Hammond Memorial

buffalo

Starting this thread feels a little narcissistic, but I like hearing other people's race reports, see if any other boardsies braved the conditions today. I know at least one did. Rolled out to Roundwood with oflahero, legs going from empty to solid over the 40km. Lovely tailwind.

Headed out with A4 from Roundwood, even on the way to the circuit the wind was a factor, gusting out each time we passed a gate, sending every rider half a foot to the right. Pace was high as we began the descent, but slowed right down as soon as we hit the N11, straight into a headwind. Tried to get a bit of an up and over working, but nobody wanted to share the work in that wind, and I wasn't about to sacrifice myself. Sheltered until we turned off, then got back up the front.
Up Callow Hill, got on the front for a bit. manwithaplan was right behind me, and two other riders - Clonard and Tullamore. manwithaplan took over the driving, and we soon left everyone behind. Clonard suffered a mechanical, dropped back. One lap down as we headed to the T-junction. Went to take the left, the marshall warned about the pothole, and I took it wide. Then the wind hit, and I went wider, into the verge, but kept everything under control and tagged back on to Tullamore. The three of us were feeling good, but no point getting away with the N11 to get through again. Sat up and waited for the bunch, and the second lap went just like the rehearsal.
Same four of us at the front of the climb again - Tullamore leading, then mwap, Clonard and mise. Clonard lost the wheel, and I went around, but didn't manage to get onto mwap's wheel. That inexorable gap, and it just got wider. Tullamore pulled away, and the three of us were strung out, about 15m apart each. Back through the T-junction, going right. mwap was in sight, and I knew I needed at least second for an upgrade to A3. Kept pushing on, and closed it eventually over about 2km, came around him in the last bend onto the home straight. I think I just wanted it more! Tullamore was already over the line by the time we turned the corner, but I was happy to hammer home the second place.

Little disappointed not to get the home win for the club, but sure, second is the next best thing. That's me upgraded, mwap upgraded (well done!) and first place was also upgraded. Everyone's a winner! \o/

Windy day, and it was bloody freezing, so fair play to the marshalls for sticking it out. The hail and headwind on the way home didn't look fun for those spinning back. Tea, sandwiches, and a leg rub before the prize-giving were also most welcome!

sam tryler

fair play buffalo, it was a tough day today even without a gale force wind to deal with! i had a busy week but decided to give it a lash anyway, got dropped on the first lap, had nothing in the legs going up the hill but got into a group of about 20 and we got back with the main group on the n11, climbed better the second time round but still not great and rolled in about 16th or so, the surface on the hill was awfull but the race was really well organised, was glad i didnt have to do a 3rd lap!

manwithaplan

Buffalo has more or less told the story of the race. I had planned to go 95% effort up the hill the last time to split it and then attack what was left near the top. The Tullamore guy put paid to that idea. He went from the bottom of the hill and I just hung on. He got out of the saddle one last time near the top and I couldn't hold his wheel. I knew I had a gap behind and I settled in to see if I could catch him on the way home. I got fairly close but realised near the finish that he was gone.

I hadn't been checking the rear view mirrors ('oulfellas like me get too stiff!) and buffalo did me with a lovely move around the outside on the final bend. He pulled away up the final straight. I wasn't too disappointed and I'm glad he's on his way up as well.

I'm glad I can forget about points and all that mallarkey and just enjoy racing. I'll take a couple of weeks off now to do family stuff (and get some easy miles into the legs) and come back a distinctly mediocre A3. Here's to "joining the blue team" as my daughter put it.

Plastik

Fair play to both of ye! Rode the course early last week and knew it would be a tough enough day at the office. Woke up this morning to see a howling wind in Greystones, took one look at the 50mm deep sections on the bike and just jumped straight back into the bed. Really need to get the other wheels sorted out for days like today!

oflahero

Brilliant stuff, both of you. A 1st A4 and a full 2nd place on one weekend, unbelievable stuff from buffalo. And knew if mwap didn't get his upgrade on this course, it wouldn't be his fault...

