Year: 2011

Putting the low-pro to one side for a while Richard has ventured back into the world of bunched racing – or ‘proper racing’ as some of us like to call it! Judging but his opening account he should do more of it. There is full report HERE on his RoadCyclingUK.com Blog. However the edited highlights are 4th overall and the winner his age group.

Great stuff – what with ‘Pauls Closed Circuit Boys’ and now an LVRC presence maybe we are finally regaining some sort of foothold in the road scene.

Report by Paul Butler – Road Race Secretary
So Sunday was race 2 and after the hell that was race 1 at least we knew what to expect (yes more hell). Kevin and Mike were ill / injured unfortunately and Rob and Derek were unavailable meaning the Sydenham Racing Team was down to 3 (still a good show compared to earlier this year) i.e. Me, Richard Birtwhistle and Jamie Walker.

60 of us 3rd and 4th Cats set off on the circuit the other way round this week and the wind had changed so we climbed with a tailwind and descended into a headwind. I still don’t know which week was worse!

Here’s my version:
“On a colder but less windy race than the first one the pack set off at a blistering pace and I was sitting in the top 5 to 10 gasping for air for the first 15 minutes unable to even get close to taking a drink it was so tough. Fears that I was about to blow up were passing through my head so I thought I’d flick my elbow, let a few riders through and try to recover and get a bit more shelter. As I eased up nobody came through as there was nobody behind me; we had ridden off the front – no wonder it was so hard! I watched my dozen breakaway companions disappear up the road as I regouped, waiting for the peloton. Expecting 50 remaining riders to pick me up I was again suprised to be swept up by only 10 – god we really had destroyed the peloton and there was still over an hour to go. So I was now in the second group of 10 or so on the road and we worked fairly well together with most people doing their turns on the front. We actually caught most of the front group, leaving 6 away up front and everyone else somewhere behind us. It wasn’t long before we started lapping riders (which got very confusing as some of them stayed with us). Everywhere we went we saw a trail of disaster buty I couldn’t help enjoying the fact that I was causing some of it!

Every so often I caught a glimpse of the “main field” across the circuit and Richard and Jamie. Richard seemed strong but then to add to his collection of crashes he got a PUNCTURE – is there no end to this man’s bad luck?! Jamie finished in the bunch so it was worth him getting out his turbo trainer last week after all!

So back to our group. At the bell there were still 6 up the road and we had about 20 in our bunch and I had been hanging on for dear life having lugged 95kg up that hill 14 times already and I knew that this is where the placings would be decided. I picked a wheel on the climb and stuck to it regardless of the outcome and just at the brow I jumped across to the 10 or so who had opened a gap. Down a short drop and just a sharp left hairpin before the quick rise to the finish. I took two more guys in the sprint here for 8th in my group and 14th overall, bettering my 21st place of last time.”

Here’s Richard’s version:
“I’m upright, I’m upright, I’m still in, I’m still in, BANG!”

Full result here LondonCycleSport.com.
Pics here LondonCycleSport.com.

Report by Road Race Secretary Paul Butler
So the Sydenham road racing team kicked off it’s new campaign at the new Gravesend Cyclopark on Sunday with a 3rds/4ths race of 90 minutes around the 2.7km course. 7 riders represented our club. I’m gonna say that again SEVEN riders, well done lads 😉 Oh and we had supporters like you have never seen, families, clubmates, thanks all of you for coming too it really was a great day.

So, to the race; with enough climbing to scar me for life and a horrendous wind, at least the temperatures were on our side as 60 riders set off on a sunny Sunday criterium.

Unlike most 3rd and 4ths cat races that I’m used to (ending in a bunch sprint) this race really was about survival, the peloton splintering throughout the race. Any tactics learnt the week before shall for now be reserved for elsewhere!!

Mike Hanson and I managed to finish in the front group with Mike looking particularly strong – a great new asset to our club. Credit to the rest of our guys; Rob Thatcher, Kevin Beamont and Derek Taylor finishing the full distance (considering Rob’s power meter was showing 300 watts going into the wind during the WARM UP you can see it was a tough day out….!). Jamie Walker put in a galliant ride too and last but not least what happened to our main man for the this course, Richard Van De Birthwhsitle? Richard unfortunately had a little crash but courageously got back on and finished. One minute I was riding next to him and the next minute…….very unlike Richard 😉

What a pleasure it is to see so many riders at a race and you should all be very proud of yourselves – that was one of the hardest races that I have done in 2011 but you all got stuck in. If we keep this up we’ll be a force to be reckoned with next year.

