A few minutes with… The Maxgearettes

With the recent announcements that Maxgear RT’s women’s squad (the Maxgearettes) have made recently, I thought it would be a good idea to catch up with the girls to find out what has been happening in their world.  The riders for next season are Nicola Soden, Melissa Bury, Lauryn Therin, Frankie White, Eve Dixon and Jo Blakeley, together with the Team Manager, Ian Bury

The Maxgearettes line up has changed slightly ready for next season. Have you changed your targets as a team for next season?

N (@nicolasoden) – As a team, the targets will be broadly similar to last year – National Road Race Series, Team Series, Tour Series and Track Nationals although the way in which they are targeted will change. The team will use a planned approach to each race based on differing courses and rider strengths. Each rider also has personal objectives within each race. There are a couple of stage races some of us would like to ride in Ireland and Jersey (Lauryn’s home turf) and we plan to make a few trips over to Belgium again.

M (@smelissabury) – This year we are aiming to have more of a presence as a team at the national series and team series races. This will hopefully enable us to get to know each other well and get to know each others riding styles so we can work to every ones strengths.

L (@lauryntherin) – From our initial team meetings we have all agreed that our targets for the coming season are to be process focused not outcome focused. A strong team ethic and developing as a group of riders who support one another is an integral part of this process. From this, we see our team developing significantly and it’s something we are all very much looking forward to.

J (@jo_blakeley) – This season we have both team and individual targets which will no doubt develop over the winter and racing season as we learn what each others strengths are and how we can work together. I think its important to allow both focuses to maximise the team potential.

 

You’ve brought some new riders into the fold, how do you think they will fit within the team’s dynamic?

I (@rugbyleague1) – We are delighted to have both Jo and Lauryn on board, they both bubble enthusiasm and bring new things to the team. Lauryn has an extremely exciting sporting background including world class Bobsleigh and has proved in the National Track Champs this year that she is a particularly good sprinter! Jo is very strong at Time Trial, so both riders will add new strengths to the team which should allow us to target more race types. The new team mates also means that five of our six riders are now based in Manchester within 5miles of each other, which should allow us to socialise and train better as a team, rather than just meeting up at races.

F (@frankiewhite7) – They are fitting in perfectly already! I went out with Jo on the MTB last weekend and we had great fun!

E (@eve_dixon) – We all get on really well and enjoy cycling together rather than cycling as individuals, I also think it is the strongest line up we’ve had in Maxgear in the three years I’ve been on the team!

M – After a couple of team meetings I am very excited about the new riders for next year. It will bring and open up new and different opportunities for races, as each of our riders have different strengths.

L – Being one of the new riders myself, I can see already that each individual brings something exciting to the dynamic of the team. And the best bit is, we haven’t even been out on our bikes yet!

J – I’d like to think I fit quite well into the team dynamic!! We all get on well and work/study in a variety of different areas so we all bring something a little different to the table. We also all want to
ride as a team – which I believe is one of the most important things.

Have you seen any increased level of interest since the Olympics/Paralympics, with people approaching your team for help?

E – no but there has been a rise in interest to join the team

M – We have seen an increased level of interest this year, however many seemed to be seasoned riders, so I am not sure if it was the Olympic/Paralympics that triggered this.

L – From discussions with Ian, I am aware that a number of girls contacted him displaying their interest and this was certainly more than previous years. For this reason, it is all the more important that I work hard to prove to the squad I was the right rider to choose.

How do you expect the season to unfold next year?  There are new races on the calendar in the North West, how do you expect this to impact on your team?

N – It is great to see the development of a new women’s league as part of the CDNW series limited to 2/3/4 category women. It is a brilliant step forward in womens cycling in the UK as there is currently only racing available at National Level, sometimes against some of the countries or even worlds best riders. The alternative are short criteriums on closed circuits and not much in between. This new series fills this gap, offering road racing more in line with the mens split E/1/2, 3/4 system. The series will be extremely beneficial to our team as it will allow our riders to practice team tactics, build confidence and try things they may not get chance to in a National level race.

E – All new races are good for the whole of the country I think there will be women prepared to travel if they are well run events rather than just cyclists in the North West.

F – We’re really excited about the CDNW 2W/3W/4W series mainly because it should give us an opportunity to be able to dominate races as a team but also because they are local it means our family and friends can come watch.

M – I am very pleased that there are more races being put on in the North West, as I am at Manchester University so it makes getting to races a lot easier! Also a lot of the team have work commitments, so being able to get to and from a race in a day is a massive help both financially and time wise.

L – As a team we have already planned an idea of what we would like our season to look like. The North West based races is something we will target and we are confident about our team working hard for one another.

J – It’s great there’s some events close by. It’s the nature of women’s racing at the moment that races are few and far apart. To have a set of races that are close to home is great news. I’m looking
forward to them.

How would you like domestic women’s cycling to evolve?

F –  Personally I would like to see even greater advancements on those made with the entry level CDNW 2W/3W/4W series this year. When I first had a go at racing 18 months ago there didn’t seem to be a great deal out there for those unable to keep with an elite women’s bunch. Jenny Gretton has done a brilliant job with season starter crits at Tameside and Palatine Circuit, but these don’t last the whole season. Things are obviously changing, though until a hoard more ladies turn up, beginners will only continue to try and hang on to the super speedy for much of the season.

E – I would like it to become more feasible for the women to be the best they can and get a wider range of cycling in Britain rather than just an elitist sport with very few individuals getting the support.

