My Community
General Category => Road Races => Topic started by: Steven on February 16, 2016, 11:00:54 AM
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We bumped into Will Pring in Café Velo on Sunday and he reminded me to get an entry in for this year's event. It's a 3 stage, two day event based around Cowbridge on the 18th and 19th June and for many years we entered a team. Will has given an assurance we will get a ride. The parcours favours riders who are good on hills so I would suggest names such as Paul Nicholas, Chris Goodwin, Mark Rosser, Haydn Lewis and Rich Jones. The entry has to come from the OVW Team Manager (me!), not individual entries. The only other event on this weekend is the West Wales 100! So put the date in your diary and express and interest here....
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Hi Steven,
I would really like to do this, just not sure what my work schedule will be until nearer the time,
Thanks,
Nei
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Just wanted to try and stimulate some OVW racers.
I did this event a few years ago (when I was a bit fitter :-\), and it was really good fun. Very well organised and a good test of powers of recovery with a TTT and two road races in two days. It is a higher standard than Cat 3/4 might suggest - I'd compare it as the at least as high standard as Cat 2/3 and Cat 2/3/4 that I raced.
Paul Nicholas would definitely enjoy this as there's plenty of climbing. Don't think I've ridden with Neil, but from what I read of your Crit results so far, you should try and ride it if you can. Haydn - from what I've seen of your riding in the last 6 months, you'd love it!
Having said all that, I'll be happy to be a roadside spectator....racing days have gone ;). Be good to have some Oggies to cheer on though.
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Will told me we have to enter as a team and I am set up as team manager for OVW. Billy Pring says we will get a place. Neil, Paul, Haydn and Mark R?
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Hmmm, could I suggest Chris Goodwin instead of me ,as I have no race experience what so ever. Happy to be substitute, and would willingly fill in if needed!!
Got to admit, I do like the idea of it thou:)
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You have to start somewhere Haydn, may as well be this!
I'm happy to stand roadside and hand out bottles. ;D
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Yes, only one way to get experience. Go Harpo!!
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Stand up XraySpex - it's a hilly course - ideal for you!
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Come on you lot , its a local event and OVW has normally put a team in , I have done it several times and always had a kicking .After seeing you all in Majorca its time for one or two of you to step forward .May I suggest Dr Goodwin , Paul Nicolas , Harpo and Dave W .
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Ajax has 2 teams and many more would love to ride. I understand the organiser has said there is a shortage of local teams entered. Its my favourite event, always has been. It is hard though, I've seen several put off racing over the years by stepping into this one without some road races under their belts. Stage racing is so much more enjoyable in my view, you really feel like a team as your team time trial and aggregate results matter.
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It's time to commit. Met Will Pring in Cafe Velo and we have until tomorrow evening. I have to enter on behalf of the club as Team Manager but without the promise of riders and cash we will lose out. Neil Poulton, your name should be on the list. The course would suit the riders mentioned. Give me a call on 07834431258 if you want to chat it through.
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I assumed that I'm am already included on the list.
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Yes. That's one!
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Harpo has called me. That's two...
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Mark Rosser makes three
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Neil seems committed, work permitting, would we be able to use a reserve if he wasn't able to make it?
p.s. I'm not volunteering!! :D :D
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Apologies; I'm working. I've already tried to change it for a family dinner and couldn't.
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Neil Poulton makes 4 ! Now to see if I can get the system to work...
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Really chuffed to be involved guys :-) Does anyone know the routes they use for the road races?
Thanks,
N
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in 2014 routes were something like this ;-
Day 1 TT https://www.strava.com/routes/4611734
Day 1 https://www.strava.com/routes/4611626
Day 2 takes in blackmill, gilfach goch and tonyrefail before returning to finish on Cowbridge bypass.
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Thanks..that's great.
N
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I wish I had the fitness and miles under my belt, I have always fancied this but something always gets in the way. Next year hopefully.
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Neil should do good at this and seems to be going well at the moment, I've been struggling the last couple of weeks and could do with something to aim for. Will have to make the effort and ride with everyone at the Tuesday chain gang. Can't wait to tackle the sprint up to the petrol station again!
Ta
P
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You'll be flying again by then mate...maybe we should get some miles in together?
We can catch up at the race on Wednesday anyway :-)
N
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We have a team in the Etape!
