WXCRL Autumn Road Race 12/09/10

Andy Rivett of VC St Raphael continued his late season run of form this Sunday, winning from a two man breakaway with Richard Horton of organising club Bournemouth Jubilee Wheelers. The club’s Autumn Road Race suffered a fairly low turnout (29 riders) and a last minute change of venue – the original route had been due to run across the heathland from higher row to the cross keys pub but after the installation of cattle grids in the spring, the heath now had ponies and cattle roaming across it, which was considered an unnessacary hazard. A new route was hastily drawn up, running through Gaunts Common and dropping down past the Horton tower and through a sweeping series of bends into Horton village. The HQ had also shifted, to Witchampton, which caught a few people out, not least somebody (cough) who’d posted the venue change onto this very website – cutting and pasting without actually bothering to check the content.

But it all came good in the end, with the field rolling out for the 10.30 start, lacking a few heavy hitters, who were riding either at a cyclocross event up the road or an MTB race up north. However, there was some international flavour in the shape of Ann Bowditch of Science In Sport, who was getting some race miles in in preparation for the commonwealth games in Dehli next month. Men’s 2nd cat racing, you will be flattered to know, is about as fast as international level women’s racing. Ann, who will be riding for Guernsey, was getting acclimatized to the pace, although sadly not the heat.

The pace was fairly high on the first couple of laps, with plenty of breakaways . Philip Peters of Cannondale Racing and James Cartridge of Inverse Racing made a go of it on the first lap, getting about 10 seconds up before getting pulled back again. On the second lap, Micheal Leech of Tor 2000 went away on his own. Jason Flooks of ProBikeKit.com, who had been getting jumpy in the bunch, went after him.

Turning into the junction by the Horton Inn, it all went horribly wrong for him as he went wide on the exit of the corner, lost the back end trying to get back over and slid into a 4×4. He suffered some nasty road rash, as well as snapping his back wheel and frame and was a little surprised to discover that the car immediately behind the 4×4 that he had hit was a Police armed response unit. They helped clear up the mess, while the bunch came round the corner about 40s later, squeezed through and set off after Leech.

By the next lap, Micheal Leech had been joined by Junior Hefferman of Revo Racing and James Cartridge, making in his second breakaway of the morning. They were drawn back largely by the work of Charles Rees of Raleigh RT, who was doing some huge turns on the front but lacking enough of a kick to drop the riders behind him.

Next to try to get away was Eamonn Deane of Bournemouth Jubilee Wheelers, which caused some amusement as he had organized this race. However there is nothing in the rules against winning a race that you set up and Eamonn certainly wasn’t ashamed to be doing so. Despite a 30s lead at one point, he was chased down by Charles Rees of Raleigh RT, who was starting to get a little fed up with doing all the work.

Still, his efforts, plus those of few others, split the bunch, with nine riders breaking away. Richard Horton (Bournemouth Jubilee Wheelers), Phillip Peters (Cannondale Racing), Tom Marshall (Chippenham and District Wheelers) and Andy Rivett (VC St Raphael) put some hurt on up the hill to Horton getting some distance between themselves and the pack and then, coming up through Furzehill for the last time, Andy Rivett made his move.

“After the split, everyone had sat up a bit.” He said. “So I just went really hard on the hill.” Richard Horton of Bournemouth Jubilee Wheelers made it across to him.

“I didn’t want to initiate an attack on the first three laps.” He said. “I don’t like holding back. But after the third lap Eamonn got away, so obviously I didn’t want to attack him. Then a couple bridged across to him and that was the winning break formed. I knew Andy was strong so when he went I went after him.” They put some fast miles in, with thirty seconds over their co-escapees as the turned onto the Cranborne road for the final time.

At the final turn, into Hinton Martell, Andy Rivett cramped up, taking most of the finishing straight to get his sprint going. However he did and beat Richard Horton to the win. Richard got second, very much upholding club honour after some good tactical riding split between him and his club mate. 25 seconds back, Thomas Marshall of Chippenham and District Wheelers, the last of the escapees came in third, three seconds ahead of Philip Gough of Red Kite Cycles. Behind them came the rest of the breakaway group: Ian Cullen of Le Col came in fifth, Eamonn Deane (Jubilee) sixth, Philip Peters (Cannondale) seventh, Junior Hefferman (Revo Raving) eighth. A very knackered Charles Rees (Raleigh RT) was ninth, at the back of the group, and then Stephen Locke (Plan B Racing) led the rest of the field home three minutes back.

Full results are here. No photos we’re afraid, our photographer was busy shooting people with knobbly tyres riding round a field. Apparently they pay better. Anyway, don’t forget the final two rounds of the league next weekend, the Bournemouth Arrow Road Race and the Heath Road Race. Then that’s IT for the rest of the year.

Autumn Road Race Venue Change

HQ and Circuit change for this Sunday’s WXCRL Autumn Road Race – New HQ will be at the Witchampton Village Hall, Witchampton (on the S bends in the village). Unfortunately Holt Football Club have a game on and they double booked with us, seeing as it’s their Football Club we’ve had to change, luckily we’ve found somewhere just up the road.

We are also going to use a variation of the Gaunts Common circuit. We won’t be racing across the Heath from now on due to the new cattle grids, grazing cattle and now the grazing horses.

