Inter-Club League 2014

daragh_

(Seeing as the Orwell League has it's own thread).

Rounds 1 and 2 are done and dusted.

Handicap in Batterstown and a 3 lap DMS in Brittas last night.

Has been pretty good so far. Last night was the most fun I've had racing ever (despite the weather and missing out on a place).

couerdelion

Yeah, enjoyed last night - was lashing before and after but we seemed to get away with fair enough weather for the race. Cramped badly last night and legs are in bits today. That will learn me to listen to what they say before the race regarding how many laps there is

Was it Tiernans who all had the matching green helmets last night?

daragh_

couerdelion wrote: »

Was it Tiernans who all had the matching green helmets last night?

No. Although half of us have White Kask helmets.

Harrybelafonte

Green Helmets... Usher?

couerdelion

Harrybelafonte wrote: »

Green Helmets... Usher?

Yeah, must have been. For some reason I had it in my head it was Tiernans but green and IRC makes more sense.

doozerie

The Club League for 2014 started again last week. Last night’s race was in Brittas.

The weather was rubbish earlier in the day, but not bad by the time of the race. It was a DMS. I rode in Semi-Limit and our course was 3 laps of the inner Brittas circuit. Our group was a sea of Lucan riders and they used their superior numbers to good advantage, sending riders up the road throughout the race.

There were a few small breaks but they never lasted long before being swallowed up by the bunch. I had felt surprisingly good on the ride/race to get to sign-on, and that feeling continued during the race itself. So I made an extra effort to keep near the front in the final few kilometres to the finish line.

But I was so keen to keep up there that I stupidly managed to put myself right on the front of the bunch with only 1km to go. I was conflicted now, winning from the front is feasible when you are much stronger than those around you, but for me it seemed like I had thrown away all chances of any placing by putting myself in that position. An insidious little voice in my head told me that I might as well just pull over and roll in behind the bunch with my head hung low. But a blindly optimistic other voice told me that I had an open road ahead of me, there was nothing to stop me from taking the win.

The two voices - “You’re STUPID!” and “You’re AWESOME!” - battled it out inside my head, but I managed to tune both out and just dig in. My intention was to crank up the pace a little all the way up the final drag, and just hope that I still had something left in my legs for the last little kick up to the finish. I had no idea what was happening behind me, but I could hear bikes close to my wheel so it was no surprise when several people came round me for that list kick in the road. I called on my legs to give one more kick but they were all out of “awesome”. They did have a small reserve of “sheer belligerence” left though, which fuelled me upwards as some riders seemed to fade and I managed to just pip one rider for 4th place. I was happy with that given my earlier tactical blunder.

On my ride home I went via a steep-ish local hill that I like. I was still feeling good so I was pushing hard. A car behind me slowed up as we approached a blind bend. I got out of the saddle on the next steep rise just as the car went past. It was probably a good thing that I was so focused on getting up the hill, which meant that the roar from the two heads sticking out the car windows didn’t give me the fright they’d hoped it would. I didn’t realise that I had any oxygen left in my lungs until I heard myself yelling “UP YER ARSE!” in a very credible, and load, Dublin accent. The faces on the heads registered confusion, indignation even, before they were retracted into the car. I was wound up now, and made half an effort to chase after the car, to engage them in a frank discussion of arsehole-ery and the like, but at the junction ahead they turned in the opposite direction to mine (and uphill too), so I just kept to my route. I did get a PR on the hill though

Incidentally, South Dublin CC have taken Orwell’s place in the league this year, leading to the potential for a new acronym for the league members. The options are limited and mostly unfortunate as they include candidates like USLUT, SLUTI, LUUST, ILUST, ULUST, and LUSTI. I’m in favour of no acronym this year!

Chips Lovell

Has to be USLUT. Just has to.

daragh_

Ahem. Thread merge?

buffalo

Vladimir Kurtains wrote: »

Has to be USLUT. Just has to.

Nah, SLUTI.

Chips Lovell

Threads merged

dave_o_brien

The SLUUT League.

couerdelion

doozerie wrote: »

The Club League for 2014 started again last week. Last night’s race was in Brittas.

