NHRC Invitation

Hello Northanters

As I am sure you all know one of the first Olympic Medals to be completed for will be the mens road race on Saturday 28 July.

It was suggested at a recent committee meeting that it might be a good idea for the club to get together on that day and watch the race as a club group, (no, I haven't acquired 50 dodgy tickets on the internet). What we have done is that Maggie has used her influence at the Ex-services Club in New Road, where we will be able to have the use of a room with a large drop-down TV screen on which to watch the race. THE BAR will be open and we are also planning to have refreshments available.

The time of start is 10.00 with the finish scheduled for around 16.00. I guess that some might want to watch the entire race although maybe most would prefer to take in the final 2 or 3 hours. I am not yet sure how long the transmission will be. Hopefully the complete race.

We are planning to charge £1 to all who wish to come along, this will help to pay for some of the refreshments although contributions of a cake or two or perhaps some sausage rolls etc. would be welcome.

The event is open to club members and non-members and we are hoping to attract as many as possible to help make the day the next best thing to being there on the course. 

Please let me know if you think you will be attending.

Doug H.

Regional Road Race Championships

Stockbridge Sunday 20th May

A dry, blustery, overcast day welcomed Adam, Andrew and Berni for their visit to Stockbridge to compete in the regional championship veteran’s race. All 3 riders feeling suitably senior and of an age to safely avoid the championship race proper!

Berni’s description of the 13 mile circuit as “testing” was something of an understatement. It was horrible! Nearly 300 metres of climbing per lap and the major 2km climb leading out of Stockbridge and up to the finish line.

The race started just after 10am (following the departure of the main event) with a 2km neutralised section running from Test Valley school – race HQ – to the bottom of said hill, when the race went live. Straightaway the pace went up in parallel with the gradient. The peleton held together for the first lap but on the 2^nd visit to the climb it started to fracture, which was to be the pattern for the rest of the race. Not surprisingly, Andrew was one of the first to go and was soon riding with a small group of similarly ejected riders!! Adam suffered a similar fate soon after.

Berni, however, managed to stay with the group and was able to contest the uphill “sprint” to the flag. Despite a grey face and some grimacing, he came over the line in 5^th place. A fine result for his first race outing of the year, and more points for CCB. Well done Berni!

ANOTHER GOOD NIGHT FOR CCB

Wednesday 16^th May

CCB were well represented this evening by the old guard, with Jon and Scott racing at Eelmore, and Andrew again at the vets series at Hillingdon. A marked contrast in the weather too with no wind and plenty of sunshine!! Joe was not racing, preferring(?!) to study for his exams and Craig was forced to work!

Jon and Scott had the usual Eelmore experience with a steady race, one or two breakaway efforts that wouldn’t stick, until a lone rider made it away towards the end of the race leaving the rest of the field to contest the bunch gallop. An excellent effort by Scott put him second over the line for 3^rd overall. Jon followed him home in 8^th. So, perhaps the “thru and off” training around Farleigh is paying dividends!!

For Andrew it was a similar experience. A fairly brisk cruising speed for the bunch meant that the few breakaway efforts were brought back in fairly quickly, usually within a lap or so. This meant that once again it came down to a bunch gallop. A momentary lapse in concentration meant Andrew dropped back a couple of lengths in the back straight on the last lap, putting him in a slightly less than ideal position for the sprint. Nevertheless, a good sprint effort lifted him up to 5^th across the line!

So, points for all this evening! Next outing, involving some of the real old guard (Berni and Adam) will be at the regional championships, starting from Stockbridge, on Sunday 20^th May. All support is always welcome.

Sunday Training Options

A number of riders are meeting at the top of Farleigh Hill for a thru and off session.  They are meeting at 09:00 on Sunday mornings.  The plan is for 3 laps of the CCB Tuesday evening circuit, though beginning with a warm-up lap and then three hard laps followed by a steady ride.  Should be back by 12 noon the latest. All are welcome.  Contact Jon Harris for further details:

Punctures Galore

Eelmore, Wednesday 9th May

The old guard were out for last Wednesday’s race at Eelmore. Jon and Scott were racing in the 3rd & 4th cat race, and Andrew tried his hand with the E/1/2s.

