Friday 15th July - Spring in the Park - Championship Night

Championship Night is the culmination of ten weeks of Friday night racing at Cyclopark. This year we had a mixed team of eight riders across the age categories U8 to U16; Albert Hacker, Hope Inglis, Nico Burrone, Ellen Inglis, Polly Burge, Toni Wilkes, Calvin Hooper and Hannah Graveney; pretty impressive for a relatively small club.  Each week riders are awarded points based on their finishing position within their age and gender category.  Riders who complete at least six of the nine races are ranked in the series results as well as being eligible for on the night prizes.  In short that means the podium ceremony is fairly lengthy!

As usual all our riders were a credit to themselves and the club and demonstrate just what happens when you mix excellent bike riding, good sportsmanship, humour and legendary baking.  Here's a flavour of the team:

Albert (U8 Boys) - Albert raced in all ten races, consistently finishing 2nd or 3rd every time.  He was placed 2nd overall in the series and finished 3rd on the final race.  He showed a great willingness to learn about racing, loved trying out new tactics but best of all finished every race with a mint choc chip ice cream.  

Hope (U12 Girls) - Hope is a seasoned rider and racer and has embraced the challenges of her first year in the U12's.  Her confidence has grown throughout the series and she has used her excellent technical skills together with some Terry tactics to improve her racing. By the end of the series she was consistently finishing two or three places higher and was placed xxst overall.  Often to be seen offering chocolate brownies to the volunteers, Hope is a popular racer at Cyclopark!

Nico (U12 Boys) - Nico managed to make it to four of the races this year, started using cleats and put it a cheeky attack in his final race (more Terry tactics??).  He definitely showed great improvement and much promise so I look forward to seeing him racing more in the future.

Ellen  (U14 Girls) - Ellen made it to nine of the ten races making her one of our most consistent racers.  Ellen has made lots of progress through the series including really nailing her starts and targetIng individual riders she knows she can beat.  Ellen finished 5th in the Championship race and 7th overall in the series. 

Polly  (U14 Girls) - Polly raced on all ten evenings which makes her a consistent rider. She made progress over the series by setting herself the target of getting a good start and holding on to the front group for as long as possible.  She finished 3rd overall and 3rd on the night.

Toni - 1st overall

Hannah (U16 Girls) - It was great to see Hannah racing at Cyclopark again this year although she was only able to make half the races.  They proved a good testing ground for her when she was recovering from an earlier crash and a good way to catch up with the KVK and of course the other SE U16 girls.  This is Hannah's last year as an U16 so sadly she can't race at SIP next year, but I'm always looking for marshals.............  Hannah finished 4th on the night and 7th in the overall series.

Toni (U16 Girls) - Toni raced on all ten evenings and really embraced the opportunity to build on her race skills and strategy.  By the end of the series she was riding confidently in a large and fast moving mixed bunch and finding herself well placed for some excellent finishes.  Toni finished in first place overall but just missed out on a double top step podium on the Championship night as she had to concede to Josie S from VCL.

Polly - 3rd overall 

Calvin (U16 Boys) - Calvin raced on six of the ten evenings and as always put on a good show of results despite his laid back approach to training.  It's fair to say that the U16 boys category is pretty intense but this does not deter Calvin from doing what he loves; racing his bike with some friends at Cyclopark.  He finished 11th overall in the series but wasn't with us for the Championship night.  Like Hannah, this is Calvin's final year as an U16 so I shall be putting him on the marshal rota for next year too!

 ADD PICTURE OF CALVIN & NICO

Sunday 10th July - National Youth Champs

Congratulations to Hannah who took part in the National Youth Champs at Redbridge on Sunday 10th July.  Despite her crash there earlier this year, she got stuck in and road well in the 60+ strong bunch to finish in 33rd place.  Full report (Hannah??) and photos to follow.