I rode in Semi-Limit and our course was 3 laps of the inner Brittas circuit. Our group was a sea of Lucan riders and they used their superior numbers to good advantage, sending riders up the road throughout the race.

I was in SL too. I went off the front on the second lap not long after we turned sharp left at Manor Kilbride and the Lucan jnr fell off his bike. In my head it was only 2.5 laps so after seeing no one had jumped with me I pushed on and was surprised not to have been caught as we crossed over the lake with only a few km to the finish. I carried pushing on up the hill to the finish and wasn't impressed to be told there was another lap to go. Sat up and was swallowed up on the descent back down to Manor Kilbride. Was
on the edge of cramping then after my exertions so just stayed at the back of the group for the final lap.

I thought the Lucan jnr who won deserved it. He had been pinging off the front all race (and hopefully he'll be gone up to SS soon too!)

daragh_

Ah, that was you! I was wondering where you were going so early.

That young fella is great isn't he? Fingers crossed he gets bumped up soon.

dermabrasion

I thought that I would find a rant here today. Which finish? Sign on list? Wrong way.
Here how I saw it. I heard green sheds one lap finish at the cottages quite clearly before SL took off. I was mid bunch at the roundabout, as the lead car went back up towards Dunsany. I heard a Marshall shout wrong way lads. I thought yep he's right, and I jumped out and buried myself towards Batterstown. I was on my own until we went through Batterstown. 3 Lucan lads and myself rolled across the line with a bemused chequered flag. Riders came thru in dribs and drabs. Some quite unhappy.

daragh_

Let's never speak of it again

Well done on the result!

fat bloke

I'm feckin kicking myself I didn't go what I knew to be the right way!!! Still though I really enjoyed the race. First race in ages and I've been battling nerves and demons after a fall of the bike myself and my mrs taking a very heavy fall in a race a few months ago. So much so I was actually dreading the race last night. But it was all good. Good, safe, fast riding in Semi-scratch - scratch numbers must have been down cos they weren't cracking many whips thanks be to God. Manageable, well-behaved bunches. The green sheds is a very safe, wide open circuit and the "wrong" finish" is fantastic as well with acres of space and a good long well-sighted run in.

Nice one.

daragh_

Apart from the messy finish I had a goodish race in Semi-Limit. Despite the headwind I didn't feel under any pressure. Nobody was really straying too far up the road. I really like that course, zooming through the roundabouts was great fun. I must stop playing Ride of the Valkyries in my head during races

dermabrasion

That's so true: cycling ear worms! They can make your ride if you have fast one in your head. This morning commute in I had: 'my milkshakes bring all the boys to da yard'

doozerie

I got a bit cranky in last night's race. I decided early on that I'd work hard to see if Semi-Limit could stay away so I chipped in with a bunch of others. My legs felt sore by the first roundabout though so I reckoned that my race would be short-lived. But the numbers working dropped to a handful and sheer grumpiness gave my legs a new lease of life as I pushed hard at the front whenever I recovered enough from my previous effort, I was utterly committed to an all or nothing approach by then. But the numbers willing to work seemed to fade even further. I instantly turned French, I yelled a bit more to appeal for people to work, I waved an arm in the air, I may have said "AI YAI YAI", I'm not sure, but it had no effect.

I can understand people not riding through due to being tired, but by my reckoning there were at least a few people completely sandbagging in there, which seemed to be proven by their instantaneous and seemingly easy reaction of jumping onto the group that caught us. By contrast, it cost me the other half of one of my lungs to jump on.

