Swords League Race #8 - Corduff

Mmmmmmm!!!
Chips have never tasted so goooood!!!!!!

Bloody hell that was tough - sickening hill. In group 2 - 1st lap all grand up and overs worked well for once, myself and lusk doyle floated off the front on the nags head and had a brief chat. Second lap more of the same - caught most of group 1 which seemed in bits. i pushed bit too hard early on nags head (inexperience) and missed the main group 3 train.

Got in with other group 2ers and 3ers. Good group with up and overs working well. Caught plenty of others, some tagged on and dropped a few. 3rd time up the hill was agony and raam and some lad in green jersey flew by, then scratch got us at top of the hill. Tried to tag on - didnt last long. Decided to call it a day after 3 laps - legs cramping to bits.

Only one ride over an hour in last 2 months due to injury killing me. Hopefully sort that out before the race in two weeks time.

Really enjoyable and great to have a bit of warmer weather

Finally! Group 2 got there act together and worked well for two laps.
A great turn out, no crashes, and the weather was perfect!

Well done everyone, and a BIG thank you to the Marshalls and Joe for a great race.

I went off in semi scratch. I felt more comfortable than I had the first time I joined the group two weeks ago. The group worked well in patches but I thought the effort wasn't consistent enough. I think I got the hang of fast up and overs and did a better job of it than a fortnight ago.

The second time up the hill, I picked a wheel, put the head down and stuck on it. The problem was that when I looked up I realised that the wheel I had picked had slipped off the leading group of 5 or 6. I had to pull around and ride back on but I measured it reasonably well, picking them up at the top.

When we joined the old N1 on the final circuit, Raam said to me that there must be a few riders from the group just behind. I think he planned to regroup but there was no one there. I hadn't realised there was only five of us left (I'd say others were strong enough but reckoned they had enough training in two circuits). With the smaller group, I was beginning to feel it and I had to work hard to do my turns.

The group split the last time up the hill with Raam and honkjelly pulling away, one in between and me and another guy in the rear. I was happy enough in that I didn't blow up and rode a good tempo all the way up. At that stage, I thought I'd just spin down to the finish but scratch came along to "rescue" me. I jumped on the back and we powered around to the finish (they were riding a pattern I hadn't seen before so I hope I didn't get in the way - thanks to the guy who told me what to do). We were almost on to a small group that included Raam and honkjelly 500 metres before the finish when I dropped a wheel as I was coming back down the line. I finished just behind that group and scratch.

Overall I was happy with my effort. It's the longest race I've done and I didn't eat anything on the way round - I might have to get over my luddite aversion to gels. No stats but honkjelly said the average speed was 38.something.

Group 3 was big and Group 3 was fast.
39.1kmph (higher even than the bog of the ring circuit in April) compared to 36.5 three weeks ago on this circuit (although I got dropped that time due to the crash).

Missing the last 2 weeks, and the increase in pace meant that I wasn’t able to work as much as I had been in previous weeks. I was working hard on the first lap up to the hill, but started the hill too strong and faded. Went from the front of the group at the bottom to the back at the end, and had to fight to re-attach. I managed that but I needed most of the rest of the lap to recover.
At this stage the group wasn’t working well at all, with 4or5 guys at the front seeming to do the vast majority of the work (probably too strong for group 3). This increased pace was hurting everyone else. Second time up the hill I started easy, and got stronger which seems to suit me better as I moved up through the field instead of going backwards.

Managed to hang on to the leaders on the third climb as well, so I knew I was going to finish with them. Bjorn Ludick was about 100m ahead of the pack from the top of the climb almost to the finish line, but he was eventually swallowed up. Rubbing wheels with the guy infront of me cost me a little momentum and meant I wasn’t going to contest the sprint (I’d probably have looked as ridiculous as the brothers Schleck anyway) but I was happy enough to have made it round in the lead group for the first time this year. Up to now I always seem to be behind the crash when it happens.

