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.