Tour of Briton Epsom Downs

Ian Wilkinson

 so
Ian used to be in the UK MTB squad with Tim in the early 2000's so I said hello!

Taking a close look at Wiggo's  bike!

The man himself nonchalantly leaving the team bus to start the penultimate stage Epsom to Guildford

MTB Ride Thursday 19th September

Hi All

The weather forecast looks wet for Thursday so I think we should cancel the ride.
 
Hope everyone enjoyed our summer evenings, as much as I did!
Future rides will be weather permitting, and will be shorter in distance.
Will keep you posted.

Cheers
Andy

ps Planning some time to ride the Grand Union Canal into London via Little Venice.
Meet at Kingston, ride will take in Bushey Park, Crane river, Hounslow Heath then onto the canal.
Back via Hyde Park, Chelsea Harbour, River Thames, Putney, Wimbledon Common - finishing at Wetherspoons New Malden for a well earned beer! Lunch on the canal, coffee at Putney, beers at New Malden. Ride distance 38miles.
Probably an alternative Saturday ride!

Consolation 25 - Sunday 22nd September - start sheet

KINGSTON PHOENIX ROAD CLUB

CONSOLATION 25

SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 22nd 2013

G25/47

START SHEET

All Sealed Handicap

No  NAME             Vets/Std      START
1   Grant Pyke        1-18-26      08-51
2   Rick Opie         1-07-26         52
3   Ken Williams      1-16-59         53
4   Heike Godman       PTT            54
5   Jake Dodd         1-13-41      08-55
6   Mike Morley       1-14-36         56
7   Simon Trehearn                    57
8   Kerry Bircher   Cranleigh CC      58
9   Nick Hostler                      59
10  Stuart Pearce                  09-00
11  Ben Shelton     London Dynamo     01
12  Alex Kew          1-06-00         02
13  Brian Powney      1-08-02         03
14  Marcus Edwards    1-07-50         04

Awards:
1st, 2nd & 3rd Hcp

Consolation Trophy to be held by the highest placed rider on Hcp who has won no other Club Trophy.

Usual HQ as in the evening 10’s - Inholm's Lane Car Park

We ride as a group (sort of) to the start on the A24 at Mill Lane, South Holmwood 1.7 miles from HQ, all up hill

Start: Just in Mill Lane and continue south on A24 for 4.8 miles to 2nd Rbt, Clarks Green, were turn (10 turn) and retrace north to Beare Green rbt were LEFT into A29. for aprox 8 miles (through Ockley) to bear LEFT onto A281.

The next part is easy to go wrong. There are a number of rbts, keep on A281 /A264 towards the A24. (Do not go into the trading estate on your left)

To Farthing Hill rbt A24 junction. Bear left down slip road to join A24 North Bound. Keep on A24 to

Finish at railway bridge 1 mile south of start and just past the entrance to Beare Green village.

Frank Cubis (club event sec)


I'm guessing that the plan will be to go for coffee/breakfast to Tanhouse Farm after the event. Lisa

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SCCU 25 Sept 8.2013

Thanks to Joe & Rachel for marshaling today. Thanks also to Frank for timekeeping and all the other officials helpers, etc. It seems that Ray did not beat his best time this year to create yet another 87yr old Vet record. Thanks also to Brian P for the handicapping. Photo taken in Broadbridge Heath HQ. Simon having been an early starter had flown the nest but never the less did a PB. Commiserations also to Alex K for DNS though I know not why? It seems that I won the club H/C in this event - I suppose it was because I did a PB (that is since I joined KPRC, in 1963 my PB was 1.0.23 to the best of my memory - I never did beat the hour much to my regret) - so as far as I am concerned after a 23yr gap from cycling to get married and have 3 kids - I think my 1.12.32 is a PB. Picture shows Ray along with Joe & Rachel doing a sterling job marshaling!

Hilly 12 - result

KINGSTON PHOENIX ROAD CLUB

35th CLUB HILLY 12 MILE TIME TRIAL (GS/281)

AND CLUB HILL CLIMB CHAMPIONSHIP

SUNDAY 1st September 2013

RESULT

No  Name               Time    Hcp/Time    Points    Award
18  Andrew Snook       32-28   Kingston Wheelers
16  Damien Breen       33-35   Kingston Wheelers      PB
20  Phil Ember         33-36   Kingston Wheelers      PB
 7  Philip Deacon      34-09   Kingston Wheelers
12  Andy Hudson        34-16   Kingston Wheelers
17  Alex Kew  PB       36-32    36-32      7 / 6    1st Fastest
11  Reade Harfield     36-55    Blazing Saddles
 6  Simon Waller       39-05    35-05      6 / 7    1st Hcp  PB
10  Steve Hillier      39-39    38-09      5 / 2
19   Nick Hostler      39-46    35-46      4 / 5      PB
 8  Jake Dodd          42-01    37-31      3 / 3
13  Lee Jardine        43-22    38-52      3 / 2
 2  Ray Dare           43-39    37-24      2 / 5
 1  Peter Masten       43-58   Kingston Wheelers
 3  Andy Avis          44-24    37-24      2 / 5
 4  Mike Morley        45-12    37-42      2 / 2
 9  Jamie Wasley        DNF    Kingston Wheelers
14  Dominic Trevett     DNF    Kingston Wheelers
15  Philip Burgin       DNS
 5  Alice Lethbridge    DNS    Epsom CC

HILL CLIMB

Name             Time    Points (Scr)
Alex Kew        2-20.80    7
Nick Hostler    2-21.79    6
Steve Hillier   2-22.89    5
Jake Dodd       2-28.07    3
Lee Jardine     2-40.70    4
Simon Waller    2-45.54    3
Ray Dare        2-49.10    2
Mike Morley     2-53.35    2
Andy Avis       3-07.60    2

Men’s Champion:   Alex Kew
Woman’s Champion: Jake Dodd

HILL CLIMB: Non-Phoenix

Name             Time

Damien Breen    1-40.06
Phil Ember      1-51.78
Andrew Snook    1-52.31
Philip Deacon   1-57.81
Andy Hudson     2-03.78
Reade Harfield  2-10.06
Peter Mastenko  2-47.86

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Very Many Thanks for the following helpers who made this a safe and smooth running event.
Brian as Handicapper, Ron as number steward, Doreen start of Hill Climb timekeeper

Marshals: Judy, Carolyn, Iain, Nicholas, Ben, David, Frank P, Russell & Deborah.