M – As I race in Belgium a lot, I would love to see closed roads in Women’s racing. This seems to increase the quality of racing as the riders don’t have to worry about cars, and closed roads just seem to make the event more impressive.

J – I’d like to see more women taking cycling further and more publicity for womens’ cycling. This has definitely grown recently with the Olympics but there’s still a lot of people who don’t realise about the cycling groups/activities that are available around the corner. I didn’t know until just after I started cycling that there was a grass track at the park which we often went to – there’s so many different types of cycling and not enough people who know about them.
There are a number of new networks that have popped up on facebook for of regional groups for women’s cycling, so this should help massively.

Maxgearettes.blogspot.com
@maxgearettes

New for 2013 – CDNW Women’s Road Race League

So, with the number of Premier Calendar races at just 6 events in 2013, you would think that road racing has hit an all-time low.  I am glad to say that in the North West we are actually working hard to show that is not the case, and I am pleased to be involved with the inaugural Cycling Development North West Women’s Road Race League next season. It is not unique in that it is the first women’s road race league to exist, not at all, but it is unique in that it gives women in the lower categories an opportunity to race at a competitive level over a reasonable distance.

“How is that different?” I hear you cry.  Well, for a start, due to the various costs of organising a road race, and the relatively small numbers of women riders that compete, most road races are open to all categories of women, from Elite to fourth, and many are over a distance in excess of 50 miles.  The remaining races that women can compete in are usually circuit races which can last anything from twenty minutes up to an hour, covering a distance of say approximately 20 miles.  So, if you’re a fourth or third category rider looking to make a move into road racing for the first time, you could be totally unprepared for what is waiting for you when you get on the line at the road race.

Yes, there is a big difference between finishing a circuit race over 15 to 20 miles and being able to be competitive in a race over more than 50 miles when you’re not used to it.  Unfortunately, some women have to travel hundreds of miles to get a ride in a road race, only to get shelled out of the back on the first lap because it is totally different racing on the open road than it is riding around a closed circuit.  Worse still are the crashes that can occur because some riders can lose concentration because they are not used to riding in a bunch/riding over such a long distance (compared to your 40 minute circuit race), tiredness and fatigue sets in and you either get shouted at for nearly knocking somebody off or you just get really disheartened because you aren’t as good as you expected to be and you think, “why do I bother?”  All the fun is taken out of the race and you forget why you are there in the first place.

The CDNW Women’s Road Race League is only open to second, third and fourth category riders, with the longest race being over 65km (40 miles).  The courses being used are not hilly or too technical however they are well-suited for practising your race technique, and are races that will provide the stepping stone up to the longer road races, including the National Series Road Races.  There are two main reasons for these races – they assist younger (Junior) riders who are making the move from Youth “A” circuit races on to the road for their first season as a Junior, and they are also to assist women who are new to the sport of competitive cycling (as opposed to sportives, etc).

Unfortunately, women’s cycling will not continue to develop unless there are these “stepping-stones” to help women riders build up their confidence to move on to the next level.  I understand that there were over 15,000 women riders on the Breeze rides this year, many of whom may want to take the next step with their cycling “career” but don’t have the confidence or inclination to mix it up with the elite riders at this time.  The CDNW women’s races aim to be all-encompassing, where encouragement is the theme of the day.

The road race league events will be held as follows:

#1) 3 March 2013 – Pimbo Industrial Estate – 50km

#2) 17 March 2013 – Nateby/Pilling, Lancashire – 65km

#3) 21 April 2013 – Great Budworth, Cheshire – 65km

#4) 7 July 2013 – Pimbo Industrial Estate – 65km

#5) 1 September 2013 -Nateby/Pilling, Lancashire – 50km

In order to ride the events, it will cost £5 to enter the league itself, with each event being £20 in advance.  I have had a number of people telling me that the price is high, however these races are on open roads, with National Escort Group motorbike marshals.  The cost of first aid has risen by 100% for next season, and the men’s events will also be the same amount (as opposed to £17.50 plus online entry processing fee this season).  I would prefer for people to concentrate on the fact that these are five new races, which are aiming to attract people to competitive road racing, as unfortunately, if the grass roots level doesn’t develop, there won’t be a sport in a few years’ time.

We are still looking for a series sponsor who could help with prizes (for example, most improved rider, best 4th category rider, best 3rd category rider, etc), so if you think you could help with promoting the development of grass roots women’s racing, please get in touch.

#getinvolved #womenscycling

A Few Minutes with… Buxton CC

Richard Towse – Buxton CC

Featured Club
A Few Minutes with… Richard Towse of Buxton CC

I have been looking at the “Wiggo Effect” in the North West of England, as I wanted to see whether Bradley Wiggins’ success in the Olympics and Tour de France has had an effect on the general public.  I decided that one of the best ways to do this would be to speak to a cross section of cycling clubs/teams to ask their opinion, and whilst I was at it, to ask them for some information about their club.

The first one up is Buxton CC, and Richard Towse, organiser of the Buxton Mountain Time Trial for the club, has kindly answered a few questions for me.  So without further ado, here goes…

1. How big is the membership of Buxton CC? Have you seen this grow since the Tour de France/Olympics? Are you seeing an increase in membership in general or are there more increases in particular areas (e.g. women’s riding, time trialling, etc)

Buxton Cycling Club has around 70 members with an age range of between 7/8 years old up to 70 plus.  We haven’t seen a rise in membership since the tour or Olympics but we have noticed that more people are cycling in the local area. We expect an increase in membership in 2013 and attendance of our weekly time trials.