Saturday 9th July - Go Ride & Youth Ride

Thanks to the more summer like weather this week we were at last able to run the track skills sessions that we'd planned a few weeks earlier.  After a warm up of 'Chase The Grapes' we divided riders into two groups and started work on some essential track skills; following another rider and changing off the front.  We made it harder for the older riders, they rode on the grass, meanwhile the younger riders practised on the playgroud; more less resistance and more speed.  Before long even our youngest riders had got the hang of it and they were riding in groups of three or four, sharing the work on the front.

After a quick break to re-fuel and re-hydrate we all moved onto the grass and ran some of our favourite track style races; Devil and Italian Pursuit.  This is all good practise for our Go Ride Racing in a couple of weeks on the 23rd July.

Youth Ride

I'd got myself in a bit of pickle this week, but the first I knew of it was when Kieran said "is this the bike I usually ride Kary?"  Off course it wasn't, I'd brought the wrong bike down with me, although the same colour this bike was too big for Kieran and although he tried hard to convince me he could ride it, the fact that he couldn't reach the breaks even convinced him it wasn't a good idea!

Kieran looking relaxed after climbing the Col de Mote

The older riders headed off with Damian, Malcolm and Juan. Myself, Claire, Michele and Sarah went via my house to do a quick bike swap.  Once that was sorted we headed over to the Col de Mote.  Not a long ride this week but a very big hill!  We got back to school just in time to meet up with the others, so all in all it all worked out in the end and I will look more carefully next time I pack the bikes!

Friday 8th July - Spring in the Park Round 9

Great performances from all our riders this evening; excellent racing from Hope and Nico in the U12's.  Hope took on board some tactical advice from Terry and managed to launch a sneaky attack during the final lap which ended in a sprint finish with Freya.  Both girls rode brilliantly but Hope just pipped her on the line (decided by a photo finish) to finish fourth, her best finish of the series.  We also saw Nico flexing his muscles for the first time, putting in and sustaining an attack which moved him up the rankings.  In the U14's, Ellen was disappointed with her start, she narrowly avoided get clipped on her way round which left her on the second line at the start, she made the best of it though and rode well to finish in her highest position of the series, fourth. Polly finished third, she maintains it was her sprint that let her down again! In the U16's Toni stayed with the main bunch and sprinted to first place, Hannah took fourth in the chase group.

Nico and Hope had a great race in the U12's

 This evening was the last of the point scoring races for results of the series.  Full results can be found here:

BOYS: http://www.teamdarenthcycling.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/SITP2016-overall-points.pdf

GIRLS: http://www.teamdarenthcycling.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/SITP2016-overall-points-GIRLS.pdf

Our team this year included Hannah, Calvin, Toni, Polly, Ellen, Nico, Hope and Albert. Betsy has been a keen supporter and we fully expect to see her racing next year!

As ever it's been a pleasure to support such great young bike riders and I have watched them all and felt amazingly proud for them.  Racing is not easy, it's not just about the legs, there is so much more that goes into it.  It's complicated and emotional and our riders regularly show their ability to deal with the highs and lows of competition.

Next week is Championship Night.  There will be trophies for series winners as well as prizes on the night for riders who have completed six races.

KVK Ride to the Seaside - Sunday 26th June

Raring to go: missing a few!

Leaving the feedstop at Bethersden

The day arrived for the KVK ride to the seaside, having had a successful ride last year I was feeling relaxed(ish) and looking forward to a day in the saddle.  As usual, nothing is entirely straightforward with the KVK; Hope and Izzy were due to join the ride in Hadlow to get a head start and lose a few miles, meanwhile both the 50 milers and the 100 milers were meeting at Hilden, ready to ride at 8.30am.  Jake had headed off early to pick up Claire and Hope, Rog took Katy and Izzy to the rendez vous point, he also took most of the feed stop provisions, leaving Rob with limited supplies, not too worry he could top up when they met up at Bethersden.