I was three miserable hours at a windy roundabout, made only bearable by the company of siobhan, roger and konstantinos. Day seems to have been a success though, so all worth it! Cycling back felt like a 300km audax.

killalanerr

Fair play boys well done on the upgrades well deserved i know how hard them points are to come by,"this points and all that malarkey" gos on for me

kenmc

glad i drove out to marshall, provide at least some shelter from the elements. Thankfully it didn't rain until the very end. Well done to Buffalo and MWAP. Pity I won't have Buffalo there softening up the group for me from now on with incessant attacks.

Damn you and your bloody talent.

Idleater

Well done to the upgradees :-)
From my own point of view, I had a great day. I was somehow able to keep in touch with the bunch on the descent, and for once I felt good climbing. I paced myself up the hill on the first lap catching and passing others and descended again in touch with the group. Not in it mind, that's something for another day, but got back on in the wind to again find no one willing to work.
I positioned myself well at the turn for the hill and managed to get past the jeep in first or second.
Then I just paced myself for the hill. I let :-P the couple of groups go clear and basically led the bunch again catching and passing riders dropped from going up the road.
I must have dropped the bunch because myself and a dublin wheelers guy basically put in a big effort to catch two Bray riders (which we did).
I was delighted crossing the line in what was probably just outside the top 10, but well clear of the bunch. the first group was obviously bigger than the drop offs indicated :-)
So all in all a pb for me and a lot of positives.
Finally well done to the marshalls and helpers on putting on a great safe show.

sidebyside

well done on upgrades!!how many hours a week would ye be training to achieve the upgrade??

Lumen

sidebyside wrote: »

well done on upgrades!!how many hours a week would ye be training to achieve the upgrade??

Buffalo claims to have done nothing all winter. He's either awesome or a liar. Which is it, buffalo?

jimbo28

Well done lads. Was looking forward to this myself, but have not got the bike fixed yet.Love that course, got second last year and was hoping to do well again this year.Have been talking to the guy from tullamore at the last few races................even joked that we would take the 1-2 in roundwood during a conversation in nenagh last week.Delighted for him.

killalanerr

sidebyside wrote: »

well done on upgrades!!how many hours a week would ye be training to achieve the upgrade??

that all depends on on where you are starting from your ageand ability

buffalo

Lumen wrote: »

Buffalo claims to have done nothing all winter. He's either awesome or a liar. Which is it, buffalo?

haha! I was away for six months so did nothing over that time. You can see the photos on Facebook for proof! Since I came back in mid-Feb, I've done very little dedicated training, but raced every weekend bar Easter. Starting to do longer spins now, get myself prepped for the extra distance of A3. But racing will always be the best training for racing.

But as killalanerr says, the training need will vary person to person. I've been cycling everywhere for nearly 15 years at this point, so when I took up racing last year, I was handy enough. Six months off made a dent in my form, but looks like I have that back now.

manwithaplan

sidebyside wrote: »

well done on upgrades!!how many hours a week would ye be training to achieve the upgrade??

I'm 40 years old and never sat on a proper road bike before 2010, though I had commuted (not very far) by bike for years. I seemed to take to it fairly easily. After a few months, I started heading out on decent club spins and handled them OK, particularly the hilly bits.

I raced our club league last year and got into one of the faster groups early enough. I was doing the club league on a Wednesday, a decent spin on a Saturday and a short training spin on a Monday evening - maybe 8 hours altogether.

I put in a decent winter. I used head out early in the dark on a saturday morning and get in 50k or so before doing the club spin. That would have been around 5 hours altogether. I also did about another 4 hours over a couple of evenings as well as commuting.

Since the racing season has started I've done less. I can only get out once over the weekend (I have a young family) so I'm not getting much more than race distance in (sometimes this is pretty short at A4). I try to get out twice a week in the evenings and this would account for 4-5 hours. Since killalanerr advised me to "get a sprint", I have done a bit of harder stuff on the turbo over the last few weeks but this is usually instead of one of my two evenings on the road. All my weekday training happens after the kids are in bed so I can sometimes be found on the roads of North County Dublin in the dead of night!