 2. What type of rider do you cater for?

We mainly cater for the road rider (recreational, race or time trial) although we have members who ride at the Manchester Velodrome, go mountain biking or do cyclo-cross.

3. Do you promote events? If so, what type of events do you do?

We run a series of time trials during the summer months on a Tuesday night just outside of Buxton where anyone can turn up and ride the 9.8mile TT either for fun or to chase a time. These are followed up with a series of 3 hill climbs.

The club also organises 2 open time trials: a mountain time trial (follow @BuxtonMTT if you are on Twitter) which is probably the toughest in the country held on Good Friday each year and a 10 mile time trial in June (follow @BuxtonCCOpenTT if you’re on Twitter). There is also the Bole Hill road race we host on behalf of the CDNW [Cycling Development North West], which is one of the toughest circuits in the North West.  We also host one of the first hill climbs of the season on Long Hill which hosted the National Championships in 2011.

4. Is there any development/coaching at the club which is available to all members?

We don’t have any structured development or coaching available in the club but we have a lot of members who have a vast range of knowledge who are willing to pass it on to those who want it.  This ranges from the basic “how do I survive a club run” to road race or time trial training tips.

5. Do you still have traditional club runs? Are these well-attended?

The club has the Sunday club run every week throughout the year, usually we have about 6 or 7 riders (on good weather days).  Due to the nature of where Buxton is club runs are hilly but are only as fast as the slowest rider, no rider is left behind.

6. If anybody reading this article would like to join Buxton CC, who is the best person to contact?

The best person for a quick chat is Sam at Sett Valley Cycles (www.settvalleycycles.co.uk), as our website (www.buxtoncyclingclub.co.uk) is undergoing a rebuild at the moment and should be back up and running towards the end of November. Full contact details will be on there.

7. Do you struggle to find marshals for events?

As with any event you always feel you’re marshal short, we are fortunate in the Club we have 2 qualified time keepers and a committed group of guys who want to see events run and be successful.

8. Finally, are there any riders at Buxton CC who deserve a mention? Any results that the club are particularly proud of?

Lee Baldwin had an impressive Hill Climb season culminating in 4th place at the National Hill Climb championships on the Rake, his result along with Chris Baines and Sam Mansfield contributed to winning the Team Prize, the Hill Climbers in the club have been chasing this for a few years.

 
If you would like to have your club [ no matter where in the world you are] featured please contact a member of the team we will be happy to chat and find out what you’re all about. Click to contact us.
 

 

The 2012 Cycling Revolution Begins

Revolution 37 Clancy & Tennant 1km Madison – ©Swarbrick.com

The first Revolution of the 2012 series got underway in awesome style, with thrills and spectacular spills. This year we see a change to the format with 12 rather than 8 teams and some new sponsors show off their jerseys. Sim and I braced ourselves for a busy evening.

Elite Flying Lap:
Returning to the track were Olympians Jody Cundy, Steven Burke [IG-Sigmasport] and Ed Clancy [Rapha Condor Sharp]. They certainly got an enthusiastic welcome from the crowd and they really raised the roof in the first event [the Flying Lap], Ed took the win by nearly one second (13.009) over Jody Cundy [FACE] who put in a stunning performance (13.908) and Steven in third (14.149). A great first time appearance for the race at a Revolution (if my memory serves me correctly), and a great start to proceedings for Team Rapha.

Revolution 37 Women’s Sprint – ©Swarbrick.com

Women’s Sprint Events:
The other change to this series is that core events will stay the same throughout the season and there’ll be additional guest races that will change each meeting [they don’t count towards the Team series competition]. This round it was the turn of the ladies in a series of women’s sprints and keirin races, specifically Team GB versus the Netherlands. Team GB were represented by Victoria Williamson and Dannielle Khan [cyclist and successful speed skater] and The Netherlands; Yvonne Hijgenaar and Elis Ligtlee. The sprint crown belonged to Vitoria Williamson taking the Sprint and Keirin wins and again as part of the two woman GB sprint team.

DHL Future Stars Girls:
After the 2011 domination of the DHL Girls podium for the past two years we were missing the formidable Emily Kay as she moves onwards and upwards. Our very own Ellie Coster who finished last years series just behind Emily returns in fighting form determined to take the vacant podium position. Heather and I perused the DHL girls riders list before the racing started and she pointed out her tip for new young rider to watch, “Amy Gornall! She’s got the natural tactics, I’ve seen her race before and she’s the whole package. Destined for big things, in the same way Emily intuitively knows when to attack, it’s her first Revolution but she won’t be phased by it”, and sure enough moments later she was running away from the pack in the early stages of the first girls event; the points race. She only came away with one point in the end but she’s clearly not here to make up the numbers, Amy had consistent results throughout the evening, not a bad start for a young rookie! So watch this space. Others to watch this year are Kimberley English, Lucy Harper, Emily Haycox.

Revolution 37 DHL Future Stars Girls – ©Swarbrick.com

Click play button to listen Sim’s interview with Kimberley English.

Click play button to listen Sim’s interview with Laura Cheeseman & Lucy Harper.

Jessica Roberts [Raleigh GAC] had a great points race, she won with 12 points and the nearest anyone came to her were two Emily’s (Capewell and Haycox) each with 5 point. Ellie Coster [howies] took her revenge in the 6 Lap dash but she couldn’t shake Jess Roberts off the podium, Jess took 3rd and Emily Nelson 2nd. In the final girls event Ellie Coster came 2nd in a frantic Scratch race, the winner was her team mate Emily Haycox, which sadly meant Ellie didn’t quite take the series lead. Jessica Roberts kept on fighting and hoovered up the 3rd place points to sneak the championship lead and podium for the opening Revolution, amazing tactics. The top three female riders are each separated by one point, Roberts (76), Coster (75) and Haycox (74).

