A3 2019

Miklos wrote: »

Follow Colm Bracken or John Priest's wheel and you'll come out alright!

With about 100 other lads!!! If i can jump off those wheels i'd be pleasantly surprised and shocked.

Time to go racing again...

So after a solid training block in which i feel went really well its time to attack my next racing block.

Ras an Laois 17th April
FTP Test 25th April
Frank O Rourke 5th May
Dunsany GP 11th May.

Of this block i have only raced the Frank O Rourke, it's course i like and feel it should suit me so fingers crossed. The others are unknown and totally different but as my legs feel good i'm hopeful of a ghood showing in these races.

As a measure of my improvement i'd be nearly disappointed if i couldnt get a Top 10 in at least one race.

FTP Test

As i'd been using the Trainerroad format for any test i've ever done i decided to create the test in Training Peaks instead of a monthly sub for one workout. It was simple really and have it for all time now though there is one slight differences, initial warm up doesn't ramp but that isn't a big concern.

So the format is warm up then three escalating 1 min on/off efforts under high cadence 100 rpm plus then 5 mins rest, 5 mins max effort , 5 mins rest then the 20 min tt effort for the test itself. Everything was rosy with a 447 watt avg for 5 min max effort and held my target of 381 watts for first 5 mins. After the 5 min i wanted to lap that part but after hitting the lap button the test went into the 10 min cool down period, i couldn't believe it, 35 mins utterly wasted so abandoned ship with alot of anger voiced from the confine sof my shed, the poor mrs thought something serious was wrong!!! Needless to say the form was ****e for a while after as i'd been expecting a decent result but parked then till the next day.

24hrs later with good legs under me i cracked on with no drama and nailed the test. As usual i was on the ropes for the last 3 mins but stuck at it to beat the target set of 383-385 avg. With a lot of sweat and grunting i finished with 387 avg for the 20 mins, very happy with that.

This gives me a new FTP of 371, plus 10 watts from my test in March.

Stats from when i started the log on 01/01

Weight: 99.2kgs
FTP: 330

Current stats 27/04

Weight : 95.0 kgs
FTP : 371

Frank O Rourke

My last race was the Frank O Rourke in which the A3 race was marred by by the tragic death of Sean Lynch, RIP.

Block after block

Training is going well just now with heart rate dropping for Z3 efforts plus a very encouraging outdoor sprint session last week,12 x 30 secs full gas seperarted by 4 mins recovery yielded good power numbers for 20 secs in 3 or 4 reps. This is very encouraging as this session has defeated me before though indoor sprint sessions are hell.

I had a couple of solo 4hr spins last weekend and while these are enjoyable some company would be great! The times i left plus each spin had certain intervals so it would be unfair to expect someone to do same as my z3 could be their Z5 or vice versa. The views around the coast roads of Waterford certainly helped the mind though and i'll see more this week with a 5hr spin on Sunday with a 6 or 7am depart.

My weight has dropped to 94kgs and with FTP still increasing all remains well on the performance front.I've started to believe that i may be good enough to nick an A3 race on the right course if not this year then early next year, confidence is sky high just now and i'm racing accordingly.

I've decided to bring the turbo today for my warm up, 75 min race 45 min warm up! It's specific to the race so easier done on a turbo.

At least I'll look like I know what I'm at.

I've been waiting for this race since March so hoping for a good show later

nilhg wrote: »

How'd it go?

I finished 12th after arriving to the last bend in a good position but I just don't have that big kick on a flat finish. On reflection I'm happy but I was looking for more there.

Collins Cycle Centre

In what looked like a medium size field of approx 70 i fancied my chances of a decent showing especially after a good week in which the legs felt good.

The usal flurry of attacks kicked off early with Kanturk the cause of most of them, they had a sizeable team there for the main lad it seemed. Tom Morarity rolled off early so after a few minor attacks i jumped off to try bridge over to see if a break could stick early on. My confidence only increased when another Kanturk lad joined me so we worked to bridge over. After we made it the gap increased to 45 secs with the three of us working well. However the bunch had other ideas and closed us down just at the end of the first lap, my dreams of being away for a race over for another day.

Laps 2 & 3 went by with 4-6 lads getting away but never too far. Lap 3 was were the winner and TM skipped away to bridge to the break then roll past them. The bunch picked up the rest for the gallop but after it seemed promising it all stalled around 2km out. As usual it got tight and messy and after fighting for good position i lost it around 1200 out. This meant i had to sprint past quite a few to make 12th or so for a some what disappointing result.

I'm not sure if i'm expecting too much from these races or if my own eagerness is costing me at then end of a race.This time last year i'd have killed for the results i'm currently gettingso maybe a reality check is in order.

I'm enjoying racing the way i am but it looks like i'll have to adjust tactics to get inside the Top 10 or even a podium result. My next race is 5 weeks away so its back to training blocks with an odd league race for threshold fun!

Charleville 2 day is confirmed, family pass for the weekend & accomadation booked though hardly the Ritz it will do.