There was a stiff breeze blowing down the home straight which had a big influence on proceedings in both races, but not as much as the condition of the track surface.

The E/1/2 race is very hard! Lots of attacks early on until the elastic breaks and the race is fractured into lots of small groups on the road. Andrew soon found himself in a small group of one, followed soon after by a puncture and the end of his evening!! More interval training required, I think!?

Jon and Scott did a good job of sitting in the peleton until late in the race, when Jon suffered a puncture just at the point of the lap count-down. This meant he spent the next 5 laps chasing back on with no energy left for the sprint. Scott found himself in a better position, but not much. A sizeable group broke away from the front in the last couple of laps to contest the sprint with Scott following in behind. The only bit of good luck was that he then avoided the rather unexpected crash that occurred soon after this group crossed the finish line! Both riders agreed – more interval training required!!

ANOTHER GREY DAY – RACING ON WEDNESDAY 2ND MAY

Another Wednesday, and another outing for CCB’s racers. With Jon Harris away, it was Scott

Oatridge’s turn to open his racing account at Eelmore, alongside Craig Atwell and Joe Gray in the 3 rd

& 4th cat race.

As usual, as the season progresses, more people turn out to race and so there was a bigger field

than the previous week, and the pace was a bit more brisk! Both Craig and Joe made efforts at the

front but trying to make a break stick was always going to be hard with a faster moving peleton. As

is often the case, it came down to a bunch gallop at the finish. Unfortunately, with about 60 riders

in the bunch, there was also a fair bit of pushing and bumping, so on the penultimate lap, Scott was

pushed out onto the grass. Good bike handling and a bit of luck saw him recover but fall back a bit

so that when the final sprint began he was not ideally positioned. Still, first CCB rider home in about

12th, with Craig and Joe following in not far behind.

Andrew McCombe was in action at Hillingdon, again competing in the Master’s series there.

Likewise, there was a much bigger field also running at a slightly brisker pace. Unfortunately, just

over 30 minutes into the race, there was a big crash involving a number of riders as the boys passed

the girls! Consequently, the organisers had no choice but to cancel the race. A rather unfortunate

end to the evening!

Next outing – Eelmore on 9th May.

EELMORE 25TH APRIL

The first round of the Pedal Heaven Eelmore series took place in atrocious, wet and
windy weather, on Wednesday 25th April. Not surprisingly therefore, the turn-out was
a little smaller than usual. However, a reasonable field of about 30 riders, including 3
from CCB assembled for the 3rd and 4th Cat race.

Our CCB riders were the evergreen Craig Atwell, and Joe Gray. Jon Harris was also
present for his first race of the season.

The first 20 minutes were fairly processional as everyone came to grips with the
conditions. The first action was a lone break by a young rider from VC Meudon.
He managed to build up almost a half lap lead at one point. However, Joe, keen to
emulate Craig’s recent success set off in pursuit. Over the next few laps he made
significant inroads into the lead but a stiff headwind on the home straight was not
helping. Soon after, the decisive move of the race came when a strong group of 5
broke clear from the front of the bunch. Working well together, they soon caught and
passed Joe and made it across to the lone leader who then joined them. Continuing to
work well together they opened a lead that was never going to be caught by a slightly
dis-organised peleton. Seeing the futility of persisting, Joe dropped back into the
bunch to recover.

With about 8 laps to go, Craig made a brave break from the bunch. Some really
determined riding saw him build a big gap. Spurred on by this, a couple of laps later
Joe tried the same thing but had with him another rider for company. They too built
a fairly comfortable gap from the bunch. So, as the chequered flag came out, the
bunch of 6 sprinted home, Craig soloed in for 7th and Joe out-sprinted his breakaway
companion for 8th. Jon led home the bunch sprint to finish in about 12th.