DHL Future Stars Boys:
In the Boys league the competition looks like it’s going to be a tough top ten of riders scrapping it out throughout the season. Already showing their strengths are Jack Hoyle, Charlie Tanfield, Levi Moody and Leon Gledhill. In the Scratch Race it was a frantic finish with Tristan Robbins [howies] just beating IG-Sigmasports Ben Chapman to the line, closely followed by Gabriel Cullaigh of NetApp Endura. In the 6 Lap Dash Team Sportscover-Altura in their Revolution debut powered across the line with Leon Gledhill in 1st followed by team mate Levi Moody and Joe Evans [Rudy Project RT] in 3rd.

Revolution 37 – DHL Boys Points Race – ©Swarbrick.com

The drama of the evening was provided by the boys Points Race with a two part crash, caused by riders clipping wheels but throwing other riders off as they tried to avoid calamity further down the field. I tried to tot up the number of riders involved it appeared to be half a dozen in the home straight, then as they exited into the first corner just in front of me a second group came down very heavily. One of the Rapha riders did the most amazing standing tumble with his bike and landed on his feet with bike falling to the floor as he skidded to a standstill on his cleats – quite a manoeuvre. A number of riders were unable to rejoin the race including Charlie Tanfield who was on course for another good result but he picked up a nasty splinter. Charlie is one to watch in the boys competition.

Ned Boulting popped over for an interview [online shortly] between filming for the ITV4 highlights show [airing 31 October 2012 8pm] and to sign copies of his book ‘How I Won The Yellow Jumper‘ [for Cycling Shorts next competition]. So Ned… What is like to be UK’s face of cycling now? “That’s Gary Imlach, not me! You need to ask Gary Imlach what it’s like.” he said with a with his usual cheeky smile.

Elite 1km Madison Time Trial:
In the Madison the clear winners were Rapha’s Ed Clancy & Andy Tennant in a brilliant time of 56.005.

Revolution 37 Jody Cundy – ©Swarbrick.com

Elite Points Race:
Infighting in the Cycling Shorts ranks surly not? [not really] but Tom Murray said, “During the points race Jody ‘leant’ on my leg, it was captured on the camera under my saddle. Looks like I will be getting married with a Jody Cundy tyre mark down the back of my leg, it was close racing!”. In the end the race was expertly won by Owain Doull of howies with 24 points, Alex Dowsett [Team Sky] who was one lap up on Owain; came in second with 20 points and Ed Clancy in 3rd with 18. Tom made it into 6th place after his tyre tattooing with a total of 17 points. Jody didn’t finish.

Elite Australian Pursuit:
The Australian Pursuit is always a crowd pleaser and you can see heads in the team and media area centre track bobbing up and down like meerkats to watch what is a 360 degree race unfold around them. In the dying moments of the race there were three riders battling it out Andy Tennant, Alex Dowsett and Leif Lampeter [Rudy Project RT], this race is always a favourite of Leif’s and he remained out of trouble and took the win while Tennant and Dowsett battled for 2nd and 3rd respectively.

Elite Elimination Race:
The race was on early for Ed Clancy but sadly it didn’t pay off, but his effort helped create some tired legs in the pack to allow his team mate Andy Tennant to take victory over Joe Kelly. Clancy and Tennant’s experience shone through and popped some more points in the Rapha bank.

Elite Scratch Race:
In the final championship race of the evening Ed came back in style, the peloton were lapped and there was a one two battle on the line for the final sprint. Ed Clancy sealed victory for Rapha with his win. John Dibben [Rouleur] took 2nd and Christian Grasmann of Rudy Project RT came 3rd.

At the end of the evening the DHL Future Stars Team was howies. Jessica Roberts [Raleigh GAC] and Tristan Robbins [howies] now lead the individual DHL competitions.

Olympian Lizzie Armistead took to the Apron during a break in racing but not in the usual lycra look we are used to. She was interviewed by Hugh Porter. After taking second in the Olympic Road Race to Marianne Vos, Lizzie announced that she would be going head to head with the multiple World Champion at the next Revolution. This promises to be a truly epic battle.

More interviews from Revolution 37:
Click play button to listen to Sim’s interview with Ned Boulting.
Click play button to listen to Sim’s interview with Matt Holmes.
Click play button to listen to Sim’s interview with Adam & Simon Yates.
Click play button to listen to Sim’s interview with Ellie Coster & Emily Haycox.

 
Don’t forget you can catch the highlights show on ITV Player

You can download the full event results in PDF format by clicking here.

Revolution Series Round 2 is on 1st December at Manchester.
To find out more about the series and to grab one of the few remaining tickets left for the rest of the series visit www.cyclingrevolution.com

 

Andy Tennant & Ed Clancy – Team Rapha Podium – ©Anna Magrath – Cycling Shorts.

Elite Championship Standings after Round 1

1 Rapha Condor Sharp 62
2 Rouleur 53
3 Rudy Project RT 46
4 Maxgear 41
5 howies 37
6 FACE 30
7 Sportscover 28
8 IG-Sigma Sport 26
9 Team Sky 24
10 WD40 23
11 NetApp-Endura 14
12 Raleigh-GAC 6

Jessica Roberts & Tristan Robbins – DHL Future Stars Podium with Martyn Ashton – ©Anna Magrath – Cycling Shorts.

