SERC Grand Prix 2012 - Sunday 5th August

serc

Details of the inaugural SERC GP (same route as last years Falling Leaves Classic) can be found at the SERC Website.

Race HQ: Gorey Rugby Club
Sign-on opens: 10:30
Race 1: Combined A2/A3, 6 laps, distance 81km. Start Time: 12:00
Race 2: A4, 4 laps, distance 54km, Start Time 12:05

serc

Hi all, just a reminder that the SERC GP takes place this Sunday. Details on the SERC website. Hope to see you there.

fondriest

Just wondering if the A2/A3 race is handicapped or all starting together ?

GlennaMaddy

serc wrote: »

Hi all, just a reminder that the SERC GP takes place this Sunday. Details on the SERC website. Hope to see you there.

Will One day licences available?

Diarmuid

I think I raced this circuit last year, it's tougher than the profile suggests

serc

fondriest wrote: »

Just wondering if the A2/A3 race is handicapped or all starting together ?

Hi Fondriest, A2's and A3's will start together.

serc

GlennaMaddy wrote: »

Will One day licences available?

Yes

serc

Diarmuid wrote: »

I think I raced this circuit last year, it's tougher than the profile suggests

Hey Diarmuid, that's right. It looks almost harmless on the profile, but anyone who raced last year knows otherwise. Hope you can make it again.

For anyone still thinking of travelling, here's the feedback from last years race.

fondriest

Thanks Serc will be there anyway . We'll take it easy on the A2s bless em .

harringtonp

Will be down this way for holiday and may do this. Looking at profile, website says race neutralised to bottom of climb, bottom of climb looks like it is at the start....

"Race is neutralised to foot of climb on lap 1."

Should it have been neutralised to top of climb on first lap ?

This makes a big difference for warmup, I usually don't bother too much with it and nearly got dropped first lap in Caherconlish Limerick last year as a result (this year they neutralised start to top of drag on first lap to give people a chance to get into it)

Diarmuid

harringtonp wrote: »

Will be down this way for holiday and may do this. Looking at profile, website says race neutralised to bottom of climb, bottom of climb looks like it is at the start....

"Race is neutralised to foot of climb on lap 1."

Should it have been neutralised to top of climb on first lap ?

This makes a big difference for warmup, I usually don't bother too much with it and nearly got dropped first lap in Caherconlish Limerick last year as a result (this year they neutralised start to top of drag on first lap to give people a chance to get into it)

It was neutralised to the bottom of the hill last year. In fact I think the flag dropped about 200m before the foot of the climb. Get a good warm up

serc

harringtonp wrote: »

Will be down this way for holiday and may do this. Looking at profile, website says race neutralised to bottom of climb, bottom of climb looks like it is at the start....

"Race is neutralised to foot of climb on lap 1."

Should it have been neutralised to top of climb on first lap ?

This makes a big difference for warmup, I usually don't bother too much with it and nearly got dropped first lap in Caherconlish Limerick last year as a result (this year they neutralised start to top of drag on first lap to give people a chance to get into it)

There's a short ride from the sign-on venue to the actual race circuit (1 or 2 km).

Last year, I think a few got dropped on the hill at the start. I'd put that down to no warm-up as its not that steep. However, sometimes its not possible to do a really good warm-up for any number of reasons, and I'd hate to see people get organised, travel, togged out and then get dropped right at the start. As we've chosen a course with a drag right at the start, I'm inclined to neutralise it to the top of the first ascent this year, and see how that goes. Would welcome any other feedback in advance.

buffalo

serc wrote: »

There's a short ride from the sign-on venue to the actual race circuit (1 or 2 km).

Last year, I think a few got dropped on the hill at the start. I'd put that down to no warm-up as its not that steep. However, sometimes its not possible to do a really good warm-up for any number of reasons, and I'd hate to see people get organised, travel, togged out and then get dropped right at the start. As we've chosen a course with a drag right at the start, I'm inclined to neutralise it to the top of the first ascent this year, and see how that goes. Would welcome any other feedback in advance.

As long as people know the course starts with a hill, I see no problem with it. Get a good warm-up, then attack from the start line! There's plenty of time to get back on over the course.

tawfeeredux

Might be safer to have it stretched out a bit at the top, otherwise you'll have the whole bunch barrelling down the other side as one.

ryan0380

Ill probably regret this, but the descent is very fast with a sharp left hand corner at the end of it so I think it we should race up the hill so that the bunch is stretched out, with me probably barely hanging on. just my 2c worth!!

onimpulse

This might be a stupid question - can ladies race in the A4?

killalanerr

onimpulse wrote: »

This might be a stupid question - can ladies race in the A4?

Ya, better than most of the men

colm_gti

Will we be allowed to use the showers in the rugby club afterwards?

serc

colm_gti wrote: »

Will we be allowed to use the showers in the rugby club afterwards?

yes, showers will be available.

Plastik

Well... at least the rain stayed away! :pac:

colm_gti

Plastik wrote: »

Well... at least the rain stayed away! :pac:

I've had dryer swims!

killalanerr

that took enjoyment to a hole New level

Mr. Grieves

Sunny South East :rolleyes:

oflahero

serc wrote: »

yes, showers will be available.

