London Cyclocross League 2018 Round 5 Herne Hill - report!
Oct 12, 2018 7:13:33 GMT
Nigel Wood, Joe R Booth, and 2 more like this
Post by Deleted on Oct 12, 2018 7:13:33 GMT
Another spookily Indian summer day greeted a legion of light blue clad warriors for round 5 of the 2018 London Cyclocross League. Dulwich blue skies, a light and warm breeze and bone dry conditions under foot meant it felt more like a late summer event in Spain than a winter series cross race in the UK. Thankfully, a few clues served as a reminder that this was indeed the winter ‘cross at HHV that we all know and love. Crash hungry voyeurs at the unfeasibly oversized barriers (did anyone bunny hop them?), hecklers on the summit of Big Bob, and a crazy old man waving his crutch and yelling obscenities at anyone in Dulwich kit, telling anyone who’d listen that he would be back racing soon enough… poor chap, clearly bonkers.
Pre race carb loading
I’d love to tell you how spectacular the build up to the racing was – I heard the red arrows flyby spelling out Dulwich Paragon in blue, and Wout Van Aert nipping back from the USA to fire the start gun for the first race were highlights– but truth is I screamed in 20 minutes before the start of the seniors race, in time to confirm that what I thought was a slow puncture as I chucked my bike together was not a slow puncture but a normal speed puncture, necessitating a last minute wheel change on the line. Incidentally this was caused by a cracked rim from the hammering wheels get at the Three Peaks last week – I’m not hopeful Stans will see this as a warranty issue…
MAMIL pack
Anyway, onto the racing. Everyone was hoping for the home advantage that racing in SE24 brings; that most of us had our best results of the season had nothing to do with the absence of many of the big guns, racing at the national trophy elsewhere.
Surprisingly, no DP racers in the junior men again (where is the next Ed Davies gonna come from?) but in the V40 Dylan placed 7th with incredibly consistent lapping, with representation from Aaron, Rob, Jon, Dax, Philip and Magnus further down the order.
Cresting Big Bob
The women were also well represented with Julia bossing it in 4th place for senior women and 7th overall, Kath close behind in 6th and Sara placing just off the podium for the V40 category in 4th. Someone who Scarpa’ed off to another club also did pretty well, 3rd overall… well done Olivia, proof that a year older doesn't slow you down
Podium girls
In the seniors, an impressive 15 Paragoners raced. The HHV course is deceptively tough, and I didn’t need Strava to tell me it was a ‘Massive’ effort. I spent the race drifting gracefully from the lead, briefly, on lap 2, until I found the reliable wheel of Dave R making his way up the field to sit on for the last few laps before we duked it out for 4th and 5th respectively. Olly had a great race finishing 8th, as did Sam in 13th. Alex W, bearded and singlespeeded as every self respecting hipster should be, ground his way round to 15th with mentronomic consistency – over 9 laps his fastest and slowest were separated by a mere 8 seconds. Stuart felt so unwell in the build up to the race that he almost choose A&E over HHV but his choice proved wise as he got well into the points and even managed to get a beer down him afterwards, a miraculous recovery. And proving once again that in every true bike racer lives a mild hypochondriac (me included). Matt (last man not to get lapped by the winner), James and Aidan all finished in the top 50; Rhys ‘Calves’ Keepence kept his shoes Persil white on his way round, just ahead of Jon ‘doing the double’ Maher – I know pre race warmups should be more than my panicked pump of a flat tyre, Jon, but an hour all out race before the next one is too much… Chris and Johnathon all made it round within a lap of the winner and Luke and Chris were marked as DNFs – hopefully nothing too expensive or painful chaps?
www.facebook.com/arahowell/videos/10161198408440422/
The blue train
Everyone else enjoyed craft beer and prosciutto paninis in the sun (this is Dulwich after all, darling) and the podium presentation from surprise special guest Sven Nys, while I dashed off to collect a second hand baby bath seat. The rock n roll life of a new dad. Ed I know you weren't there but Sven announced a bonus round of the National Series which clashes spectacularly with the next London League. I've already told the Kibosh chaps. See the rest of you on 21st October at Lingfield for another summer day of winter 'cross fun!
Sven Nys just out of shot
Pre race carb loading
I’d love to tell you how spectacular the build up to the racing was – I heard the red arrows flyby spelling out Dulwich Paragon in blue, and Wout Van Aert nipping back from the USA to fire the start gun for the first race were highlights– but truth is I screamed in 20 minutes before the start of the seniors race, in time to confirm that what I thought was a slow puncture as I chucked my bike together was not a slow puncture but a normal speed puncture, necessitating a last minute wheel change on the line. Incidentally this was caused by a cracked rim from the hammering wheels get at the Three Peaks last week – I’m not hopeful Stans will see this as a warranty issue…
MAMIL pack
Anyway, onto the racing. Everyone was hoping for the home advantage that racing in SE24 brings; that most of us had our best results of the season had nothing to do with the absence of many of the big guns, racing at the national trophy elsewhere.
Surprisingly, no DP racers in the junior men again (where is the next Ed Davies gonna come from?) but in the V40 Dylan placed 7th with incredibly consistent lapping, with representation from Aaron, Rob, Jon, Dax, Philip and Magnus further down the order.
Cresting Big Bob
The women were also well represented with Julia bossing it in 4th place for senior women and 7th overall, Kath close behind in 6th and Sara placing just off the podium for the V40 category in 4th. Someone who Scarpa’ed off to another club also did pretty well, 3rd overall… well done Olivia, proof that a year older doesn't slow you down
Podium girls
In the seniors, an impressive 15 Paragoners raced. The HHV course is deceptively tough, and I didn’t need Strava to tell me it was a ‘Massive’ effort. I spent the race drifting gracefully from the lead, briefly, on lap 2, until I found the reliable wheel of Dave R making his way up the field to sit on for the last few laps before we duked it out for 4th and 5th respectively. Olly had a great race finishing 8th, as did Sam in 13th. Alex W, bearded and singlespeeded as every self respecting hipster should be, ground his way round to 15th with mentronomic consistency – over 9 laps his fastest and slowest were separated by a mere 8 seconds. Stuart felt so unwell in the build up to the race that he almost choose A&E over HHV but his choice proved wise as he got well into the points and even managed to get a beer down him afterwards, a miraculous recovery. And proving once again that in every true bike racer lives a mild hypochondriac (me included). Matt (last man not to get lapped by the winner), James and Aidan all finished in the top 50; Rhys ‘Calves’ Keepence kept his shoes Persil white on his way round, just ahead of Jon ‘doing the double’ Maher – I know pre race warmups should be more than my panicked pump of a flat tyre, Jon, but an hour all out race before the next one is too much… Chris and Johnathon all made it round within a lap of the winner and Luke and Chris were marked as DNFs – hopefully nothing too expensive or painful chaps?
www.facebook.com/arahowell/videos/10161198408440422/
The blue train
Everyone else enjoyed craft beer and prosciutto paninis in the sun (this is Dulwich after all, darling) and the podium presentation from surprise special guest Sven Nys, while I dashed off to collect a second hand baby bath seat. The rock n roll life of a new dad. Ed I know you weren't there but Sven announced a bonus round of the National Series which clashes spectacularly with the next London League. I've already told the Kibosh chaps. See the rest of you on 21st October at Lingfield for another summer day of winter 'cross fun!
Sven Nys just out of shot
