Mountain bikes, 10:00 start, route by Jo, leaves from:
Basingstoke Canal Authority, Canal Centre, Mytchett Place Road, Mytchett, Surrey. GU16 6DD.
This replaces the ride from Seale.
New Year's Day ride - Mytchett
A Sunday in Hell
No, not 3 hours being half-wheeled by Gabriel on the shop clubrun, but an old film about bikes which is apparently very good.
Link courtesy of Ian Franklin:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4IDCkcnnHg&feature=player_embedded
Training presentation - 7th Jan
Want to get your new Personal Best this year ?
Then come to a presentation on 'Fitness Training for Cyclists' hosted by Farnborough and Camberley Cycling Club, 8:30pm - 9:00pm on Friday 7th January at
All Saints Hall, Chapel Lane, Hawley, Farnborough, GU14 9BL.
Cycling related fitness training provides a solid foundation for performing throughout the year and reduces the risk of injury.
This presentation will look at the requirements and principles of training for Strength, Endurance, Flexibility, Cardio-Vascular ability and body composition together with Nutrition for the cyclist wishing to improve their abilities during the coming year.
The frequency, intensity, times and types of training appropriate to the time of year and types of cycling will be included.
Attendees will be able to leave with a framework into which they can start to map out their individual training plans.
For further details, contact Simon Kidd, 0775 774 4795
www.fccc.org.uk
www.Live-NoLimits.com
Upavon is now Ludgershall
New Venue for Winter Racing in the South
Upavon cycle races series organiser, Darren Clarke, is dissappointed to report that cycle racing will not be taking place at Upavon for the 2011 Winter series and probably not for the rest of the year. Military building work is the reason for the cancellation. With the increase in the use of Salisbury Plain for pre Afghanistan military training, Upavon has borne the brunt of the developments and is unlikely to be raced on the same as it has in previous years.
Darren has secured an alternative site utilising the REME test track at Corunna Barracks, Ludgershall. The site is only six miles east of Upavon and just two miles North of the popular Thruxton circuit for the same race dates.
The Ludgershall circuit is a grippy 0.9 mile long with a mild drag each lap that is sure to eventually split up the race. The circuit requires some work to get it up to standard but Darren is certain that this will be completed by the original Upavon start date of Saturday, 8th January. Whether the race actually goes ahead will be weather dependant. To describe the circuit it would be a mix of Eastway and Eelmore.
See British Cycling online calendar for all event dates/details which run weekly from 8th Jan to 19th March
Due to the site being a secure MOD area, riders who wish to take part in the series must email their rider details and vehicle registration number to darrenclarke30@hotmail.com to secure entry to the site. Ludghershall is on the A3026, just west of the village centre. Postcode for the venue is SP11 9RP and there will be ample signage around so that all find the circuit.
Unfortunately there are no toilets on the circuit at the moment and portaloos will be the best facilities available. Riders should understand that this is a military base and when arriving to race should proceed directly to the car park, race and then leave, anybody found not complying with this advice will be banned!
As ever, all races are £10 (no cheques please) with EOL only. The format for the racing will be as follows:
09.30: 4/L 30 mins +2 laps
10.30: 3/J 40 mins + 2 laps
11.30: E/1/2/3 45 mins +2 laps
Sunday morning ride pics
While the rest of us sat around inside, some of the more hardcore Sunday club run riders set off on mountain bikes over Tunnel Hill for a bit snow riding.
An un-named source (thanks to Jamie for the pics) reported: "Craig showing good form by crashing his brains out on descent potato chipping a front wheel and hitting Rob in the process." Surely not.
Zipps for sale
Zipp 404 front 700c clincher-with dimples £500 (cost new about £670)
Zipp 808 rear 700c clincher—with dimples. Shimano hub £650 (cost new about 1100)
Both are about 2-3 years old, totally immaculate and have only ever been used as race wheels and covered probably no more than 250 miles.
Christian Vaughan
07785 336608
2011 Club (white) kit preview
With the economy booming, house prices rocketing and Meudon members better off than ever, we've decided instead of waiting another two years to change the kit we're going to bring in an all new kit for the 2011 season. Out goes black and in comes...white!
Not really. After some requests for a higher visibility gilet we now have white gilets in stock (call Craig). Gianluca (our kit supplier) has also produced a white short sleeve racing jersey (pictured) which might be useful on hot days. If there is sufficient interest we will get some produced.
This is not a new kit. It doesn't replace the existing black kit, it's designed to work with the existing kit and is just an alternative for when you want a higher viz piece of kit or a hot weather race jersey. Or you prefer a white top that day etc. etc.
Tunnel Hill MTB ride - 30th Dec.
This is a xmas extra ride - Thurs 30th December. Meet at the Basingstoke Canal Visitor Centre, Mytchett Place Road, Mytchett, Surrey GU16 6DD at 9:00 for a 2hrs plus mountain bike ride guided by Dave Larcombe round Tunnel Hill, followed by coffee and cake.
New Year's Day MTB ride - 10:00 a.m. from Mychett - updated
This is a mountain bike ride from Basingstoke Canal Authority, Canal Centre, Mytchett Place Road, Mytchett, Surrey. GU16 6DD, note later start time. Route by Jo, 2hrs plus. Definitely not now from Seale.
