A short report on the above to give a
flavour of what an LVRC (League of Veteran Racing Cyclists) race is
like.
The weather forecast for this Sunday
was not encouraging – rain, fairly cold plus a brisk wind. Despite
this, around one hundred riders turned up for the races to be run on
the Blackmore circuit near Brentwood, Essex. Two races were on offer,
both organized by the LVRC, the first for riders age 40-55, the
second, for the very old geezers – 55 and over. In each race riders
also compete within their own age category – so, for example in the
55 and over race, there would be Category D, E, F and G riders,
representing age groups 55-59, 60-64 and so on. Each race had around
50-60 starters and I was in the second race competing in Category F –
65-69.
The course was undulating, no real
hills, but with open roads, narrow twisting lanes and, initially at
least, a large bunch, the course demanded your full attention at all
times. In addition, the wet roads and mud generated many punctures
and generous servings of ‘Belgian Toothpaste’. I rode this course
in the pouring rain last ‘summer’ in the LVRC Regional
Championships, only to puncture in the last 10k, so this year I
elected to ride heavy wheels and tyres. The distance was just less
than 50 miles – five laps of the circuit - and, as usual, the first
10 or 15 miles were hectic as riders settled into the race and
several escape attempts were pulled back. Given the tight nature of
the circuit and the large bunch, it was almost impossible to eat or
drink during the early part of the race since staying upright and
maintaining a good position in the bunch required100% concentration.
By around half distance the bunch had
been whittled down considerably and two riders had managed to slip
off the front, to be joined by a third who had slipped away as the
whole bunch was stopped for a few moments by a horse out of control.
These three increased their lead over the bunch to around 90 seconds,
which they maintained until the finish. The bunch showed no signs of
wanting to pull them back, mainly because the escapees were D cat
riders, and so the other cats were not too bothered about letting
them go. So, for the bunch, a fast last lap leading to a sprint of
the remaining 15 or 20 riders, down a narrow lane in the wet. No
crashes, fortunately although I was certainly very cautious here. I
managed to finish in the bunch, probably around 7th or 8th
in the sprint and perhaps 4th or 5th in my
category overall – I left early so did not get the final
classification.
The standard of these races is high, as
is the quality of bike handling and race craft, as you would expect
from experienced riders. At least two of the people in my race are
ex-pro riders, and many have performed at the highest amateur level
for many years, and thus bunch riding feels much safer than in, for
example, BC Cat 4 races where enthusiasm and fitness are no
substitute for experience.
LVRC racing is cheap, safe, friendly
and fun. There are regular races at Hog Hill and Gravesend Cyclopark
(just turn up and ride) plus longer events around the country. I will
riding many of these events this year, so if any other Wanderers want
a lift to a race, let me know. Go to www.lvrc.org
for more info.
Bob Evans
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