Future Stars Teams After Round 1
1 Howies 259
2 Rapha Condor Sharp 192
3 Raleigh GAC 181
4 Sportscover 180
5 IG Sigmasport 176
6 FACE Partnership 174
7 WD40 163
8 Rudy Project RT 147
9 NetApp Endura 110
10 Rouleur 109
11 Sky Procycling 107
12 Maxgear Racing 83

Future Stars Girls After Round 1
1 Jessica ROBERTS Raleigh GAC 76
2 Ellie COSTER Howies 75
3 Emily HAYCOX Howies 74
4 Emily NELSON IG Sigmasport 59
5 Lucy HARPER FACE Partnership 58
6 Beth HAYWARD Rapha Condor Sharp 57
7 Kimberley ENGLISH Rapha Condor Sharp 57
8 Victoria KINRADE Rouleur 49
9 Henrietta COLBOURNE Sportscover 48
10 Laura CHEESMAN FACE Partnership 46
11 Emily CAPEWELL WD40 45
12 Hannah BLOUNT Rudy Project RT 45
13 Lauren O’BRIEN NetApp Endura 44
14 Bethany TAYLOR Raleigh GAC 44
15 Amy GORNALL Maxgear Racing 40
16 Jessie ANSELL WD40 38
17 Naomi JOHNSTON Sky Procycling 28
18 Megan LEWIS IG Sigmasport 26
DHL Future Stars Boys

Future Stars Boys After Round 1
1 Tristan ROBBINS Howies 70
2 Levi MOODY Sportscover 68
3 Leon GLEDHILL Sportscover 64
4 Joe EVANS Rudy Project RT 64
5 James SHAW Sky Procycling 52
6 Maximilian STEDMAN IG Sigmasport 51
7 Matt GIBSON WD40 49
8 Charlie TANFIELD Rouleur 44
9 Fabio CLOSE Maxgear Racing 43
10 Ethan LEE Rapha Condor Sharp 41
11 Joe WILTSHIRE Howies 40
12 Harrison FIELDING Raleigh GAC 40
13 Benjamin CHAPMAN IG Sigmasport 40
14 Sean NOON NetApp Endura 39
15 Jake KELLY Rudy Project RT 38
16 Jack HOYLE Rapha Condor Sharp 37
17 Jack ESCRITT FACE Partnership 35
18 Harry CREW FACE Partnership 35
19 Christian BRAYBROOKE WD40 31
20 Gabriel CULLAIGH NetApp Endura 27
21 Karl BAILLIE Sky Procycling 27
22 Thomas SCAMMELL Raleigh GAC 21
23 Sean MCGOVERN Rouleur 16

Elite Flying Lap
1 CLANCY Ed Rapha Condor Sharp 13.009
2 CUNDY Jody FACE Partnership 13.908
3 BURKE Steven IG Sigmasport 14.149
4 WOOD Oliver Sportscover 14.419
5 GRASMANN Christian Rudy Project RT 14.494
6 DOULL Owain Howies 14.522
7 YATES Simon Maxgear Racing 14.534
8 LOWE Sam Rouleur 14.589
9 SCHEP Peter WD40 15.006
10 DOWSETT Alex Sky Procycling 15.075
11 MCEVOY Jonny NetApp Endura 15.481
12 HOLMES Matt Raleigh GAC 15.864

Elite 1km Madison Time Trial
1 Rapha Condor Sharp 56.005
2 Rudy Project RT 57.697
3 Rouleur 58.511
4 Howies 59.047
5 IG Sigmasport 59.628
6 WD40 59.812
7 FACE Partnership 1:00.164
8 Maxgear Racing 1:00.504
9 Sportscover 1:00.605
10 Team SKY Sky Procycling 1:01.695
11 NetApp Endura 1:03.204
12 Raleigh GAC 1:04.659

Elite Points Race
1 DOULL Owain Howies 24 -1 lap
2 DOWSETT Alex Sky Procycling 20
3 CLANCY Ed Rapha Condor Sharp 18 -1
4 DIBBEN John Rouleur 18 -1
5 GRASMANN Christian Rudy Project RT 18 -1
6 MURRAY Tom IG Sigmasport 17 -1
7 SCHEP Peter WD40 15 -1
8 YATES Simon Maxgear Racing 12 -1
9 HOLMES Matt Raleigh GAC 10 -1
10 WOOD Oliver Sportscover 10 -1
11 KELLY Joe FACE Partnership 8 -2 laps
12 TENNANT Andy Rapha Condor Sharp 3 -2
13 LAMPETER Leif Rudy Project RT 1 -2
14 YATES Adam Maxgear Racing 1 -2
15 SLATER Alistair Sportscover 1 -2
16 LOWE Sam Rouleur 0 -2
17 GEOGHEGAN-HART Tao Sky Procycling 0 -2
18 LATHAM Chris WD40 0 -2
19 BURKE Steven IG Sigmasport 0 -2
DNF SCHWARTZMAN Michael NetApp Endura 10 -2
DNF MCEVOY Jonny NetApp Endura 0 -2
DNF HARRISON Sam Howies 0 -2
DNF CUNDY Jody FACE Partnership -10 -3
DNF HAMPTON Russell Raleigh GAC -10 -3

