Results – Road Racing

We’ve had club members racing and representing the club at various events recently. Deacon Cutterham did a great ride to finish 3rd (Bronze Medal) in the BC Master Scratch Race over at the Newport Velodrome. Noel Waldron, Mark Hughes and David Rutty have been racing on the local circuit with numerous top 10 results.

On the events front congratulations to Mark Bishton for completing Wales Veloton and just yesterday, both Michael Robinson and Kieran Murphy completed the iconic L’Etape de Tour.

Well done all, keep the jersey out there whether just riding your bike or competing!

This weekend saw Toby Smith and Kieran Murphy represent the club in the Bristol South RR. It’s a tough one to start with – 8 times up Stowey hill..! Both did well but unfortunately Toby got caught up in a crash need the end and Kieran suffered with cramp on the 7th time up.

Further afield – Nick Tomkins rode the Echelon Vets RR finishing a credible 6th place in his first race of the year.

Earlier in the week Matt Dale and Deacon Cutterham rode the 2/3 crit over at Maindy Track, Cardiff on Wednesday evening. Matt found the pace a little too much for his first outing, but Deacon managed a top ten placing with 9th.

Well done to everyone and lots more to come no doubt in 2017!

TOACHIM VETS/PS+CYCLEWEAR SERIES
Promoted by Swindon RC on Sunday 10th May
Race Category E (60-64yrs)

Proving you’re never too old to try racing – Nick Tomkins (in I believe his first road race?) rode the LVRC (League of Veteran Racing Cyclists) Road Race promoted by Swindon RC. On the rolling course based around Great Somerford, Wiltshire, he timed his solo escape to perfection, crossing the line alone on the uphill finish just in front of the chasing pack! A massive congratulations from everyone at Velo Club!

• 1st  Nick Tomkins, Velo Club Bristol
• 2nd  Ralph Keeler, Wheels In Wheels
• 3rd  David Harper, Andover Whs

Bristol South RR – 29th March

In atrocious conditions with 50 mph winds Greg Lancaster AKA Bomber and Lee Davies lined up for the season opener 3/4th cat RR on the notorious Stowey circuit. Unfortunately Lee’s race was over before it started with a mechanical, however Greg with a solid winters training in the legs set about the race in ernest.

With massive cross-winds on the downhill and the repeative climbs of Stowey the field quickly whittled down to a front group of 20. After a mid race lul Greg set about reducing the numbers, attacking on climb he soon opened up a gap with one other rider, with one lap to go the move was on! Disaster nearly struck on the last lap when Greg un-shipped his chain however he managed to get back on to his break-away companion, then drop him across the false flat on the top of the circuit. Head down for the last few head wind miles and Greg rolled in across the line in first place a minute clear!

A great ride and many congratulations from all at Velo Club Bristol.

Rockbere Road Race
Sunday 14th September 2014

A team of five VCB members took part in the end of season road race down near Exeter -Jason Flooks, Kieran Murphy, Lee Francis, Matt Dale and Alex Allen.

Jason capped off a good second half of the season with a fine 2nd place, narrowly loosing out on the win in a 4-up break sprint. The break went clear on the 2nd lap of the 50 mile race and opened up a commanding lead to contest the finish. With this result Jason regains his 2nd category licence.

Castle Combe Summer Series
22nd July 2014

Report- Keiran Murphy

There was another strong field of about 80 riders. Strong representation by Bath CC, and Cotswolds Veldrijden. Club riders were, Matt Dale, Noel Waldron, Lee Francis and Jason Flooks and Chris Francis. (Lee riding after completing in Iron Man UK on Sunday before). Conditions were hot and glorious summers evening.

Despite Lee saying his legs weren’t perfect, he spent alot of the time at the front of the race, helping to keep the pace high (26.9mph avg for race). Attacks came early. Jason getting involved for a lap or so. I managed to get into a 5 man break, for a lap. We were working well, but the bunch were too strong and reeled us back in. Matt put in a counter attack. The pace was high, and the race was stretched for the most part.

There were too many strong riders though. You could sense it was coming down to a bunch sprint. I came across Flooksie with 4 to go. He offered me his wheel into the finish, and suggested a move to jump out of the bunch in the last corner and take a more direct line to the right hand side of the track. And in his words he was going to “kick hard”, and aim to get to the pit wall with me in tow.

The last lap came and as we approached the final corner, the bunch started to jostle for position. I lost Jason’s wheel and we were both boxed in, but we knew the plan. We both left the bunch at the same time. I bridged over to Jason, and he “kicked hard!”. He gave it full gas down the right hand side of the circuit. It was perfectly timed, the bunch didn’t respond. We had one rider attempt to get on my wheel. He got within a bike length or so. Jason had given it everything, we weren’t at the pit wall, we were about 60m before. I had to go early. I kicked with everything I had. In my head nobody was coming around me. I don’t know what gear it was, but I mashed the life out of it with everything I had.