If you fancy it, the next one is Sunday 6th November. We’ll all have forgotten how hard it was by then!

Full result available HERE on LondonCycleSport.com.

Yesterday saw the annual club Hill Climb and Freewheel competitions tke place on Ide Hill. The damp weather appeared to put a number of people off, however a tail wind on the downhill saw some impressive distances in the freewheel competition. The freewheel results were as follow:
1) Rob Royston
2) Dave Twin
3) Derek Taylor
4) Nick Gritton
5) Jamie Walker

The more serious battle for the ascent was won by Pete Mahoney in 06:22. Full result available HERE!

Report by Robert Robbins

So just another ordinary hill climb day. A lot of support on Yorks, surprising given the miserable weather that morning, and some pretty good times in the slippy conditions. The crowd really does make a difference to finishing, especially when you realise there’s limited traction, you’re out of gears and there’s no-where else to go. Derek did a very creditable 2:46 finishing 11th of the 26 vets and I managed 2:31 – just 1.7 seconds the wrong side of 2:30. Later the same day I managed a 2:25 on Whites which was like an ice-rink in places. So I’d bagged another couple of PBs and had laid to rest the “form blip” there last year.

Still haven’t worked out why we all do it every year though. Hoping to see you all at our club event on the 30th!

Catford Hill Climb
Robert Robbins 02:25.5 42nd (7th Vet)
Derek Taylor 02:46.3 61st (11th Vet)
Winner – Robert Gough (Adeo Cadence) 01:54.5

Bec Hill Climb
Robert Robbins 02:25.5 46th (8th Vet)
Winner – Germaine Burton (Team De Vers) 1:45.1

Check out this You Tube of Rob in action on Yorks Hill.

Report by Ben Wimpory.

Unusually pleasant conditions for this time of year created the 3 Sydenham starters, unfortunately Rob Royston and David Twin were non starters. After some confusion about numbers with the time keepers Bob Loader was given the time of 1.14.43. Second claim member Mark Newton then followed with a great ride considering illness of 57.48. Ben Wimpory was the last of the Sydenham starters and finished with a new PB of 55.50, which meant he won the fastest junior (as he was the only one in the category!) and was 7th on scratch. A great way to finish the season having 2 Sydenham riders in the top 15, a perfect springboard for next season. The event was won by Steve Dennis in a time of 51.23.

Report by Paul Butler, Road Race Secretary.

On a warm, dry and (almost) sunny Sunday afternoon we managed to gettogether 17 seniors and 5 youths for our first Club Road RaceChampionships. We invited Avanti and 7Oaks Tri Club to join us who kindly supported us with 4 and 2 entrants respectively.

Thanks to some fantastic volunteers and some very supportive specatators we had a great senior race, a handicap race (to encourage all levels)over 50 mins and 3 laps of the 0.9 mile legendary circuit where BradleyWiggins grew up racing.

Unlike the rest of the year, where we all ride as a team at road races, points for the annual league table were at stake so we raced against each other. As a result everyone was attacking or chasing down breaks throughout in a really impressive display of fast, clean and safe bike racing. It took us 23 minutes of hard chasing initially to bring backthe 6 riders who were set off first with a head start and then a very brief lull (I think my heart rate went down to 170) before the attacks began. With 3 laps to go it seemed like it was going to a bunch sprint when Pete Mahoney slipped away on his own. A couple of big efforts to get across to him failed and Pete was dangling off the front at the bell. The pace was really hotting up at this point and Pete was picked up with half a mile to go as the sprinters came into their own. Here’s my version of the finish – I’d done a bit too much work throughout the race to keep in moving along and I was really hurting, with half a lap to go I had an Avanti wheel (Dan) and he left a gap in front of him (to Lee) so that Lee and Frankie could start their sprint 10 yards up the road. I still got round Dan and Rob still got round Frankie but gettting to Lee was just too much. This all happened because I was racing against Rob not with him so I think that with someone leading a train for me and Rob we would have destroyed them! There’s always next year. Well done Avanti, well done everyone!