Next Calshot track session - 12th March
Just a quick early notice that Steve Harris is organising another session at Calshot and the track is now booked for 10:50 - 13:50 on Saturday 12th March 2011. More information to follow nearer the time.
Need some spiked MTB tires?
Ken Ruffell reports back on his efforts to get hold of some ice friendly mtb tires:
"I have been trying to get hold of some mtb winter spike tyres ever since the weather became icy. I need to ride to work whatever the weather and it's been very dodgy. I asked Des at the shop if he could get some, but he couldn't. Apparently, there are none in the UK until January. Schwalbe and Conti are the main brands.
Anyway, the reason for this post is that I contacted Bike 24 in Germany and ordered a pair of Continental Spike Claw tyres with 240 studs. They were shipped from Germany on Wednesday and have just arrived via DHL (Friday, 8:30). They cost just £75 for the pair, including p&p.
The Conti Spike Claw is rated third only to Nokian's two top tyres - but they are nearer £100 each! They can be ridden on and off road. The only downside will be a bit of drag. Bike 24's website is easy to use and it's in English."
Rob's SE & E regional X champs report
Rob McCarthy rode the regional cross championships, here's his report:
After a week of snow and frozen conditions, the race still took place, typically by Sunday the snow had melted, making the course conditions cold, wet and muddy.
I got a good start, but found the muddy and cold conditions hard, The course was a bit too long which meant riding with a heavily clogged bike most of the lap, before a bike change was possible. I spent most of the race battling with Dan Duguid (Sigma Sport) but unfortunately I had a small spill on the last lap, in the mud and lost 30 M to him.
Towards the end of the race my hands were struggling to brake and change gear due to the mud and cold, I finished the race with agonizing chilblains in my hands, to a 10th place
OK but not a top 5 which I wanted. Hopefully some better results are on the way. Jamie Newell put up a good fight to retain his SE+E title but was just edged out on the final climb by Gareth Montgomerie. (Sigma Sport)
A big thanks to Andy Dilkes for helping out in the pits.
New Weds spinning session?
From Simon Kidd:
Im a member of Farnborough and Camberley Cycle Club and I wondered if any VCmeudon members would be interested in a cycling club specific training session using a spinning studio in Camberley ? (for those that live around there)
I was thinking of Wednesday Evenings for a good hour long staring at 7:30 pm. There is space for about 15 cyclists and we would be using the spin bikes much like a turbo trainer with me leading the group through the various exercises.
These sessions would be targeted at club cyclists and, although we will be using the spin bikes, the routines would be focussed more on cycling needs and would include various pyramid and interval sets, and simulations rather than a general spin ‘fitness’ class, for example:
‘Intervals’ to increase aerobic threshold, we would use HRMs or perceived exertion.
‘Hill climbs and sit-stand-sit’ to increase leg strength
‘Sprints’ to simulate the breaks in a road race or track event,
‘Resistance’ fartlek to simulate under and overs going on the front of a line and then off
.. and of course some great music to keep you going...
Whilst this is intended for club riders, I would be encouraging everyone to work at their own levels, so you can take it easier (or harder), in some sections if needed.
I need at least 5 people to make it viable and the cost would be about £5 each a session or £20 for a block of 5.
I would be running the sessions from January through to end of March, by which time people probably would like to get out on the road as the evenings get lighter anyway and the early events start.
I had thought Wednesday about 7:30 pm since that was a day when people are probably used to going out on their bikes in the Summer evenings and would fit into their routine – although Im happy to take suggestions for other times and days.
Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you would like any more information.
(Ive invited people from Farnborough and Camberley and also Charlotteville)
Regards
Simon
0775 774 4795
(member of FCCC and qualified Performance Cycling instructor)
Chalk chase post script video - Cranstone falls over, Craig's Garden
At the end of the first stage of the chalk chase last week we bumped into a group of mountain bikers one of whom was wearing a video camera. As we met Cranstone managed to fall over just in front of the camera at which point I suggested they send us the video. Despite not giving them an email address they did manage to send over the video and blog link.
With the two groups mixed up for a bit (4:50 into the video, note Dave C in the last edition Meudon jersey barging past!) we explained that this was Craig's garden they were riding. I think they must have thought that this was the name of the trail. At which point we came to a full stop in front of Craig's house for a mince pie stop followed by the other group of mountain bikers who had now come to something of a dead end.
http://www.vimeo.com/17416682
http://www.diaryofamountainbiker.co.uk/this_week.php
Turbo for sale
Turbo Trainer £115
Bought this in October and only used this 5 times (maybe 4), I just don’t have the mental capacity for these things.
Elite Crono Fluid ElastoGel Cycle Trainer
Darren – 07722061375 or dgf@hotmail.co.uk (I’m in Camberley)
Training weekend 2011 - April 29th-2nd May
If you've got a big race coming up or you're doing the Etape this summer you might be interested in the training weekend being run by a friend of Paul Pickup's:
April 29th - 2nd May 2011 Training (long) weekend in Shaftesbury, Dorset.
12 riders in family run B&B mainly in twin rooms on farm in Dorset. Secure lock up for bikes.
2 ride leaders, 3 guided days of riding.
1 meal ready on your arrival, flexible arrival times.
1 evening meal organised in local pub.
Great pre-arranged (expecting you) lunch stops. Especially Gold Hill!
