The truth!

joker77

Race report – Cycleways Cup Navan, A4

The race started at what seemed like a fairly slow pace for a race, I was right at the very back so not sure what was happening at the front – there were about 50-60 riders. The A4 race was down for 70kms, with the A3 being 86kms – but in the clubhouse beforehand it said 2 laps of the circuit for both, so I wasn’t sure where the 16kms difference was happening. From talking to clubmates before the race – they said last year the A4 ended up being the same – with maybe a neutralised start – so roll out for 10kms and get over the first hill, then away you go. I’m not sure if that ended up happening or not, but the start was certainly slow enough that it might have.

From starting at the very back of the bunch I moved my way slowly up through the middle of the bunch when gaps appeared – the plan being to get as much shelter as possible for the whole race – I’d no intention of being out at the front of the pack at all. Tactically what I wanted to do was be up the front third, preferably within the first 10, so that if any attacks happened I could counter / join them. An attack happened early enough – I was still about mid-way down the bunch at this stage, I didn’t reckon there was any danger but I also didn’t want to take the chance as it looked like 5 / 6 riders were trying to get away, so I moved from the middle to the outside and went up to have a look at what was going on. I tried asking a couple of riders how many there were (couldn’t see because of corners), but nobody was volunteering any information, so off I went to join / chase them. It petered out fairly quickly, I didn’t have to expend too much energy in the chase and it meant I could take up a nice position just behind the front.

From there we went around the first lap, no excitement, everyone just sizing each other up probably. On the second lap it seemed like Dublin Wheelers / Waterford Racing were intent on doing all the work up at the front – 2 riders each, so I kept close in case they got any ideas about a joint effort breakaway. They did, it was chased down, and around we went again. Coming half way around the 2nd and final lap – a guy from Waterford went off on his own – he looked a ripe old age (found out later he was 57!), he was let off for a while before the pace increased a little to catch him. There was a guy behind from Swords CC who was making noise for people to chase him down, but it was very obvious he was going to do zero work himself. Put up or shut up I thought.

We caught the guy from Waterford and kept motoring a bit, I noticed around the 72kms mark after chasing him and the increase in pace that my legs felt a little tight. I had a little twinge earlier in the race in my left hamstring, so after another couple of kilometres thinking the total distance was going to be 86 I moved back a bit to get a little bit more shelter, loosen the legs up, and get ready for the sprint finish.

The pace increased a bit, no problem there, then a couple of parked cars on the left caused a bit of a jerking around of bikes, I think there was a crash behind me but luckily none in front to we were ok to keep going. I was getting ready to move back into position when we turned a corner and there was a crown up the road. I thought “This can’t be the finish already!?!”, because we were only at 79kms, but then I saw the chequered flag and got out of the saddle fairly lively. I was too far back to really contest the sprint, but I managed to move past a few people and thought I came in top 10.

Was disgusted though that the finish got sprung like that – but it’s a lesson learned, a couple of kilometres before the finish is no time to go for a little rest. Plus – if the finish is going to be blind – do some proper reconnaissance beforehand. And lastly – keep the odd eye out on the side of the road for markers – found out later there were markers from 2kms out every 200 metres – now maybe with the near crash I was too interested in the wheel in front and my own position to worry about looking at the side of the road, but will be checking for them next week at Bohermeen.

Really looking forward to the next one now – yesterday will have been a good dry run.

joker77

Training

Cycle

20Kms
0:44 hr

Sandyford - Active Recovery

joker77

Training

Cycle in - 18kms, 40mins

Cycle home - 18kms, 40mins

Cycle

26Kms
0:52 hr

Building Blocks

joker77

Training

Cycle in - 18kms, 40mins

Cycle home - 18kms, 40mins

joker77

Goals

Didn't put anything clear in my rambling post above about what my goals are for this season.

Current status - A4, Semi-Scratch

Season target - A2, Scratch

I've started in A4 for Open Racing, Semi-Scratch in the club league. The goal is A2 and Scratch by the end of the season. Optimistic? Yes. But no point in aiming any lower. A3 is well achievable by the end of the season, so why not aim for A2?

joker77

Training

Cycle in - 18kms, 40mins

Cycle home - 18kms, 40mins

Cycle

34Kms
1:10 hr

joker77

Race - Waller Cup Bohermeen - A4

Race

65Kms
1:41 hr

Finished just outside the prizes, just nipped in the sprint. Bit let down again, will write a full report tomorrow

joker77

Race report - Waller Cup Bohermeen - A4

Started down the very back of the bunch again this week, on the tight country roads and with the amount of inexperience riders, this was far from ideal. For the 1st lap (of 4) I was trying just to move up a little bit where I could through the middle of the bunch, but wasn’t having much joy. I tried the inside then for a while, and got some joy when everyone swung over to the right hand side of the road approaching a left turn. Probably not the safest for the whole bunch to be on the wrong side of the road...