All in all good results considering the conditions but both races, the 3&4 and the E/
1/2, were scattered all round the circuit as a consequence of the weather, and more
punctures than I have ever seen at a circuit race!

Some planned race dates...

Below are a few dates where a number of riders plan to race.  If you are interested do just let us know so that we can arrange the most economical way to get there - if you like...

13th May Omega Crits at Thruxton 

20th May South Divisional champs 

26th May 10mile TT at Bentley
3rd June Banbury Star RR.
10th June Neil Gardiner Mem RR
17th June Lloyd Coward mem RR

Colin's update...

I've a couple of things to report back on.  

 

I raced the Maidenhead and District CC sporting time trial on 11 March.  This is hilly (just under) 30 mile course in the Chilterns starting at Lane End north of Marlow.  I set off hard and caught my minute man within the first mile or so.  The 6 miles to the first turn are all slightly up hill then there is a technical bit through to Christmas Common, which I did feeling in good form.  From there it is nearly all down hill to Henley, pretty much the fastest 10 miles you'll every do on a time trial.  Its then heavy roads along by the Thames to Marlow and then four miles of mostly draggy uphill before a final kick to the village hall at Frieth.  I got a bit concerned that I hadn't passed anyone else, but it turned out that I had three non-starters and two of the top three placed riders ahead of me.  Finishing time was 1-16.41 which was good enough for 9th, my first top 10 place in an open time trial.  Rode to and from the start from home to bring up an imperial century for the day.  Top day out!

I also completed the Dean 300k Audax on 24 March and was first man home in 12 hours and 47 minutes – as I hadn't bothered to put my race bike away.  It was about 15 minutes slower than the previous year but I'd had less company and I got close to suffering from the bonk between Marlborough and Membury.

Since then I've swapped bike for running shoes to do the Reading Half-Marathon as the office I work at does this big time for charity - we had 37 entrants which knocked me about far more than the Dean the previous weekend but did complete my first half-marathon in 1–31 – the second one from our office back.  So will have a go at doing it properly next year.

Karl spotted me on the way to my caravan in Selsey; I thought I was quite relaxed at the time.  I was more intense on Easter Monday when I set-off at 3.30am to complete a century ride including an ascent of Bignor Hill (so steep the tarmac doesn't stick) before breakfast.

Next events are the Bryan Chapman Memorial 600k Audax on 19-20 May and  the Hounslow and District '100' on the H100/88 course (Bentley – Farnham – Alton – Bentley x5) - if we get two more entries we'd have a chance at a team prize – otherwise its the closest to Basingstoke you can get seeing the club colours in action.

MIXED FORTUNES AT HILLINGDON

It was a week of mixed fortunes for Craig Atwell and Andrew McCombe as they both raced twice at Hillingdon this week.

Both riders raced on Saturday 14th. Craig rode in the 3rd&4th cat race where a bunch of almost 80 riders meant that it was difficult to determine exactly what was going on unless you sat right on the front of the bunch. Consequently, a big break made it away early in the race and Craig was left to sprint in with the main peleton, finishing an un-inspiring 35th. For Andrew riding the E/1/2 race, the result was even less impressive. A fairly high race pace fractured it into a number of smaller groups, and the after effects of a cold meant that he was spat out of the main bunch after about 30 minutes of racing. He continued riding but finished as the definite “lantern rouge” (last place!).

Mid-week brought much better fortunes – and much poorer weather; low cloud and heavy rain were the order of the day for both events.

Craig rode in the 3&4 cat race on Tuesday 17th April. A slightly more manageable group of about 30 riders set off at a fairly brisk pace as they set about chasing an early lone breakaway. This was brought back with about 6 laps to go and another small breakaway, with Craig included, made a bid to escape. The peleton was clearly in no mood to allow any escapes that evening and this too was brought back with a couple of laps to go. Nevertheless, a combination of good positioning, strong sprinting and some timely gaps in the run to the line meant that Craig came through fast to finish in third place!

