Swords League Race 1

Raam

Did the first league race yesterday. Very very tough. I had originally assumed that I would be in one of the first groups, i.e. limit or beginners, but I was put in the fourth group to set off. Not sure if that was the last group to go, there may have been one behind us. Either way, I was in a heavily handicapped group. Maybe the TT time from last week made them think I was half handy... they got that wrong! From the very start we were pushing over 40kph, doing up and overs. As soon as you get to the front, the next guy takes over. So it's constant rotation. I didn't get much time to look at the speedo so I'm not entirely sure what speed we were maintaining. I'll check the Garmin later.

The first half of the first lap was fine, I let a few gaps open but was able to close them down. The course was lumpy and had a few drags. Now they ain't a problem to me, but when you are already at the limit and pushing a speed you can't normally maintain... well then these lumps and drags become a huge problem! So near the end of the first lap I got dropped. It took a huge effort and almost half a lap to get back on, but when I did, we hit one of those drags again, so I couldn't keep up as I was totally spent. Needless to say, I got dropped a second time and I was never to regain the group. Finished on my own.

The finish is up a steep enough drag followed by a slight downhill. I had scoped this out before the start of the race and was thinking, oh yeah, I can unleash my inner Valverde here and really go for it. What rubbish. I was way off the back by the time we got to it and I crawled up it like a dog on his last legs. Even the finish line marshalls had turned to head back to the cars by the time I got to it.

The race was about 32km long. Two laps of about 15km each. There must have been 50 or 60 people there. Think there was 16 in my group. No idea where I finished. Suffice to say: way down the order.

My legs are very tired today. Looking forward to next weeks race already.

P.S. I think between work commute, cycling out and back and the race itself, I did about 120km yesterday.

Chips Lovell

Raam wrote: »

I had originally assumed that I would be in one of the first groups, i.e. limit or beginners, but I was put in the fourth group to set off.

Ah here, I'd have a word with someone about that. You've never done a road race before and they are putting up you with the scratch lads? It doesn't matter how strong an individual rider you are (as evidenced by your TT), it takes a while to get used to going at that kind of speed and being able to cope with the sudden increases in pace.

lukester

Raam wrote: »

The race was about 32km long. Two laps of about 15km each. There must have been 50 or 60 people there. Think there was 16 in my group. No idea where I finished. Suffice to say: way down the order.

Is that a typical length for league races?

Raam

My Name is Mario wrote: »

Ah here, I'd have a word with someone about that. You've never done a road race before and they are putting up you with the scratch lads? It doesn't matter how strong an individual rider you are (as evidenced by your TT), it takes a while to get used to going at that kind of speed and being able to cope with the sudden increases in pace.

I was more than happy to be in at the deep end. It was a good learning experience. That said, I think I will ask to be moved into another group.

Raam

lukester wrote: »

Is that a typical length for league races?

Here is the line up for the season: http://homepage.eircom.net/~mcnallyswordscc/League/League09.htm
Longest is 60km.

Chips Lovell

Raam wrote: »

I was more than happy to be in at the deep end. It was a good learning experience. That said, I think I will ask to be moved into another group.

You should. You'll probably be better off. You are not going to learn much if you're getting blown out the back on the first lap. Knowing you, it won't be long before they are moving you back up the groups again.

lukester

Raam wrote: »

Here is the line up for the season: http://homepage.eircom.net/~mcnallyswordscc/League/League09.htm
Longest is 60km.

Total ignorance of this area- are the longer races, i.e. 160k, open races?

(Curious as to how one hypothetically progresses to the likes of the Ras, and beyond.)

GlennaMaddy

I was in the second group and I thought the pace was very high for such a group. I lost contact 5k from the end and, like you, finished alone.
Don't know why, but I shouted my name as I crossed the line!

I guess the handicaps will change as the season progresses and hopefully settle things down. Keep in mind that many riders only do the club league and so this was their first chance to test themselves in a group.

RobFowl

GlennaMaddy wrote: »

I was in the second group and I thought the pace was very high for such a group. I lost contact 5k from the end and, like you, finished alone.
Don't know why, but I shouted my name as I crossed the line!

I guess the handicaps will change as the season progresses and hopefully settle things down. Keep in mind that many riders only do the club league and so this was their first chance to test themselves in a group.

I was there too got tailed off going over Ardcath the second time, what were you wearing/riding ?

RobFowl

lukester wrote: »

Is that a typical length for league races?

No its the shortest one of the year for 2 reasons
1) light closing in so have to finish safely in daylight
2) To give riders a "gentle" introduction to the league format and style of racing

Raam

RobFowl wrote: »

No its the shortest one of the year for 2 reasons
1) light closing in so have to finish safely in daylight
2) To give riders a "gentle" introduction to the league format and style of racing

Gentle me arse!

sy

Raam wrote: »

Gentle me arse!

