racing)
19thw 8 Chris Morris (Pontypool RCC)
20thw 45 Rich Cooper (Willesden CC)
21stw 22 Mark Smith (Welwyn Wheelers)
22ndw 32 adam elderfield (Inverse Racing / Bikefood)
23rdw 25 Adam Gellatly (Epic-Viner RT)
24thw 31 Steven Jackson (Rollapaluza CC)
25thw 19 Simon Alexander (Southend Wheelers)
26thw 14 Joseph Frend (South Western RC)
27thw 43 Phillip Burgess (Norwood Paragon CC)
28thw 26 Patrick Hawkins (Dulwich Paragon)
29thw 18 Andrew Harvey (Kingston Wheelers)
30thw 35 Andy Lack (Kingston Wheelers)
31stw 9 paul shoobridge (private member)
32ndw 12 Joe Holloway (VC10)
33rdw 39 Dave Ryan (Imperial Racing Team)
34thw 44 Nathan Smith (London Pheonix)
35thw 20 Rob Robbins (Sydenham Wheelers)
36thw 2 Paul Redman (Thames Velo)
37thw 7 Mike Diggins (Gregarios Superclub Ciclista)
38thw 11 Robert Lard (Behind The Bike Shed)
39thw 5 Tom Neale (Spalding CC)
40thw 47 Thomas Sutherland (Twickenham CC)
41st w 4 Robin Osborne (London Dynamo CC)
42nd w 24 Chris Browne (private member)

Eggs and Potatoes - Pro Team Nutrition

It's raining hard so a good chance to catch up on the enjoyable videos on Bartape.net

These follow the progression of Cervélo Test Teams 2009 season. Of particular interest was Carlos Sastre's pre race smoothie.

Ingredients: 2 raw eggs, 2 table spoons Vin Santo, a squeeze of honey.

Instructions: Blitz all ingredients with a blender and serve in a glass.

I've also read Sastre's favourite food is fried eggs and chips. He obviously likes his eggs.

Less polished but still of some interest are the Liquigas Cannondale videos. Breakfast at their training camp at Benicassim is lower on the egg content featuring bread, proscuitto, cheese and small pieces of tomato. Daniele Bennati seems to be genuinely excited about describing his breakfast intake.

Meanwhile, over at Team Garmin, the squad pushes Cliff Bar. David Millar guzzles 1 Cliff bar every hour and a packet of Shot Bloks every 45 minutes when he's in an inevitably doomed breakaway in a stage race. Dr Lim (Team Garmin's nutrition expert) also reveals some of the squad's non-sponsored mid race snacks. This includes his boiled potato with parmesan recipe as well as the now famous Dr Lim rice cakes. Apparently the boiled potato (skinned to remove the fibre) is best eaten near the end of a race as the potato rapidly increases blood sugar. Some nice tin foil origami is also displayed.

Hydration-wise, Dr Lim informs us the riders get through 1.5 to 2.5 bottles of fluids every hour during a stage race - that's between 10 and 25 bottles. In one hot stage of the Vuelta the team went through over 400 bottles!

Things get bizarre when we head over to Team Milram.

Niki Terpstra gives tips on how to make your picnic a success and a number of recipes are featured which naturally all include Milram products. I would suspect Fillet of beef with cheese crust (including Agrafrost oven croquettes and Milram rahmkase) and Cheese Swirls with Paprikaquark (including 2 packets of Milram PaprikaQuark and 125g of Milram Benjamin cheese) may be behind the team's lack of success in 2009.

Mudguards - this season's must have

Mudguards suddenly seem to be acceptable this winter. For many attaching mudguards to your prize race machine was tantamount to labelling yourself as an Audaxer but with the arrival of Crud 'Roadracers' I've even heard of Weight Weenies fixing up. I've just fitted mine and will road test them on tonight's chaingang. These fit closely to the wheel and are consequently fairly inobtrussive.I think Audaxers advocacy of the mudguard stems from an altruistic concern for not spraying fellow riders with road muck. For the Roadie it's more a concern for avoiding the mud stripe on the back of the Assos shorts.

VERDICT: Easy to fit (although which is front and which is back??). Does require a bit of fiddling to get the right fit but did the job - road spray on to me and to fellow club members cut right back. Sarcy comments from club members about mudguards were at a minimum.