As it's 4 for a team i'll be an indivdual entry unless someone wants to sign me up for the weekend!!!!

Tipp Wheelers GP

I'd been looking forward to this & my next two races as most who read this will know. However two sessions midweek dented the confidence as two partially completed Z6 workouts left me wondering if the legs and body were done for the year ( been at it since September). My coach rowed in and reassusred me as best he could that the body was good just maybe the combo of heat & turbo may have contributed to the two failures. I had all my back wheels in for maintenace so no option but the turbo for these.

Yesterday brought the sun out for the race so i wondered if vast numbers would arrive given the weather, anything under 80 would be fine but 100 plus would be tricky to negoitate on the narrow sections. The body had come round somewhat after the midweek horror as Saturdays pre race efforts offered some encouragement so hope had returned!

A 3 lap 75km affair offered early attacks by plenty but none stuck as expected. My orders were to sit in and conserve for the final lap but on lap 2 a small break went with McGarry in it so i tried to bridge over but couldnt get there so i was left in no mans land until i sat up for the bunch. The race although trucking along according to avg speed felt a little flat with very few serious attacks that even had half a chance of sticking. A 75km race at 100km pace meant the legs were only coming round at 50 km for me so lap 3 was crucial as i knew there was a chance of a good result here the way things were going, this was heightened more when all breaks were caught and everyone knew a sprint finish was likely.

The run in in 2km and pretty flast bar a little ramp at 200m out which was my go point if plan A failed. There was a few lads that went at 2km to go and the bunch left them go but when McGarry went i knew he was going for the win but i hesitated and he was gone, zipping through the dead lads to catch the last two where he sat. Plan A was to go 1km out and hang on if could so i went a little earlier & flew by the dead lads, a brief look saw me have maybe 15 yards on the bunch, no chance so balls out i went to catch the three ahead. For a brief moment in time i looked like getting on so i decided to go by if i did to try catch them napping...... bang, McGarry pulled the trigger, the 3 man sprint was on and i wasn't getting there!!!! The focus now is to hold off the bunch but the legs gave out 10 yards from the line and i ended up 7th overall which is a good result but 4th would have been better!

All in all a season best placing so hopefully next weekend goes even better.

Just to note the winner in a serious prospect, he has won two A3 races as a 16 year old, seems a very nice lad as well.

CramCycle wrote: »

Well done, a great finish and read. Where are you next weekend?

Shannonside GP Saturday then Fermoy on Sunday, I've gone well on both courses as an A4 previously.

My own custom 2 day!!!

Shannonside GP

As i won my A4 here i had high hopes but on arrival i found out the finish had changed to a pan flat sprint which was disappointing. Lesso earned here though, check all details before commiting to a 5hr round trip.

Race itself had around 70 in a field that look slightly below average whch gave me encouragement. The course didnt seem like it qould be breakaway type of day so while active at the front i tried to concserve for the gallop but a late move saw 4 skip away which i missed so all the bunch had left was minor placings. The finish had a stiff headwind and after a stong lad went i took his wheel but he died 500 out so left in the wind i had to go which ended pretty quickly soon after, in the interests of sfety etc i pulled to the side and left the rest sort it out.

The wheel i took ended up winning an A3 race the next day, why not today i wondered????

Fermoy GP

Finish here is perfect for me, long fast run into a drag tha tlevels out for the last 100m so again hopes were high.

This is the forst time time i've raced on consecutive days so the legs were a concern but that was forgotten quickly when the felt super fresh early on. The usual flurry of attacks early saw a break go with around 10 lads that built up a 30/40 sec gap that a few got together to pull it back including myself. After this i reckoned nothing more would stick so sat back to conserve for the finish but another move went that stayed away, we got to in around 10 secs but everyone sat up and assumed we would get them for the gallop at the end of the lap but the bunch stopped working or most didn't want to if i'm being honest. Team mates of those in the break did a good job of killing jump off's to get across over the course of the breakaway and while this is racing clubs having multiple jnrs there blocking attacks surely isn't the correct way to teach them?The inevitable gallop for 70th place happened which led to a guy coming down in the riduclous sprint, i think he has crashed in a sprint before so he is a wheel to avoid for sure.

Observations
A3 bunches are lazy & full of A4 mentailty, wait for the sprint by default. A limited few have interest in bringing breaks back while the rest just sit & hog wheels of those who try to bridge across.

The A3/JNR group should be split, the good ones should be bumped earlier as 90 pts is far too high a target to reach, the normal A3 racer is just being used as cannon fodder for training these young lads. To add insult to injury yet naother A3/JNR race goes to an U16 rider with special permission to ride these races.

What happens when/if a young rider is involved in a srious crash someday? Surely this cannot continue to be allowed.

I need to learn to be more race aware as two races got away from me recently due to lapses in concentration and/or doing too much on earlier breaks. It's getting annoying missing winning moves.

All that is left for me is Shannon on Aug 11th then CHarleville 2 day which is a free hit really. Shannon is my only chance left of a race win this year.