Well done Raam! At last and you will love it. Very impressed that you made it back on after being dropped the first time, that took a big effort mentally. I used to find the club races harder than the real thing as they are shorter and are more like a flat out sprint with the bunches being small and nowhere to hide. The A riders love to make you suffer

Quigs Snr

I nearly prefer the longer ones. A guy who had just done the RAS got off his bike at the end of one of our local league races and told me in all honesty that it was harder than any Sunday race (I believe that the comparisson was that 1 hr of league race = much tougher than the first hour of a Sunday race), particularly for the scratch group as they effectively have to ride like a breakaway to close their handicap.

But then again... these are training races so the whole point is to hammer yourself to death and try not to lose your lunch before the finish line. Otherwise whats the point ?

smithslist

sy wrote: »

I used to find the club races harder than the real thing as they are shorter and are more like a flat out sprint with the bunches being small and nowhere to hide.

Club races are hard, no matter the distance\group that you are in, there is no where to hide you have to work within your group, anyway for such a short distance it is worth giving it all as you will benefit alot from it.

Mr. Skeffington

Nice race report RAAM, well done, and thanks for your help finding Garristown yesterday.

Raam

Mr. Skeffington wrote: »

Nice race report RAAM, well done, and thanks for your help finding Garristown yesterday.

No probs. Thanks for the caramel rice cake. Must get myself some of them.

lukester

Quigs Snr wrote: »

I nearly prefer the longer ones. A guy who had just done the RAS got off his bike at the end of one of our local league races and told me in all honesty that it was harder than any Sunday race (I believe that the comparisson was that 1 hr of league race = much tougher than the first hour of a Sunday race), particularly for the scratch group as they effectively have to ride like a breakaway to close their handicap.

But then again... these are training races so the whole point is to hammer yourself to death and try not to lose your lunch before the finish line. Otherwise whats the point ?

Interesting. From Raam's description, it sounds like a 32k sprint. Hardcore.

Mr. Skeffington

Not sure the rice cakes were a good idea, nearly got sick after the first lap!

Raam

Mr. Skeffington wrote: »

Not sure the rice cakes were a good idea, nearly got sick after the first lap!

It didn't appear to slow you down. Just how did you end up in a group ahead of me anyway?!

RobFowl

Raam wrote: »

It didn't appear to slow you down. Just how did you end up in a group ahead of me anyway?!

The handicaps are always difficult this time of year . I'm not involved in setting them BTW !!!
The guy who won was probably under handicapped and methinks your TT got you overloaded :eek: if you ask Joe he's move you up a group.

biker_joe

hey Lads,

Its good to see many of you trying out the racing. it's a great place to start, I first rode the swords league years ago and started in group 3 and was in scratch by the end of that year ! I had bagged the overall by then aswell !

But this was my intro to road racing and is really where you learn your trade, and gain your road skills, learn to ride in small - medium group ( which as the lads are saying as are the same as in break in an open race ) learn to close
gaps, tatics, cornering etc .... learning to judge where to ride in the wind ( up the outside / inside etc )
But beware back then I soon realized that Club leagues are MORE coveted than open races in alot of respects, lots of people want to be Top Club Man, and will Kill ya to get there !
I won't riding the league until late May, and hope to meet you guys there, any advice I would be glad to share !

Oh yea well done to Raam for getting back on ! not an easy task !!

Biker Joe

Gavin

It's great having a real experienced racer around to give advice. Good stuff BJ. Keep on Bikin !

Mr. Skeffington

Well the last time I rode in the Swords club league was exactly 1 year ago and that was the group I rode in then. They just put me in the same group again. I think that after winning it last night I will probably be in scratch from now on.

Id say you were put in the other group because you did a good time on the hillclimb the week before. I think that the idea of the hillclimb was to find out each riders level and sort them into a group based on that event. But with me not doing that they just assumed I was the same level as last yr.

Anyway might see you over the next few club races.

biker_joe

yea you will probably only get away with that the once ! Mr Skeff you did n't get he 1st C prize overall in the Gorey did ya ?

Biker Joe

Mr. Skeffington

Hi BikerJoe,

Did u ride the Gorey?

Yep I was first C alright, had a good one got 6th overall.

RobFowl

Mr. Skeffington wrote: »

Hi BikerJoe,

Did u ride the Gorey?

Yep I was first C alright, had a good one got 6th overall.

