We
left Hollesley heading toward Butley with a few people laughing at my
home made signs that some
had seen on
local roads denoting the King of the Mountains hill. I let everyone know
that there was one intermediate sprint marked with a 1km warning, the KoM
and the ‘stage’ sprint with a flame rouge marking the 1km to go. I also
said there would be prizes for the winner of each and an overall Club Run
King/Queen prize which certainly got the competitive members juices flowing,
especially when I mentioned that even though I would be in the mix my results
wouldn’t count as I knew where the various points were on the circuit.
We
rode at a nice steady pace that all were happy with, Pete and Bev leading
alongside me as we
headed past
the finish of the ‘10’ course and up through Sudbourne and Snape on our
way to Saxmundham. As we turned onto the road in to Saxmundham the 1km
intermediate sprint sign was spotted and the pace at the front picked up,
with 300m to go Pete and Bev accelerated and pulled a slight gap with Steve,
Becky and myself in pursuit. The solos went over the tandem and the order
on the line was Steve, Becky and Pete and Bev, although Pete did mention
he came 3rd and Bev actually finished 4th.
The
grupetto reformed at the lights before climbing out of Saxmundham and
enjoying a nice roll
across the A12
through Rendham and round into Framlingham, this particularly pleased Becky
as we passed the end of Trevor’s road and she realised she could actually
have stayed in bed an extra couple of hours and joined us for the last
20 miles or so! We then took the scenic route back via Kettleburgh, Charsfield,
Dallinghoo and Bredfield where we all gave Nick Collinson a nice wave as
we passed his house just as he looked out the front window. We then re-crossed
the A12 and dropped down in to Melton before Jim with advance warning took
a chipper up the road gaining about 300m before anyone realised he was
going for the KoM points at the top of Wilford Rise. The pack of Steve,
Becky, James and Valerio were closing fast but Jim nicked it on the line
with the order being Jim, Valerio, James, Becky and Steve.
We reformed the bunch at the top near
Sutton Hoo and proceeded for the final 10 round the Bawdsey peninsular.
Through Sutton before taking the short cut back through Shottisham, Harry
was feeling all 40 miles at this point. Chris left us as he headed home
to Alderton and we went down Sandy Lane to arrive at the southern end of
Hollesley. As we passed the flame rouge Jim tried another cheeky little
break but the bunch were wise to him this time and let him drag them up
to the final 200m before the sprint erupted with Becky gaining the honours
from Jim, Valerio, James and Steve.
As we got in the house Pip was waiting
with plenty of hot builders tea and a selection of homemade cakes, shortbreads
and flapjacks which appeared to go down very well whilst we all sat watching
the track cycling from Manchester on Grandstand. 46 miles, 2 punctures,
12 happy cyclists made for a great day out. The result of the ride was
that Becky was crowned Club Run Queen for this month and seemed pleased
with her prize.
Thanks to everyone who came and made
it so enjoyable and a huge thanks to Pip for making all those delicious
cakes and numerous teas and coffees for us.
Matt D
January Club run
Trevor will lead the January club run
on Sunday 15th, starting at 10:00am from The Elms Car Park,
behind the Bakery in Framlingham.
Club Dinner
This
year’s dinner and prize presentation
will be held on Saturday 11th February at the Lighthouse Restaurant
in Aldeburgh. Meet
at the Cross Keys pub for a pre-dinner drink from 7pm, or at the Lighthouse
at 7:30pm. Members and partners are welcome to attend. This
year the bill will be split so that you pay for your 2 or 3 courses plus
drinks according to what you consume, not split equally between the whole
party. The club will also contribute toward the costs so that Steve
doesn’t have too onerous a task in working out the bill. If you have
any queries or would like to see a sample menu, please speak to me. Please
book your places for the dinner before 3rd February, so that
I can confirm numbers. I can be contacted on 01728 452143 or broughton.m@btopenworld.com
Viv
Becky goes Welsh
After much thought, and many happy
years with Plomesgate CC, Becky has decided to join CC Cardiff as her 1st claim
club. The offer to join them, and strengthen their women’s track squad,
came during the Xmas holiday and after mulling it over she has decided
that’s where her future lies.