Time ticked on and there was no sign of Stuart and Ben, a few quick calls and it transpired they were waiting at Stocks Green for us, so we headed out to pick them up on the way.  This also gave Damian the chance to pick up his water bottles from home, so avoiding a very thirsty day for him.

More refuelling at Bethersden

Polly trying to take a selfie!

Refuelling at Bethersden

Eventually we were on the road and rolling along at a good pace.  Claire, Katy, Izzy & Hope were in the break up the road with two groups chasing behind; Damian, Malcolm and myself with Toni, Calvin, Hannah and Polly, followed by Sarah, Nick, Michele and Stuart with Ben, Luke, Sophia & Ellen.

Even more refuelling at Bethersden

The plan was to check in with Rog at the grass triangle (c. 20 miles) and take advantage of the hedgerows for a comfort break.  He confirmed that the break away were still well out front but with no sign of Sarah's group, it was decided that Rog would hang on and check all was well with them.  We headed off towards Bethersden to meet up with Rob.  We arrived to see the leaders just leaving with a shout of "we waited as long we could", fortunately they hadn't eaten all the cake, so we set about refuelling.  I was starting to feel slightly anxious about the others as I was pretty sure with Sarah on the front they wouldn't be hanging about. I got in contact with Rog and he confirmed that Stuart had had multiple punctures which had slowed them down, but they were making progress now as he'd opted to let them ride on and he had called his wife for assistance!  Rog was planning on giving him a lift in the van...............but while on the phone he saw a bloke go by on a bike, "I guess that was him" said Rog.

Dynamic planning was now called for, the breakaway and chase group were well on their way to the seaside now, so I decided to send Rog onto the coast and wait for the final group with Rob, we checked out the food supplies and figured we still had enough crispy cakes, brownies and bars to feed a few more riders.  Some time later they rolled into the car park, fell on the food and regaled us with tales of Stuart's punctures..........

Everyone at Varne

I joined them on their final leg towards the coast; Luke and Ellen both did a sterling job sitting up front as we started to encounter the sea breeze.  We made good progress and before long were rolling along the sea front towards The Varne Boat Club.

The others had already made themselves at home and were enjoying the warm welcome of the Commodore.  Rog was enjoying finding out all about the club and their plans for the future.  Katy and Claire were making tea and coffee in the little kitchen and we helped ourselves to the sandwiches and crisps left for us by Sue.  All in all a perfect stop.

Time to move on though, so we said goodbye to Luke, Ben, Sophia, Izzy & Hope who were all feeling pleased to have made it to the seaside but ready to relax and enjoy the rest of their day out of the saddle.

Just the KVK at Varne

We split into two groups again; Damian, Malcolm and Sarah took Calvin and Toni, Nick, Katy and myself made a perfect six with Polly, Hannah & Ellen.  Nick announced that ours was the fun group, but a short burst of chainganging across the marshes soon changed his mind on that one!  We'd opted for two check ins with Roger on the way home; the first at Woodchurch (68 miles) and the second at Marden (88 miles), everything was going smoothly, we even managed to stop at real toilets, rather than the imaginery one at Bethersden.   We promised ourselves carrot cake at Marden and it seemed to do the job and fuelled us back to Hilden, we arrived a few minutes after Damian and just as Michele was pulling into the car park.

What a great day; warm sunshine, excellent bike riding, no punctures (excluding Stuart) and of course good cake.  Well done to all the riders that took part, hopefully you will be inspired to do it again or maybe it's time to come up with a new challenge for next year?

The Team: Hope, Izzy, Luke, Ben, Sophia, Ellen, Calvin, Hannah, Polly, Toni joined by Katy, Claire, Stuart, Michele, Sarah, Nick, Malcolm, Kary & Damian. Roger & Rob on 
support.

The Distances: 48 miles for Izzy & Hope, average speed 14.1mph, 55 miles for Ben, Luke & Izzy, average speed xxxmph, 105 miles for Toni, Calvin, Polly, Hannah and Ellen, average speed xxxmph.