I've also just bought a Topeak saddle bag to replace the Specialized wedgie. The Wedgies look better but the 'waterproofing' zips have failed on the two wedgies I've owned. That's no good.VERDICT: Good. Plenty of room and seems sturdy enough. The strap to attach round the saddle is not ideally positioned for my Specialized saddle however.Also new, some IXS arm and leg warmers to replace my road savaged Endura ones. These are a Large but out the packet they look tiny!

VERDICT: Not bad. Cosy and very snug. They're more functional than a fashion accessory having no stitching detail or bold logos. The leg warmers have dangly zips rather than a recessed ones which I'd prefer. They also don't have left and right arm/leg designs unlike Endura. Is this good or bad, I'm not sure! There's always that nagging doubt though - should I have just bought the Assos ones...

The Saga Continues...

Less than 2 weeks have passed and I'm now almost certain carbon is the way forward *roll eyes to back of skull*
So, I've narrowed it down to three - the first two available from Epic Bikes, who have a good rep, so they'll be getting a call from me shortly.

Viner Mitus Plus

£2256 (frame and forks)
Positives:

• The top of the range Maxima is one of the best riding bikes I've tried
• Italian made
• Custom fit
• Light weight (about 1kg)
• Good reviews
• Uncommon

Negatives

• Expensive
• Paint job is a bit garish (custom paint job available)

The Argon 18 Gallium Pro£1599 (frame, forks and seat post)
Positives:

• Weighs under 1kg.
• Technically, the geometry is ideal for me with a 57.5cm top tube and down tube.
• Very rigid BB and head tube
• Looks great
• Not common

Negatives:

• Some top tube flex according to Frankie Andreau (but otherwise positive review)
• I've not ridden it

Kuota Kebel£1149 (frame, fork, seat post and headset)
Positives

• Light enough (1.1kg)
• Cheapest of the three - the Kharma and KOM sit above this. Don't like the look of the Kharma though.
• Reputably stiff
• looks pretty good

Negatives

• More of them on the road
• Lots of decals
• Not ridden it
• Good reputation amongst time trialists :O

The Argon is edging it so next stop is a test ride.

The New Bike - The Saga

The quest for the new road bike continues. So far I've narrowed it down to the frame material - Titanium - beautiful looks, bomb-proof, soft but responsive ride.

If money was no object (which it is) then I would be thinking about one of these bad boys:

Baum Corretto £3975 (frame and forks)

Independent Fabrication XS £4455 (frame and forks)

Slightly more realistic options are:

Van Nicholas Astraeus £2100 (frame, forks and headset)Moots Compact £2500 (frame only I keep returning to the Astraeus. A great looking machine with reputably lminimal flex. The Lightweights really set it off but, again, a bit out of range. On the downside, it's not the lightest - tipping the scales at 7.44kg (16.3lb) and thus sadly conforming to the UCI minimum of 6.8kg. Halfords also used to sell them. Hmmm. I need a test ride otherwise my head starts introducing further complications. A nice Viner Mitus carbon frame maybe...Aaargghhh.

Paragon Hill Climb and Downhill Championships

The weekend of October 17th And 18th was the club's Hill Climb and Downhill Championship. 12 of us turned up to compete on what was a cold Autumn day for the Hill Climb. White Lane, aka Titsey Hill was the chosen climb - also the hill used in the Bec CC climb the week earlier. I'd only cycled this a couple of time before - it's a real brute. Only 700 yards (640m) but relentless. It starts of with 17% and ends up with a 25% finish.

I set off 5th and decided on a steady start. After 200 yards the gradient ramps up. The cold air hitting the lungs was like breathing in anti-freeze. The legs scream. The last 100 yards I'm out the saddle giving it everything and cross the line completely exhausted.

2.17.00 is my time - very happy with that. Just milliseconds ahead of Mark B for second place. Matt puts in a stunning time of 204.7 to win.