Frank Cubis

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Hilly 12 - status

Frank has checked the course and although there is still a small section where the surface has been removed and not yet replaced, the course has some nice, new, smooth tarmac in places as a compensation, so the event will go ahead as planned.

When riding from the car park to the start, please take great care at the left turn into Lodgebottom Road (the road in which we start) as the road surface is bad at that point and Frank reports a 'trench' to be negotiated at that point.

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Raid Dolomites

I've been wanting to do this ride for a long time.  It's the longest - and the hardest - of the classic French long-distance 'Raids', going over the edge of the French Alps, through the Swiss Alps and then the Dolomites on the way from Thonon (near Geneva) to Trieste, on the Adriatic.  The format is the same as all the others - it's organised by a local Audax Club - Thonon les Bains, in this case.  You apply to the club for a 'carnet' and a route card, you get the 'carnet' stamped at the control points listed along the way, and they'll give you a medal if you succeed.  It's 1180 km over 38 cols with 21,384 meters of climbing.  Roughly Lands End to John o' Groats, but with rather more climbing.  Well, a lot more.

The problem with the trip was getting van support.  Baxter's had done it every few years until about 2008, but had then stopped, and for the last few years no company has done it at all.  Obviously, you can set off with panniers and so on, but it would be a slow old ride, so I wasn't keen.  Then, doing the Raid Alpine last year, I had a spot of luck.  James Thompson, of Marmot Tours, said that he was planning to run the Raid Dolomites as a route this season.  In the event it was so popular that he ran three trips.  I got my carnet and booked a place.

So it was that on the 20th of August I stood by the lake in Thonon, carnet in my pocket, ready to go.

Marmot Tours weren't hanging about on this one -  the trip was nine days from end to end, so we put the hammer down right from the beginning.  191 kms and over the 2000 meter Simplon Pass at the end of the run to get to our hotel for the first night.  It was very hot on the Simplon, with some tedious (and quite dangerous) road works in the tunnels, but everyone made it in good time for dinner and the show was on the road.

I find it best to make an early start on these runs, to get as many miles in as I can in the cool of the day. The second day wasn't too bad - some climbing in the heat, ending at San Bernardino, but day three, going to St Moritz, was quite tough.  Switzerland, then Italy, then back to Switzerland, with three big passes, the smallest of which, the Maloja, at 1815 meters I found the hardest. 30 kms up a hot valley followed by a big climb on steep hairpins.  But it was followed by a blast along the lake to St Moritz and beers on the terrace of our hotel.

The next day was no easier, with four decent passes ending on the top of the Stelvio, where we spent the night.  Thunder and hail in the late afternoon, which I missed by my 'do it early' policy.  Not everyone did.  Overnight it snowed.

In the morning, one of the vans went off early to check the road for ice (it was fine), and after another long and hard day we got to Selva Val Gardena in the Dolomites.  194 kms and a lot of climbing.  Grinding up the Passo di Pinei in the late afternoon I was passed by a local woman racer, out for her evening training run.  'Salve', she said, a normal courtesy amongst cyclists.  Then, taking in the situation and my Raid Alpine tag she said 'Courage'.  Yes indeed.  I made it in time for a beer before dinner; the last bikes were in after 2130, pitch dark and raining.

A couple of easier days - plenty of climbing, but not so long - were helpful to rest a bit.  I deliberately took it easy, with decent cake and lunch stops.  That left me in good shape for Day 7, which was very tough.  Over the Passo di Giau, well known from the Giro, then up to the Refuge at the Tre Cime di Lavaredo, again a Giro classic.  The Giau was OK, and I got up it well, but the descent was wet, treacherous and freezing.  I was very cold when I got to Cortina, and warmed up with hot chocolate and cream cake, before setting off up again to the Tre Cime.  Another very hard climb, but I got up OK and in a decent time.  A great lunch in the refuge then down again by the same road, with words of encouragement for some of the party who were still on the way up.

Although there was plenty of riding left, if you had got over the Tre Cime then you were set for Trieste.    The run of the country was down, interspersed with climbs, of course, and the pace rose steadily.  The last fifty miles were fast indeed, with 'Trieste Express' line-outs vying to be first into town.  Under the town sign, champagne and pizza at the Bar California on the front, and that was that.  Another Raid done, and great fun it was.

I know it's not about the bike, but most people paid a lot of attention to their mounts, as did I.  The steed of choice was the lightest piece of carbon fibre you could find, with a good saddle and a reasonable spread of gears - you can't go too low as you won't be able to keep the speed up on the climbs.  I took the Condor that I had made for the Alps last year.  SRAM Rival Groupset, with the 'WiFli' Climbing Group, a Fizik Aliante carbon fibre saddle, Mavic SL wheels and Continental Grand Prix tyres.  Spot on, and trouble free.

And if it's not about the bike, it is about the logistics.  Marmot Tours are top at the long-distance Raiding game, with a well-established system of two custom vans carrying food, spares and clothing, good hotels and your bag in your room by the time you get there.  Good people and good to deal with.

Mark