Izzy & Hope at the seaside after a cracking ride averaging over 14mph

Wednesday 6th July - Guildford Town Centre Crits

This race was recommended as a good experience and a simple way to experience riding on cobbles, so we picked the kids (I mean race team ;-)) up early and headed for Guildford.

3rd & 4th July 2016 - Go Ride, Youth Ride & Lee Valley Velodrome

Saturday 2nd July - Go-Ride

Despite it being summer fair season, it was great to see 16 young riders sign on for today's session, including a couple of new riders (Henry and Catherine).  With the field still too wet to use, the session had to be on the playground and we focussed on riding one handed (and for some, no handed) in a controlled manner. We started with riding the line one handed (with riders encouraged to try using their weaker hand) and then progressed to taking a bottle, teddy or other item from a helper and then picking up items from a crate.  After a break for some cheesy snacks and few renditions of Happy Birthday for Oliver, Leo and Serena (and some chocolates from Oliver - yum) the riders spent about 12 minutes riding continuously, completing a fabulous 113 laps of the trail.  That left us just time for a bottle-pick relay challenge, which allowed the riders to put their skills to the test in a more pressured environment - glad to say everyone did really well and were considerably more confident riding one handed than at the start of the session.

Bottle pick extravaganza

Teddy pick!

Go Riders at the end of a good session

Saturday 2nd July - Youth Ride

With racing on Friday and other commitments we were missing a few of our more senior riders but we still had two groups go out. They enjoyed by far the best of the weather and completed the rides in good time and without any mechanical issues.  Here we are back at base still smiling and enjoying the sun (just before it really threw it down!!).

Claire, Hope, Katy, Izzy, Malcolm, Luke, Izzy & Ellen - Saturday Youth Riders

Sunday 3rd July - Lee Valley Velodrome

Hannah, Toni, Ellen, Calvin and Dan were up early on Sunday to take part in the regular British Cycling track session at the Olympic Velodrome on Sunday.  The session focussed on Keiran racing and gave the riders an insight various aspects of the race, such as the benefits of leaving room between themselves and  the rider in front so as to "rush the gap" when starting their sprint, the techniques for a held start and dropping in behind the derny, as well as finishing with some flat out Keiran racing.  Exciting stuff and well done particularly to Dan who got a lot of new experiences, having only recently started doing track cycling and coped superbly. Well done also to Malcolm and Nick for "volunteering " to help with the held starts - it's a lot harder work than it looks!!

After the Keiran session had finished there was a hour novice session as a gentle introduction to track cycling which I helped to coach and it was good to see some new faces from our friends at Southborough & District Wheelers; if there are any 12+ KVKs who think they would like to have a go at track cycling please speak to myself of Kary.

Damian, Nick & Malcolm helping out on the track at LV (Toni, Hannah & Calvin too!)

Saturday 25th June - National Series Race - Milton Keynes

Thanks to Damian for the race report.

On Saturday, Hannah and Toni made the trip to the Milton Keynes Bowl for the latest round of the National Youth Circuit Race series.  Up against 50 of the country's top U16 Girls and with a damp, narrow circuit, positioning within the bunch would prove crucial.  Unfortunately, with a gridding system in place and some unexpected start/stop activity from the pace car, they both found themselves towards the back of the field in the early laps and with the pace being applied at the front of the race they were on the wrong side of the split when it happened. Undeterred, they got organised quickly and worked well together to catch the group in front and formed a healthy alliance.

Hannah and Toni begin their fight-back after missing the split

 As the race progressed this group, second on the road, began closing the gap to the leading group significantly but ran out of laps before the junction could be made. Nevertheless they enjoyed their own sprint finish within that group and finished 34th and 35th overall.

A fascinating race in which our girls held their own well and will no doubt have learnt loads about riding in a big, competitive bunch