Fantastic riding area, not far from London (Lambeth to Shaftesbury 2 hrs 16 mins according to Google.) So pretty close to here.
Riding speeds about 15 -18 mph between 4 - 6 hours per day. Weather, ability and moods dependent!
GPS files and maps provided if you want to venture off from the group after lunch stop.
Cost £269 (£100 deposit non-refundable unless you get someone to fill your place as long as it is not your Nan, unless she can ride as fast as Mark Cavendish, then she's very welcome!)
If you're interested you can contact Paul or email us and we'll pass it on.
Need a new challenge for 2011? Triathlon anyone?
Or more precisely an Ironman. Ben Greetham wonders if anyone would like to join him down in Wales:
"September the 11th 2011 is the inaugural Ironman Wales which is being held down in Pembrokeshire. The course looks awesome with a mass beach start swim from Tenby. The bike leg is taking in 180k of the Pembrokeshire National Park and the marathon is a 4 loop course heading around Tenby Castle, the town itself, the surrounding countryside and finally finishing back on the seafront.
The organisers have already separately ran a marathon over the run course, a sportive over the bike course and a long swim around the wet bit and each have had heaps of spectators turning out so the big one should be a pretty good day out.
I’m already on the start list as a VC Meudon representative. I thought if a couple more folks fancied it we could get a VCM contingent grinding out some of the training miles together and heading down in September.
The event website is www.ironmanwales.com "
If you don't have Ben's contact details get in touch through us at the website.
MTB ride @ The Lookout - 11/12/10 - updated
Meeting for a MTB ride at the Lookout (Swinley Forest Bracknell)
Fantastic tracks with plenty of swooping and whooping!
Meet in Car Park ready to ride from 10am on Saturday 11th December for 2.5hrs -3hrs
Cafe stop at end of ride.
You will need a day pass which is £2 and will be the best £2 you've ever spent. If you let me know you're coming I will buy the passes in advance to cut down the time spent hanging around.
Bob Moore
For more info contact Bob directly or email us through the website and we'll pass it on.
Slow - Care Children Playing (Chalk Chase pics)
These are Angie's photos of the chalk chase. Temperature: -2, chasers: 13, hares: 2, number of minutes Wilson late to set course: 40. House is Wilson's new manor. Generations of Meudon kit on display: 4. 
FOUR4TH LED lights
Need lights for winter? The FOUR4TH LED is available as a helmet mounted light (XPE) or a bar mounted light (XPG), in a range of colours and with different lens and battery options. With 1560 lumens of light you’ll have no problems seeing, or being seen.
Order direct from the website for £195, or email Del for a special VCM price of £175.
www.four4th.co.uk
sales@four4th.co.uk
"...these are incredibly high powered LED units which literally put similarly priced big brand lamps into the shade." (FOUR4TH user)
“The head units are masterpieces of design and engineering and look pretty much bullet proof and the connectors and switch have been well thought through.” (FOUR4TH user)
“You’re getting a lot for your money here and a product that will perform and offer reliability over time. 9/10” (Cycling Active review, Oct 2010)
The Calshot Experience
vcmeudon - The Calshot Experience from Colin Addison on Vimeo.
On a cold, dull november evening on the south coast of England riders from the VC Meudon cycling club take to the track at Calshot.
(soundtrack is "sunday" by Moby courtesy of mobygratis.com)
Ben and Micheal ride the Wessex League Cross
New boys Michael Guilford and Ben Marx report back from the latest round of the Wessex League cross race:
Michael:
"Needless to say it was cold, and wet. Pedal On had done an excellent job of setting up the course, despite one person ending up in A & E...
A small field of 30 seniors turned up. The start was long and wide so the group quickly split up, Adrian Lansley leading straight away. I kept thrid position and in sight of adrian for ~2 laps, but the two leaders gradually stretched a big gap from the main field. It was down to a following group of about five of us, which i was leading on and off. A few slips lost me time, in particular the one slippery steep climb that was nearly impossible to run and three(!!) sets of hurdles (i didnt get unclipped in time). I eventually finished in 8th place, which was a bit dissapointing after a good start, but serves me right for thinking I could get away with only shorts, jersey and no specs. The onslought of moderate hypothermia, and the organisers nearly calling an ambulance rammed home some the need for race preperation!"
Ben:
"Had a good ride on Sunday with only a couple of spills and a bent front wheel courtesy of Hargroves ride. I dont know what happened to Michael after the race, he was wrapped in a blanket and was being taken to a hot shower. He rode well though and finished 8th.
My first foray into cross riding can only be described with one word, muddy. Following a very wet week the course that was laid out on Park land that was very greasy and proved to be very technical. From the start the pace was fast and two riders Adrian Lansley (Pedal On) and Duncan Jamieson (Leisure Lakes) got away after a couple of laps.
After a couple of laps of getting settled into a decent pace I found myself fighting it out for tenth place. With four laps done I decided to part-company with my bike a couple of times and slipped back though the field finishing 19th overall.
Things to remember for the next race:
Warm up. Don’t sit in car because its raining. A pressure washer ( I think I was the only one that went home with a muddy bike).
Don’t ride off camber corners at full speed and expect to be upright at the exit."