The first races of the Veteran’s series took place the following day and provided an opportunity for Andrew to ride against some age appropriate competition! A reasonable bunch of about 40 riders set off at a fairly steady pace, wary of the very greasy conditions. A couple of efforts were made to breakaway but as is often the case at Hillingdon, these were brought back fairly quickly to leave the usual bunch gallop over the last couple of laps to the finish. Some firm riding on the last lap put

Andrew in the ideal position just behind the lead riders as the sprint began into the home straight.  A strong effort meant finishing fourth across the line, but, first rider home and winner of the Masters E & F race!

Tuesday Circuits Begin 10 April 2012

Meeting at the top of Farleigh Hill crossroads, these training rides will run from Tuesday 10th April to Tuesday 22nd May.  Depending on the numbers, we might continue with these rides throughout the Summer.

This involves 3 laps (c.7 miles each lap) of a local circuit designed to build on the Sunday training rides; these are at a higher intensity but much shorter in duration (c.1hr).  Because these are circuits, it doesn’t matter if you can’t make the 3 laps to begin with, you can take time to recover and re-join on the next lap and continue to do so until your fitness improves to see you through to the finish.

Start time is 6:15 pm.  Each lap takes around 20 minutes, so even if you can’t make the start time, you can always be there for Lap 2!

See you there.

HILLINGDON, SATURDAY 31ST MARCH

Two races and two representatives for CCB. Craig Attwell was riding in the 4th cat race and Andrew McCombe in the cat 2/3. A dry day but cloudy and the high temperatures of the preceding week had disappeared so that arm and leg warmers were in frequent use! In addition there was a stiff breeze blowing down the finishing straight.
 
The cat 4 race was 40 minute plus 5 laps. A steady start but after 20 minutes Craig, and a fellow racer, made a break. Some hard riding over the next 20 minutes bought them a half lap advantage which they were able to hold all the way to the finish. And with Craig out-sprinting his breakaway companion, a win was in the bag! Congratulations to Craig! This is an excellent start to the season and combined with his 2nd place last week has catapulted  him up to 3rd cat, with enough time to chase for 2nd cat!?
 
The cat 2/3 race followed a not dissimilar format but over a slightly longer time – 35 laps. An early ambitious breakaway of 3 put in a big effort early on to establish a lead of about half a lap. Although this varied a bit over the course of the race, it was held to the finish leaving the rest of the peleton to contest the usual gallop finish. Some good positioning by Andrew meant that he was able to join the back of a Welwyn wheelers lead-out train into the sprint in the home straight. A reasonable sprint, but a 3 week skiing break in Canada showed its effects, and a final position of 8th in the bunch meant 11th overall – first loser! But not too bad for a first outing of the season.

 
Overall a reasonable showing by CCB in the first weeks of the season.

Thruxton Sunday 25 March

Joe and Craig represented CCB in the cat 4 race at Thruxton with a 10:15 start. The weather was great, bright and sunny but with a right to left side wind along the back and up the hill. It was quite steady for the first 4 or so laps.
As always, a few riders tried for a break away but no real breaks formed. With about four laps to go Craig and Joe discussed tactics and decided that Joe would lead Craig out for the final gallop.

The final lap arrived and the dynamic duo were able to keep their position quite easily. With about 600 metres to go Joe went for it with Craig on his tail. This caught the bunch napping and a good gap was soon achieved. Halfway up the slight rise Craig came past Joe with the peloton chasing hard. Craig got through the chicane by himself but that last 150metres is hard after that effort and Craig started to run out of steam. Not surprisingly, he was passed by another young rider called Ethan (club?) in the drag to the line resulting in a fine but slightly frustrating second place. Joe finished somewhere in the top twenty.

