Central CX League - 2015/16

[StevenDrew]

You can pit for me too. Just give me Steven's bike and clean mine. Ta

Not sure it'll make much difference. I'm knackered, have a cold and am drinking a big bottle of Westmalle Tripel. My head thinks it's the end of the season...

[WillBeresford]

Well Steve, Chris and Andrew all looked to have a good race in the V40. I pitted for Steve, and I think you managed a top 10 finish, excellent work there!

Neil up in the V50 and to be honest, was on fire, cruising to take 4th!

Sure you'll all be along soon with a more detailed report.

I was the last race of the day, conditions had throughout the day gotten worse, and probably 30% of the course was un-ridable. First of all, thanks to Neil for the two ( ) pit bikes and the continued help and support. Literally couldn't have done that without your help.

I was gridded on the front again, between Bruce Dalton and Matt Jones. Yet again my start wasn't great, poor gear selection I think, but I hit the grass bank/hill from the start around 15th? I was right, conditions were pretty tough, on what was an already quite demanding course, but that said I settled into a rhythm and had some really good battles for the first two laps (swapping bikes after 1.5 laps) There were some sections where others were riding, I chose to run, and to be honest, I think that helped me, certainly made some ground on the riders in front of me. Now around 5/6th position I think, although difficult to know, there was still two laps to go and I had been having a great battle with another rider, finally passed them on a climb/run, only for them to come past me again on the descent (the long slippy corner bit) chased after him, swapped bikes and made some ground and finally passed him, only to get a puncture! However, given the conditions that didn't seem to have much of an impact on my speed, apart from the tarmac sections, where he opened up a gap. Back into the pits, half a lap to go, and onto a new bike (thanks again Neil) I was catching this chap, finally made the pass only to run wide on the final corner, and him pass again! We hit the tarmac and I expected an all out sprint, so did just that, only for this chap to apparently have nothing left, so I took it. I think I was probably 5th or maybe, 4th. Difficult to know for sure.

Overall, really pleased, two bikes (or even 3) were essentially really, that said the chap I was chasing was only on one. So maybe I had an unfair advantage.

[Chris Clague]

I took the view that my race was always going to be a bit of an adventure on a new bike I'd only built up a week earlier. Discovered in the warm up that I'd not tightened the cranks properly so didn't even manage a fun sighter lap. I was gridded alongside Andrew on row 3 or 4 - at 10 across it felt like there were a lot of people in front of me. Made the customary good start passing a few from the front row and I'm told I was about 8th going into the second corner - certainly there were a lot of people behind. Managed to find the extent of the grip about a third of the way round the lap, but hey, the ground was nice and soft. Probably half way round the second lap Mr Newman passed me with some pithy remark. Fortunately I was able to return the complement shortly after whilst he took a brief lie down in the mud. By about lap 3 I was able to engage my brain a little and felt like I was starting to learn the bike a bit and blow away the cobwebs - of course by then loads of people had passed me. It was my first race on tubulars in the proper mud and having take too much air out in the warm up I then put too much back in for the race - it seemed that most of the time I was being passed I simply couldn't get the power down - bit of a shame, but a lesson learnt. Thanks for the shouts of encouragement Will, though I felt they were probably a bit wasted on me;-)

Great course though - really enjoyed the last one there too. No idea where I finished - probably somewhere around the middle I guess.

[Neil]

cruising to take 4th!

- hardly cruising, that was me going very deep to stay ahead of Paul Caton, who may just pip me for 2nd in the league behind Dave McMullen this season. Somehow we got the bikes turned round to do it all again today.

Eight laps of racing over the weekend, double changes every lap, so 16 clean bikes handed up. The riding (or running) is the easy bit in these conditions.

[Chris Clague]

Holding back the tide:

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1453111653.467312.jpg

[MaxReuter]

Holding back the tide

Could be 'leading the chase'!

[StevenDrew]

That was good fun although I sense I'm struggling to keep any form as we head to the closing weeks of the season. Before I mashed my face, I was hammering a couple of fellas who finished ahead of me but they just ran off today. In fact, it's probably the running sections that are doing for me. (Note for next season)...