Rob's early season cross report
After a successful first road season, Rob McCarthy is now taking on his first cyclo-cross season. Here's Rob's report of how it's going:
26th September Wessex league Swindon (7th place)
A reasonable start to the season
Results
1st Jody Crawforth Hargroves Cycles
2nd Stuart Bowers Hargroves Cycles
3rd Crispin Doyle Swindon RC
4th Mike Cotty Cannondale
5th Andy Hargroves Hargroves Cycles
6th Scott Chalmers Dream CC
7th Robert McCarthy
3rd October Blenheim Cross (3rd place)
Blenheim was my first good result of the year, the course held up well despite the heavy rain, and only moderately muddy.
The course consisted of as many corners as the organisers could fit into two fields, the highlights of the course were two tight spirals that put everyone’s slow speed bike handling to the test, I had to work my way through field due to a poor gridding but I had to be reasonably pleased with 3rd place
1st Stuart Bowers Hargroves Cycles
2nd Crispin Doyle Swindon RC
3rd Robert McCarthy
10th October Wessex League Newbury Showground (3rd)
Newbury was a difficult race after cold conditions the week before, the course was baked with sunshine, I got a reasonable start, but my legs felt like I had overdone the training leading up to the race, With no real long drags or power sections it was never going to be my favorite course, I spent a lot of the race battling with Peter Kench for 2nd place but in the end he got away. I was not that satisfied with my performance knowing how well my training was going.
1st Matt Macdonald Hargroves Cycles
2nd Peter Kench GWR
3rd Robert McCarthy
24th October Wessex league Bill Higson Memorial Cross Prospect Park Reading (5th)
I have always liked racing at Prospect Park, ever since my cross-country running days. The course is a fairly technical, on the side of a hill covered in woodland with greasy muddy corners and lots of camber. I got a great start following Jamie Newell line through the first muddy hill, then pushed hard to the front of the field, after about 1.5KM a group of five formed with Jamie Newell leading up the steepest hill section, riders who were unable to ride the hill quickly fell back. l followed by Stuart Bowers, Crispin Doyle, Adrian Lansley, me, followed by Duncan Jamieson and Mike Cotty.
As the race went on gaps started to develop, I continued to ride as hard as could and finished a hard earn t 5th, I was happy with the way I rode, technically and with my fitness coming on.
1st Stuart Bowers Hargroves Cycles
2nd Jamie Newall Corley Cycles
3rd Adrian Lansley Pedal on
4th Crispin Doyle Swindon RC
5th Robert McCarthy
6th Duncan Jamieson Leisure Lakes
7th Mike Cotty Cannondale
31st October National Trophy Series Chantry Park, Ipswich (25th
I had no national ranking points so I had to start at the back end of the field. I got into the cleats straight way, sprinting into the first corner, trying to avoid any pile-ups.
The first lap was eyeballs out, trying to gain as many places as possible, as the race went on I settled into a good rhythm and kept making up places finishing 25th,
The pace was a lot faster than any regional races I had done, With 4 Belgian racers taking part, a top twenty in the National Championships is defiantly my aim.
Ottershaw 3/Hillingdon Winter Series - updated
And the winner is?
Out undercover reporter writes back again from the Ottershaw series:
"On today’s cold but bright morning 40 riders signed on for the final round of the Ottershaw series this week held over 80k on a combination of Staple Hill and Valley End circuits. Included in the field from the Meudon were last week’s winner and overall leader Ashley Holding, Jason Edwards, Ben Marks, Mike Knight and Martin Hulbert.
With such a close margin between the leading three in the series then this was always going to be a tactical race and this was reflected in the early action as the attacks were not getting more than a few seconds gap before the Meudons or the WyndyMillas chased them down in support of Ashley and WMs Alex Higham. Lone riders, and overall contenders, Lewis Atkins and Martin Smith were also in close attendance as the race moved with 30k to go onto the smaller Valley End circuit and its long drag through the finish each lap.
Valley End offers better opportunities for breakaways as a 10 second lead means you are out of sight for most of the lap and this turned out to be the case as two of the most experienced riders in the race Colin McDermott and Paul Holdsworth sneaked away together with under 20k left quickly pursued by 5 others including Martin Hulbert, and then the bunch with the top 4 still watching each other. Unfortunately Ben Marks punctured at this point and despite getting a WyndyMilla wheel he had little chance of regaining the fast moving bunch
It looked like the leading two would be caught by the chasing 5 with 10k left but they kept working doggedly with each other and as they took the bell they still had a good 20 sec lead over the chasers and that is how it finished with Festival RCs Colin McDermott getting the better of Hounslow’s Paul Holdsworth in the sprint. The next 5 came in some 20 secs behind and then all eyes were on the bunch gallop which would decide the overall and it was a close finish that the judges were still pondering over when I left.
So full results to follow via the Surrey League website all though good to report that all 5 Meudoners finished."
