Latest Condor Cycles Series Rankings

If you spot any errors in placing, or if you are wrongly identified, please e-mail results@bmcr.org.uk. Much of the data (spelling, capitalisation, club) is a reflection of the data on RiderHQ. You can correct your data on RiderHQ by logging into your RiderHQ account and amending it.

Latest Condor Cycles Series Rankings

If you spot any errors in placing, or if you are wrongly identified, please e-mail results@bmcr.org.uk. Much of the data (spelling, capitalisation, club) is a reflection of the data on RiderHQ. You can correct your data on RiderHQ by logging into your RiderHQ account and amending it.

EFGH RACE – by Julian Niles Cunnington
This was a poignant day for the Arctic team as Rob passed just last Autumn, and hearts are still broken.
This, Arctics first foray into BMCR race promotion, was warmly anticipated, and over 50 riders (about 25 for each race) decided that racing around Hog Hill in a breezy 2°C was a good idea, and a fitting tribute to Bob. After the obligatory pre race directives, there was a minute’s applause for both Bob and the recently departed Knocker Shields.
At our ages, and with friends and colleagues leaving us like this, it makes every race special, every race a sign of continuing good health and instills in all of us confidence for at least the near future.
There were some new faces for the E+ at Hog Hill, some very good ones too, and all had obviously heard about the winning machine named Chris Beales (Bealesybub to me, my nemesis and summer series co-organiser) as he was immediately surrounded like a champion boxer entering Madison Square Garden on fight night. 
Now, a little context here. I usually compile my reports from a position close to the action, or off the front. This time, having not completely shaken off whatever lurgy my workmates had bestowed on me, and having not trained for over 8 days, I took my place at the rear of the race, and wondered how long I could last.
I very rarely DNS, and as this was the 2nd race in my spring series, I felt it my duty to at least attend, and maybe keep quiet for once. If I thought the back of the race was going to be the cushy number, how wrong I was. The early skirmishes, mostly due to CB trying to get away just made the tail enders blow up and form grupettos, meaning I had to work hard to bridge to the steadily shrinking bunch.
Bridging wasn’t supposed to be on the menu today.
It wasnt just CB kicking off at the front, I could just see my team mate and long time racing buddy Antonous Wubben-Moy kicking off and winning both primes in the process. This brought joy to my beating heart, as just 16 months ago, Antonius had a list of broken bones and injuries longer than my want-list to Santa aged 5.
Cyclist vs truck, and the truck very nearly won. To say his recovery has been miraculous is just fact. Miraculous, and many many months of hard work. Welcome back Sir.
So, the primes were done and dusted, after both of which, the added pace was stretching me to the limit, and I could hear myself doing my constipated bear noises, Damian Foy also heard these, to my shame.
If you ever hear these noises, attack, I’m already done for.
There were further attacks and skirmishes ahead, remember, I can see the race unfold from the back! But nothing stuck, and I began wondering if I could make it all the way to my comfort zone, the 4 times up the Hoggenberg, my sanctuary. Unlikely, but I kept going. CB hadn’t been able to break away, Sean Kilroy, Andy Bathe and Antonius I think were instrumental in policing at the head of the race (if I have missed a protagonist out, let me know)
So it was still all together at the first time up the hill, I could sense panic all around with multiple downshifts, so that was good. I kept in a big gear, and drifted through the pack up the steepest (11%) part of the climb looking at all these faces for the first time all race, and latching on to the leaders at the top. It was like being allowed into the captains cockpit in a Boeing 747, seeing the quality riders who had been driving this race for the first time.
2 more of the same and I was feeling ok, probably really crap, but my legs were enjoying the incline.
Unfortunately for me, the bell seemed to fill everyone with bravado and I realized how off the pace I actually was. The flat circuit, not my friend, had almost the entire bunch pass me like I was on a premature warm down lap. 
I could just see Antonius going for a very long one, and the bunch coming alive.
My legs reminded me that this was their time whatever the rest of me feels like, and I joined the back of the bunch at the bottom of the hill, kept it in 52×16, and hammered it up the steep bit to eventually get 7th overall. 
Antonius won, CB an out of character 3rd, but this new blood will have him training even harder to retain his mantel as King of the Hill.
You’ve been warned.
Thank you to Arctic Aircon for the races and the excellent all round promotion.
Thank you to all who turned up on such a cold day, and thank you to Hog Hill for being there. 🚴🏻‍♂️🏆🏁🏔️🏔️🏔️❤️
Next race, next Sunday, same place, 23rd March, Andrew Buurman’s Rapha CC St Patrick’s Day Massacre.

