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today at gunma csc

andywood

Maximum Pace
Apr 8, 2008
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Great day at Gunma CSC today. Despite the foul weather.

Great to race with James (as always!). Great to meet Mike at last too, who had a great race (any chance of seeing the photos?). And Eric (? - sorry I didn't get chance to introduce myself properly in the post race adrenalin fueled chit-chat).

I put a report on my blog. But no race action photos unfortunately:

http://www.jyonnobitime.com/time/2012/04/jcrc-gunma-csc-race-report.html

Hope to see everyone again soon!

Andy

www.jyonnobitime.com/time
 
Andy always a pleasure - You won a prize btw. I think for being first through on one of the laps 2nd I think. Contact the JCRC and they will send it to you.

I had a great day also - freaking freezing! Very happy to stay with the climbers for the entire race. Tried to go off after Andy on lap 5 , managed to catch up with him, throught we had broken free but the guys at the front switched out and the hunt began.

Classic moment of the race - watching Andy take the downhill chicane insane speeds with another rider trying to follow his line only to bottle it loose control and crash out (rider was fine). Impressive skills by Andy. You mentioned in your blog that you looked behind and no riders.....thats because he crashed and we all had to slam on the brakes :D

Again many thanks for the long hard pulls - I should have gone at the top of the climb when I said "They're Coming" Andy as I think I had enough left in the tank to hold them off....... hate the second guessing after the races!

Again many thanks Andy and hope to see you again very soon!
 
It was one tough wet race that is for sure! My class had tons of close calls, collisions, 1 technical and 2 wipe outs. It was nice meeting you Andy, I hope to see you again at the Toito!

I have a feeling I could get a top 3 in the next few times we go back to Gunma if they let me stay in B class.

I have video which I will post hopefully tonight or tomorrow when I get around to editing it. I already know I am going to get chewed out for some of the moves I made but in my defense I had no working brakes and could not slow down, so the safest move was to make the pass. You'll know it when you see the video!
 
Don't stay in B class Eric. There is virtually no difference between A & B.
Keep climbing the ladder.

:bike:
 
but having the chance at a series champion jersey is tempting! If I move up, then I wont be in contention with points anymore.
 
I just looked at the race results, I was 12 seconds behind the leader (>_<) but the average speed was 37 km/h making our race the fastest out of them all?!?!?!?
 
It also had the most riders fielded thus the high pace, much easiier to sustain the higher speeds when more people are rotating through the front.

S-class basically was happy for Andy, me and two members of TEAMスタープレックスサイクル do all the work. :mad:

But you were the same as me when I came back to racing - no problems on the flats or rollers but when those feather weights punch on the climbs its so hard to stick on the wheels......keep at it and soon you'll be contesting the sprints mate.
 
Andy, likewise...it was nice to finally meet you too! Impressive when you were trying to bridge the gap between the escapee going up a climb and you had enough energy to shout out my name as you went by! I got some photo's of you and James and they are posted on his FB account. Here's one of them:

Gunma13.jpg


It was my first JCRC race and also my first of the season. I was racing in C class and with only 2 months of slow long riding in the tank I know I can improve a lot as I shift it up a gear into interval training. Still, very pleased with my 6th place in cold and wet conditions and it was great to make the podium!

photo-1.jpg


Well done to James who managed to keep with the climbers but was bumped on the sprint to the line by a madman who almost took him out. Nice work also Eric, as you almost managed to stay with those climbers on the last lap! And these are my favorite pictures of the day.....so Alpe d'Huez like as I come around the corner on the last climb. Great photo's James:D

Gunma1.jpg


Gunma10.jpg


It was like a one day classic! Been on the cobbles mate?

Gunma14.jpg
 
That last hairpin was the killer for all the heavy hitters. Definately with some more interval training I will be able to contest the sprint t this kind of course. Shuzenji is still a whole different game however.
 
You won a prize btw. I think for being first through on one of the laps 2nd I think. Contact the JCRC and they will send it to you.

Kind of like the most aggressive rider title!? I like the sound of that. I'll get in touch with them.

Very happy to stay with the climbers for the entire race.

James, look at that picture. You look in complete control. I'd say we controlled them on the climb. They knew we were quick on the descents so nobody was willing to make a move there, waste a load of energy, only to be swallowed back up. I think you have found a climbing style (hands on the tops, upright, high cadence) to maximise your strengths as a climber. I think we crested that hairpin at the front of the group each lap...


I just looked at the race results, I was 12 seconds behind the leader (>_<) but the average speed was 37 km/h making our race the fastest out of them all?!?!?!?

Eric, I agree with James here. Race speed is only relative. It depends on the size of the field. Collaborations between riders. And tactics at play. Like James said, the two of us pretty much set the pace as other riders were unwilling to share the work. So we weren't going flat out as the last thing you want to do is tow a group of riders to the finish....

you had enough energy to shout out my name as you went by!

"Mike!" is not difficult really! I think it went something like "Urgh! Urgh! Urgh! Mike! Urgh! Urgh!..."

That last hairpin was the killer for all the heavy hitters. Definitely with some more interval training I will be able to contest the sprint t this kind of course.

Interval training is essential for this course. There is no flat. You have to put in a hard effort on the climbs. Recover quickly on the descents.

However, I don't think bigger guys can't do well here. There is on one real "climb" around that hairpin. Positioning is important. Gears too - where, when and how to drop into the small ring. Paying attention to those things will see you crest the hill at the front of the group...

Anyway, a real great day out. James, I sent a message to your FB as I'd love to see the photos.

Andy

www.jyonnobitime.com/time
 
Great job by all of you guys! Love the various write ups and pictures. Giving me the itch to do some road racing...
 
Kind of like the most aggressive rider title!? I like the sound of that. I'll get in touch with them.

Yep I think that's what is was for - You really were out for blood.


James, look at that picture. You look in complete control. I'd say we controlled them on the climb. They knew we were quick on the descents so nobody was willing to make a move there, waste a load of energy, only to be swallowed back up. I think you have found a climbing style (hands on the tops, upright, high cadence) to maximise your strengths as a climber. I think we crested that hairpin at the front of the group each lap..

Yeah I have found what works for me and Im certainly a high cadence climber - can spin them up to over 185rpm :D And I was suprised that I wasn't suffering on the climbs and able to pull away or chase back riders that had gone on the final climb.

They certainly knew our game though and the peloton played it perfectly - was such a shame that two of the guys relaised that we were very dangerous on the final lap when I bridge over to you and we really did have a good distance - they wound us in on that climb though.

Yes we were first out of every climb which was a great feeling as i used to slip back through the peloton.

That last hairpin was the killer for all the heavy hitters. Definitely with some more interval training I will be able to contest the sprint t this kind of course.

Interval training is essential for this course. There is no flat. You have to put in a hard effort on the climbs. Recover quickly on the descents.

However, I don't think bigger guys can't do well here. There is on one real "climb" around that hairpin. Positioning is important. Gears too - where, when and how to drop into the small ring. Paying attention to those things will see you crest the hill at the front of the group..

I agree with Andy here as I've taken a 1st and a 3rd here, as Andy said its all about when and where to attack. Looking back on the race when I said to Andy here they come this is when I should have let rip - we had a good 5 -6 meters when we crested that small rise on the apex and I shoulf have gunned it then. But hindsight is a mother!



Anyway, a real great day out. James, I sent a message to your FB as I'd love to see the photos..
.

Andy
 
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