My bike racing reports

Diarmuid

Uphill Time Trial Aspremont 21st March 2009
First race of the local season here was an uphill 8.3km time trial (CLM Castagniers - Aspremont). I have been putting in a bit of training and eating less chocolate so figured I would take a shot at this race. Here is the map and profile. It was a short course, 8.3km rising 400m and was run as a TT. Finished it in 24:48. Full results are not up yet but I figure I will be in the bottom half of the race. (last years results). The standard seems quite high here but I was happy with my pacing and performance. (average HR was 182, power 272W and speed 20.1kph ) Three other guys from the club also completed the race.

Next race is next weekend, another uphill race but as a mass start.

Is there some thread where we are sharing our racing stories? If there is I will move this thread to it, if there is.

Slideshowbob

Diarmuid wrote: »

Uphill Time Trial Aspremont 21st March 2009
First race of the local season here was an uphill 8.3km time trial. I have been putting in a bit of training and eating less chocolate so figured I would take a shot at this race. Here is the map and profile. It was a short course, 8.3km rising 400m and was run as a TT. Finished it in 24:48. Full results are not up yet but I figure I will be in the bottom half of the race. (last years results). The standard seems quite high here but I was happy with my pacing and performance. (average HR was 182, power 272W and speed 20.1kph ) Three other guys from the club also completed the race.

Next race is next weekend, another uphill race but as a mass start.

Is there some thread where we are sharing our racing stories? If there is I will move this thread to it, if there is.

Diarmuid

Any context to this?

ie the country, area, what category you are competing in, link to results page?

Regards

Bob

Diarmuid

This was in the Cote d'Azur in the south of France. Organised as part of the FSGT organisation. I was in the S4 (senior 4 category). Results are not up yet.
EDIT: It's my first year trying out some races. I started on the bike about 1.5 yrs ago

RobFowl

Diarmuid wrote: »

This was in the Cote d'Azur in the south of France. Organised as part of the FSGT organisation. I was in the S4 (senior 4 category). Results are not up yet.
EDIT: It's my first year trying out some races. I started on the bike about 1.5 yrs ago

Lovely looking part of the world, I'm quite jealous

BTW what are you doing out there,, work? Study? or is Diarmuid a common user name there

Diarmuid

Working out here. well sorta. Long story

zzzzzzzz

Diarmuid wrote: »

Working out here. well sorta. Long story

Any chance of a job? :pac:

paddy's hill

Well done Diarmuid. Thats a good time.
As a comparison I calculate the climb as 8.3 km at 4.85% average. The Wicklow gap from Laragh is 8.4km at 4.01%
In 1998 the Tour ranked Col de Wicklow as a cat 4 so think that climb would be the same.
How long does it take to climb Wicklow gap on a boards spin.
Can I have one of those jobs in the south of France where you sorta work.

Diarmuid

Charly Berard 90km

Did my second race of the season yesterday. It was a 90km route with 72km of that timed (the actual race). Lots of climbing (again): 1250m over the 72km. Finished in 2:32 with an average of 28.5km/h. About 700 people took part but results are not up yet, winner came in at 2:05

Best part of the race was around km46. Passed rider number 700 on a short climb, he looked a bit under pressure. Had to do a double take to realise it was Stephen Roche! Had a chat with him for a few minutes until he stopped at a food stop. He was wearing all Carrera branded gear, dunno why. Sweet.

Attached is the profile of the race and here is the route. Organisers website is down at the moment

niceonetom

So you were racing in the alps, and passed a former world champion and tour winner on a climb.

You, sir, are living the dream.

Well done.

scottreynolds

Diarmuid wrote: »

Had to do a double take to realise it was Stephen Roche! Had a chat with him for a few minutes until he stopped at a food stop.

Okay so let me get this straight if I train with you and bet you up a climb does that mean I can say, "I beat the man uphill that dropped Stephen Roche"...

thebouldwhacker

Diarmuid wrote: »

Charly Berard 90km

it was Stephen Roche!... he stopped at a food stop. He was wearing all Carrera branded gear

Was he in the race or just in fancy dress nipping to the shop for 20 carrolls and a btl of milk....
:D

Diarmuid

scottreynolds wrote: »

Okay so let me get this straight if I train with you and bet you up a climb does that mean I can say, "I beat the man uphill that dropped Stephen Roche"...

You'll have to clarify that with "a 50 year old Stephen Roche with a few too many extra kgs".

thebouldwhacker wrote: »

Was he in the race or just in fancy dress nipping to the shop for 20 carrolls and a btl of milk....

Probably the latter.