1. Matt Pilkington - 2.04.7
2. Alan Strang - 2.17.0
3. Mark Brown - 2.17.2
4. Louis Proust - 2.21.1
5. Mark Perry - 2.24.4
6. Graham Little - 2.31.3
7. Jeff Tann - 2.42.4
8. James Felstead - 2.43.0
9. Nigel Wood - 2.54.9
10. Mark Orphan - 2.56.6
11. Matt West - 3.02.3
12. Andrew Eagles - DNF

The following day 14 of us set off for the club Downhill. Some cracking roads lead us to Tilburstow hill near Godstone. Cranks were cable-tied up and one-by-one we set off in our best aero tuck. This was a real hoot. Two cars passed me on the way down but as they slowed at the junction I trickled past and eventually came to a halt just before the brow of the hill towards Godstone. Comfortably first - Woohoo!
1. Alan Strang
2. Matt Pilkington
3. Mark Parsons
4. Simon Bird
5. David Jones
6. Gary McGowan
7. Steve Sorba
8. Louis Proust
9. Sarah Strong
10. Jai Watson
11. Mark Turner
12. Mark W
13. David JB
14. Giles Borton

Cycle Show London

Went to Cycle Show at Earl's Court and had fun day drooling over all the shiny bike stuff.

Club Championship - Hillingdon, Saturday 26th September

A beautiful sunny afternoon at Hillingdon for the Dulwich Paragon Club Championship. This was a handicap race with the 4th Cats, women - (just one) and non-BC members setting off first, followed by the 3rds (6 of us) and then the 2nds/1sts (4 of them). We're racing for 1 hour followed by 5 laps. No points, so all for fun and a bit of glory.
We 3rds set off just under a lap behind the 4ths and working well together we closed in after 25 minutes. 3 of us made a couple of attempts to escape the peloton but we were brought back in and we were soon joined by the 1sts and 2nds.

The extra pace soon led to 5 of us breaking from the pack and this was the decisive split. A lap or two later we were down to 4 and the cycling chess began with 4 laps to go. Dan (1st Cat) eventually accepted the responsibilty of leading us in. On the final straight Dan made the jump and the rest of us got a bit tangled. I made a good charge to the line to get second.Andy W made a great video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xuMmDbh4Drs

Photos are from Kev.
RESULTS:
1 Dan Felstead 1
2 Alan Strang 3
3 Matt Plikington 3
4 Mark Perry 2
5 Kieron Redmond 4 First 4th cat
6 Jai Watson 3
7 Greg Rowlands 3
8 Wayne Van Ry day licence First non-BC member
9 Mark Brown 4v First veteran
10 Matt West 4
11 Mark Orphan 4v
12 Delia Beddis 3W First woman
13 Guy Phillips 3v
14 Nigel Wood 3v 1 lap
15 Mark O'Donnell 4 "
16 Peter Thornton 4 "
17 Lee Coomber day licence 2 laps
18 Eoin Keating 4 "
19 David Rees 2 3 laps Lantern Rouge
DNF Andy Waterman 2

Fiorenzo Magni

Great story of this legendary cyclist:
http://www.bikeraceinfo.com/oralhistory/magni.html

Surrey League/VC Meudon Road Race, Cutmill, September 20th 2009

Surrey League/VC Meudon RR's held at Cutmill on September 20
3rds - 57 miles
Pos Name Club/Team Cat
1 Michael Staines Team Corridori 3V
2 Martin Hulbert VC Meudon 3V
3 Douglas Coleman Hemel Hempstead CC 3
4 Niall Digby Sigma Sport RT 3
5 Andy Duff Swindon RC 3
6 Alan Strang Dulwich Paragon CC 3
7 Daniel McCarthy VC Meudon 3
8 Graham Wyatt Velocity Bikes CC 3
9 Nick Gasson 34th Nomads 3
10 Mike Mooney Private Member 3V
11 Nick Calverey Finchley RT 3
12 Nigel Hobday Cambridge CC 3V
13 Paul McGuigan Norwood Paragon CC 3
14 Gordon Kenneway London Dynamo 3
15 Robert Cranstone Royal Navy & Royal Marines CA 3V
16 Steve Atkinson South Down Bikes 3V
17 Martin Garratt London Dynamo 3
18 Peter Clifton London Dynamo 3
19 Calum MacLean Edinburgh RC 3
20 Dean Frost VC Meudon 3V
21 Christian Rudolf De Laune CC 3
22 Mike Debney London Dynamo 3
23 Roger Todd Team Larkfield Cycles 3
24 Graham Wood AD Cycles RT 3V
25 Andrew Redding i-Team.cc 3V
26 Colin Addison VC Meudon 3V
27 Gavin Garrett Redhill CC 3
28 Kevin Stroud Redhill CC 3V
29 Scott Amory Gemini BC 3
30 Ian Vincent Norwood Paragon CC 3V
31 Rob Robbins Sydenham Wheelers 3V
32 Colin Bateman Festival RC 3V
33 Terry Morgan VC Meudon 3V
34 Andy Sykes Thames Velo 3
35 Henry Burrows Bognor Regis CC 3
36 Richard Moss Beyond MTB 3
37 Michael Lancaster VC Meudon 3

Cutmill, Sept 20th - 3rd Cat Road Race

My first proper road race. No idea what might lay ahead other than the rudely early start required - 6.15am alarm call. By chance I meet Christian of De Laune CC at Vauxhall at 7am heading for the race as well - good to see a friendly face. Arriving at Guildford we set off along the country roads for the 10 mile journey to Elstead Youth Centre where we sign in.