Becky has no plans to move to Wales
(yet), and she will remain a 2nd claim member of Plomesgate
CC. She would like to thank everyone in the club for their support over
the years and wishes everyone success in 2006.
Trev
2006 Handbooks
If you require TT handbooks for 2006
Trevor will soon be putting in an order, the details are as follows :-
CTT
Handbook - containing information of all open TTs and rules and regulations
- £5:50.
East District Handbook - containing details of all local club TTs and
other events and other useful information - £2.
Cheques to Plomesgate CC please.
Please let Trevor know if you require
either, or both. trevor.figgitt@btinternet.com
New Members
Welcome to James Ratcliffe and Ron Shoobridge who have
both recently joined Plomesgate CC.
Christmas Day - does
this mean I am obsessed?
Never
one to let a little thing like Christmas Day get in the way of my Sunday
road ride after
a week slogging
on the turbo I ventured out for a spin. I had also managed to lead Chris
Gingell astray and met him in Alderton where he lives at about half past
9. The weather was clear, bright, still and fresh, one of the nicest Sundays
we have had of late making us both pleased we had made the effort. We headed
from Alderton, through Sutton down Wilford Rise and right through Bromeswell
before turning left toward Eyke and onto the return leg of our 10 course.
A nice steady pace and the fantastic weather meant the tarmac flowed under
our wheels as we chatted away about anything and everything ranging from
last seasons Six Nations rugby to our liking for David Millar and his return
to the pro ranks next June. I must admit I enjoyed it so much I can’t remember
actually riding large chunks of the circuit! At the turn on the 10 course
we went right, down through Chillesford and at the Oyster swung left up
the hill toward Hollesley and back to my house where Chris headed off for
the final 4 miles back to Alderton. A nice steady 26 miles in 1 hour and
20 minutes, working up a great appetite for Christmas dinner. The kids
were so busy with the new PS2 that I am not sure they noticed I had gone
and Pip was sorting out her horses and seemed pleased that I came back
with a big grin on my face. Same time next year then Chris?
Matt
Subscriptions
Subscriptions
are due on 01/01/2005 for the current year. Please send you subs
to Steve Jones, 4
Leicester Close, Ipswich. For over 18s it is £10, under 18 and over
12s, £5, and under 12s free. If you are a second claim member half
of the above fee is due.
Open Events 2006
Bev is organizing the first Plomesgate
Open event of 2006 on 18th March. Please contact Bev if
you are able to offer any assistance: bev.whelan@talk21.com.
Results
Breckland CC New Years Day 10
As the name suggests this was held
on 1st Jan 2006!!! I entered this in November before the cold
snap and before a nasty virus just before and over Christmas when it seemed
like a good idea and I was feeling good on the turbo, unfortunately the
virus seemed to take all the power out of my legs and make all my muscles
hurt when exercising. But as I had paid my money I went up to Morley with
no expectations and no low pro bike. I was a little surprised to see most
people on there ‘best bikes’ disc wheels, skin suits and head fairings!
I took the sensible option and chucked a set of ‘clip ons’ onto my road
bike and put as much kit on as possible and just wore my safety helmet.
As
I took the start looking like the Michelin man it was 3 degrees and chucking
it down,
oh how I laughed, I
set off and my heart rate soared and true to recent experience I hit a
wall and my legs started hurting like I was in a bunch sprint at the end
of a long road race, but I concentrated on spinning a steady rhythm and
settled into a fairly comfortable pace. As the race progressed I started
to enjoy the feeling of racing again, those feelings of solitude, concentration
and pushing to where it hurts and just beyond are ones I have come to love
over the past two years of testing, odd maybe, but I never said I was ‘normal’.
