August 2007
29/8 - BC Eelmore Crit
Ian Lowe: "I arrived back from my holiday feeling refreshed and ready for the remainder of the racing season and was really looking forward to them. I was just coming into form before going on holiday, so I was hoping that some of this would still be there.
This was the last of the Eelmore races. With about 50 Cat 3 riders and 40 E/1/2 riders and a near perfect evening, clear sky’s and the sun streaming down I was up for this.
On the start line just before the off I realised I had a slow puncture. I must have picked it up during the warm-up. So away the race went without me and I went and rushed to the car to change the front tube. I join the race and was soon into it. The usual sprints started to happen and it seemed obvious (to me!) that no one was going to stay away tonight. It was going to be a bunch sprint and what with 50 riders on this small circuit I was not looking forward to that.
With 2 laps to go one rider shot off the front and no one followed, all waiting for someone else to chase. Why does that no happen to me when I go off the front? With just over a lap to go it started to happen. The chase was on to catch the one and only leader. Down the back straight it got a little to hairy for me so I opted to chicken out and watch from behind. Around the last bend, with the lone rider just a few bike lengths in front he was going to be caught, then some one caught their pedal on the bend and down came. 3 riders with everyone going around them. This left those 12 or so ahead of the crash to fight it out with me bringing up the rear and although no points pleased with my efforts for the day."
29/8 - LVRC Hillingdon Crit
Mike Inder and Tim Brass were at the races today. A large field of nearly seventy riders lined up in dry, bright and warm conditions. Mike looked active up (and off) the front and it looked to be a bunch sprint. However, in the last 3 laps a group managed to detach itself from the bunch to come in at the head of the gallop, with none of the Velo represented. Mike and Tim safely came in with the bunch behind.
15/8 - LVRC Hillingdon Crit
Mike Inder was at a very wet race at Hillingdon tonight, in another of the rond of mid-week crits for veterans. A damp Mike reports: "In the vain hope that it would dry out, a large field lined up at the start tonight. However, within minutes the heavens had opened and it poured down. Seeing a good opportunity to split things up, a few riders sprinted off down the road. I was dawdling a bit and took the "last chance express" when John McMillan decided to bridge. I was on his tail with Colin Roshier behind. It took us a whole lap but we got across. The break were kind to us as the pace eased enough for me to get my breath back. At the dying stages of the race 4 riders managed to get away, but I couldn't do much about that. I came in mid-sprint but 4th in my category and outside of the prizes. Pleased with the ride but I don't think the bike is talking to me after getting soaked and gritted from the track. Nice to have the hot showers at the nearby Goals facility on-hand though!"
12/8 - LVRC Bikeline RR (Lewknor)
Mike Inder reports: "I didn't know until Saturday evening that there was a race on the Great Milton circuit at the weekend. With a pass out and a midday start I decided to go for it. A pal of mine from the Quest drove over to me and then we rode over via Booker and Lane End to the HQ at the local school in Lewknor. What a picturesque village that is!
We were to do 4 ascents of Clare Hill with the finish there, not the usual one at Milton Common. This gave the race distance of 100km. I was in "get round" mode, coming back from injury, as any chance of getting in the break with the big boys was definately off the cards! It's always windy somewhere on this circuit and today it was on the section down through the Miltons to Stadhampton. Our race was neutralised all the way from Lewknor to Tetsworth where the flag was dropped. A small group got away over the top of Clare Hill, so I moved across with a few others. We turned the corner onton the A40 and I still had 50 metres or so to make up. Two riders with me jumped to bridge but I had nothing in response. It was the move to make as I slipped back to the safety of the bunch. We pretty much cruised round the rest of the race, losing a few each time up the hill, but I felt okay. The last lap saw our group split just after Stadhampton - well before the hill. Somehow I was slightly less knackered than some and managed to stay in the front half and hence didn't come in last."