Reading Cycling Club press report, week ending 25 April 2010

Fine weather brought fine racing.

Photo caption: Nick English was 3rd in the Bath Road Club hilly 50km time-trial
Photo credit: Lewis Cleveland
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Road and Circuit Racing

Thames Velo Spring Road Race
John Snead, Nick Davies, Dave Harmsworth, Simon Notley and Stephen Bale represented Reading in the Thames Velo 3/4 road race on a course consisting of three laps of the Great Milton circuit around Stadhampton, Chalgrove, Clare Hill and Tetsworth. This event was the first designated race in the new RCC race series so the Reading riders were competing among themselves as well as with everyone else.
Bale reports: "There had been heavy rain in the early hours and there were still heavy showers coming thorough and large puddles on the course. The race went off at a sustainable pace with odd attacks but nothing threatening. I struggled greatly to hold a position in the bunch on the narrow carriageways. I was being cautious on the wet surfaces but other riders were taking advantage of and squeezing me out. On the final lap I found myself at the rear of the field along with Nick Davies and we both wondered how it was that we were there when we riding strongly! Over Clare Hill for the final time a handful of riders were lost from the peloton as the tail chased the head up and over the other side. By 2km to go I had worked up to a fair position only to slip back as the field jockeyed for position for the final mass sprint. A large part of my consideration was in beating my clubmates to the line. I knew Dave was out and that John was one of the victims the last time up Clare Hill so it was between Nick, Simon and myself. Sticking close to Simon he was ahead with one km to go and Nick was on my wheel. I saw Simon get boxed in in the jockeying for position and went around on the outside on the hill. Not knowing exactly where Nick was I fully opened the taps as soon as I could get a clear run, never looking back. I carved up through those who had either made their effort too soon or didn't have the legs to take the line at full speed. If I could start that kind of action from the right place in the peloton I would do much better!"
Simon Notley adds: "This was my first race of the season and I was aiming to finish in the bunch. The wet roads and frequent oncoming traffic made it difficult to move through the bunch. As the final approach started I found myself locked in a race within a race against Steve and Nick for the RCC points. I saw a gap and went for it, thinking I was clear, but ended up boxed in and Steve shot past. One last kick was needed to prevent Nick going the same way."
Selected results (66 finishers):
1 Rob Yeatman Team Zappi's
15 Stephen Bale Reading CC
31 Simon Notley Reading CC
32 Nicholas Davies Reading CC
59 John Snead Reading CC

Wayne Thomas reports on another packed week of racing.
On Wednesday Thomas was at Hillingdon for the LVRC (veterans) race, on this occasion joined by clubmate Murray Hogge. With 64 guys in the peloton it was another tough night. With the peloton heading for a bunch finish Thomas made a rookie mistake by blistering over the line for what he thought was an excellent third place only to hear the bell being rung - there was another lap to go. Perhaps just as well, as on the last corner of the last lap there was an almighty crash with at least 12 riders involved. Thomas and Hogge managed to navigate through the melée to finish just off the back of a depleted peloton.
On Saturday Thomas was at the Milton Keynes Bowl for back to back races. In the morning in the LVRC race Thomas was part of a nine man group that broke away early. In the tough uphill finish he came 6th (2nd in age group). In the afternoon Thomas was in the 3/4 category race. This shot off at a remarkably ferocious pace on the extended technical circuit (there are six options here). Within a short time the front group of 40 riders had been whittled down to 15, with Thomas surprising himself by hanging in until 10 minutes to go.
On Sunday Thomas was to be found in an LVRC RR near Reigate over 6 laps of an 8 mile circuit with a short sharp climb. Being part of a race series this was a fiercely contested event with the current leaders and their contenders being aggressively vigilant. This ultimately allowed two unmarked riders to break away on the last lap and just hold on to the finish by a handful of seconds. Thomas finished an exhausted 13th (4th in age group).

Time Trials

Bath Road Club hilly 50km
Nick English and Rod MacFadyen represented Reading at the Bath Road Club hilly 50km on the Bucklebury circuit on Sunday morning. The rain which was an unwelcome surprise put times back a little as riders negotiated the twists and turns of this technical circuit. Chris Birch edged a win by 4 seconds from James Boyman with English a fine third.
Selected results (17 finishers):
1. C Birch, East St Cycles, 1.17:35
2. J Boyman, In Gear Quickvit RT, 1.17:39
3. N English, Reading CC, 1.20:30
10. R MacFadyen, Reading CC, 1.27:17

Reading CC 10-mile
The midweek club event took place on the two-lap Waltham St Lawrence circuit. Fastest on the night was Nick English, 22:40, who was over a minute faster than Stephen Bale with 23:46. Of note was young Jamil Gaida of Palmer Park Velo whose 28:26 was his first time under 30 minutes for the distance.

Princes Risborough Sportive
Matt Pritchard rode the Princes Risborough Sportive long route on Sunday, 82 miles on a route based on the northern edge of the Chiltern escarpment. He comments, "After a week of sunshine it was disheartening to set off in pouring rain for my first major sportive of the season but it had dried up enough after 20-odd miles to make it a tough but enjoyable ride. I was riding with a non-RCC work colleague and we worked really well together for most of the course until the final dragging miles got the better of my legs. I was gutted to miss out by an achingly close 2 minutes on what would have been my first gold standard time but was nevertheless pleased with my silver time of 4h 53 min. My colleague kept his form to finish 8 minutes ahead of me for a Gold."
Selected times, Reading CC members:
Martin Cairns (full route) 4h 37 (gold)
Matt Pritchard (full route) 4h 53min (silver)
Ben Oakes (full route) 5h 18min (silver)

Sunday clubrun
All groups leave Reading Market Place at 9am on Sundays.

Roderick MacFadyen
Reading Cycling Club