Update:
November 7, 2010 - Twickenham CC - Ottershaw Series #3 - E/1/2/3 - 60 miles
Pos Name Club/Team Cat Time
1 Colin McDermott Festival RC 3V 02:18:00
2 Paul Holdsworth Hounslow & District 1V
3 Paul Edwards Lighweight 0:35
4 Andy Davies Fit-For 1
5 James Stuart Norwood Paragon CC 2
6 Martin Hulbert VC Meudon 3V
7 Stephen Dring Team Echelon Spiuk E
8 Jake Martin Onelife Fuga Racing Team
9 Lewis Atkins Orbea-For Goodness Shakes E @ 0:44
10 Alex Higham WyndyMilla E
11 Martin Smith Army CU EV
12 Ashley Holding VC Meudon 2V
13 Allan Ridler Cycle Kingdom RT 2
14 James Jones Beeline Bicycles RT 2
15 Nat Spurling Finchley RC
16 James Wakelin Sigma Sport RT 2
17 Nigel Stephens Finchley Racing Team 2
18 Mark Spindler Twickenham CC 3
19 Chris Batch Redhill CC 3V
20 Bill Butterworth Team Quest 3V
21 Scott Merrilees Wyndymilla 3
22 Alex Pantelides Twickenham CC 3J
23 Robert Cranstone Royal Navy & Royal Marines CA 3V
24 Luke Merrilees Wyndymilla 2
25 Jason Edwards VC Meudon 1V
26 Angus Macaw
27 Simon Henley Team Corley Cycles 2
28 Henry Furniss WyndyMilla 1
29 Neil Edwards Private Member 3
Overall after 3 rounds Pts
1 Lewis Atkins Orbea-For Goodness Shakes E 15
2 Ashley Holding VC Meudon 2V 17
3 Alex Higham WyndyMilla E 22
4 Jake Martin Onelife Fuga Racing Team 24
4 Colin McDermott Festival RC 3V 24
6 Martin Smith Army CU EV 27
7 Allan Ridler Cycle Kingdom RT 2 29
8 James Jones Beeline Bicycles RT 2 36
8 Andy Davies Fit-For 1 36
10 Paul Edwards Lighweight 37
11 Stephen Dring Team Echelon Spiuk E 40
12 Paul Holdsworth Hounslow & District 1V 41
13 Mark Spindler Twickenham CC 3 62
14 Neil Edwards Private Member 3 63
15 Bill Butterworth Team Quest 3V 71
16 Chris Batch Redhill CC 3V 73
Its not the end of the road season….Starting Dec 4th the Hillingdon Winter series starts with races for all categories throughout the winter months. For full details see; http://www.imperialracingteam.com/imperialracingteam/index.htm
Chalk chase - Sun 28th Nov - updated
Craig and Terry's chalk chase - Ronde Pittance Hill - the unofficial VC Meudon off-road champs is the 28th of November (a Sunday) leaving Seale Tea Rooms at 9:30. This is an off-road ride!
If you haven't done a chalk chase before, 'the hares' set off with a headstart and lay a trail of chalk cross country and 'the hounds' chase, the first person to catch them is the winner (or something like that).
New Spinning Class at Mint Condition
There follows a commercial message from Nick Mint:
Starts Monday 8th November at 7.30pm. Ginny (AKA Miss Whiplash) at Mint Condition is starting a new group Spinning Class for a limited pre-Christmas run of 5 weeks for £40. The class format will be 50 minutes and will make a valuable off-season alternative to the autumn/winter 'miles'. Ginny also runs a popular Pilates classes running throughout the week, so if you need some core strength and stretch get in touch. Places are limited so book now by calling Mint Condition 01420 590590 or email ginny@mintcondition.net. Mint Condition - Binsted (http://www.mintcondition.net).
Looking for an Italian training camp base?
David Freeman (ex Hastings and VC Bayeux is now running training camps from his home in Le Marche, Italy. Camps will be up and running from next March. If you want to build up a good base for your 2011 season at a competitively priced training camp have a look at www.cycletramonto.com for details.
Ashley wins Ottershaw 2
The second in the Ottershaw series toook place at the weekend, this report just in from VC Meudon's man at the race:
"It was a wet and chilly Sunday morning for round 2 of the Ottershaw series on the Staple Hill and Kitsmead circuits today with the weather prompting a slightly smaller turnout from the bumper field of last week.. Meudon had three brave riders, Jason Edwards, Ashley Holding and Ben Marks, two of whom (Ash and Ben) were in the top 10 overall courtesey of their 4th and 9th places in round 1.
A fast start saw a couple of riders losing contact on the first climb of Staple Hill and once a gap had formed the heavy rain blowing across the top of Bagshot Common meant there was no way back. A couple of laps later evergreen Paul Holdsworth attacked over the top of the climb and held the bunch off for a lap but as he was caught the decisive move went as WyndyMilla’s Alex Higham clipped off the front the same time as a a few more were spat out the back.
Higham never got more than a 30sec gap however as the race moved off the harder Staple Hill circuit onto 10 laps of Kitsmead lane it looked like he could stay away. However three riders bridged across soon followed by another two including another Wyndy Milla making a strong six man group with just 5 laps, 15 miles, to go. The bunch did not give up and was splintering and regrouping all the time as the stronger riders tried to bring the break back, all three Meudons were in the action and with just three laps left another group including last weeks winner Lewis Atkins, Cycle Kingdoms Alan Ridler, Army’s Martin Smith and Ashley powered across to the leaders in under a lap with Ash looking the strongest to make a leading group of 10.