The smell of deep heat pervades the air as I walk in. Riders sit pinning their numbers on their jerseys - Brighton Mitre, VC Meudon, Mosquito Bikes, South Downs Velo and London Dynamo. Just before roll-out at 9.30am the race organiser announces the circuit is to change slightly due to a horse race. A slightly shorter 10km circuit, a steeper climb and one extra lap. The first 1/2km will be neutralised.

The Depart
We roll-out behind the commissaire's car. We have two out-riders as well. Cool:) As the race starts in earnest I find a space in the top 20 and we climb past the start/finish line. Soon after a rider jumps from the peloton. He's joined by another, then two more. My plan is to stick with the peloton and make no rash moves. The pace is steady rather than rapid. There's 4 turns on the circuit - one at the top of the climb, then a treacherous, gravelly but slow corner at the bottom of 'The Sands', a fast turn on to the B3001 and the final sharp bend to the start of the drag to the finish line. The two sections of climbing have an impact on the legs but the downhill sections aid recovery. Infact, the downhill stretches seem longer than uphill - this is a good sign.

Halfway
26 miles in, 5 laps to go. As we pass the line the race official calls the time gap on the breakaway - 1 minute. There are some attempts at organising the group. I find myself at the front a couple of times and pull the group along. 3 laps to go and the gap is 40 seconds. I'm jockeying for a position in the top 5.

Final Lap
The breakaway is gone so it's minor placing honours. I'm sitting in third when on the final descent an unattached rider in blue makes a move but I'm on his backwheel. We make the final corner and we're shifting uphill, I'm sitting comfortably in second. The finish line appears and a rider on my right makes an impressive break. I make the jump from the wheel in front - remembering to get out the saddle. Across the line, second in the bunch sprint, 6th overall.

Lessons to be Learned
Happy with the result (considering it's my first proper road race) but disappointed the break got away and the main group did nothing to draw it back in. Also misjudged my final sprint as I wasn't sure where the line was. 6 points on my licence but the season is drawing to a close.

Might be worth moving to Denmark...

No hills but there are compensations:

Photos courtesy of Velorbis, handbuilt bicycles - Danish design, made in Germany.

Performance, that's the name of the game...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vn29DvMITu4
"A word of advice to all of you hipsters
Go and get yourself some brakes and some shifters."

Crystal Palace - August 11th

My second attempt at Palace but first with a full licence. Attempt number one I made it through 10 laps before getting spat off the back, doing another 10 solo before getting lapped and deciding that was enough punishment. It's a beautiful, sunny evening and I definitely have more in the legs than last time so hopefully I can do something better.

The Race
After a warm up lap I make my way to the start but I'm right near the back - this is a mistake! The flag drops and the pace is hellish from the off. It's really congested and you're at the mercy of other riders not slicing you up. After the deadman's curve we hit the ramp and riders are dropping off already. The pace for the first 6 or so laps is relentless but I just about hold on to the back of the lead group. At about lap 20 there are only 20 or so riders left in the lead group but as we hit the ramp I lose touch and the gap soon engulfs my chances. I plug on and soon there are three of us (including a E/1/2 rider who's been dropped) making our way round. We pass lots of dropped riders but I'm near the rivet. At about 8 laps to go I find a bit more stamina and I eventually drop the other two and complete the race having not been lapped. I'm delighted when I discover I finished in the Top 20 (err, 20th).

