Easter Extravagance

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BY: Rob Smith

Published: 26th April, 2012

April - what a month, I can't top Ant for varied countries but Team Smith have had an equally varied month.

 

Fully Sussed @ United Downs

To start the month off Fully Sussed laid on one of the best courses I've ever ridden, United Downs near Redruth Cornwall.  To make a weekend of it we packed up the Motor-home Friday morning and headed down the A30 to stay just 1 ½ miles from the race venue.  As we are again helping Jay and Maddie with the South West series, I jumped on the bike and rode up to meet the dynamic due for a sneak preview of the lap.  If you've not yet seen the Mark's video of the event on You Tube, stop reading get over there and watch it. I can't adequately describe how much fun it was to ride, particularly blind trying to keep up with Jay as he disappeared over sheer edges or down steep drops. Couple of laps and back to the campsite.  Saturday was spent doing the Cornwall Coast 2 Coast Double, and as the trail went through the race venues it seem rude not to ride part of the lap on the way through. Once Jane was suitably worn out by her 30+ mile ride, I headed out for yet another lap, (yes the lap really was that much fun!) This sighting lap proved to be very helpful come the race, as Maddie had put an alternative route towards the end of the first section of single track.

Back to the Motor-home, bit of tea, wipe the dust off the bike and early to bed! For the second time in as many events the van decided not to start so, just like Woodbury the morning started with a panic dash by bike up to the venue to be there early to assist with signing on, answering Noddy questions, loaning out various bike bits and go out for yet another lap to ensure that nothing untoward had happened to the course over night. Back to the start, more questions, more bike maintenance, bit of hydration and then roll down to the start line for the vets start.

Yeh-ha by Janet Burroughes

New pedals meant that  going up the hill I struggled to clip in and going into the first single track I slotted in behind Neil and Brian of Elitevelo somewhere around tenth place I guess. As both Neil and Brian are friends as well as competitors I decided to stay behind them rather than try any questionable moves in that first section of single track and I hoped that not many other would have clocked the alternative route. As we came up  to the arrows everyone else went on and I fired it left down the alternative route, across the fire road, down a second drop and managed to get back on to the "A" line in front  of  the group I had, seconds ago been at the back of.

 

I was now in no mans land but I could see Certini's Gary Andrews ahead, so I put my head down and tried to keep him in sight and maybe close the gap. The gap never reduced, but then no one passed me and all too quickly the race was over and I'd managed another top ten finish but more importantly I'd managed to lap consistently and not "throttled off" as the race unfolded. Great fun and can't wait to get back there.

Surface of Mars has been likened to United Downs another cracking picture by Janet Burroughes

A week later and almost at the other end of the country I was lining up with some of the best endurance racers in UK and Europe to compete in the European 12hr solo champs for the second time.

The Older I get the Better I was - Euro Solo Champs (written last week)

So that didn't go according to plan, not sure how XCRracer managed it but from our "deluxe" cabin we had no phone signal all weekend so my plan for Jane to tweet the progress of Team Horton and Smith over the 12hrs of Exposure was thwarted from the start.

It's a good job really because all you would have got is "He's not happy", "he's a bit happier", "not happy again" and "thank God that's all over."

What a time to have a bad day! I thought I had done it all properly. There was the training plan, a leisurely drive up from Cornwall, a bit of sightseeing, and we arrived at Newcastleton all refreshed and ready to go, and it wasn't raining or snowing!

But from the start my legs just felt like rubbish.  I wasn't enjoying the course or the challenge so I just focused on enduring the bits I didn't really like and making the most out of the bits I did, attempting to jump every double on the single track, going for every stone drop and lump rather than cruising around them.  When that stopped being fun I started conjuring up more elaborate reason to withdraw or manufacture a mechanical failure that would end my race.  It was only the thought of the time and effort those closest to me had invested in my mad enterprise that kept me going out at the end of every lap.

Joolze Dymond capturing a rare monent of fun

Eleven hours after the purgatory had started it was over, there was no way I'd get another lap in before the midnight deadline, I'd survived and finished.  Amazing how things brighten up as soon as you know you don't have to do it again. Perhaps it wasn't that bad after all.

I'd gone up with a hope of getting a top five finish but with Rich Rothwell and Ant White both dropping down to the 12hr cat, last years defending champion, Jay Horton, plus this year's bumper entry it was going to be a big ask; add to all that my "lack of form" on the start line I said I'd be luck to get a top ten. As it was and despite everything I managed to finish 6th in Vet and took home the inaugural Inter-Service Trophy for the Royal Navy and yet I wasn't jumping and dancing around giving myself Hi-Fives.

It's over a week now since the event, a week spent on holiday, walking, recovering with a bit of cycling and I'm only now coming to realise how well I actually did.

So that's what the top step feels like by Joozle Dymond

Think the problem is that despite everything I say/write the nub of it is that I just like riding my bike and challenging myself.  Last year I really enjoyed the challenge and the route of 12 hrs of Exposure but this year I just didn't and that feeling at the time, over powered any sense of achievement or realisation of a job done.  Now as my legs begin to feel something like normal again and the mountain of washing has diminished to a small hillock I am beginning to appreciate what I achieved. I finished 6th in Vets but behind some quality opposition; two experienced 24hr racers, last years winner and runner up and team JMC's Jason Miles, himself no stranger to racing these long distances.