Well its seems like five minutes ago that the competition kicked off in Sundridge and its over all ready! The bad news is despite some great individual performances we came bottom of the pile again. It appears that whilst we can mix it at the top of the table on most events what we clearly lack is the ‘bums on saddles’ to bolster the points total

The totals below are provisonal, however any changes are expected to be minor and won’t affect the standings:
Sevenoaks Tri – 559
GS Avanti – 508
Sydenham Wh – 393

Well done to Sevenoaks for making it 2 out of 2 and to the Avanti for giving them a run for their money!

We have a champion in our midst – Richard Birtwistle finished fifth overall in the Region 9 LVRC Championships and first the in the 55 – 59 age group (Category D). He contested the sprint for first but lost out to his four companions (all Category C riders) in the closing meters having dropped his closest rival in the Category D race some 0.5 Km earlier.

Great ride Richard!

The course is basically two laps of the Horsham 25 course and the club had three representatives taking part in this event. The conditions were rather blustery and the wind got up as the event went on. Thankfully though the short sharp showers seemed to stay away. Dave Twin was the first club rider off and finished with a 2.06.10 (33rd). Next was Bob Loader with a 2.40.39 (73rd) and lastly Rob Royston with a 2.04.18 (27th). The winner was Steve Dennis, East Grinstead CC in 1.45.20.

Report by Paul Butler, Road Race Secretary – Hillingdon Tuesday night crits 19th July 2011

Paul Butler achieved his best place ever on the raod last Tuesday with a fabulous 2nd place in the 3rd and 4ths race at Hillingdon thanks to a monster lead out from Rob Thatcher. Both riders were active during the race, getting in several breaks (they were both in the same break of 3 riders at one point) but inevitably it came down to a sprint. With 500m to go Rob and Paul jumped the field and only 2 other riders stayed with them. With 250m to go Rob’s work was done and Paul was left with clear tarmac to the line. The only floor in their plan was that one Dulwich rider (they get everywhere don’t they) overheard Paul and Rob discussing tactics and was glued to Paul’s wheel, jumping him with 175m to go. Still, a huge effort from Rob and a mighty fine 2nd place, proving the lead out train works in either order! Paul and Rob will be learning Japanese in order to discuss tactics in secret before their next race (as long as it’s not a Keirin).

Wednesday 29th June Ben rode the Bexley 10 on the brands hatch course in 21-55 in near perfect conditions which was a new pb on the course, his best previous time being 22.29. The day after he did a 21-56 on the East Peckham course which was very close to another pb but not quite!

Well it made a change to get to the start of an event and actually find there wasn’t much wind, only downside there was some light drizzle for the earlier end of the field. This resulted in some pretty rapid times with the first 49 riders all breaking the hour. Dave Twin was the first Sydenham rider off finishing with a 58.13 (37th) and for a change puncturing just after he crossed the finishing line. Second claim member Mark Newton managed a 55.12 (12th) even though he had problems with his gears. Bob Loader was happy with his 1.15.40 (94th) being a five minute improvement on the last 25 he rode. The overall winner was Russell Kober, Hainault RC in 51.14.

Report by Jack Gregorie

I was invited to take part in the IG Markets nocturne on saturday 11th June. At first I wasn’t sure I wanted to do it because a few people were saying how technical the circuit was. I then just thought that I will only get to do something like this once so I might as well! In the end I really enjoyed my self. I was asked to do two challenges for the “IG Markets Team Challenge” as a guest of the IG Markets team, these were the sprint and the team relay. I don’t know the actual position I came in the sprint but im guessing it must have been 3rd or 4th judging from the other results and the final standings. Riding in a team of three people in the team relay was good fun. It was one lap flat out, get off the bike at the finish line and run the the pits (10 meters away from the line) to tag the next rider in. We won this event which placed us in third place overall. It was great going and standing on the podium with the other two teams (2nd and 1st). It was then great to see the pro race at the end of the night and I’m sure most of you are aware of Alex Dowsett and his win!

This event was moved from the Q25/8 due to road works. Oh joy another down on Romney Marsh for both Bob Loader and Dave Twin. This turned out to be yet another very windy one which made the going very tough. Both riders didn’t finish the event but for other reasons. Bob had a section of his hub flange break and the spokes come out. This resulted in a very out of true wheel badly rubbing on the brake blocks and after a hard effort to get to the final roundabout Bob turn right to the HQ rather than left towards the chequered flag. Dave was also unlucky managing to hit a small pothole at the 21 mile stage, resulting in front compression puncture. The event was won by Andy Miles of VC Elan in 55.06.