Raam

Diarmuid wrote: »

He was wearing all Carrera branded gear, dunno why. Sweet.

Didn't he ride for Carrera?

Caroline_ie

Raam wrote: »

Didn't he ride for Carrera?

1981-1983 Peugeot-Shell-Michelin
1984-1985 La Redoute
1986-1987 Carrera
1988-1989 Fagor-MBK
1990 Histor Sigma
1991 Ton Ton Tapis
1992-1993 Carrera

RobFowl

Caroline_ie wrote: »

1991 Ton Ton Tapis

The worst jersey in cycling history :eek:

niceonetom

RobFowl wrote: »

The worst jersey in cycling history :eek:

there's an idea for a thread in that.

Caroline_ie

RobFowl wrote: »

The worst jersey in cycling history :eek:

It's very 'yellow sunmarine-ish' ... without the LSD ( prob something else tho )

Caroline_ie

Sorry ... it actually looked very ugly in real indeed ( The stripes must be very slimming tho ... must get one fo those )

zzzzzzzz

Caroline_ie wrote: »

Sorry ... it actually looked very ugly in real indeed ( The stripes must be very slimming tho ... must get one fo those )

that's some shameful sh1t.

Diarmuid

Raam wrote: »

Didn't he ride for Carrera?

yea but the gear he was wearing was brand new (bike included). Probably has some deal still going, for some commercial reason.

blorg

Diarmuid wrote: »

yea but the gear he was wearing was brand new (bike included). Probably has some deal still going, for some commercial reason.

This the kit? Here he is scouting out the 2009 TdF start with Nicolas and giving directions to Vinokourov

ROK ON

Jaysus, he's a big man now. Kelly still looks very lean. The good life in the South of France has got to Stephen.

On looks alone I reckon that he is about as heavy as I am. Could I be as good a cyclist as he is at our present weights:), or does actual talent matter at some stage!!!

Anyway, thanks to the OP.
This is an interesting set of reports. Not a racing cyclist, but it is an interesting endevour, reporting your progress. Could mke for an interesting web journal over the course of a season.
I think more folks should follow this example.

thebouldwhacker

HOLY MOLEY I wouldn't have recognised him... still a hero though:D:D

Silence please for 1 minute and 13 sec of prayer

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jy9Mos0zH-I

bcmf

I could do a log of my training spins but it would just be embarrasing.

niceonetom

hmmm, now i'm no conspiracy theorist but...

Didn't vino get caught for blood doping using his father's blood? Doesn't Roche Snr. look like he might have a few pints to spare now that he's, um, generously proportioned? Is that a gleam in Roche Jnr.'s eye?

Think about it. All the pieces fit.

Raam

niceonetom wrote: »

hmmm, now i'm no conspiracy theorist but...

Didn't vino get caught for blood doping using his father's blood? Doesn't Roche Snr. look like he might have a few pints to spare now that he's, um, generously proportioned? Is that a gleam in Roche Jnr.'s eye?

Think about it. All the pieces fit.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

bcmf

niceonetom wrote: »

hmmm, now i'm no conspiracy theorist but...

Didn't vino get caught for blood doping using his father's blood? Doesn't Roche Snr. look like he might have a few pints to spare now that he's, um, generously proportioned? Is that a gleam in Roche Jnr.'s eye?

Think about it. All the pieces fit.

Ahhhhhhh why did you have to go and spoil it.

thebouldwhacker

Where would a theory like that fit in here.... I'm trying to keep track:D:D

Diarmuid

blorg wrote: »

This the kit? Here he is scouting out the 2009 TdF start with Nicolas and giving directions to Vinokourov

Yea that was the kit. His face was a bit redder
How did you dig that pic up? Is there a story with the reuters pictures?

ROK ON wrote:

This is an interesting set of reports. Not a racing cyclist, but it is an interesting endevour, reporting your progress. Could mke for an interesting web journal over the course of a season

Thanks. Wouldn't call myself a racing cyclist but I had fun last summer doing a few sportives so I figured this year I'd try every race that came my way. Was going to do a journal but in the end figured it'd would get a more consistent audience here and on my facebook page.

blorg

Diarmuid wrote: »

Yea that was the kit. His face was a bit redder
How did you dig that pic up? Is there a story with the reuters pictures?

Dug it up through Google Cache, there wasn't a story, it was a cycling slideshow... I was pretty sure I saw a photo of Roche in Carrera kit elsewhere- I think at the start of the Giro di Lombardia (the Gran Fondo).

ba

what is Vino wearing? a jersey with his own face on it... where were the euro-fashion police that day?