Paul Nicholas, Neil Poulton, Mark Rosser and Haydn Lewis. It's the first time in a few years so we need to be on the roadside supporting the team.
I have paid on my credit card so there is the small matter of £68 from each of you. Neil, I hope I've put the right one down (425102?)
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that's right for my membership number, got the notification from BC today.
Very generous of you to pay for us ;)
N
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Great race. Love it. Wish i could do it this year but cat 2 so cant get enthusiasm to train for normal road races.
Glad ogmore got a team in. Awesome.
Its the most fun / tiring, you'll have.
You cant replicate the feeling of hitting blackmill climb on 2nd day and legs are screaming going up them climbs.
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Hey guys, just checking in to see how training is going?? Hope you are all going well :-)
It's under a month to go and I didn't know if we need to catch up and have a bit of a ride?
Also, I live just around the corner from the school so I wanted to offer my house as a bit of a base for the races, plenty of space for parking and be good to have somewhere in between events/eating/changing etc.
Let me know what you think,
Thanks,
Neil
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I know chaingang may clash domestically but Paul and Mark gave me a hard time last night...
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Hey guys, anyone fancy a bit TT practise and then into a ride on Saturday? I can't get out until about 11am if anyone facies it :-)
Neil
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Went for spin with Harpo and Mark this morning, thinking of doing an alternative club run tomorrow which could include the Saturday Road Race Ogmore circuit (one loop?) and Sunday Road Race.
I'm happy to do an early 7:30 start if that fits in with everyones plans and can ride until the usual club run finish time of 1pm. There's option there depending on how much time we all have, could do the Sunday course first with an option to turn off before we start the Ogmore circuit.
Ta
P
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7:30 works for me...would prefer to do the Sunday one first and then miss the second part as I'll need to get home to the kids if that works for other?
Thanks,
N
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Planning to meet 8am at Leekes car park to do the Sunday circuit.
Ta
P
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So the big weekend gets closer and the team have been working hard to prepare for the event. Let's make sure everyone who is out is on the roadside at some point giving them encouragement!
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For those involved in the race I'm happy to use my house as a bit of a base for getting ready/changing etc, I live in Millfield Drive, just around the corner from the school, so if you want we can park there and get set up and then eat/change/warm up for the TT there and then get some food in between events?
If anyone has any ideas/suggestions on planning let me know,
Neil
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Can someone please put the times and courses on this page, or direct me to that info. Ta
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Will this do?
https://www.britishcycling.org.uk/events/details/133715/L'etape-de-la-Defonce-2-day-Stage-Race
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Not sure if this info still applies, however it's has directions and maps...
https://www.britishcycling.org.uk/zuvvi/media/articles/welsh_cycling/ETAPE_START_SHEET_2012.pdf
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Look forward to seeing Team Ogmore, as a fan of this event and a regular participant my advice should you choose to take it is to take each event in turn and bury yourself in the TTT, rather than thinking of saving anything for the race later. The TTT is by far the most important stage for both the team and individual overall.
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Interesting Met for the weekend's racing - Sat is dry and fine - light north westerly for the time trial, then a gusty westerly for the afternoon. Sunday may be wet but with light winds...
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Good luck guys for the race ;D
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Good luck fella's
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One place going in L'etap (another team). No other details. 1st come 1st served, need BC licence number. Rob
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Good luck all, planning to ride out to Ogmore in the afternoon to watch.
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Team OVW
Go for it
Good luck
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Good luck Boys
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In work today - any posts as to how the boys are getting on appreciated!
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I haven't seen all the official results yet, as I had to shoot off after the race today.
I think we did the TT in 18:18 or there about, we got held up by a tractor after the turn. I think I finished inside the top 25 in the road race on day 1 with Neil not far behind suffering with cramp but still managed a strong ride, followed by Mark, Harpo got dropped when the pace picked up at a weird point on the road by Southerndown and later dropped out as another group failed to get together behind the bunch. Mark had been ill all week and was still sounding rough on the Saturday but still managed to get myself and Neil back on the bunch when it split. Amazing effort we would have been stuffed if he hadn't been there. I was pleased not to have made too many "idiot" moves in the road race only going off the front on my own once like a mad man on the coast road. Good weather and a great day of racing.