So I'm now back at work, the "training clock" has been reset and I'm now focused on Twentyfour12 at Newnham.  At least this time with the category already sold out there should be no last minute surprise competition, but then again I have noticed a certain Mr K Bontrager has entered. So different pressure this time!

 

Royal Navy Royal Marine Road Race and Cycling Festival

Two weeks after competing in Scotland the Royal Navy Royal Marine Cycling Association held their annual Road Race Crit and their Inaugural Cycling festival which included two Time trials and a couple of Devil races, all on a closed circuit at Merrifield, an airfield near Yeovil.

I've never had a go at slick tyred racing but reckoned if I was going to sample what "the other side" had to offer than this was the best place to do it.  A quick visit to the friendly guys at Certini and I had the loan of a Specialised Tarmac Expert for the weekend.

 The first event on the Friday was the Road Race Crit. Despite never having road raced before I wasn't classified as a Novice and was entered in the open race, I wasn't going to argue, it was all for fun and with a field of 45+ in the open race it looked like more fun that the smaller novice race. 

 
Starting behind a pace car the race would be 1hr plus 2 laps of the 3 mile perimeter road. Once the pace car pulled over and the race started proper, err, nothing happened, no one wanted to make a move and for 2 laps we all circulated at a very comfortable pace, before a few opportunities tried to jump off the front only to be chased down and absorbed into the pack.

As I've already said this was my first exposure to Road Racing and all my race craft and tactical knowledge has been gleaned from Phil Liggett and Paul Sherwen commentary on the various stages of the tour. I did know I needed to be near the front in case anything exciting happened and when I missed an early break I foolishly jumped off the pack to try and chase it down.   I watched my heart rate go through the roof and realised what a fool I was being, but I was smiling having fun so I went for a bit longer before I was dragged back into the pack.  It was great fun watching the racing unfold from inside the pack, feints, attacks and allowing riders to dangle off the front., so much different from my solo rides.

Out of place in an early break away by Ann Owne

Once a break away of about 6 had formed I settled into the pack, staying at the front in case any one else tried to get away and did far too much time on the front. What was new to me was the amount of back seat driving, with riders behind the working group at the front, shouting directions of how to chase down the break away but not adding anything to the pursuit.  Now I know this is what road racing is all about but I did get a bit narked.

Hour + 1 lap in and we could get organised for long enough to make any impact on the breakaway and as the last lap any semblance of organisation went away, last couple of corners and it all went a bit strange, having done too much work early on, not practiced at jumping to a sprint, and unsure where everyone was going I got a bit mugged going across the line finally finishing 15th. Not a bad result for my first attempt.

Day two dawned bright and early and looked to be another day of firsts for me with a one lap prologue Time Trial followed by a 7 lap 2up time trial in the morning, with the day being rounded off with a series of knock out devil races.

I've never liked the idea of Time Trialling, think it's something to do with the early starts and the fact that the racing takes place on open roads so there is always the chance of being taken out by a car or lorry; but as I settled into my one lap on closed circuit, I began to understand the appeal.  It's said that Time Trialling is "the Race of Truth," you and a clock and how fast you can cover a set distance. Once I'd calmed down, (I'm sure the 219 bpm was an electrical fault rather than a true measure) I tried to pedal smooth and hold a big gear and I crossed the line at 32mph in a time of  8.02,  29th out of 51.

And he's off, what no elbows and first corner pile ups? - Ann Owen

As I don't have any friends, the organisers paired me with Army Major Claire Fraser for the 2 up time trial. My novice status and never having paired with Claire before meant that we were making up strategy as we went round losing us time and momentum.   Also by now the wind had increased and of course was blowing down the only part of the runway that had any kind of incline on it. I was concerned at times that my partner might actually blow away! Still we didn't come last and if we'd had the ability we would have still been speaking come the end.  In fact we were the second placed mixed team, behind Mr & Mrs Houvenaghel who stuck around to give out the prizes.

"And then I went"...  Wendy and Claire were clearly enthralled by my racing dits - Ann Owen

  
The day ended with an B, A and pairs Devil knock out race (after a neutralised lap the race became live with the last rider eliminated until only two remained, they would then race it out for two laps)   I was in the A as well as the pairs race on the 400m circular track, and with money up for grabs most of the racers had dragged themselves out to give it a go. Just before the start of the A race it decided to rain! Great skinny tyres, wet tarmac and tight turns was going to make for some interesting racing, if you've never done one of these before but have taken an multistage (bleep test) you'll know exactly how it feels, first few laps were fine there was a fair few riders between me and disqualification but as the numbers drop, both the pace of the riding and my heart rate increased,  and cornering became more "suspect" with my mtb pedigree coming to the fore as I saved a couple of slides including one that necessitated a full on Dab, and it was lucky  I had MTB shoes on! I decided that it was time to gracefully leave that competition, with my dignity, skin and cycling shorts intact.

Rounding off the day was the pair's race. The weather and a full days racing meant only 6 hardy teams made the start. 7 mins later and Claire and I were eliminated and I was well and truly done for.  It might not sound like much but over the two days I'd competed in 5 events all new to me, I'd covered over 75 competitive miles,  not come last ,  not crashed and enjoyed them all.

So have I become a leg shaving road racer? No
Will I do it again? Yes it was good fun and if a few RR Crits help me train for MTB racing then look out for me splashing around at local crits in the South West.

Next stop the RNRMCA MTB champs next week @ Woodbury Common