Elite Australian Pursuit
1 LAMPETER Leif Rudy Project RT
2 TENNANT Andy Rapha Condor Sharp
3 DOWSETT Alex Sky Procycling
4 SLATER Alistair Sportscover
5 MURRAY Tom IG Sigmasport
6 CUNDY Jody FACE Partnership
7 SCHEP Peter WD40
8 HAMPTON Russell Raleigh GAC

Elite Elimination Race
1 TENNANT Andy Rapha Condor Sharp
2 KELLY Joe FACE Partnership
3 LOWE Sam Rouleur
4 YATES Simon Maxgear Racing
5 GRASMANN Christian Rudy Project RT
6 SLATER Alistair Sportscover
7 DIBBEN John Rouleur
8 WOOD Oliver Sportscover
9 YATES Adam Maxgear Racing
10 MCEVOY Jonny NetApp Endura
11 GEOGHEGAN-HART Tao Sky Procycling
12 MURRAY Tom IG Sigmasport
13 LATHAM Chris WD40
14 DOWSETT Alex Sky Procycling
15 SCHWARTZMAN Michael NetApp Endura
16 BURKE Steven IG Sigmasport
17 HAMPTON Russell Raleigh GAC
18 DOULL Owain Howies
19 SCHEP Peter WD40
20 LAMPETER Leif Rudy Project RT
21 HOLMES Matt Raleigh GAC
22 CUNDY Jody FACE Partnership
23 CLANCY Ed Rapha Condor Sharp
24 HARRISON Sam Howies

Elite Scratch Race
1 CLANCY Ed Rapha Condor Sharp
2 DIBBEN John Rouleur
3 GRASMANN Christian Rudy Project RT
4 HARRISON Sam Howies
5 YATES Adam Maxgear Racing
6 MCEVOY Jonny NetApp Endura
7 SCHEP Peter WD40
8 DOWSETT Alex Sky Procycling
9 YATES Simon Maxgear Racing
10 TENNANT Andy Rapha Condor Sharp
11 LOWE Sam Rouleur
12 LAMPETER Leif Rudy Project RT
13 MURRAY Tom IG Sigmasport
14 KELLY Joe FACE Partnership
15 LATHAM Chris WD40
16 GEOGHEGAN-HART Tao Sky Procycling
17 HOLMES Matt Raleigh GAC
18 HAMPTON Russell Raleigh GAC
19 WOOD Oliver Sportscover
20 BURKE Steven IG Sigmasport
21 SLATER Alistair Sportscover
22 DOULL Owain Howies
DNF CUNDY Jody FACE Partnership
DNF SCHWARTZMAN Michael NetApp Endura

DHL Future Stars Girls
Points Race
1 ROBERTS Jessica Raleigh GAC 12 points
2 CAPEWELL Emily WD40 5
3 HAYCOX Emily Howies 5
4 COLBOURNE Henrietta Sportscover 3
5 HAYWARD Beth Rapha Condor Sharp 3
6 COSTER Ellie Howies 3
7 ENGLISH Kimberley Rapha Condor Sharp 3
8 ANSELL Jessie WD40 2
9 HARPER Lucy FACE Partnership 2
10 TAYLOR Bethany Raleigh GAC 2
11 O’BRIEN Lauren NetApp Endura 1
12 NELSON Emily IG Sigmasport 1
13 GORNALL Amy Maxgear Racing 1
14 CHEESMAN Laura FACE Partnership 1
15 KINRADE Victoria Rouleur
16 BLOUNT Hannah Rudy Project RT
17 LEWIS Megan IG Sigmasport
18 JOHNSTON Naomi Sky Procycling

6 Lap Dash
1 COSTER Ellie Howies 2:03.409
2 NELSON Emily IG Sigmasport
3 ROBERTS Jessica Raleigh GAC
4 ENGLISH Kimberley Rapha Condor Sharp
5 HAYCOX Emily Howies
6 KINRADE Victoria Rouleur
7 HARPER Lucy FACE Partnership
8 O’BRIEN Lauren NetApp Endura
9 CHEESMAN Laura FACE Partnership
10 BLOUNT Hannah Rudy Project RT
11 HAYWARD Beth Rapha Condor Sharp
12 GORNALL Amy Maxgear Racing
13 TAYLOR Bethany Raleigh GAC
14 COLBOURNE Henrietta Sportscover
15 JOHNSTON Naomi Sky Procycling
16 CAPEWELL Emily WD40
17 LEWIS Megan IG Sigmasport
18 ANSELL Jessie WD40

Scratch Race
1 HAYCOX Emily Howies
2 COSTER Ellie Howies
3 ROBERTS Jessica Raleigh GAC
4 HARPER Lucy FACE Partnership
5 HAYWARD Beth Rapha Condor Sharp
6 NELSON Emily IG Sigmasport
7 BLOUNT Hannah Rudy Project RT
8 KINRADE Victoria Rouleur
9 CHEESMAN Laura FACE Partnership
10 ENGLISH Kimberley Rapha Condor Sharp
11 TAYLOR Bethany Raleigh GAC
12 COLBOURNE Henrietta Sportscover
13 GORNALL Amy Maxgear Racing
14 ANSELL Jessie WD40
15 O’BRIEN Lauren NetApp Endura
16 CAPEWELL Emily WD40
17 JOHNSTON Naomi Sky Procycling
18 LEWIS Megan IG Sigmasport