Given we had a couple of interlopers from the Wessex League who finished on the podium, I guess I'm reasonably happy with 10th. School boy error of the day came after a comedy tumble in the muddy chicane ahead of the pit area. As I picked up the bike I slipped and banged the back wheel on a wooden stake, thus undoing the QR skewer. I started trying to fix it but got a helpful reminder from Will that he was standing about 100m away with the other bike

Thanks muchly to Mr Beresford for standing in the pits. And well done everyone for turning out and racing on a freezing cold morning.

Two more CXL rounds to go. Planning to do both... so I'm entered for Kettering on Saturday rather than Sunday's EL race at Ipswich.

[StevenDrew]

Given we had a couple of interlopers from the Wessex League who finished on the podium, I guess I'm reasonably happy with 10th.

Two more CXL rounds to go. Planning to do both... so I'm entered for Kettering on Saturday rather than Sunday's EL race at Ipswich.

Apparently, I got 9th at MK. Hurrah!

Less positively, I'm not going to Kettering tomorrow. My car is being serviced by my brother in law in Birmingham and, due to work stuff, I can't now collect it until tomorrow afternoon earliest. Good luck to anyone who is racing!

[Chris Clague]

Come to Ipswich

[StevenDrew]

Not the worst idea but I have a date at the Tate. I have made a promise to my good lady that I will do more cultural things this year.

[MaxReuter]

London League at Hog Hill on Sunday! We can talk contemporary art during the warm-up, if you want.

[MaxReuter]

Ah sorry, now that I have actually read the previous messages, the Tate is on Sunday. Maybe suggest 'Tightrope Walk' at White Cube. Closes Sunday, so Saturday will be more bearable.

[Chris Clague]

You read the rep on Hog Hill? Bring your narrowest bars and jettison all weight - it'll all be over in the first 100m.

[StevenDrew]

Ah sorry, now that I have actually read the previous messages, the Tate is on Sunday. Maybe suggest 'Tightrope Walk' at White Cube. Closes Sunday, so Saturday will be more bearable.

Would be good but I'm heading off to catch a train to Birmingham to collect my car. The architectural merit of the changes at New Street station is as good as it'll get today!

[WillBeresford]

Yesterday was maybe the muddiest yet?

A really fun course actually, some off camber sections through the trees, and a few gentle slogs up fields...

Only 17 seniors turned up. It's was quite a distance from London being in Kettering, so that may have put a few off, also, it's nearly the end of the season...

Only 17, but around 14 were the usual suspects, Matt Jones etc... so it wasn't going to be easy. As is always the case I got a rubbish start (I was front row, so really need to work on this) but over the course of the first lap I moved up from maybe 10th to 5th. There were a few sections where I was running and quite clearly making ground on 4th and 3rd up ahead, so after the 2nd lap I passed 4th and sometime on the 3rd (during his bike swap I think) passed 3rd. We stayed together for 1 lap, when i started to pull away, I think he had an off, but I was feeling really strong, bike was going well still (somehow) and the gap was getting bigger. 2nd to last lap, and at the furthest point away from the pits my chain comes off, I try to get it back on, but the mud was too thick, and it wasn't having it. I spent maybe 30 seconds trying to sort this, just as 4th passed me, so I ran. It was maybe a miles, but I was still pretty close with now 3rd. Thankfully I had taken Lucinda's bike so jumped into the pits, just to be passed by 5th. So I was now 5th. It was all or nothing now, I caught up with 4th and passed him, instantly creating quite a big gap and could see 3rd up the road, I thought if I carried on at this pace i'd be able to catch him. Then, at the furthest point away from the pits, same place as before, I got a puncture! Surely not! I rode on it for a bit, until the tube managed to wrap it's self around the frame, the wheel wouldn't move, so I had to run again. Pretty knackered by this point, 3rd had gone, and 5th was closing in. In the end 5th made the pass just near the finish. I had to settle for 5th, which i'm still pleased with.

So that's it for this season. It's been brilliant, i've surprised myself, and I think i've done alright. Aim for next season? Top 5 overall in the league, which I think I can do.