RR3 Sunday 1st March

[Andy H]

Usual routine, sign on by 8:15 for the 4 hour ride and by 8:45 for the 3 1/2 hour ride.

Weather looks as if it may stay dry, possibly the odd shower but windy!

See you in the morning.

[Steven]

An epic RR3 - one to tell the grandchildren about...

After an initial skirmish to get a working group sorted ( my fault!) we set about working together.  We got to Cefn Cribwr and Paul Nicholas set off up the hill as though there was a £1,000 prime at the top. He had a 200m gap at the top and then decided that we were slowing him down and he would prefer to ride the next 40 miles by himself !  We pushed on and caught the 4hr group at Ogmore.  By then Allan, Mark and myself were all feeling tired and the headwind into Cowbridge took it's toll.  We finished in 3:13, just two minutes too fast to qualify.  Delighted as that's the first time I've DQ'd for being too fast in the 100K.  Paul, of course was tucking into a cake like he'd just ridden to the cafe direct from Bridgend.  Chapeau !

Special mention as well to Toestrap Steve, who completed the ride with a faulty block and big Thanks to Andy for organising and timekeeping..

[Rob Jones]

Solo victory. Cool! That reminds me of several years ago in RR1 when Rob P decided to do the slightly longer bit of dual carriageway towards Pyle that was traditionally part of the course. Several of us worked our socks off together to keep the gap we'd been gifted (Rob was a stronger rider) and took great satisfaction when Rob rolled up at the cafe a little after us ruined, having tried his best to reel us in. I don't recall anyone managing what Paul did today in a reliability ride, though I suspect Carl roach would of had a go!

[Andy S]

Huge thanks to Wayne for dragging me around the last 15 miles
His turn on the front lasted from about 500 yards out from Brackla,after we shot off with the big boys and got dropped after 500 yards!
He even gave me his emergency glucose gel ration to keep me going-what a top man!
The return to Brackla on my own felt like 100km through treacle,but made it and now for a beer and a relaxing bath
Thanks Andy H for your organizing role yet again

[wardhaugh]

I remember that ride too Rob - you, me Jase Jones and Chris Matthews in a group of 4. Today's group of 4 was as described plus Jason Turvey. Jason dropped off at Macross, but we worked well as a group and were pretty smooth - which made Paul's escape all the more impressive. Effort wise it was similar to the RR where you and I did a two up on a similar route finishing at Dyffryn Gardens targeting 20mph (Normalised power 250W today, 246W for the 20mph effort). The section from Aberthaw to Cowbridge was agony today - especially that last bit into the headwind. I was so tired at the end I didn't have the energy to transfer from Costa into Caffe Nero for their superior coffee.

Great ride - thanks for organising Andy.

[Rob Jones]

That's worrying Allan, suggests your getting more powerful with age. Surely the whole point in a power meter is to depress you by evidencing that you are loosing a few watts each year! Good riding all.

[Andy H]

Vital statistics!

17 signed on, 16 started.  Ben North double puncture on the start line!

7 in the 4 hour group 10 in the 3:30 group

8 qualified as 'reliable'  8 disqualified (5 on time, too fast and 3 on course management, 1 of whom is a repeat offender!)

[Wayne E]

Thanks to Andy H  for his time today . Put down 2 more for Course Management just looked at Garmin Map and Andy Samuels and i went off course. We missed out  Southerndown  and  went across Traffic  lights to Kenfig
Porthcawl  and then  Water St and back down A48. Sorry Andy Samuels .

[Andy H]

Results adjusted

6 qualified 10 dq'd

[Andy H]

Qualifiers on RR3 were:-

Terry Anthony
Tony Mansell
Paul Longthorn
Steve Chapman
Jonathan Spink
Neil Bartlett

[Rob Jones]

With RR3 the slight navigational challenge is to offset the beneficial course design given typical conditions (ie some degree of a westerly wind). Some say its too complicated. I say it rewards those that do their pre event homework.

For example I noticed Terry even took time out of his busy schedule  to test ride the course in the week!

[Terry A]

Busy schedule is right Rob - it's surprising how easy it is to fill your day when you are retired. I did a test ride for all 3 RR's in the days before each one. No doubt at all that it helped with pace judgement .... not that I was hung up about it or anything LOL.

Thanks again to Andy for all his work on the RR series.

[Tony M]

Not on your own though. You had a passenger to give you a realistic pace :-)