Showers were mandatory!

serc

Results

A4
1. Jamie O'Donoghue (Killorglin)
2. Martin Vereker (St. Tiernans)
3. Philip Bourdarias (Orwell)
4. Stephen Duggan (Wexford Wheelers)
5. James Busher (Orwell)
6. Dermot Gregan (Slipstream)
1st Unplaced Junior: Calum Mahony (Midleton)
1st Unplaced SERC: Wayne Byrne

A2/A3
1. Andrew Stanley (Trinity)
2. Eric Downey (Orwell)
3. Dermot Collins (Orwell)
4. Aaron Donoghue (U/A)
5. Damien O'Farrell (Garda CC)
6. Sean Bracken (Usher IRC)
1st Unplaced Junior: Sean McKenna (Orwell)
1st Unplaced SERC: Tony Breen

Thanks and well done to all those who took part.

Due to the conditions, there weren't many cameras out, but any pictures available will be posted on our website and Facebook page.

At least the sun came out for the end of the A2/A3 race :cool:

serc

Photo of the A4 finish by Liam Ruth

tawfeeredux

serc wrote: »

At least the sun came out for the end of the A2/A3 race :cool:

Yeah, nice timing. I figured there'd be payback for washing the bike last night for the first time in about 6 months - the river of sh!te on the main road was a bit much though :pac:. Good race though, well done to SERC.

Diarmuid

serc wrote: »

Photo of the A4 finish by Liam Ruth

Do you have that photo from the a2 finish

Actual Paramedic

Good circuit, tough course, goods quality in the field, good amount of cyclists in it. As for the weather, roads and floods, mad.

serc

Diarmuid wrote: »

Do you have that photo from the a2 finish

Hopefully Liam captured that too and will post it.

I know there was a photo of the A2 finish on someones phone, as it was produced back in the club house to help determine the results. I think the phone belonged to someone connected to one of the breakaway, so hopefully it will be posted here.

Was that you who took third Diarmuid?

serc

Actual Paramedic wrote: »

Good circuit, tough course, goods quality in the field, good amount of cyclists in it. As for the weather, roads and floods, mad.

EPIC racing!!! I've NEVER seen those roads flood like that, especially the main road back to Gorey, it was practically a river at Baker's Cross with 2 laps to go. Tough men out there today. Well done to anyone who rode it.

serc

Few photos on SERC website.

buffalo

serc wrote: »

Few photos on SERC website.

Please tell me there's a photo of the bunch cruising through what must've been two-three (four?) inches of water in some parts!

Great race - well marshalled, and nice sandwiches and tea. And a nice little course to boot!

Plastik

Mental, mental weather.

Seriously mental weather.

Just mental!

Glad for the run out though. Did a lot of pulling/ work the the front of the A4 bunch throughout. Ran out of legs in the last 50m after coming through the flood by the underpass and rolled in maybe top 15ish.

serc

Some video by Ronan Ryan has been posted on the SERC Facebook page.

Also, Liam Ruth has uploaded his pictures.

Thanks to Ronan and Liam.

Diarmuid

serc wrote: »

Was that you who took third Diarmuid?

yeah that was me. Tough day at the office. Great circuit as expected and ****in biblical weather.

Obviously I wanted an Orwell win but can't complain about the result. Well run race and like all SERC races I've done, I can't recommend them highly enough.

buffalo

How many signed on in each race SERC? Trying to estimate how many were dropped/swept away...

serc

Diarmuid wrote: »

yeah that was me. Tough day at the office. Great circuit as expected and ****in biblical weather.

Obviously I wanted an Orwell win but can't complain about the result. Well run race and like all SERC races I've done, I can't recommend them highly enough.

LOL, I might have seen a plague of locusts in the distance at one stage, but they took a look at the golf-ball size rain, and left us alone.

Great ride Diarmuid, didn't think you were going to make it at one stage as your gap went down to 36 seconds with 2 laps remaining. I think that 4th rider who bridged across made all the difference, as on the last lap, you were back up to 1:10.

serc

buffalo wrote: »

How many signed on in each race SERC? Trying to estimate how many were dropped/swept away...

About 60 signed on in each race.

Idunnowho

Have to say great race in the conditions. Thanks to organisers and marshalls for persevering with the race. I enjoyed the trust that you had to put in the marshall at the straight through blind crossroads after the descent (I couldnt help thinking each lap that something was barreling along from the left).

Fair play to Mssrs Stanley, Downey & Collins for staying away from the gun, always takes strong spirit as you never know how hard the bunch is working. I would have liked to make more of a difference in the last lap but had some savage pain in the right knee to the point that I couldnt pedal for a while on lap 6 - so close to stopping, glad I didnt

buffalo

serc wrote: »

About 60 signed on in each race.

From the FB video, I make it about half the field packed in each race by the last lap.

harringtonp

Plastik wrote: »

Mental, mental weather.

Seriously mental weather.

Just mental!

Glad for the run out though. Did a lot of pulling/ work the the front of the A4 bunch throughout. Ran out of legs in the last 50m after coming through the flood by the underpass and rolled in maybe top 15ish.

Yes enjoyable in that weird sort of way. Good course, wettest I've ever raced in by a mile. Contemplated pulling out after third lap mainly because expected madness on descent on final lap. Instead decided to try and get away on main road on 3rd lap to get some space. Not much success but at least it left me at the front of the group going into the hill.

One of those thank god days. Was expecting madness but have to say was pleasantly surprised how careful and wary people were.

Will look forward to doing it in dry conditions.

In retrospect letting it go just before hill on first lap was the right thing to do. Pace was quite reasonable on it. And for 2nd, 3rd lap also. It was only on the last lap where it really seemed to crank up.

harringtonp

A4

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/208004570

Actual Paramedic

Expected the hill from Toss Byrnes (old N11 right hand bend) to be harder and for people to be put under pressure there. Most of the stronger lads just waited for the hill to do damage each time.