DHL Future Stars Boys
Scratch Race
1 ROBBINS Tristan Howies
2 CHAPMAN Benjamin IG Sigmasport
3 CULLAIGH Gabriel NetApp Endura
4 TANFIELD Charlie Rouleur
5 EVANS Joe Rudy Project RT
6 NOON Sean NetApp Endura
7 WILTSHIRE Joe Howies
8 SHAW James Sky Procycling
9 STEDMAN Maximilian IG Sigmasport
10 ESCRITT Jack FACE Partnership
11 GLEDHILL Leon Sportscover
12 GIBSON Matt WD40
13 MOODY Levi Sportscover
14 CREW Harry FACE Partnership
15 KELLY Jake Rudy Project RT
16 LEE Ethan Rapha Condor Sharp
17 FIELDING Harrison Raleigh GAC
18 SCAMMELL Thomas Raleigh GAC
19 CLOSE Fabio Maxgear Racing
20 BRAYBROOKE Christian WD40
21 MCGOVERN Sean Rouleur
22 BAILLIE Karl Sky Procycling
23 HOYLE Jack Rapha Condor Sharp

6 Lap Dash
1 GLEDHILL Leon Sportscover 1:45.498
2 MOODY Levi Sportscover
3 EVANS Joe Rudy Project RT
4 TANFIELD Charlie Rouleur
5 CLOSE Fabio Maxgear Racing
6 SHAW James Sky Procycling
7 ROBBINS Tristan Howies
8 KELLY Jake Rudy Project RT
9 STEDMAN Maximilian IG Sigmasport
10 CREW Harry FACE Partnership
11 CHAPMAN Benjamin IG Sigmasport
12 BRAYBROOKE Christian WD40
13 LEE Ethan Rapha Condor Sharp
14 HOYLE Jack Rapha Condor Sharp
15 BAILLIE Karl Sky Procycling
16 GIBSON Matt WD40
17 ESCRITT Jack FACE Partnership
18 FIELDING Harrison Raleigh GAC
19 SCAMMELL Thomas Raleigh GAC
20 NOON Sean NetApp Endura
21 WILTSHIRE Joe Howies
22 CULLAIGH Gabriel NetApp Endura
23 MCGOVERN Sean Rouleur

Points Race
1 MOODY Levi Sportscover 9 points
2 GIBSON Matt WD40 5
3 FIELDING Harrison Raleigh GAC 5
4 HOYLE Jack Rapha Condor Sharp 5
5 ROBBINS Tristan Howies 4
6 EVANS Joe Rudy Project RT 3
7 GLEDHILL Leon Sportscover 3
8 LEE Ethan Rapha Condor Sharp 3
9 STEDMAN Maximilian IG Sigmasport 2
10 WILTSHIRE Joe Howies 1
11 CLOSE Fabio Maxgear Racing 1
12 SHAW James Sky Procycling 1
13 NOON Sean NetApp Endura
14 BAILLIE Karl Sky Procycling
15 BRAYBROOKE Christian WD40
16 ESCRITT Jack FACE Partnership
17 KELLY Jake Rudy Project RT
18 MCGOVERN Sean Rouleur
19 CREW Harry FACE Partnership
20 SCAMMELL Thomas Raleigh GAC
DNF CHAPMAN Benjamin IG Sigmasport 2
DNF CULLAIGH Gabriel NetApp Endura
DNF TANFIELD Charlie Rouleur

Revolution Sprint Omnium
200m Time Trial
1 WILLIAMSON Victoria Great Britain 11.700
2 KAHN Danielle Great Britain 12.002
3 LIGTLEE Elis Netherlands 12.009
4 HIJGENAAR Yvonne Netherlands 12.072

Round 1
1 WILLIAMSON Victoria Great Britain 12.074
2 HIJGENAAR Yvonne Netherlands
1 LIGTLEE Elis Netherlands 12.228
2 KAHN Danielle Great Britain

Finals
1 WILLIAMSON Victoria Great Britain 12.091
2 LIGTLEE Elis Netherlands
3 HIJGENAAR Yvonne Netherlands 12.407
4 KAHN Danielle Great Britain

Team Sprint
1 Great Britain (WILLIAMSON Victoria, KAHN Danielle) 35.703
2 Netherlands (HIJGENAAR Yvonne, LIGTLEE Elis) 36.195

Keirin
1 WILLIAMSON Victoria Great Britain
2 KAHN Danielle Great Britain
3 HIJGENAAR Yvonne Netherlands
4 LIGTLEE Elis Netherlands

 

 

 

 

CLIF Bar Review

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We got our hands on a selection of Cliff Bars to review for you and Sim and Heather took on the taste and energy test.
 

Heather’s Opinion:
I had my first taste of CLIF Bars whilst taking part in the Deloitte Ride Across Britain last year – the chocolate chip version kept me going from John O’Groats all the way to Glasgow, so when I was asked to review CLIF bars for CyclingShorts, I thought why not?

So, a large selection of CLIF Bars in all different flavours made their way through my door – There was the chocolate chip version which I had tried before, then Crunchy Peanut Butter flavour, followed by Oatmeal Raisin Walnut, then Chocolate Almond Fudge, with White Chocolate Macadamia Nut bringing up the rear.

I must say that some of them sounded slightly exotic and I wasn’t convinced that I would like them, but I tried them all anyway (it’s a tough job, but somebody has to do it!)…

So, what did I think? Well, some of the flavours and the texture of the bars are better than others. For example, whilst the Oatmeal Raisin Walnut version may appeal to some due to the lower calorific content than the others, I found that unfortunately it was a bit disappointing – too dry to have on its own, especially trying to eat it going uphill. However, I was pleasantly surprised that the most exotic-sounding one (in my humble opinion), the White Chocolate Macadamia Nut was in actual fact the best of the bunch, mainly due to the addition of white chocolate pieces compensating for the dry nature of the bars in general. However, the Crunchy Peanut Butter flavour came a close second, as CLIF have worked hard to make that bar more chewy and therefore slightly more moist.