It was a wasted opportunity, in my mind, we were caught with about 9km to go, if more people had worked in our group I reckon our chances of staying away were high. Why sit in when it means that, at best, you'll end up scrabbling for points against stronger riders from the chasing groups? Better to stay away and scrabble for points against people in your own group. What's more, if we'd even stayed away as far as that last roundabout, we might not have ended up taking the left and heading for the wrong finish line. I must admit I take some childish satisfaction from the fact that some of what I consider sandbaggers in our group took that left turn too - ye smell, and karma doesn't like ye either :pac:

Good workout though, my legs hurt all the way home. I rode home via a hill that I "like" near home. I opted for a relatively high gear to get up it, but left leg said "NO!", or more specifically it said "You do that and I'll cramp, I'm feckin' warning ya!". So I changed to a lower gear and went to sit on the saddle, but right leg said "NO!". My legs are not the boss of me, the fact that I ended up out of the saddle in a low gear all the way up that poxy hill was entirely through my own free will, really it was...

wirelessdude01

Limit was the same. Only about 8/9 doing any work at all.

daragh_

wirelessdude01 wrote: »

Limit was the same. Only about 8/9 doing any work at all.

Two of our lads got sent the wrong way.

wirelessdude01

daragh_ wrote: »

Two of our lads got sent the wrong way.

At what stage?

daragh_

wirelessdude01 wrote: »

At what stage?

On one of the roundabouts I think.

wirelessdude01

daragh_ wrote: »

On one of the roundabouts I think.

Think that was the roundabout that sends you towards Killeen Castle. Fair few went wrong there as well.

Hopefully nobody ends up in Blessington this coming Thursday

couerdelion

Tonight race was enjoyable in the S/L group. Route was from the Black Bull then two laps of the Green Sheds circuit finishing at the Lucan GP finish. Limit had a fair old handicap (somewhere between 4-5 mins - I wasn't listening) and we had 2 mins on S/S. Pace was high from the off but it was quickly obvious that it was the same old people doing the work on the front. It's a club league, no real point in sitting in and waiting for the sprint. The points mean nothing really surely it's better to get a good workout and be better prepared for the open races?

We caught Limit between Killeen Castle and Dunsany Castle and then the pace stalled briefly till I decided to go barreling off the front to get the speed up again and try to evade S/S. They eventually caught us on the main road between Dunsany Lodge and the roundabout. It got a bit messy here for a while with lads up the wrong side of the road and nervous braking nearly causing crashes. Up onto the finishing road and I was sat in at the back and decided to have a go. Went flying up the outside and off the front and then died after about 45s. Rolled in on the back of the group. TT'd it back to the car afterwards - good workout all told and felt good tonight. Couple of times lads were flying through on the up and overs and not easing off then wondering why there was huge gaps behind them not being closed.

dermabrasion

I'm one of the plonkers going over the front and not easing off! Will try harder. Actually no,... will ease off.
I agree it is the same 'old' few that show up at the front, but I could care less because last night was a great example of why I love doing this: Really hard work out, competitive, exciting, on a nice evening in the countryside. Leave it all out there, and go home safe.
One of the Lucan lads was really cracking the whip about pulls and roll thru's, reflected by the speed which was really up there tonight at 41kph on Strava, which is notable because there was some wind too.
I stayed in contact for the sprint, choosing the hard shoulder as my line for the last few 100's. I was 2-3rd wheel from the front, but I lost momentum a few times as I eased off to avoid lads peeling off the front and going backwards. By the time I had clear road, it was too late to give it the last effort. But so what?

fat bloke

Quick, quick, quick semi scratch last night. Wrecked today now

maloner

Really enjoyed last nights race. S/S was quick again and we worked pretty well together from the off. Everyone pretty much pulling their weight as far as I saw. Made my way up the field when we caught the bunches ahead and found a good wheel on the finish straight and got to a good spot but didn't have the legs to make the most of it and finished just outside the points.

Felt good though so maybe my legs are coming around after their mid season break.

fat bloke

Lucan rider on a lovely egg shell blue cannondale last night. Didn't have the breath to compliment him on it as I went up and over until 3/4's way through the race!

daragh_

couerdelion wrote: »

It was quickly obvious that it was the same old people doing the work on the front.

That's not true. I was a Marshal. So was Doozerie.

wirelessdude01

Last night was the first night that the limit group actually worked from the start. Not one person skipped their turns on the front. Know we had a good head start but all the same we did good to stay away as long as we did. The big long stretches don't help in staying away as you can be seen from a good distance away and as one of the Usher S/L lads to me as soon as their group saw the lights on the lead car for out group the pace went up again. Good race last night though.