Click this link to see the new Course Map

Entries will close Saturday night, so still time to book your place there is plenty of space…

Races For September

‘Oh **** is that this week?’ Said our Mark the other day, in reference to the Cove Road Race. Yes indeed, The Cove Road Race on Sunday 5th September. The Dorset Tour was so good we thought we’d let all the elites and first cats have a go, using the same hill as stage 3 of the DT but in the other direction. That is to say downhill. Top riders were hitting 50 mph last year… There’s another downhill plummet into Lulworth Village, plus too short, sharp climbs. If ya go down, ya gotta go back up again, its not like there’s a chairlift or anything. Course map here. Riders do this seven times, over 122km and on the 7th time up the hill to Durdle Door, who ever’s first across the line wins. But if you haven’t worked that out by the time you get to elite level then there’s no hope for you.

So yeah, the race is open to Elite, first, second and third cat riders. Last year we had a couple of guys from Rapha Condor, limbering up for the Tour of Britain but don’t be scared, its a great course and it’ll be a great race. And if you are scared, why not help us out by marshalling? You get five – count ’em – Wessex League points for basically sitting by a road junction for a few hours and sticking a flag out every 20 minutes. Do this often enough and you could get yourself a decent position in the overall standings without barely having to turn a wheel in anger.

Entry closes the day before (Saturday 4th Sept) with the race starting at 10.30. EOL is probably going to be available at the HQ in D’Urberville Hall in Wool but will be a load more expensive.

Then, a week later, on Sunday 12th September we have The Autumn Road Race. Which is much the same as the Summer Road race, except later in the year. That’s the one with the hills and the cattle grids – and now cows roaming free on the Heath. Its a Regional A race open to riders up to 2nd cat and is run over 90km or 4 laps of the course, starting at 10.30 and based out of Holt Football Club. Yes, Holt has a football club.

No surprises but we’re after marshals for this one too. We’re ALWAYS after marshals. Tell you what, have a look here, find yourself and check how many people are 5 points above you. You can beat ALL of them, merely by helping out. Incredible, really. Well, unless they’re going to be getting top placing in the race, in which case you’re better advised try and beat them the old fashioned way.

There’s more at the end of the month that we’ll get to that in another post.

WXCRL Autumn Road Race 20-09-09

There was no damp squib ending for the final race of the 2009 Wessex League  series. It was in fact one of the most explosive of the year, with a good field, a breakaway caught on the line, even a flying bike in the last 100 metres.

On yet another sunny autumn morning, the racing got underway from Holt with a last minute change of schedule: The village hall had been double booked and we were expected to be out by 1pm and so the organisers decided to drop the distance by a lap, from four to three, in order to get the race over more quickly. With the route now reduced from four times up the three-tiered climb from Furzehill to Higher Row to three, there was little in the way of complaints about this decision, and the riders were duly let off the leash on the descent toward Three Legged Cross. With only an hour and a half or so to make their move, the pace was fierce.

“I think put in about fifty attacks on the first few laps.” Said Phil Peters of DH Cyclesport, although none were successful. There were many casualties on the long drags to the Horton Inn and down the Cranborne Road, plus a more spectacular exit from Andy Beken, who hit gravel on the Furzehill turning. With both feet out of the pedals and chest on the bars, he kept his bike upright but called it a day when the race next passed the village hall.

At the Furzehill turning on the next lap, the main break of the race made their move:

“We just smashed it up the climb.” Explained Andrew Bryson of DH Cyclesport, as he, plus regular Wessex League breakaway specialists Richard Eastham (Bournemouth Jubilee Wheelers) and Roland Tilley (Ride Team) finished the climb to begin the third lap with a good minute’s gap on the bunch. However, unlike the previous week, the bunch were not prepared to let them get away.

“I was lucky I had some club mates to bring them back.” Said Paul Hopkins, who’s Off Camber team sat on the front for much of the rest of the lap while, up front, dissent had set in within the breakaway group.

“I was fed up with towing everyone to the finish and getting jumped in the sprint.” Explained Richard Eastham. “So I towed everybody to two k’s from the finish and then sat in.” Andrew Bryson was having similar thoughts: “Everyone started missing turns and I was just waiting for someone to attack.” These tactics did not go down at all well with Roland Tilley. “Rich stopped working.” He said. “And then the other guy and I was shouting that we haven’t got time to fiddle about. Then the chase car pulled out and I knew they were right on top of us.”  

The bunch caught the breakaway at the final kick up, a few hundred metres from the line. All three sprinted and Tilley and Bryson stayed ahead of all but two of the field. Eastham, however, found himself going backwards and then being collected by Phil Peters from DH Cyclesport with messy results:

“I’d started from quite far back in the bunch.” Peters explained afterwards while being patched up by Kris the paramedic. Unsighted, he hit Eastham and flew four foot up in the air before landing in a bramble bush. “I just wish someone had caught it on camera, I’d love that as an avatar!” Richard Eastham had a more solid landing on the tarmac but, bruising, gravel rash and bramble scratches aside, neither were badly hurt.

Meanwhile, upfront, Tilley and Bryson had been caught by two riders, Tim Dunford of Team Torq and Paul Hopkins from Off Camber, who’s club had done so much work to get him there.

“We could see the break all looking at each other.” Said Paul Hopkins. “And I was running about 10^th in the chasing bunch. I went early and got past everybody but Tim was on my wheel and got round me with about eight lengths to go. Still, I’m pleased as I didn’t think we’d get the break back.” Less pleased was Roland Tilley although he had to admit that third was better than nothing. Fellow escapee Andrew Bryson got fourth with Jamie Howard of Exeter Wheelers fifth. Full results here. More photos here.

Given the carnage it is probably as well that this is the final race of the season and Richard Eastham can console himself with a clear win in the points league with 166 points. Second, with 135 points, is Steve Dring while 3^rd, 4^th and 5^th are quite tight and will have to wait until we have official confirmation.  A full run down will be appearing in due course.