I can't wait for the club league to relieve the boredom of solo training and to help with upping the intensity. I plan to ride out to most of the races to get in maybe 4 hours in total. I'll supplement this with one other evening and a race or a training spin at the weekend. I don't know if this will be enough to hold my own at A3 but it's all the time I can give it.

Peterx

I think if you are winning A4 you'll be fine in A3 and if you are winning A3 you'll be fine in A2.
The problem is there are very few A2 races so in effect you are jumping from A3 to trying to hold a combined A1/2 group.

Fair Play to all at Orwell on putting on a tough and safe race, there's plenty of kamikaze Wickla car drivers on those there back roads but the moto bike and the cars and the stationary marshalls did a great job.
I was kicking myself for missing the break but in fairness I wasn't strong enough or in the right position on the second climb when the lads went away.
I definitely haven't got the proper confidence inspiring tone of voice as I couldn't get a proper chase organised at all after they got away, one lad in a yellow jersey even gave me the finger as I exhorted him to do a bit:D
On the third climb I vented my frustrations with a solid climb only to have one lad drop me like a hot snot near the top. All good fun this racing and my mate once again won the most humungeous trophy on show. He definitely has the hang of A3 racing, a pity for him as he'll be A2 very soon!

manwithaplan

Peterx wrote: »

my mate once again won the most humungeous trophy on show. He definitely has the hang of A3 racing, a pity for him as he'll be A2 very soon!

It is seriously impressive to win on courses so different as the Drogheda and Roundwood races in successive weeks. He's unattached, isn't he? There will be a bidding war for his services. Tell him Swords is lovely this time of year. You haven't lived until you see the sun set over the multiplex.

levitronix

buffalo wrote: »

haha! I was away for six months so did nothing over that time. You can see the photos on Facebook for proof! Since I came back in mid-Feb, I've done very little dedicated training, but raced every weekend bar Easter. Starting to do longer spins now, get myself prepped for the extra distance of A3. But racing will always be the best training for racing.

But as killalanerr says, the training need will vary person to person. I've been cycling everywhere for nearly 15 years at this point, so when I took up racing last year, I was handy enough. Six months off made a dent in my form, but looks like I have that back now.

Savage going well done, another wheel to my non existent lead out train

michael196

manwithaplan wrote: »

It is seriously impressive to win on courses so different as the Drogheda and Roundwood races in successive weeks. He's unattached, isn't he? There will be a bidding war for his services. Tell him Swords is lovely this time of year. You haven't lived until you see the sun set over the multiplex.

wexford will offer a villa overlooking curracloe beach , a masserati and free access to the Centenary Stores night club.... !!

oflahero

Your Orwell butler will present a freshly-ironed Irish Times to you daily with your croissant and espresso.

kenmc

Idleater wrote: »

I positioned myself well at the turn for the hill and managed to get past the jeep in first or second.

Jaysus don't talk to me about that fcuking pr1ck. I was Marshalling that corner, up the lane. had all the horses nicely lined up out of harms way, the a4 lead car comes past and has a discussion with the jeep, must've been there 30 seconds or so, then goes on. everything sorted, grand. I see the first riders enter the lane, turn to check on the horses and I see the fuc.khead driving down the outside of the horses, blocking the whole lane, both hands off the steering wheel giving me the double-finger. absolutely nothing I could do about it then, couldn't stop him there so could only hope for him to pull in enough to let the bikes squeeze by. so apologies to anyone involved on that section, but I guess there's always one.

honkjelly

Caught the eye of the same marshal at the section off the N11 on a few laps and I'm not sure which of us was having a more miserable time so thanks to all the Orwell crew that stood out in the cold. Please also pass my thanks onto the member who made the thin biscuits with raisins in them. Eating them with coffee was the highlight of the day.