I met Neil at his house on Day Two, I must admit I was feeling bit sorry for myself. Mark was ill, Harpo out, Neil's leg was a bit stuffed up and it was raining. It put a bit of a dampener on proceedings. We made our way to HQ to sign on, I kept telling Neil he was signing in the wrong box, then I noticed that Mark and Harpo had signed on! Excellent. Couldn't stop smiling after that. Harpo couldn't do the race in the end as they would DQ everyone in the team if he did. I couldn't feel sorry for myself after that, not when one of your team signs on to compete regardless of the previous days racing. That's the kind of people you want on your team.
I finished in the second group on the road today, hopefully inside the top 30 although quite a bit behind the leading group I suspect, with Neil not far behind me. What with the weather being bad everyone seemed to want to roll home. It was good fun, a bit nervous today with the rain (that might have just been me!). Happy to have got round in one piece as there were a couple of incidents. Annoyed with myself that I didn't position well going into the Glynogwr climb, I reckon I could have scraped the leading group if I had. Good fun working together in 2's and 3's trying to catch them though!
I posted about the road side support from the club in the amblers club run section. We had club members on every event cheering us on, I think I have seen everyone out over the course of the weekend (most on both days), the support over the weekend was phenomenal. I'll post the results when I get them through.
Ta
P
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Congrats to all my team mates, and a great result for Paul...looking forward to seeing how it all shakes out.
Big thanks to everyone who came out to support us, you can't imagine how much it helps :-)
See you all soon,
Neil
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Good report Paul. Well done all of you. It's a really tough race even in good conditions, and I really would not have fancied those Gilfach descents in the wet today. I'm surprised there weren't more 'incidents' to be honest. Shame that Mark was ill - he did manage a smile as he passed Talygarn though. Good to see OVW sending a team out again.
Looked to be some very strong riders in the race (as usual) - 2nd cats masquerading as 3rds, and youngsters on the way up etc. Glad you all enjoyed it though. Hope there's some more races left for you to have a go at this Summer other than crits.
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Thanks, luckily we did the course last weekend in the rain so I had a good idea of the "dodgy" bits. Gilfach was a bit sketchy as I was chasing to get back on. Oddly the first corner on the descent from Glynogwr into Blackmill was slippery last week but OK today. The worst bit that I pointed out to the riders in my group was the cattle grid in Bryncethin on the way back, but it made little difference as a fair few riders had near misses or off's there. Probably my worst nightmare coming off on a cattle grid. I even went out in front and took the most obvious widest line turning left through the mini roundabout but still heard crunching carbon behind. Ridiculous really as yesterday in the dry we were easing up for every cattle grid, like they were mantraps or something.
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True. A junior working with me to get back to something resembling a group for most of the race (he punctured early too) came a cropper on that grid. He didn't even take it too badly as I'd warned him. But still had a bit if an angle from the rbt. He went down really hard poor lad, with a haunting shriek of pain. Then when I was asking around back at HQ to see he'd got to hospital I found him (and his mum). He'd got back on and finished in last place. Fair play, I'd have definitely quit at that point. Good show today btw, you'd think Ogmore was the biggest club in Wales from the numbers on the hill and at the finish!! That's great support for your team.
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Glad to hear he was OK, sorry to hear that you punctured tho. I was looking out for you and assumed you got away with the lead group.
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I have a feeling I would have missed the selection today. I was lazily positioned well back in the peleton when I punctured. Continuously putting off the moment to get up the front ready for that brutal 1st climb. Looking at your time on strava for the climb Paul, I don't know how you didn't make the selection. You must have started from too far back is the only explanation. You were definitely quick enough. Great effort.
No more road racing for me. I love it but family/age/risk in that order mean I'm going to get my kicks elsewhere in future.
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I've felt the same this year, but it's hard to call it quits when you get a good weekend like this with lots of great moments that put a smile on your face. Maybe a bit more racing for me next year but fancy trying a cycle tour and some sportive events on the continent, see something different and a bit less racing around in circles. Having said that I've got to find an event I can do at the velodrome too. Glad I had the opportunity to jump onto your wheel at least once in a race though!
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I've attached a PDF with all the results, I managed:
Stage 1 team TT - 18:14
Stage 2 Vale of Glamorgan - 23rd 02:06:42
Stage 3 The Ogmore Valley - 28th 01:53:05
Overall GC - 27th