Sports Massage for Basingstoke

Charlotte McDonald

Why come to me?

I am a registered therapist of the Institute of Sport and Remedial Massage (ISRM) and the Complementary & Natural Healthcare Council (CNHC).  I have a BTEC Professional Diploma (Level 4) in Sport and Remedial Massage from the London School of Sports Massage (LSSM). I am also a qualified first aider.

My clients range from both elite and recreational athletes to those who are just seeking relief from specific aches and pains.

24hr Challenge

Dear All, a big thank you to all those who sponsored us. Below is a brief report on the event.

The weather for most of Saturday and early Sunday morning was less than ideal with torrential showers and 25mph winds which made the riding all the more challenging.

The team performed extremely well raising nearly £2,000, placing 10^th overall out of 55 teams, were the 1st mixed team, and won the veterans category receiving a large silver trophy.

During the 24 hour period we completed 203 laps of the circuit and covered 487 miles.

If you did not have time to sponsor us in advance of the event, it’s not too late, and it would be great to tip the total sponsorship raised over the £2,000 mark.

This link below will take you to our fundraising page if you would be kind enough to donate and help support this fantastic charity.

 http://www.action.org.uk/sponsor/teambasingstoke1

Best Regards

Luke Brashier

Cramps

There are many causes of cramps, each with it's own corresponding cure. 

What is a cramp?
Cramps are strong, involuntary muscle contractions. They can occur at any time but are most common during or shortly after hard exercise. They can occur in any muscle, though in cyclists they are most common in the quads, hamstrings and calves. They can be so strong that they cause you to launch out of a chair or actually pull a muscle.

Cramps have many causes, though fundamentally they are similar. When you move, your brain sends signals to your muscles requesting a contraction. The brain receives feedback on the strength of the contraction that has occurred, from which it can make adjustments to create a controlled movement. If the feedback says that the contraction is harder than expected, the brain can send instructions to contract less. If the feedback says the contraction is weak, the brain can send a signal to contract more. As a muscle fatigues, the brain sends more signals to tell the muscle to contract to get the same strength of contraction. When the muscle becomes too fatigued to do what is asked of it, the brain sends a continuous contraction signal, initiating a cramp.

Causes of cramps and how to correct them
Anything that fatigues a muscle can bring on a cramp, and anything that keeps a muscle fresh helps prevents cramps.

Inadequate training: You may cramp late in a long or hard ride simply because you have not trained adequately for the distance or the intensity. Make gradual increases to volume and intensity.

Pushing big gears: One clue that you may be doing this is if you find yourself standing each time you need to accelerate. Another clue is measuring your cadence below 85 rpm for much of a hard ride. The cure? Switch to a lower gear. Spin to save your legs.

Dehydration: Muscles don’t contract well if they don’t contain their normal amount of water. Stay hydrated.

Fuel: Muscles can’t contract if they don't have a good supply of glucose. Keep eating carbohydrate rich foods on longer rides. Eat something at the start of the ride, after about 30-40 minutes and every 15-20 minutes thereafter. Aim for about 250 calories per hour if you are under 150 pounds and 300 if you are over 150 pounds.

Electrolyte balance: Muscles will cramp if they don't contain their normal amounts of sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium. Those amounts change during exercise. Salt your food and eat plenty of bananas. If you don't eat a lot of dairy, take a calcium supplement or eat plenty of brassica veggies (collards, kale, cabbage, broccoli, Brussels sprouts and cauliflower).