At the turn I had a smile on my face, thanked all the marshals as I went
past and headed back toward the start. I had accepted that I was not competing
for the win and just enjoyed the ride pushing as hard as my body would
allow. I hit the finish line and was pleased to ride 24 minutes and 34
seconds.
Back
at Morley village hall the results were in and as with the last 6 years
Martin Pyne had
won in 22m 02 secs!!!
There were a handful of 23min rides and a few 24’s. Some how I had managed
to finish 12th and had beaten a few on their best bikes in full
TT kit. I’m not sure I did my recovery any favours but had enjoyed
the ride and seeing all the usual faces for a chat and seeing what some
got for Christmas. I have 6 weeks to get back in shape for the Ely Hardriders
25 so should be ok by then!
Happy New Year to all of you and hope
to see you in 2006 at one of the many PCC events.
Matt
How to enter events
Part
Two - Time Trials
Time
Trials in the UK are governed by Cycling Time Trials (formerly Road Time
Trials Council). To enter open time trials
you need
to be a paid up member of a club which is affiliated to CTT. They
have a website at http://www.rttc.org.uk/
Plomesgate
CC is affiliated, so as long as your membership is up to date you are
ready for the next step. There
are many TTs held
on public roads at weekends up and down the country, between March and
October, and to find out these details you will need a CTT Handbook (though
you can plan a race calendar from the CTT web site – see left for
how to buy a handbook). The club usually put in an order for these (2006
price £6) early in the New Year. As most events have a closing date roughly
2 weeks before the event, you need to plan ahead and look at dates at least
3 weeks in advance. Find a date and see if there is a suitable event in
the area that you may want to ride. Once you find a date you should see
a list of events usually ordered in ascending order according to the race
distance, in the next column is a code, this may be E1/10, B10/9 etc… This
is the course code, this is historic but basically the letter denotes a
region of the UK, so for Norfolk and Suffolk look for courses with a ‘B’ code,
Essex and part of Cambridgeshire is covered by ‘E’, the next number is
usually the course distance. The remaining information is the entry fee
and organiser’s details, you will need this information later.
So
you have selected an event, all you have to do now is complete an entry
form and send it to the organiser with
the correct entry
fee. The entry form can be downloaded from the CTT website.
This one includes an entry form for Team Time Trials, Hill
Climbs and a parental consent form if you are under 18 :-
If
you have previously ridden any club TTs then hopefully you have kept
a record of your best time as you will need
to input this
on the entry form. Fill out your name, the club (Plomesgate CC) and the
district (East) then your address etc…. don’t worry about the Vets bit,
sign and date the bottom. Write a cheque for the correct entry fee, the
cheque should be made payable to the organising club and send it off to
the organiser, whose address was in the handbook, to arrive before the
closing date.
Usually between three and five days before the event you
will receive in the post a start sheet or race programme (option on the
entry form to receive email of the entry form). This will contain the start
time, HQ/changing room details, course details, prize details and a list
of competitors. All you have to do then is turn up at the event in plenty
of time. Report to the race HQ, sign the register, collect your number
and race.
Open
events also have a ‘dress code’ in that either club
clothing or plain clothing must be worn. You are not allowed to use
kit advertising anything other than the clothing manufacturer, so no Discovery
Team kit.
If
you are still confused then think about entering an event with a club
mate who has raced before and can show
you the ropes….and
good luck.
Trev
Equipment test
There was a
suggestion recently that the club should buy equipment for use by the members. This is not practical because of various issues relating to insurance and maintenance. However, if anyone has a desire to try some equipment out, a general request to the club might get a response.
For example
Trevor has an old HED rear disk sitting in his garage gathering dust,
it's a tubular rim and a screw thread hub but if anyone fancies trying
out a
disk and wants to borrow it then just shout. Trevor also has a varied and strange selection of front and rear tubular wheels if anyone fancies trying out tubs to test the difference. Same goes for people who want to try tri bars for the first time, there are probably plenty of spare ones lying around that people can "borrow before they buy".