Latest Condor Cycles Series Rankings

This was the first of 5 races in the Condor Cycles Region 9 Spring Series, all being held at Hog Hill, and running through March and April. For the first time in quite a few years, dry and sunny weather was promised for the season’s first race, and it did not disappoint. Although chilly first thing,. the sun broke through, and it approached something you might have called a ‘mild spring day’ .. wonderful to behold. As has become the norm these days, much promotional work was required to wake the slumbering masses, and get them all excited about yet another season’s racing! A very slow trickle of entries on Rider HQ, eventually developed into a torrent in the last week, and Don Valentino of the Gemini Chapter managed to get together over 50 fine men and women for the morning’s two races, which were to be run concurrently.

After a briefing first from myself regarding the Condor Cycles Series itself, then by Ian Dawson, Don Val’s hired muscle for the day, and the racing rules of the day, the EFGHIL race rolled out one minute prior to the ABCDs. After a tentative first 20 seconds, Chris Beales (quite out of character!!!) attacked half way up the drag. I followed and tried to bridge, but a Chris Beales gap of 5 metres is incredibly difficult to bridge, and I waved more riders through. Only Damian Foy and Costa Pierides took up the mantle, but the three of us kept Chris at 10 seconds for three laps.  The plea for others to come through landed on very deaf ears, before one or two other riders came through, and Chris had 14 seconds the following laps. Job done for Chris. Time for me to attack, and hope Costa would respond, and he did, how he did!

We were clear for over a lap, but a quick glance behind reminded us that although the bunch was content to amble round letting Chris run rings round it, they were not allowing any upstarts to gain any advantage. Silly really, and it has just prompted more resolve with Costa and I to make it count next time.

New E Damian ‘Damo’ Foy was industrious but to no avail. Helen Taylor Carter, the eventual third placed ride roverall, got busy at the front as did a few others, but well after the Chris Beales damage had been done, and Costa and I were a bit mashed by then. The bunch had shrunk to about 12 riders with 5 or 6 laps to go, and there was the usual jostling for positions, and when the ‘3 to go’ board went up, the mood got just a little more cagey.  With a lap and a half to go, just as we were exiting the 30mph+ downhill section, someone? clipped my rear wheel sending me into a massive slide, my front wheel deciding to go all 90 degrees and that was it, airborne. Bang, followed by, apparently, a very artistic somersault concluding the day’s acrobatics and I came to a muddy end, with the bunch disappearing into the distance.  I got up, spun the wheels, re-fitted the chain, checked the steering, and got back on, and finished 12th! Battered, muddy, but with everything intact.  Naturally Chris won, and Steve Piper won the bunch followed closely by Helen and Costa. 

With much gratitude and thanks to Don Valentino, Ian Dawson and their Families, a great promotion, 2 great races, terrific weather, all in all, a wonderful start to the series and Region 9 racing as a whole. Next up in the Condor Series is the much anticipated Arctic Aircon ‘Rob Finch Memorial’ races at Hog Hill on March 16th. Please try and enter in good time, give your local race promoter peace of mind!

If you spot any errors in placing, or if you are wrongly identified, please e-mail results@bmcr.org.uk. Much of the data (spelling, capitalisation, club) is a reflection of the data on RiderHQ. Please make sure that your data on RiderHQ is correct by logging into RiderHQ directly.

With huge thanks to Trevor Mills and team for organising the event.

If you spot any errors in placing, or if you are wrongly identified, please e-mail results@bmcr.org.uk. Much of the data (spelling, capitalisation, club) is a reflection of the data on RiderHQ. Please make sure that your data on RiderHQ is correct by logging into RiderHQ directly.

With massive thanks to Kevin Hickman and team for putting on a great event.

If you spot any errors in placing, or if you are wrongly identified, please e-mail results@bmcr.org.uk. Much of the data (spelling, capitalisation, club) is a reflection of the data on RiderHQ. Please make sure that your data on RiderHQ is correct by logging into RiderHQ directly.