Dunsfold Cycle Race Results

Surrey League racing at Dunsfold Pk on August 9 and hosted by VC Meudon
4ths - 30 miles
Pos Name Club/Team Cat Time
1 Alan Strang Dulwich Paragon CC 4 01:19:05
2 Ian Russell Kingston Wheelers 4V
3 Morgan Lewis Brighton Mitre 4V
4 Nick Gasson 34th Nomads 4
5 Rupert Burbidge Redhill CC 4
6 Cliff Steele Brixton Cycles 4
7 Richard Whitworth AD Cycles RT 4V
8 Benjamin Marks Private Member 4
9 Christian Rudolf De Laune CC 4
10 Tom Knight Medway Velo 4
11 Mark Brown Dulwich Paragon CC 4V
12 Paul Hamnett Army CU 4
13 Alex Jump Dulwich Paragon CC 4
14 James Trigg Redhill CC 4
15 Dominic Clegg Redhill CC 4
16 M Beckingham CC Basingstoke 4V
17 Nick Bonneson Addiscombe CC 4
18 Claire Leonard Brighton Mitre 2W
19 Ben Ware Dulwich Paragon CC 4
20 Roger Richards Dulwich Paragon CC 4V
21 Mark Orphan Dulwich Paragon CC 4
22 Kris Dunn Dulwich Paragon CC 4
23 Robert Wills Dulwich Paragon CC 4
24 Barnaby Sharp Private Member 4V
25 Ashley Baker Private Member 4V
26 David Jones Private Member 4
27 Matt Coshing VC Meudon 4
28 Tony Longhurst Redhill CC 4
29 Jeremy Hudson Private Member 4
30 Henry Burrows Bognor Regis 4
31 Stuart Hamilton London Dynamo 4
32 P Thatcher Sydenham Wheelers 4
33 Martin Bouty Brighton Mitre 4V
34 Simon Wroxley Hounslow & District Wheelers 4 @ 0:14
35 James Curry British Airways CC 4 @ 0:20
36 Joe Saville Private Member 4V @ 0:37
37 Richard Bremner North Hants RC 4
38 Simon Pemberton London Phoenix 4
39 Gareth Welch Dulwich Paragon CC 4
40 JP Saville Private Member 4
41 Trevor Montague AD Cycles RT 4V
42 N Killne AD Cycles RT 4
43 Warren Low Dulwich Paragon CC 4
44 Simon Deefholts Redhill CC 4V
45 Jason Doe Private Member 4
46 Dave Wilsher Redhill CC 4
47 Graham Rees Brighton Excelsior 4
48 R Hicks Redhill CC 4
49 Chris Eccles Sid Valley CC 4
50 Paul Butler Sydenham Wheelers 4
51 Stuart Grieg Redhill CC 4V
52 Christopher Merryfield-Day Worthing Excelcier 4
53 Christopher Perkin Private Member 4
54 Gareth Richards Roy Pink Cycles RT 4
55 Nick Holmes Private Member 4 @ 1 lap
56 P Lourgsour Private Member 4V
57 Gavin Lowery Velocity Bikes CC 4
58 Andrew Duffin AD Cycles RT 4V
59 David Youngham AD Cycles RT 4
dnf Kelvin Arterton Medway Velo 4
dnf Matthew Castle AD Cycles RT YA
dnf Nick Upshall VC Meudon 4
dnf Ralph Swallow South Western RC 4
dns Matthew Chard Pearson Cycles 4
dns Nicholas Busst Private Member 4

Dunsfold Victory!

Early Start
An early 6am alarm call this morning and out the door at 6.30am. Despite the impromptu disco last night in the flat below I feel OK. First to arrive outside Gareth's house but I'm soon joined by Mark B, Mark O and Chris. All five bikes loaded in the back of Gareth's Pargon wagon and we set off for Dunsfold for the race.

The Circuit
Dunsfold is an airfield so as you would imagine the course is pancake flat. It's also famous for being the Top Gear test circuit. Thankfully Clarkson's not doing donuts in a hot hatch when we arrive. After signing up and pinning our numbers we do a quick circuit - it's more or less a giant 'O' shape and very exposed. Thankfully we have perfect conditions, very light wind, dry and mild.

The Race
The flag drops and we're off. The first corner is neutralised but once the official car turns off, the pace doesn't really pick up. Infact apart from the slight increase in speed on the corners it's a relatively stately procession. There are a couple of breaks but the peloton closes these easily. Another break of three goes off and puts a 100m on the pack - no Paragons so the blue train organises a superb chain to bring the escapees back.