The bunch seemed to give up now as the leaders drove on to take the bell. Colin McDermott took advantage of some nervous looking around and went down the right hand gutter with just over a kilo to go, the break continued to look at each other and as they took the final left hander into the finishing straight Colin still had a 100mtr lead….it might be a small circuit but Kitsmead lane can seem awfully long when you are dangling on your own off the front of a break of this quality; eventually the chase was on and at the 200 mtr flag it was man of the race Alex Higham who was bearing down on McDermott with Ash and Lewis on his wheel…Lewis couldn’t stay with them and as Alex went past Colin, Ash put in a huge finishing burst to take a brilliant win and put him in contention for the series with just one event left.
Full result to follow on SurreyLeague website."
Ladies (m) mtb for sale
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Scott Contessa lady specific mountain bike for sale. Five years old but hardly used - knackered knees. Matt black frame hardly marked. Manitou Axel Diva fork with compression and rebound adjustments. Mainly Shimano LX but XT rear mech and Avid rim brakes. Really nice condition. £250 Jim Morris 01428 713935.
Another top continental performance from Dan
Here is Dan McCarthy's report fro the Powerman Como – Elite World Duathlon Series – 24/10/10
7th Place
"Powerman Como – the toughest event I have ever done by a long long way. I was up against one of the hardest fields on paper including 3 former World Champions and a host of other top competitors including the Italian Ironman Champion and 250 other competitors all ready to duke it out on the roads. Set in the picturesque and awe inspiring Lombardi area of Lake Como in Italy, I’d watched Phillipe Gilbert and others battle it out the previous week in horrendous rain and misty conditions. This did little to calm my nerves!
Three weeks prior to the event I was struck down with Achilles tendonitis which I managed to improve with a mass of rehab work, making the final decision to race just a week before the event. Because the course was so tough on the bike, I decided that I could still limit my losses on the runs and produce a solid performance – perhaps somewhere in the top 15. The race was made up of a 10km run, an 80km bike and 10km run. The bike course was awesome – made up of undulating terrain to the infamous climb of the ‘Nesso’ which is 13km long and ramps up at frequent 10% sections – a really nasty climb with multiple hairpins all the way up. The fun part was the 10 mile descent with approximately 20 hairpin bends via the town of Asso (the cycle clothing manufacturer).
The race day was welcomed by rain – sopping greasy roads, which take no prisoners. The plan was to start the run easy and make sure that the Achilles was not put under any major strain which meant a first 10km run in 36mins (about 4-5mins slower than usual). I came in around 5mins behind the leaders and made my way out on the bike course, overtaking people on the undulations all the way out to the major climb of the Nesso. This climb was an experience. There is little you can do to train in England for a climb like this. Even 6 max-out reps up Coombe Hill and Box Hill, which has been my diet for the past 8 weeks, did little to really prepare for this one. Up the climb I felt really strong and managed to catch the group for 10th place at the summit, making up minutes from the base of the climb. This part of the course was epic as we passed through fog line on the way up, eventually reaching 1200 metres altitude .The descent was very precarious with diesel and leaves on a few corners. This fact was placed firmly at the back of my mind as I passed another group to reach 7th place as I continued to take all sorts of risks on the downhills, eventually pulling out 2 mins on the group on the descent alone. One minor hiccup where I dropped it on the last section of bends as the road surface changed, but managed to get back on quickly with no major injuries.
The last run was ok thankfully as I managed to pull off a 7th overall. Given that a lot of the guys ahead are all professionals, I was a bit shocked to pull off such a blinder. My bike split was also 4th quickest overall, with an average speed not far short of 23mph for the very hilly course. With no injuries, perhaps a podium would have been achievable, but hindsight is a wonderful thing in sport!
Walking down the stairs at Gatwick after a short flight was absolute murder. My quads have never been this sore in my life! My appearance at the Ottershaw Surrey League is under serious review at this current time….."
Glenn recommends a bit of mental training
This is a message from VCM member (and chiropractor should you need one) Glenn Duffy:
"Hi guys, I’m sending this recommendation for “pre-season training” as those who I recommended and have done this have had huge success and brilliant reviews.
I have been working with a coach Dominic Keohane (Dom) for approximately 18 months now- he has helped me in preparation for events and changes in life and work, I trust him whole-heartedly and have paid for all of our staff to see him for development work.
In a nutshell, he has a 1 day workshop called “Beyond Personal Best”, which focuses on how to train your mind for big events and how to “train mentally”. Isn’t it crazy that we put in so many saddle-hours but never stop to train our minds to get the performance we want???
He says "85% of success is achieved in the mind. Train it and experience more success more often" -Dom
80% of the people that attended the pilot workshop broke personal bests within a week. He teaches people why they are the way they are and gives them insight into what is influencing them before taking them through the four pillars of athletic success;
Commitment
Control
Concentration
Confidence
You'll leave with greater insights into how you can achieve your perceived optimum performance bring it to a new level. The next workshop is set to run in Reading on the 31st October, conveniently on a Sunday. It is an £65 to spend the day with one of the country’s top High Performance Coaches.
For more information and to book your place, send him an e-mail directly, let him know that I recommended the course to you and I'm sure he'll do his best to squeeze you in; dominic.keohane@gmail.com
This event is run in association with FK.UK -they have a pretty big membership so it gets filled quickly.
Big Hugs to anyone who can handle them, Glenn
Ps. No, I don’t get paid commission.
Pps. No, it isn’t run through the clinic - in fact we pay Dom for his time and still promote him for free, so he must be doing something right!!!"