Being near the front was difficult – it seemed like the entire pack wanted to be in the same position as me – between about 4th/5th and 10th/12th. It was very hard to maintain this position; any time I hit the sweet spot riders came from around the edges and swamped the front. I was shunted back quite a bit, and midway through the 2nd lap I found myself about half way down on the outside, when I spotted the winner from last week – a rider from UCD – off the front. I had open road in front of me on the outside so I put the foot down and rode up the outside to pursue. He was making a bit of ground on the pack, and seeing it was who it was I decided to go for it. There were 2 others chasing him, I got there ahead of them and was hoping that it would turn into a 4 man break – even though it was a little early I thought why not. We motored along for a while, but sure enough ran out of steam, I was on the limit quite quickly and we weren’t gaining any ground on the pack – they were obviously chasing pretty hard as well. We were caught after a while, had a chat to the UCD guy at the front – nobody was interested in coming around us and doing any work. He was still maintaining we should push the pace to ‘not leave it down to a sprint for the fat c*nts behind’ – but I needed some recovery time myself after that effort and was conscious it was only the 2nd lap.

I sat in for a while then, just trying to maintain position which was going ok until midway through the 3rd lap, don’t know how exactly but think I was boxed in and then swallowed, so ended up near the back again after a couple of failed attempts to move up – just couldn’t find the room.

Coming to the end of the 3rd lap I was able to get back in position. There was little attack after little attack, and I now know I wasted far too much energy being the one chasing them down. There was no need for me to do it, and coming into the last couple of kilometres I was on the red line. I dug in, got over the last hill before the finish in 2nd position; we had another couple of bends to go and then a drag to the line. The pace was killing me at this stage, legs screaming, then finally the line appeared and I was about 4th. I tried to put in as much as I could into a sprint but was spent. I knew two guys passed me, I thought I came in around 7th but was secretly hoping to have gotten that 6th spot. Hung around ages for the prize giving, but wasn’t called out in the top 8th. Gutted. And a little annoyed after having been told if you finish top 10 you should go and check with the people at the line to claim your place. After what happened last week and the messing I should have known to go do this. More fecking lessons learned.

From looking at the photos, as the winner crosses the line I look to be 6th, and in the couple of metres to get to the line it’s possible another 3 passed me, but if I’m honest with myself I don’t think so. No point in contesting as there’s no points for 7th or 8th.

Another week, another bit of frustration over what might have been. I really should be happy with how my form is, and after the second race finishing top 10 both times, with club mates telling me my positioning is good and I look comfortable, but I won’t be happy until I get that first place.

joker77

Training

Cycle in - 18kms, 40mins

Cycle home - 18kms, 40mins

joker77

Training

Cycle in - 18kms, 40mins

Cycle home - 18kms, 40mins

joker77

Training

Cycle

54Kms
155 hr

Liam Horner, Bohernabreena

joker77

Training

Cycle in - 18kms, 40mins

Cycle home - 18kms, 40mins

joker77

Measurements - 2012-03-17

Stomach: 79.5cms

Body weight: 71Kgs

Race - St. Patrick's Day Race - Dorey's Forge - A4

Warmup

17Kms
00:35 hr

Race

66Kms
1:46 hr

joker77

Training

Cycle in - 18kms, 40mins

Cycle home - 18kms, 40mins

joker77

Training

Cycle in - 18kms, 40mins

Cycle home - 18kms, 40mins

Cycle training - 35kms, 1:06hrs

joker77

Training

Cycle in - 18kms, 40mins

Cycle home - 18kms, 40mins

joker77

Measurements - 2012-03-23

Stomach: 80cms

Body weight: 70.6Kgs

joker77

Race - Lucan GP - Green Sheds - A4 - 6th!

56Kms
1:31 hr

joker77

Race - Des Hanlon (Carlow) - A4 - Spill @ 50

80kms
2:20 hr

Went into a ditch on a left hand turn at the 50kms mark. Had been feeling good on the hills up until then.

joker77

Training

Cycle in - 18kms, 40mins

Cycle home - 18kms, 40mins

joker77

Training

Cycle in - 18kms, 40mins

Cycle home - 18kms, 40mins

Cycle training - 35kms, 1:07hrs

joker77

Training

Cycle in - 18kms, 40mins

Cycle home - 18kms, 40mins

joker77

Training

Cycle in - 18kms, 40mins

Cycle home - 18kms, 40mins

joker77

Training

Cycle

24Kms
55 mins

joker77

Measurements - 2012-04-01

Stomach: 79.5cms

Body weight: 70.6Kgs

Race - Jim ”Jazzer” Wherity Memorial - Balbriggan - A4

46Kms
1:12 hr

Got in breakaway of 8, but had gone on 2 solo attacks previously, couldn't sustain in - in the red for too long. Not feeling 100%, stomach cramps since Tuesday, not particularly bad, but didn't feel fully right. Under serious pressure to stay with the breakaway in parts, eventually cracked.

joker77

Training

Cycle in - 18kms, 40mins

Cycle home - 18kms, 40mins

joker77

Training

Cycle in - 18kms, 40mins

Cycle home - 18kms, 40mins

joker77

Training

Yesterday

Cycle - 34kms, 1:10hrs

Today

Cycle in - 18kms, 40mins

Cycle home - 18kms, 40mins

joker77

Measurements - 2012-04-06

Stomach: 79.5cms

Body weight: 70.6Kgs

Training

Cycle

61Kms
2:24 hr

joker77

Training

Cycle

56 Kms
1:59 hr

Embankment, Seskin Hill - Strength Endurance
3 x 30-40 second rolling sprints