Trouble
At the far end of the circuit the curve is sharp but badly marked. Not ideal. At the near end there's two giant airplane size Cateyes and a great big hole to be avoided. Not entirely sure what happened but I end up going wide and my bike fixes itself on a collision course with a plastic cone. Smack - I hit it right in the middle but amazingly I'm still upright. My chain is off however and suddenly I've moved from near the front to near the back. The racing gods have smiled on me today though, I'm able to re-engage the chain and power back to the front of the group. A close shave.

and we're off...
Out of the blue the pace doubles - is this the last straight? There's 20 or so ahead of me and half are racing to the line! I dig deep and cross the line, no idea what position and then we hear the bell! This is the last lap. I find myself in third wheel, the leader is setting a good pace - there's no way he can keep this going and I'm just cruising in the slipstream. Just before we enter the last corner two or three riders come by and I jump onto their back wheel. Final corner - no incidents.

The Final Straight
I must be in fifth. I follow the wheel of a Redhill CC rider and suddenly it's just me and him with 100 metres to go. I'm well within the zone in his slip but shit, he's angling to the right exactly where I am. This takes me out my stride so I step out my saddle and make my move but earlier than planned. I feel like I'm riding like Djamolidine Abdoujaparov, the power's on and I'm tearing to the finish line. I punch the air! Victory - welcome to Cat 3 hell!

Cinglés des Mont Ventoux and the Tour

Off to France
Lugging a bike bag with bike, kit and civilian gear is hard work. Especially at 5.30 in the morning. Heading for the Eurostar to join Mark and Mal in Provence for some post Etape riding and to see the pros ride the Ventoux stage of the Tour de France. The landscape through the heart of France is fairly unremarkable - flat farmer's field after flat farmer's field but then, still miles out from Avignon, Mont Ventoux looms on the horizon.

Mormoiron
Our villa for the week is just outside the little town of Mormoiron. Nestled amongst the vineyards of the Cotes du Ventoux it's a very pleasant spot. Time to unpack the bag, build the bike, watch the Tour stage highlights and then off to town for dinner/carb loading. Tomorrow morning we take on Ventoux.

Les Cinglés des Mont Ventoux
It seems I'm skipping the frying pan stage and jumping straight into the fire. My first day on the bike in France and I'm taking on the Giant of Provence - not once, but three times, and hopefully adding my name to those in Le Club des Cinglés (the Mad Club...).

Mark is eager to take this on after his seat post bolt disaster forced him to pull out of the Etape. Mal has 'saddle comfort issues' after his successful Etape. Having done the Quebrantahuesos in June I'm happy with the climb - it's the heat that worries me.

First Assault - Bedoin (21.5km, 7.5%)
We're tackling the route which lies ahead for the Pros on Saturday first. This is regarded as the toughest. We set off just before 8am from Mormoiron, a 10 mile cycle to the town of Bedoin. There are dozen of cyclist in the town - this is a real velo Mecca. We head towards Tourist Information and stamp our Cinglés card - the first of 6 stamps that will show we've completed each ascent. The skies are fairly clear, it's not too windy, the temperature is about 18C. We spin by quite a few cyclists on the way (loads of MTBs as well!) and pass the sign marking the start of the climb. The first 6 kilometres and fairly gradual (c4%) but as the road takes a sharp kink we enter the forest and the gradient increases. Encamped along the side of the road are first wave of fans here to see the Tour. The Dutch are in abundance. Mal and Mark drop the pace a little and soon I'm ploughing a lonely furrow through the forest. I'm a bit underwhelmed by the climb at this stage. It's a hard slog but quite monotonous and without great views - sacrilidge I know! With about 10km to go Mal is suddenly passes me. After a bit on his wheel I decide to shift back to a slower pace. As I reach Chalet Reynard, Mark's also on my tail. We pull in together to see if Mal's around. No sign, so I continue leaving Mark to natter to Team Rapha.

The Moonscape
Chalet Reynard marks the end of the forest. There's 6km to the summit and from here there is no vegetation, just the harsh, grey rockface. From here the views across Provence are magnificent. The weather station that sits at top the mountain also comes in to view - it's like the tower on top of Mordor. The wind really picks up now I'm out of the shelter of the the trees and it gets more forceful as you near the summit. The final hairpin and the finish line is in sight up a steep little ramp directly into the powerful headwind so it's out the saddle for the final push. It's a busy little place with the tourist shop doing a brisk trade. Mal's waiting with a cold coke in hand. Time to admire the view and get the all important stamp on the Cinglés card.