Book Review
“A Significant Other: Riding the
Centenary Tour De France with Lance Armstrong” by Matt Rendell
An
inside look at the 2003 Tour de France through the eyes of one of Lance
Armstrong’s domestiques, the Colombian
Victor Hugo Peña. Peña served as one of Armstrong’s ‘gorillas’, the big
strong riders who control the flat stages, along with Ekimov, Hincapie
and Padranos a crucial yet unsung position unique to cycling. The book
explains how the domestique handles a variety of tasks, but his most important
being to police the bunch, not letting any of the pre-determined competitors
get in a break and to ride ahead of the team leader, creating a wind tunnel
that makes it aerodynamically easier for the “boss” to be in top condition
when he makes his stage defining effort. The fact that the domestique gets
little of the glory seems against the team sport principle but Matt Rendell
tries to shed light on why these men do it. He does this through the eyes
of Victor Hugo Peña, who writes a few chapters of his experiences on various
stages, including the Team Time Trial where Peña became the first Columbian
to wear the Maillot Jaune. I found Peña to be both eloquent and engaging
and really enjoyed the chapters he wrote. At times Rendell seemed to look
too deeply into what pro cycling stands for and he could be accused of
over philosophising, especially when he's trying to use professional cycling
as a metaphor for the sins of globalisation, which is a bit of a stretch.
But on the whole I enjoyed the book and Victor Hugo Peña can add another
admirer to his list.
If
any one wants a ‘lend’ of
it drop me a line.
Matt
January Training
John
Gabriel is organising a Cycle Training Session on Sunday 15 January based
from Playford Village
Hall. Riders
will have the choice of two sessions, a group ride of about 30 miles led
by Jeff Irving or a technique session based on riding hills led by John
Gabriel.
Both
rides will start at 9.30 am prompt and Playford Village Hall will be
open from 9.00 am
and afterwards for
teas / coffees. If the weather is too bad to venture out riders are
asked to bring their turbo trainers along and an indoor session will be
held instead. Session fee will be £2 per rider which includes refreshments.
Please support these rides as they
form part of the Club Development Plan for 2006, more events to follow.
Trev
Track Training
As last year Jeff Wade of the Chelmer
CC is running two track training days at Newport Velodrome. The dates are
on 5thy February and 12th March. It is very likely that the
Figgitt Trio will be going along to both, but if you want to go then please
contact Jeff directly with your booking and money. The details are as follows:-
“As
in previous years, I have booked Newport Track for training purposes
on two dates. These
are Sunday 5th
Feb and Sunday 12th March, both dates for 09.00 to 16.00hrs. The plans
for the day will be similar to the winning formula of previous trips.
We
will start off with three groups, 'complete track novices 'and those
who haven't ridden on
a track for years.
A 'middle group' who are experienced but who are not fit enough to go in
with the 'experts group' who will be both experienced track riders and
fairly fit. The novices will receive a full track induction session,
so there's no need for any previous experience.
Jane
Toyne is coming along as a second coach and I expect to have a really
good turnout of
women for the event. We
also hope to have a Derny for the more experienced riders (this may be
a couple of pounds extra).
As
usual I am taking bookings only on receipt of the money and it's just £20 for the whole day. Hire bikes
are available at the track for those who don't have their own and these
were £6.00 per day last time.
Jeff Wade, 1 Rana Drive, Braintree,
Essex, CM7 2TD. 01376 346848, 0771 236 3942 mobile
Please include all your clearly written
contact details (phone, mobile, e-mail etc)
For
under 18's I will need a signed parental consent form and I will have
these on the day,
however if a parent
is not attending the session then arrangements must be made to get the
form to me in advance.”
Calendar Dates