The Chocolate Almond Fudge was a bit disappointing too – I thought that it would be the CLIF Bar version of Bakewell Tart but it just seemed difficult to eat, as did the Chocolate Chip version. The bars really fill a hole and contain on average 245 kcals per bar and provide plenty of slow release energy from the seeds and grains used.

CLIF pride themselves on using wholesome and nutritious ingredients and having no trans fats, hydrogenated fats or high fructose corn syrup. It should be noted though that under UK regulations CLIF Bar cannot state that the bars are organic or contain no transfats.

The wrappers are foil and although this keeps the contents fresh, it can hurt your teeth trying to rip it open (I can’t ride in a group of people non-handed so I have to use my teeth – but don’t tell my dentist!) however if you want weight for your £1, these are definitely substantial bars – you can feel the heft when you pick one up!

So, for marks out of 100, overall I would probably give the CLIF bar range 70% (good start, but some improvements needed) although I would give the White Chocolate Macadamia version 85%.

 
 

Sim’s Opinion:
I confess to being rather skeptical about using Cliff Bars as I have had mixed experiences using energy or nutrition bars when riding, to the point that I have reverted to using trusty old jam and bread on most rides. My experience is that some are gooey and sticky, others sickly and worse still some that encouraged the production of some rather unpleasant gases, which was not good in the bunkhouse when all ten of us had been using the same product with the same effect! So needless to say I was a tad apprehensive when I was among a group of friends taking part in the Manchester 100 who would be testing a range of Cliff Bars. Fortunately we would not all be staying in the same room at the end of the day!

On the day we had four different flavours, Chocolate Chip, Chocolate Almond fudge, White Chocolate Macadamia Nut and Oatmeal Raisin Walnut, to test and we split them across the group of Team Parrotti riders. My son plumped for the Chocolate Chip and I tried the White Chocolate Macadamia Nut.

Out on the road we were particularly impressed with the ease of opening the packaging and the fact that the bar stayed intact allowing us to nibble on the bar and keep popping it back into our back pockets without making a mess. Which is great if you want to use them for a little pick up as you are riding.

The consistency of the bars is moist but not too gooey and this works really well when riding allowing you to take small bites without the bar falling apart. However you do need a sweet tooth as the bars are very very sweet but then that is not surprising considering nearly a third of the bar is sugar (between 21g – 23g for a 68g bar). This was the general experience of all Team Parrotti riders who tested the bars during our day out at the Manchester 100. We all agreed that the bars are worth carrying as a back up source of energy but we all felt that they are a little too sweet to use as a regular nutrition.

Of the flavours tested the clear favourite was Chocolate Chip with White Chocolate Macadamia Nut a close second. The least favourite was Chocolate Almond fudge which was incredible sweet and rather sickly.

The bottom line has to be ‘would we use Cliff Bars again?’ and the answer is a resounding yes. They provide a good energy boost that be easily nibbled on when needed and they are really easy to digest with no adverse effects (if you know what I mean!).

To learn more about CLIF Bars and their extensive range of products visit their website: www.clifbar.co.uk

Cycling Shorts overall rating for the Cliff Bar Range:

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Book Review: “How I Won The Yellow Jumper” by Ned Boulting

For any fans of the Tour de France, who watch the ITV4 programme avidly during July, you will no doubt know the dulcet tones of Ned Boulting. He has become synonymous with the ITV4 programme, where he interviews the likes of Mark Cavendish post race, or whoever is currently sitting on top of the GC on that particular day.

I was looking forward to reading Ned’s book, as I thought it would be interesting to hear what non-cyclists think of the cycling world, for Ned himself is the first person to say that he had no idea about the Tour de France when he was first drafted onto the production team back in 2003, calling the yellow jersey “the yellow jumper”.

Ned’s book is easy to read, interesting, funny and witty. It might put you off ever wanting to work on a Grand Tour as he tells of incidents where he had little time to sleep, late finishes and early starts, and a lot of driving around France in the customary Renault Espace. But it is insightful nonetheless.

The book in itself is a breath of fresh air due to the dead pan, matter of fact way in which Ned narrates his various experiences. He has the ability to look at what he has done from what appears to be somebody else’s perspective. At certain points, it’s “no holds barred” where he recounts his experiences with Mark Cavendish, Robbie McEwen and Team Sky.

There is also a section about how Cavendish became the green jersey winner in 2011, as well as an hommage to Thomas Voeckler and throughout the book there seems to be an undercurrent of utmost respect for Gary Imlach, and Chris Boardman.

If you haven’t got a copy yet, I would thoroughly recommend this book – add it to your Christmas list at the very least. It’s only £8.99 from Amazon and other bookshops and you can even buy the eBook version, if that floats your boat.

For my part, I am hoping that Ned does a follow up – his behind the scenes view of Team Sky in the 2012 Tour de France would be an interesting read! Bravo, Ned! Keep up the good work! This book gets our Star Buy rating.

Title:
How I Won The Yellow Jumper: Dispatches from the Tour de France  

Author:
Ned Boulting    

Published by:
Yellow Jersey Press (Random House) & Vintage Digital

Available in Paperback, iBook & Kindle

Price:
RRP £12.99 (Paperback), RRP £12.99 (eBook)

 

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