The Descent
A very over used word but the descent is truly AWESOME! The first kilometre or two are a bit gnarly as the wind tugs and heaves you towards the abyss below. There's also quite a few cautious cyclists to negotiate. Soon though it's full throttle, aero position and Mal and I are rocketing downhill at 55+mph. It's 20 minutes of thrills (fortunately no spills) and we arrive in Malaucene.

Second Assault - Malaucene (21km, 7.5%)
After refuelling at a local café and getting our cards stamped at Tourist Information we set off just after 12pm. As we make our way up into the forest the heat is stifling. The views from this route are much more interesting as the Ventoux National Park opens up all around us. This is tough though, it must be about 30C and with about 8km to the top I have to stop. As Mal continues upwards I take my last slug of water, take a few pictures and then plough, slowly onwards. Actually, the gradient seems to ease off just after this point and I'm soon cycling throught the desert again, pleased that the wind offers some respite to the temperature. At the summit it's time to fill up with some ice cold water before the descent to Sault. This is a good descent but we're having to peddle most of the way - the winds in our faces and the gradient on this route is less severe.


Final Assault - Sault (26km, 4.7%)
We refuel in Sault. An ice cream goes down very well. On the final climb as we pass through the lavender fields the wind is well and truly on our side and we're tanking it up Ventoux at 16mph. It's just before 5pm now and the sun is lower but the air is really dry leaving you gasping breath but we're making great progress. When we enter the moonscape, the gradeint ramps up and the wind is truly fierce now. On the final ramp we jump out the saddles and make a kick for the summit. Card stamped, refuelled with water, coke and nougat we make the final descent back into Bedoin. Awesome, awesome, awesome! We arrive into Bedoin just before 7pm or beer o'clock to be more precise. Cinglés done! We both agree there's no need to attempt this again.


Cycling in Provence
The next day I take a deserved rest until the late afternoon. Chris, Loti and I decide to do a pre-BBQ bimbe to the Gorge de la Nesque. What a stunning ride! This has to be one of the world's greatest cycle routes. The road is virtually car less and winds along through the scrub at a pleasant, steady gradient. As we enter the gorge the views are breathtaking. The road carves through the rock face and plummets to the gorge below. At the top we turn round and head back to the villa - a great descent.
On Friday Mal and I take a spin out to Gordes. Another good ride with the picture postcard town of Gordes to enjoy.

The Tour de France
Mark and Sally have headed up Ventoux the evening before in the car. Mal and I are going to take on the giant again but this time we're going to be lumbered with a rucksack full of food, water and warm clothing. We're taking the Bedoin route and the road out to Ventoux is mobbed with cars and cyclists. Mal takes off with about 10km to go but I catch him up with about 2km to the summit. The wind is ferocious. At the summit it's getting quite chaotic as the final prep is made for the Tour. We cycle back down to Mark and Sally's camp spot about 2km from the summit on the second last curve lighten our loads then take off 8km down the hill towards Sault to pick up more provisions from Mark's car. On the cycle back up the police have blockaded the roadwith about 2.5km to go so we duck over the railings, rejoin Mark and Sally and then bed ourselves in. Thank heavens we have brought the sleeping bags - it's freezing!

Le Caravan
It turns out Mark has staked a great spot for seeing the Tour but not quite so good for grabbing the freebies thrown from the Caravan. Pretty much everything that's thrown towards us ends up getting grasped by the wind and scattered down the road. I do manage to get a pen, a keyring and some Festina clappers. A sixty year old lady who was standing next to me made a superman dive to try and get her hands on this! I pipped her to the post! None of us manage to get any Haribo...

The Pros
The excitement is building. Mark has twitter updates on his phone so we know there's a three man break ahead of the yellow jersey group. The motorbike outriders swarm by and then the crowd starts cheering as Garate, Martin and then Pellizoti swing by swiftly followed by the Schleks, Contador and Armstrong. Wiggins then come into view and we shout encouragement for all we're worth. We later find out he's managed to keep 4th by 4 seconds!

Final Descent
Post Tour we cycle back down to the car and unload our kit. Mal and I decide to try and weave our way through the madness on the Sault route. It's crazy for four of five kilometres but soon we're motoring past everyone and everything. It's a stunning descent. At the base of the giant we decide to take the route back to Mormoirson via the Gorge. We do a superb bit of paceline, smoking every cyclists on the route - great fun.