Track day - Calshot Nov 20th -Updated
(photo:Richard Dorrell)
Message from Andy Grant:
"Hello everyone
Due to much demand I have organised another track day, at Calshot this time - smaller track but just as much if not even more fun.
Session is three hours 5.30pm to 8.30pm on a Saturday evening 20th November.
Open to novices or even complete beginners through to experienced riders.Don't worry if you haven't ridden on the track before - we should have you riding round like a pro before the end of the session.
There is a maximum number of riders of 32 - this enables one group of 16 riders to be on the track at one time - while the other group recovers or gets instruction, Sessions last for about 20 minutes.
Cost will be hire of track plus instructor( £173) divided by number of riders- could be as low as £6 or 7 quid if we get maximum numbers but should be less than £15 just with the numbers that have already confirmed.
There are new hire bikes at Calshot so for those without a track bike the hire of a bike will be £9.00 these bikes have Look Keo pedals - if you do not have Keo shoeplates from your roadbike you will need to hire shoes with Keo plates at £3.50
for those who want more info about the track visit
www.calshot.com.html or google Images for calshot velodrome
I have already booked and paid for the track but won't know how much to charge you until the day - would like to pay Harry Jackson (our trainer) in cash if possible so some payments in cash on the day will be appreciated."
Calshots address is
Calshot Activity Centre.
Calshot Spit,
Fawley,
Southampton,
Hampshire,
S045 1BR
(Monday) Mint Training Nights
Justin Hoy is running training sessions on Mondays, from November 15, 2010 at 7:30pm from Mint Condition in Binsted nr Alton.
These are training rides for all abilities with lights, through and off for 60 Mins + 1 lap of this:
http://bit.ly/cblJSP
if you get dropped take it easy for a lap and get back in.
First 2-3 laps steady.
Everyone welcome.
Parking at Mint Condition for 7:35pm start.
Basso Complete Bike For Sale
Terry has a new Basso Astra Bike for Sale.
Basso Astra carbon Frame 51cm Blue/Black/White Full Ultegra Group Set Compact 50/34 Cassette 11/28 Mavic Equipe Wheel set Michelin Pro 3 Tyres Microtech Carbon Bars (42cc) Stem 100mm and Seat post Fizik Arione White Saddle
Frame is Current through 2011.
Bike has been displayed in a Store but not Used. Slight mark on Right hand Crank see picture.
RRP is £3,099.00
See www.bassouk.com for full details
Grag a bargain @ £2,200.00
Kind Regards
Terry Morgan - 01252 672866 - 07903 080563 - terry_morgan@ntlworld.com
Meudon film night out?
October 21st Basingstoke Odeon - contact Keith if you want to go - if you don't have his details just use the contact page on the website.
Saturday club run schedule
9.30 Saturdays from Seale Tea Rooms GU10 1HR
Not too fast, not too far, no one left behind etc etc. Everyone welcome. This is the programme but If the weather changes or the turnout want to change direction then we'll have a degree of flexibility.
9th Oct Midhurst - Cowdray Park
16th Oct Chiddingfold - new cafe apparently!
23rd Oct Petworth
30th Oct Odiham
6th Nov Arlesford
13th Nov Chawton
20th Nov Alton - aircraft cafe
27th Nov Haslemere - Lower Roundhurst Farm
James, Rob and Dave at Eelmore
After the July roundup someone asked "What about James, Rob and Dave at Eelmore?"
In the E/1/2 Dave Creeggan was pretty much up against it with a full set of Felts every week combining to share out the wins and take the first six places in the overall. With Dave doing a lighter season - ie no or little road racing - 8th overall was a more than respectable result.
Meanwhile in the 3/4 the overall turned into a battle between two VC Meudon riders - James Bracey and Rob McCarthy. While Rob took the wins, James was more consistent and edged the overall capping good seasons for both.
VC Meudon on the rollers down under
Josh Vicino has recently been on a Summer/Winter sojourn to Australia, giving him the opportunity to sport the new VCM kit at his Australian club - Brunswick CC - for the Enduro Roller Derby, in Melbourne, Victoria. Here's the report and pics:
http://brunswickcyclingclub.com/post/2010/08/rain-hail-or-moon-enduro-is-always-on/
A very quick Picarde report
This year's VC Meudon representatives at the Ronde Picarde sportif on Sept 11th were Richard Radford & Martin Hulbert.
Here's Martin's report:
Results:
Martin Hulbert - Time 4hr 54min 14secs - 34th Overall and 3rd in over 50 age group. (got a cup etc. at presentation, will forward copy when I have it.)
Richard Radford - Time 5hr 24min 59secs - 157th Overall and 27th in over 50 age group
Full results for the Master (189Km) event below :
http://www.sportcommunication.info/web2010/pdf/MASTER.pdf
Ride Report.
Richard and I travelled on the Friday morning Ferry from Dover. After a scenic drive down and coffee stops en-route at Le Crotoy we picked up our race numbers and transponders at Abbeville, checked in at the F1 Hotel just up the road and rode the first 10 mile of the course out to Bellafontaine and back. Followed this with a meal in Abbeville in the evening and off to bed fairly early.
