National 100 mile TT 2015

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drinks-for-100-mile-time-trial

Today was national 100 mile time trial championship, held in Raglan, Wales. The course was mostly on the A40 dual carriageway, but with a bit of quieter back-roads to help relieve the monotony of the A40. It was fairly flat 2,990ft /900m of climbing over 100 miles. Overall, quite a good championship course. With mostly good weather, it produced some quite quick times.

drinks-for-100-mile-time-trial
drinks-for-100-mile-time-trial

The women’s winner was newly crowned BTTC champion Hayley Simmonds (Team Velosport). The men’s winner was Charles Taylor (South Pennine CC) 3.32 – just 15 seconds ahead of BBAR champion Adam Topham (High Wycombe). I was 7th in 3.39.50

Training

After finishing 3rd last year, I’ve trained quite hard for the national 100 this year and training has gone well. Last week, was quite busy with 3 big races. After flopping (relatively) at BDCA 50, it’s been a quiet week of tapering.

Racing

Firstly, it was nice to do a 100 mile TT which doesn’t start at silly o’clock for a change. It was 9.10am when I set off. The first 6 miles were on a quiet backroad. A nice place to cycle – though a bit bumpy, and I nearly lost handlebar mounted water bottle. Then it was onto 24 mile laps of the A40. This included about 3 miles of quite backroads, the rest on the A40. I enjoyed the backroads the most – a change to get away from the traffic, and also a more sporting feel, some ups and downs and fast turns. More fun than just blasting along a straight road. Because of the laps, there were quite a few riders on the course, so frequent overtaking. Up to 60 miles, it was all going to plan. After 70 miles, the power started to fade  – it wasn’t as good a ride as ECCA 100, where I could lift the tempo in last 20 miles.

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Next time you’re stuck in a traffic jam

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Next time you’re stuck in a traffic jam.

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It’s no surprise people choose their cars. It’s safer than cycling or walking (though less than coach or train). But, importantly – it’s much cheaper than the train or bus.

Congestion on the UK roads have been estimated to cost up to £20 billion a year – and that’s before costs of pollution, costs of accidents e.t.c. But, congestion will continue to get worse. The recent temporary decline in car use, is almost certain to be reversed as we see rising population, falling petrol prices, economic recovery and a fall in the relative cost of motoring.

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Training in Yorkshire Dales

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Last week was quite interesting 3 races – (ECCA 100, BTTC 29 miles, and BDCA 50) First two races were good, third quite a bit of tiredness.  I’m taking it a bit easier this week.  Hopefully, it’s a bit of tapering for national 100.

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Burnsall

This means just a few steady rides from Menston to Buckden and back. The B-road from Bolton Abbey, Grassington to Buckden is a great cycling road. Not too busy, and very scenic. There are plenty of climbs around this part of the world – if you take a detour off this road. But, if there’s one thing I know about tapering is that it’s probably best to avoid taking your time trial bike up Park Rash at full pelt.

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Betting on the prologue and yellow

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Tour de France stage 2

It’s always a funny week – the week before the Tour de France. There’s no cycle races on TV, just a week of speculation, talk and bog-standard questions and answers with the riders.

Tour de France stage 2

I’m not a betting man, but if I was. I think the Tour Prologue would be a good bet.

I’d put a few quid on:

Tom Dumoulin (7/2) – Dumoulin has tremendous power and one of the best time trial positions I’ve seen.  This is the best odds I’ve seen.

Alex Dowsett (33/1) – An outside bet for the prologue. Unfortunately, I don’t think he will make it, though I would still rate his chances at better than 33/1. The prologue is actually a short time trial – close to the 10 mile TT – where Alex holds Comp record at 17.20 – a time even Bradley Wiggins couldn’t beat on a windy day on the V718.

Geraint Thomas (50/1) Again, deep down, I can’t see Thomas at the top of podium come the end of the race. You can guarantee Thomas will be there or there-abouts. The strength of Thomas is that he is an excellent all-rounder – but just not quite the out and out short distance time trial specialist.

Bookies for prologue at Cycling Weekly

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British National road champs 2015

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After a hard couple of days racing, it was nice to be able to put the feet up and watch other people suffering for a change. This year’s road race was held on the roads of the Lincoln Grand Prix – featuring the infamous cobbled climb of Michaelgate. Just two minutes long, the climb may not seem too much on itself, but ridden nine times with many miles in the legs, the cobbled climb is guaranteed to break up a race and create an intriguing race.

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PHoto David Dales

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BDCA 50 – 2015

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The BDCA 50 is an event on the A50; it was a full field with punters from all other the country looking for quick times on the super-fast course. It’s a big race for the BBAR contenders. After the British time trial championship on Thurs, anything else was always going to be a bit of a let down. I likened racing at Cadwell Park on closed roads to a non-league side turning up to Old Trafford. I don’t know what comparison I can make to racing on the A50/11 – but, it was about as far as you can get from the twisting, undulating closed roads of a motor racing circuit. Before, the start Matt Bottrill was joking ‘ – time to start racing in a straight line again!’ The A50 is certainly one long stretch of straight-road – technical corners don’t come into it; if you like getting you’re head down and smashing up a dual carriageway, for artificially fast times the A50 is as good as it gets.

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British Time Trial Championship 2015

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The British Time Trial Championship 2015 was held at Cadwell Park motor racing circuit. It had an impressive entry list with around 180 riders entering the Men’s, Women’s and Under – 23 championship. Former World Hour record holder – Alex Dowsett (Movistar) underlined his world class form to take a fourth national title. In the women’s event Hayley Simmonds (Team Velosport) won, and Scott Davies (100% ME) retained his under-23 title.

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Alex Dowsett

The race started on the Cadwell motor racing circuit before heading out to some local Lincolnshire lanes, which were closed to traffic. The men did 28.7 miles with women and under-23 men doing 2 laps of the big circuit for around 21 miles.

The growth in British Cycling

I did my first British time trial championship in 2005. It was held near Penistone on open roads to traffic, with a typical local school for HQ. I’m not sure how  many people entered in 2005, but it wasn’t that many and only a handful of women and under 23’s. Fast forward nine years, and you can see in a microcosm how British Cycling has changed. There is much more interest from across the board and a real strength in depth. Cadwell Park and the closed roads made a very impressive setting for the Championship.

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Matt Bottril on motor racing circuit

Compared to 2005, it was a bit like moving from Sunday league football in the local park, to suddenly finding yourself in the Premier League playing at Old Trafford. Sunday league football and the the village HQ retain a certain charm for domestic time triallist like myself, but it is really good for the opportunity to race on a bigger circuit, with banks of spectators and wonderful curves of a motor racing circuit. I enjoyed it a lot.

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Anti-gravity specialists

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When I reviewed Corinthian Endeavour last week, it wasn’t quite officially published, so just in case you weren’t able to buy, it is now properly available at:

or if you prefer to support, law abiding, tax-paying, bricks and mortar proper shops, you can order through:

It’s currently the flat time trialling season. 100 miles with nothing more than 100 feet of climbing for four hours work. It has it’s own charm and attraction, but I think the hill climb season gives more photogenic opportunities than bashing up and down the A14.

So I’ll take this as opportunity to post some random photos of anti-gravity specialists.

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Jackson Bridge. Photo Alan Jones

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