NORTH MIDLANDS VTTA CHAMPS - Hatfield - 29th June 2019

2nd Overall & 1st on Standard (N Mids Champion 🏆)

Hot Hot Hot were the conditions for Saturday’s N Mids VTTA Champs (the Cleethorpe Shield), one week exactly after one of my most disappointing performances in the National Vets 50 Champs, 2nd on the podium may sound commendable, but serious self inflicted cock-ups scuppered hope of the Champs jersey....it’s now history so move on, redemption of sorts required...so to tropical Yorkshire....🥵

....sub-consciously raced with extra determination, which can be dangerous - and with 3 miles to go and a combination of heat and fatigue, purgatory kicked in, really felt my speed was slipping away, completely ultra wasted at the chequered flag , but surprised to learn of a personal course PB of 20-32, and just ONE SECOND from victory - one friggin second....still pleased with 2nd though in a quality field and also won the Cleethorpe Shield based on ‘standard’ (age adjusted gubbins)...

Later, I wondered about that “one second” - suddenly remembering the hesitant driver that held me up, as they chose not to pass a slower rider with obvious opportunities, eventually I overtook, I had to - so annoying, but of course it would be unfair to mention the gender - we accept it’s an occupational hazard for us “testers” - y’know swings and roundabouts

Thanks to Gordon Wordsworth and team for organising the event, and to Paul (Heggie) for issuing the results.

Right, if I ever see that bloody woman (or was it an old bloke with a flat cap? )👴

[This was seriously frustrating, 20-32 would win 9/10 races on Hatfield...and I did get really held up..although I know Ian G well, and he's a top guy! Not his fault!!]

VTTA NATIONAL CHAMPS 50M - Nr York - 2nd June 2019

6th Overall & 2nd on Standard (National Silver)

Proved to be the worst race of the season, the whole day was a mitigated disaster....started off finding a flat tub on race bike...Kip (Langsett) did a sterling and rapid job on putting on a new tub, but set off late, forgot skin suit (although had backup in boot) then arrived late, all flustered, forgot gels which are really needed in a 50, but worse was to come....chain dropped off in race, and due to the chain stopper (that did not work) struggled to get chain back on, even with brute panic....😡

So, "worst race of the season, hey?" - finished second in National Championship (based on standard, age adjusted) - well beaten by Andy Jackson, but a poor 6th overall, and at least 2 mins down on expectations....hey ho.....a one off - but that's where I set the bar.....😉

[This was a sickener, from 8am and the flat tub...to losing my chain, forgetting gels....and before and after this race I was flying...what made it worse I felt obliged to await the presentation, but there was a huge delay...just wanted to get home and away from there - but second in a National and having this reaction!! It's in the DNA 😎]


OFFICIAL REPORT

The National 50 Mile championship was held on Saturday 22nd June on the V350/1 course near York. 

The men's championship saw a fine win by Andy Jackson with a plus of 31.50. Second and taking his third medal in three championships was Keith Ainsworth (plus of 30.55). Third and moving up one place from last year to claim a medal was Dave Hargreaves with a plus of 29.25.

The women's championship was won convincingly by Karen Ledger (pictured) with an outstanding plus of 33.00. Debbie Moss took silver with a plus of 26.34 and Liz Ball took the bronze medal with a plus of 20.19.

The tandem gold medal was won by the evergreen pair of Murray Kirton and Dave Stockley.

Best club team went to Team Swift (Steve Loraine, Randle Shenton, and Mark Wolstenholme).

Best group team was Yorkshire (Andy Jackson, Stephen Ayres and Mark Wolstenholme).

Thanks to Mike Williams and his team for organising the championship

BIRDWELL CLUB '5' CHAMPS - Park Springs - 18th June 2019

1st Overall / Sheffrec Club and Birdwell Course Record
Gatecrashing the rarely raced 5 miler, the Birdwell Club Champs - a gratuitous attempt in attempting to break 10 mins (not fast, 5 roundabouts?), the course record and the Sheffrec club record on a rare (for this season) warm and fairly still evening. Smashed the race winning by a margin, finishing in 10-08....breaking the Birdwell club course record and also my own Sheffrec club record - good fun, and a great blast, hitting 380w average 😳🚴‍♀️💨💨

[Really good attack on a '5', although as no officials to have the race, there was a debate on whether to cancel...so I didn't warm up properly....really expect a '5' to hurt very similarly to an 800m in running, but done two now, and I'd say 10's are worse for the pain 🤪]


Report from Paul Heggie on FB:
5 Mile Championships tonight
Nearly didn't run-few helpers. Thanks to
Steve Myatt for timing and Christine Minto for marshalling.
A fast night - new Birdwell course record by
Keith Ainsworth of Sheffrec in 10m 08s beating the old mark of Ben Harvey from 2013 by 11 seconds!!
Cheers
Paul - sub 10 if I’d warmed up more Sheffrec Club Record too...

VTTA '10' TT - E2/10 - Newmarket - 13th June 2019

3rd Overall / 1st on Standard / National Age Record

STOP PRESS: Old Man Disappears Down The A11 In Wind Vortex🌪
Four days later, and I just had to get back on “the horse”.....driving through torrid rain back to Newmarket, fortunately the rain cleared by the start, but the strong winds didn’t....so fast times were in very much in doubt for this 10 miler, strong headwind out and hitting 1/2 way in only 10-52, a new PB (sub 19-11) was surely impossible, and the secondary target, the durable National Age Record was a tall order (19-49) - however, what a return on the rolling course and what fun (in a masochistic sort of way)....in the biggest gear possible (58/11) and often ‘spinning out’, before I knew it, the chequered flag was there....a return in 8mins 36secs @ 34.2mph avg - with an official time of 19-40, giving me 3rd overall and a new National Age Record....🚴‍♀️💨💨

Now this is funny...checking Strava - which is useful for race day metrics, out of interest I checked the all time fastest segment for that return leg....meaningless really of course, ‘segments’ have to be done on the same day (or time) under race conditions to have credence....but hey ho...it looks good....and it made me chuckle....so there I am up there with an ex World best hour record holder and faster than Bialoblocki - have a look! 😝😂

National VTTA 50 Champs on a rural circuit east of York next Saturday....really looking forward, roll on😊

[Not to be taken for granted this performance. the conditions were really awful...the wind was so strong on the outward five miles, that there should have been no chance to average greater than 30mph....50kph...and read on, I repeated it, on the same course in the National 10 on the same course...]

VTTA NATIONAL CHAMPS 25M - Newmarket 9th June 2019

Two visits to the rolling lands of Suffolk and Cambridgeshire in the last week....firstly, the second attempt in my quest for National Vets TT supremacy LOL - the National Vets 25 Champs....very early start, unusually felt garbage by even 10 miles, but this is racing, and there is only one option...persevered, dug even deeper, hurt more and ultimately ‘rescued’ a commendable 50mins 43 secs, not quite 30mph avg....but was it good enough for another champions jersey?

NO! Just 17 seconds in 2nd behind World O50 TT Champ - Kev Tye, an amazing athlete, (a sub 48min ‘25’ man) so no shame; and it materialised that most had a tough morning too, with relatively slow times, perhaps the very early start is not conducive to such onslaught? . Had a great chat with Kevin, and talk about chips off the same block...

[Mmm...sort of confident before...and as it was on the E2..top quality entry, but very early start, just does not work for me...but in fairness was the general consensus...biggest gap Kev Tye got on me in 2019..and it's closing all the time..in fact by the end of the season it was 1-2 😊]