Orwell/Lucan/Tiernan/UCD TTT Brittas Aug 19

Caroline_ie

I am scared ... is it going to rain later on?
Who is taking part?

Fresh for the Orwell website:

Please note that the new owners of the Blue Gardenia Pub, Brittas have requested that all cyclists signing on for the Thursday night Inter-club League races refrain from using their car park and toilets- please respect this on behalf of the Club

DirkVoodoo

It should be fun. It's going to be wet and slippy, but fun.

I have assembled a good team (Levitronix, david.obrien and montac) to ferry me around.

niceonetom

Rain will make this interesting. It's a bit technical by TT standards and my brakes don't do anything if they're wet.

Caroline_ie

niceonetom wrote: »

Rain will make this miserable.

FYP

Diarmuid

The rainfall radar seems to hint at it blowing over soon. </optimist>

Caroline_ie

Man it was hard! I launched the final sprint and almost got sick at the finish. Why the hell do we put ourselves through this...

levitronix

Another bloody punture tonight grrrr .... anyway enjoyed kiling it for 1 and a half laps haha

montac

Yeah, it was definitely hard Caroline, but I really enjoyed it. It was a very different kind of race, lots of team work, which was great!

godihatedehills

Dirk, wake up and give us a race report!!

Beasty

godihatedehills wrote: »

Dirk, wake up and give us a race report!!

Still awaiting yours from Tuesday night!!

RobFowl

Beasty wrote: »

Still awaiting yours from Tuesday night!!

She came, she saw, she almost conquered.....

Beasty

RobFowl wrote: »

She came, she saw, she almost conquered.....

I understand you're our secret weapon next Tuesday Rob. Do you have the wig yet?

niceonetom

That was one of the most physically gruelling rides I've ever done. It's incredible how much damage you can do to your body in 40 mins.

Getting out of the car and putting the bike together is NOT an adequate warm-up for the ass-whooping the other three in the team are capable of dishing out... I thought I was going to puke into my own lungs.

I really did my best, and looking back at my garmin data now, I can safely say that I had no more to give. AvgHR was 93% of max for 39 mins and hit 97% twice. I did my work on the front as best I could, but I just couldn't stay there as long as the others. DaveMc did inhuman amounts on the front and went up the full length drag in front both times around - out of the saddle keeping that 56 big-ring turning over. Our new club champion was just as fearsome and McNally just hammered along on the shít surface on the back half of the loop. I nearly got left in the final 300m when the remaining two still had the beans to sprint but I really didn't. Shamefully I had to gasp for them to ease - with only three left, there was no point in unleashing that if they couldn't bring me with them.

It was enough for 2nd place though, and, more importantly to some in the team, enough to beat the Orwell A team who came in, I think 6 (or 8?) seconds behind. I was told that the IRC were virtually unbeatable at the TTT as so it proved. They beat us into second by more than a minute.

These things I have learned:

• Never drive/be driven to the start of a TT. Whatever the weather, ride there, and use that as your warm-up.
• If it's a TTT and you think you might be the 4th man, drop out before you get beaten to the punch. Once there's only three left the pain becomes much harder to take, if only because it now seems less voluntary.
• If it's a team TT, don't end up spending the rotation behind the smallest member of the team and only one with full TT bike - he simply doesn't make a big enough hole in the air. Find the biggest guy, get behind him and encourage him to stay on the hoods.
• Never drive/be driven to the start of a TT. Whatever the weather, ride there, and use that as your warm-up.

levitronix

Are there results posted yet any where ?

Caroline_ie

levitronix wrote: »

Are there results posted yet any where ?

http://www.cyclinglucan.com/

100Suns

Chappeau to Paul Tansey and Fionn on finishing in the points.

(PS If et's bike was nicked I might have a suspect)

levitronix

Just checked results .. We got beaten by our arch enemies from st terians .. if it wasnt for that punture !!