The course this year was changed from last year, the section to Alt was more or less the same, a more direct route was taken back to Abbeyville where the shorter course riders turned off. The long course riders then did a hillier loop to the south of Abbeville. Overall we thought the course was a bit harder and longer than last year, but not as windy.
Race morning weather was good and it warmed up as the day went on, reaching 24 deg by finish time. Richard had arranged race numbers for us both under 300 which meant this year we could start in the front group and not right at the back. However, differently this year, just before the start they allowed numbers over 300 to join the back of the first 300 and we then all started together. This made it quite conjested and not quite the start we had expected or hoped for.
The pattern of the race was the usual, start as fast as you can, move up as much as you can & get in the nearest group to the front as you can.
I was lucky to be able to make it to the front, avoiding the few crashes and getting back to the front group again twice after getting blocked by falling riders on the hills. I found it harder this year trying to ride with the top riders, the speed up the climbs was faster and even faster over the top into the side winds. The bunch was getting very stretched and riders continually going off the back. Richard in the meantime was not able to make it through to the front group and was riding strongly in the 2nd or 3rd group.
I stuck with the front group into Alt and back into Abbeville, after about 80-90 miles a few riders broke away when the front group slowed for a while. Then picking back up the speed for the usual flat out last 10-20 mile. I finished with this group, unknowingly been outsprinted by 2 other 50+ year olds who were in the same group. Richard stayed with his group throughout, eventually catching another group in front due to his and a few others hard work, but just loosing a few minutes at the end with cramp.
We were both very happy with our rides, Richard and myself both knocking off about 15 minutes from last year and also finishing much higher overall.
After the race we stayed another night, enjoying a nice meal and drink. For Richard this meant a long awaited Ruby Leffe
Another great Picardy weekend.
Jim rides the Jean Francois Bernard/Thursday rides
If you haven't met Jim Morris it's because he takes about 12 holidays a year. He also organises (when he's here) Thursday morning rides. These are a bit easier than Wednesday morning rides, if you would like to be included on the email list for info about these rides email us at the website or get in touch with Jim directly.
Here's his recommendation for a French sportive if you fancy a change or doing something different:
"Did the Jean Francois Bernard sportive in Corbigny, France on 29 August. Longest course 160kms but I did the 106kms. Fantastic part of France to the south west of Dijon with very quiet roads. Some flattish but mostly very lumpy with some long hills at around 5%. 192 finishers on my course with me finishing 97th and 13th in Cat E over 60. Winning time 2hrs 54m and I finished in 3hrs 35m. (Gold time for me was 4hrs 10m) I got in a good group after about 10kms of 20 or so riders which then got thinned out to about 7 at the end. The first hour was the flattish bit and went past at around 32kph but the hills then kicked and the final average was around 29kph. It was a real challenge to stay with the group because inevitably I lost ground on some of the longer hills and then had to chase hard to get back on. But a real challenge - if only I could have stayed with the main bunch which went away at the start! The race was superbly marshalled and there were lots of support cars and bikes. I can thoroughly recommend it, although it is about a seven hour drive from Calais. We had a gite for a week and had some great riding in that time including doing the part of the long route that the shorter course missed."
Horsmonden: Jason wins (twice), Les Liddiard injured
Martin Hulbert reports from the LVRC:
At the recent Horsmunden Les had an accident, it appears from initial reports that it was his collar bone. He went to Tonbridge Hospital. A youngish lady walked out from behind the lead car and infront of the 3 riders in a break, Les was the unfortunate one that came down although the lady got away with it lightly.
Race report
The ABC race was over 5 laps but was shortened to 4 after the accident and our race was stopped temporarily, the older riders passed us when we were stopped. The break that contained Les, Paul Doel & had 20 seconds when the accident happened at the end of lap1 when the race was stopped. This gap was given on the restart but they were caught in the next lap. A few more breaks were tried and unsuccessful until with just under 2 laps to go Matt Seaton went hard up the first climb, only I went with him, he went hard until he was caught by the lined out bunch half way up the second hill. The impressive bit was he attacked again immediatley and the break that formed was never caught. I made it into the break with Matt & 2 others, shortly after Ashley Holding & Jason Edwards from VCM powered across with 2 others making a total of eight in front.
These 8 contested the sprint
1) Jason Edwards (1st A Cat)
2) Paul Caton
3) Ashley Holding (2nd B cat)
4) Martin M'Cready
5) Iain Akhurst
6) Martin Hulbert (2nd C Cat)
7) Matt Seaton
8) Paul Doel
Jason also followed this up with another impressive performance at Goodwood where he won to cement his 2nd place in the overall behind James Makepiece.
Fignon in Brighton
Sorting through some old photos and found this shot I took of Laurent Fignon starting the Wincanton Classic in Brighton 1990 - just behind him are Stephen Roche and Phil Anderson - I remember watching Bugno blasting away to an impressive victory - a great day out.
>> click for larger view
More retro.... 4 years later another VC Meudon day out, this time at the Tour when the race came to the South Downs and finished in Portsmouth - winner that day was Italian sprinter Nicola Minali. Who do you know in this picture?
>> click for larger view
Friday Sale - More Stuff from Jamie
Bike box and Ksyrium Wheels for sale
(click pics for larger views)
The Box
The Wheels
Contact Jamie if interested
MOB 07899 894 964
HOME 01276 24536
or email or comment on this post
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