Scratch

Chips Lovell

So Raam in his first race was put in a faster group than the guy who got sixth overall in Gorey???

scottreynolds

My Name is Mario wrote: »

So Raam in his first race was put in a faster group than the guy who got sixth overall in Gorey???

Maybe someone saw talent in Raam

Lumen

scottreynolds wrote: »

Maybe someone saw talent in Raam

He is number 1 in human form.

Hungrycol

Damn. Missed the hill climb cos me wee boy had a accident at home, missed last night cos of work and I'm bleeding marshalling next week. 3 weeks done and I aint sniffed a race yet. grrrrr. I'm going to have a lot of catching up to do, literially!

biker_joe

RobFowl wrote: »

Scratch

Exactly !! SCRATCH !! SHAMELESS !!

Well done on the 6th place !

Biker Joe.

GlennaMaddy

RobFowl wrote: »

I was there too got tailed off going over Ardcath the second time, what were you wearing/riding ?

My new Focus, you might have looked at it and wondered what somebody was doing riding a road race on a cyclocrosser :P

SetOverSet

Well done Raam. Sounds like it was 32km of flat out nose on the bars, arse in the air!

RobFowl

Swords cc club league
Race 2: April 22nd Garristown CP
1st Garreth Enright (DWCC)
2nd Javan Nulty (Stam MD)
3rd David O'Neill (Swords)
4th Mick Nulty (Stam MD)
5th Philip Sugden (Swords)
6th Mick Rock (Swords)
7th Kevin Sharkey
8th Lloyd Scott (Swords)

Conditions: Good (50 entries)

Cadex

Hey Raam, saw you in action the other night well done man! I hope to be somewhere in the race next week. Looked great from the side of the road - suspect it will be a bit different to do it myself.

Pics attached:
-198 is Raam flyin toward the end
-191 is the eventual winner
-190 apparently Dell-Boy was in for swift one in the pub in Ardcath!
The others are group shots, but dont know names, sorry about quality camera-phone very slow to work!

Raam

Cadex wrote: »

Hey Raam, saw you in action the other night well done man! I hope to be somewhere in the race next week. Looked great from the side of the road - suspect it will be a bit different to do it myself.

Pics attached:
-198 is Raam flyin toward the end
-191 is the eventual winner
-190 apparently Dell-Boy was in for swift one in the pub in Ardcath!
The others are group shots, but dont know names, sorry about quality camera-phone very slow to work!

Thanks Cadex. I was struggling big time at that point. I think I'm also at the back in the second one.

Chips Lovell

Raam's going so fast he's just a blur.

Raam

el tonto wrote: »

Raam's going so fast he's just a blur.

Why did you change your name back? I liked the new one.

Someone stuck this link up on the Swords forum and now I'm getting mocked for my boards names. :pac:

Chips Lovell

Raam wrote: »

Why did you change your name back? I liked the new one.

The lads were bugging me about it last night.

Raam wrote: »

Someone stuck this link up on the Swords forum and now I'm getting mocked for my boards names. :pac:

One way of letting the club know about your handicap.

Raam

el tonto wrote: »

One way of letting the club know about your handicap.

I think I'd like to ride next weeks in the same group if possible. I ended up getting a great workout that I would never get on my own.

Mr. Skeffington

Funny video of the race finish:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HoXmm4dDRaA

Raam

Would Mr Ahh Fcuk please come to collect his third place prize

RobFowl

Spiffing ride Mr. Skeffington



rode away from his group and straight by mine and held on to win from a large chasing pack

blorg

Hang on here... You have a car with spare bikes in your club league? What's up with that now

Billy Whizz

We also have the nicest club gear in all of Ireland .

Raam

Billy Whizz wrote: »

We also have the nicest club gear in all of Ireland .

Yeah, no fake abs here!

RobFowl

Billy Whizz wrote: »

We also have the nicest club gear in all of Ireland .

Wasn't always the case:o
http://homepage.eircom.net/~mcnallyswordscc/bftp4.jpg
http://homepage.eircom.net/~mcnallyswordscc/Photos/kilmessan2.jpg

RobFowl

Although this version wasn't too bad (the fashion victim is yours truly !!)

http://homepage.eircom.net/~swordsccpics/2005Pics/Dec01.jpg

Chips Lovell

Pfff, yis look like the poor man's Rabobank. But it is a step up from some of those previous incarnations.

White kit, now that's where it's at.

RobFowl

el tonto wrote: »

Pfff, yis look like the poor man's Rabobank. But it is a step up from some of those previous incarnations.

White kit, now that's where it's at.

Bit harsh

This is the present incarnation
http://homepage.eircom.net/~mcnallyswordscc/SwordsCC2007NewKit.jpg

Chips Lovell

Only a bit of inter-club ribbing.