If your cramps affect more than one muscle group, than electrolyte imbalance or dehydration is likely the cause. It is important to recognize that the primary electrolytes lost in sweat are those that are found in the greatest amounts in extra cellular fluid--sodium and chloride. Unfortunately, people who have high concentrations of sodium in their sweat, i.e., "salty sweaters", and/or who have high sweat volumes, lose sodium at a higher rate than it can be replaced. These individuals may lose up to 1500 mg of sodium per hour, while the recommended rate of consumption is 500-700 mg per litre of water per hour, which is based on the rate at which sodium is absorbed from the gut. Not all sports drinks are equal in how much sodium they provide, so read the label!
Calcium, magnesium, and potassium are also lost in sweat, although in much smaller amounts than sodium. However, you want to be sure to consume the recommended intakes of these electrolytes. Calcium is found in dairy products and fortified juices and other foods. Potassium is highest in fresh fruits and vegetables, meat and dairy products. It it somewhat more challenging to get enough magnesium in the diet as the best sources are green leafy vegetables, some beans and legumes, and unrefined grains. You might consider taking a magnesium supplement that provides the RDA or less. However, don't take it at the same time as a calcium supplement, as they will interfere with each other's absorption.

Raw Spinach: Some leafy green vegetables eaten raw, particularly spinach, will leach calcium from your system. Avoid large amounts of raw spinach. Cooked is okay.

Creatine Monohydrate supplementation: In some people creatine supplementation (especially loading) may cause cramps, especially if the athlete is dehydrated. If in doubt, avoid this supplement.

Tight muscles: Regular stretching of muscles that tend to cramp sometimes reduces cramping.

Impaired circulation: Muscles that are not receiving adequate blood supply are deprived of oxygen and fuel. They will not recover from one contraction to the next and so will fatigue quickly. Correct pressure points on the saddle, in your shoes, in your shorts and anywhere else they might interfere with circulation.

Heat or cold: On hot or cold days some people will cramp even if they do everything else right. On hot days, do what you can to keep cool. As well as staying hydrated, dribble water on your jersey and shorts and through your helmet every once in a while. Choose shadier and flatter routes on hot days, unless you are racing and don't have a choice. On cold days, dress warmly.

Bike Fit: A poor bike set up may cause some muscles to work harder than necessary, bringing on a cramp. If in doubt check your fit.

Rhabdomyolysis: If cramps are followed by red or brown urine, you are experiencing a breakdown of muscle tissue and release of muscle contents into the blood. This is a medical problem needing immediate professional attention to prevent kidney damage. Treatment for acute rhabdomyolysis is high volume IV rehydration.

CCB International

Mark Green has been exchanging emails with an International CCB and we thought this may be of interest.  I have copied some background information and put a permanent link on our blog should you wish to follow/contact them.  Apparently, "one of the" founding fathers" was an ex member of Cycle Club Basingstoke, John Ireland, Bernie remembers him.  You will see the similarity in club colours and logo."

"Sometimes I think our club has grown too much, but the essential spirit of the club has remained constant since our early days.  Our membership is 160+ at this writing, and I would estimate that 40-50 members race.  Mostly road races, but some cyclocross and off-road racing as well.  The rest of our members are club riders, most of whom enjoy fast riding in the racing style.  We are one club, with club riders and racers mixing together to a greater extent than most clubs over here.  In season we do 4 late afternoon rides a week, and 2 rides each weekend year around, road conditions permitting in the winter.

There are only a handful remaining at best of us originals from our club that remember John Ireland.  I can still feel his influence in the nature of the club.  Perhaps one day I will venture across the pond to explore my family roots in England.  I would love to do a ride with your club if and when that happens.

Much of our club communication is through a weekly email newsletter that I send out.  I will include your email update in the next issue.  I know it will be a big hit with the club.  I'll take the opportunity to tell the newer members a little about our history.  I haven't done that for a few years now.

Thanks again, and all the best from CCB International to Cycle Club Basingstoke."

Michael Zagachin

http://www.ccbracing.com/

http://www.redberryphoto.com/CCB

Thruxton & Team Basingstoke 24hr Ride

Thruxton

Craig Attwell our enthusiastic 18 year old (well next week he is) rode his first ever race today.  Speaking at the finish line he said “I went with all the attacks and got in to a few breaks and felt really good, but I just couldn’t keep with the final sprint, but I was really proud to have finished in the bunch” Well done Craig - next stop Eelmore..!