I could feel the line coming, but I couldn’t sense the lone rider behind anymore. I had a glance over my shoulder. I was well clear. I couldn’t believe it, I had it. I was about to win! Time for a double arms aloft celebration (without falling off).

It was the most unbelievable feeling, and it wouldn’t have happened without Jason’s move and massive turn on the front to slingshot me to the line. A proper team effort!

Castle Combe Summer Series
Thursday 3rd July 2014

In what is starting to become the norm – another fine team performance from the Velo Club boys, this time at Castle Combe. Riding in the 3/4th category race were Lee Francis, Jason Flooks, Matt Dale and Noel Waldron.

The guys covered every move with Lee and Jason both getting in what looked like race winning moves. However it all came down to a bunch finish, with Jason taking the win! He was closely followed by Noel in 3rd and Matt in 5th – a fantastic club effort.

Scorpion CS Stage Race
Ilton 31st May 2014

Velo Club entered a team of four for the this 3-stage, single day race based down at Ilton, near Yeovil. The team consisted of; Jason Flooks, Kieran Murphy, Jon Gates and Dave Rutty. Both ‘road’ stages came down to bunch sprints with Jason finishing 4th and Jon 9th in the first stage.

The shorter, second stage circuit race is where Jon laid the foundation for the overall with a beautifully timed sprint to take the win, Kieran was 5th, with Jason involved and Dave narrowly missing the stack-up within the last km.

So with the final TT to go it was still all to play for, again Jon did a great ride to claim the overall win and achieve his 2nd category licence. Kieran continued to show his progress this season with 9th on the stage and 7th overall. Jason unfortunately abandoned after the crash with Dave finishing mid table in the overall.

A fantastic day for the club and congratulations to Jon for the win and gaining his 2nd cat licence!

Avon Valley Road Race
Sunday 11th May
Report: Jon Gates (the winner!)

Despite attestations about a flat course, it was pretty lumpy (!) with about 1,600m of climbing at the circuit around Kingsbridge, Devon. A sporting ride up a 100+m climb that made up the neutralised zone was an indication of what was to come. The first lap was fairly sensible and gave us a chance to find our way round and Kieran Murphy and Dave Rutty were both seen fairly close to the sharp end along with myself and Greg Lancaster. Two riders broke away early on and by the last climb of the lap the peloton had reeled them in to about 20m. Someone then suggested letting them dangle in the wind a bit longer and they promptly disappeared again.

Lee Davies was still in the heavily reduced pack at this point with probably half the field shelled out, including Lee Francis with a puncture miles from home (hope the blisters from the shoeless walk back heal fast!) Despite plenty of VCB work on the front no-one seemed inclined to chase, so on the last climb of lap two Greg stretched the field out and broke away with a Dream Cycling rider. I pushed on up the last rise, taking a Tiverton Wheelers rider with me and we set about catching Greg. We reeled in the other guy who Greg had dropped and we eventually caught him after a good slog and briefly worked as a 4-up before DC-man went out the back door.

The rest of the last lap consisted of a good solid 3-up TT effort to reel in the break who’d started the lap 2 minutes ahead. By the top of the second of the 3 climbs we had them in sight, and some furious descending brought them closer still. With one climb left I pushed hard to reel them in, hoping to bring Greg with me, but his legs were starting to run out. Realising the break looked utterly knackered I did the honourable thing and kicked past them, hoping it was hard enough to stop them getting on my wheel. It was, but left me in the unusual position of being in front… I pressed on and hoped Greg would be able to make the pass too, unfortunately by the time he had them in range they were over the crest and into the drag to the finish and it wasn’t to be. I wrung myself dry on the last stretch and had a good gap over the Tiverton rider in second, the breakaway riders in 3rd and 4th, Greg in 5th and Lee Davis finishing just outside the top 20 in only his second RR.

A hard day at the office, but after 21 years of buggering about with bikes, it’s nice to finally win one – in VCB colours too!

Full team; Jon Gates, Greg Lancaster, Kieran Murphy, Lee Francis, Matt Dale, Jason Flooks, Dave Rutty, Lee Davies and Mark Hughes.

Thursday 8th May 2014

It’s good to see riders developing and gaining in confidence as well as race-craft. A great example of this is Kieran Murphy, he rode a great race in the second week of the popular Combe series. Measuring his effort to almost perfection, getting narrowly pipped on the line for the win, with a fine 2nd place in the 3/4th category race!

VC Bristol, again had a great turnout of riders in both races.