Man alive that was tough last night. In G3 and was worried at the start seeing some very strong riders in the group. I know the Nags head climb doesn't suite my build but I was dammed if I was going to get dropped like I did on this course a few weeks ago. I think the "head-wind" training over the last few weeks stood to me cos I managed to hang on first time round.

I was conscious on sticking to the front third of the bunch when we hit the Nags Head. I was comfortable on the flat but started to get a pain in my right knee and thought it wouldn’t hold up the second time up the Nags head, then we had G2 in our sights and concentrating on catching them took my mind off it a bit. Managed to stay with G3 on the 2nd climb but was suffering big time and unlike another poster picked a good wheel to suck on the way up. G2 jumped on and the bunch got huge but I managed to keep near the front by powering down the decent, weight and gravity are a grand thing. On the third lap a bunch of about 10 broke free on the Nags Head but we managed to catch them on the decent. That took some real motoring but was a relief when we did catch them.

BTH ^ mentioned Bjorn Ludick… who is this guy? He was in our G3 and is well strong and I reckon the reason G3 stayed away from G4 and scratch. He pushed the pace all the way around and on the final lap saw him a good 100m clear in the distance going through Ballboughal. He was caught, to my surprise, but then again the bunch ramped up the pace on the final road to the finish. I got a little boxed in and didn’t much left in the legs anyway to get out of the saddle for the final gallop to the line but still managed a respectable 12 or 14 or someit like that, just outside the top 10 is all I know.

Thanks to all the marshals and Joe and Sam. Thanks also to the police escort for G3, knew the traffic would behave themselves all the more for it. Thanks also to the guy man leaning on the wall outside his house (I think on the old N1) calling out time gaps. Thanks to the director, producer, family, friends and God .

Me going up the nags head = :eek: Me coming down = :cool:

Ryaner wrote: »

Not sure about the back half of group 3 as I was at the front, but myself and one other lad did slow down just behind then kick it up again to pass the group - in an attempt to break things up on the hill somewhat since I had no intention of finishing

Welcome to group 4.

^^^^bjorn^^^ can you say scratch??? ;-)

As scratch had only 5 guys last night they used the team track technique not up and over. So straight line and one guy hammers at the front till he slows and then pulls over and goes straight to the back. this continues as next guy hammers then back and rest.

the four breakaways in Brendan Carroll did this to good effect. One of course finished 10th in the world Champs in Omnium tow of the others were in scratch last night.

I guess the advantage is you get more shelter and the strongers guys can do longer stints. I sat on the back for a half lap watching them as was totally cooked and you could feel the pace increase as the stronger guy went to the front. I guess it would only work for small groups.

Group 2 for me next week. Long sore very crampy night. Still cramping today

@shaungil

I (Bikehub kit) must have been in group4 with you.. Thoroughly enjoyed trying to get back on to them after being dropped 2nd time up nags! Nearly made it, then saw sense and had a nice bit of speed work on the back of scratch before I went boom up nags last time round!!

Few lads in grp3 need to be called out!!
Noticeable difference from grp3 2 weeks ago to grp4 last night. Grp 4 much safer as you'd expect and get a good hard session in too.

Enjoying these races, thanks to swordscc, Joe, marshals etc. Fantastic!

manwithaplan wrote: »

That was it alright. I didn't realise what the pattern was when I latched on to them. I was worried about being dropped at the corner at the top of the Nag's Head so I moved up on the outside beforehand and got a nice shove for my trouble. A guy told me what to do and I did my couple of turns from there on. It's hard matching your pace to hook onto the last man after you do your turn - it was in that manoeuvre that I got dropped near the end.

That's actually a better way to ride in a smaller group. We should really have done that in ours when we were down to 6.

Cipo from my limited appearance in the race you seemed very strong but yu could slow down slightly off the front, (rich I know comingfrom me) Man with plan I'd wager the shove came froma gent in black gear and is an elser lemon in the club, but is brilliant fella to learn off.
You are better off hanging off the back of scrach anmd watching for a full lap and watching them than trying to work for a quarter of a lap and getting shelled. Last night 2 very experienced A1's a top Irish junior.