IN THE RED - AGAIN!

Andrew and Karl made the relatively early start to show the CCB colours at thruxton this morning. A bright but cool morning looked promising, but a stiff wind blowing down and across the "back" straight looked ominous The race was to be 12 laps and started a minute or two behind the elites. The wind was to prove to be the decisive factor in the race. On lap 6, a fairly sizeable break occurred with at least 8-10 riders which the peleton seemed disinclined to chase. In fact, with the wind blowing obliquely from right to left across the back straight, it was very difficult to hide. The group seemed unable to form effective echelons, and everyone made for the left side of the track. A number of riders seemed to perform this manoeuvre without any regard for their fellow riders on several occasions. This led to some riders being forced off the track, and then losing contact with the peleton. Sadly Karl was caught up with such an incident on lap 8. This also contributed significantly to the work involved in chasing and probably explained the peleton's reluctance.  Realising that, unless something was done, the pack would not be racing for points, on lap 8, Andrew made an effort to get on the front and try and organise a bit of a chase. Sadly only 2 or 3 other riders seemed to appreciate the significance of the situation, and were prepared to do any work. So, after a fairly long and sustained stint, including a decent turn up the hill and onto the wind, (and all the shouting!!) Andrew went into the red and got dropped out the back. Soon after, Andrew and Karl made contact again, found out what had happened to each and decided that a steady lap to warm down and an early finish at the end of the 11th lap were the order of the day!

Nevertheless, still a useful exercise: a high speed training ride, yet more race experience but still begs the question: how do you know if that's the break that's going to get away?  Oh! And the breakaway succeeded with the first rider from the pack only managing 10th place!

TEAM BASINGSTOKE 24hr RIDE

Our longstanding member Luke Brashier and his team are taking part in a charity event riding for 24hrs round Goodwood Motor Racing Circuit on the 18 & 19 of June.  They have a minimum target of £1,250 to raise for charity so please do see your way to helping them achieve their target for this worthy cause by pledging your support following the link below:

http://www.action.org.uk/sponsor/teambasingstoke1

Luke will be joined by his wife Alison, Phil Watts and Graham Simpson (from North Hants Road Club) raising essential money to help the charity continue their ground breaking research.

Race Planning Meeting Reminder

Don't forget that we shall be meeting at the Basingstoke & North Hants Cricket Club http://maps.google.co.uk/?q=RG213DR on Friday 13 May at 19:00.  Those wishing to race and prospective new members are welcome.


We shall also try to discuss and organise the structure of the development group rides...so even if you do not plan to race please do come along if you can.

Eelmore Race 5

CCB riders were recovering from Sunday's incident so there were just 2 riders for race 5 of this Wednesday evening series.  Here Mark Renshaw AKA Andrew McCombe eloquently describes the evenings racing...

So, John and I were both there to fly the flag for CCB. Much smaller field than normal, about 40 riders. The race started slowly, but, as ever, and soon enough the inevitable breaks came. As usual it was a case of 2, 3 or 4 riders making a bit of a gap for half a lap or so, and then being reeled back in over the next lap or two. John did a good job of sitting in for most of the race with Andrew doing a fair bit of work on the front mid-race.

Strangely though, with about 6 laps to go, a small group of about 8 riders, including a couple of youth riders, made a bit of a break which seemed to stick at about 150-200 metres. Although the peleton upped its pace over the last few laps, and the gap seemed to close a bit, it never quite came back. Consequently, on the last lap, and following a pre-agreed plan, I (Andrew) gave John a bit of a lead out down the back straight (I saw 35mph on the Garmin!). I was able to close down the gap and delivered John to the back of the breakaway group just as we made the bottom corner. It was then up to John who, although tired from working hard to get to the front over the last few laps, was able to manage a decent enough sprint to claim 7th place. Not a bad evening's work and a few more points for the cause!