The club’s ride leaders have made a few tweaks to the social ride groups to bring us in line with what is actually happening on the weekly rides. Principal among these changes is the introduction of a Fast Paced Cafe Ride to be led by Tony Morancie.
We are always keen to welcome other members to act as ride leaders in an official or unofficial capacity, particularly in the case of the FPSR now being led by Tony, so please let one of us know if you can help.
Those who do volunteer will be encouraged to go on the Ride Leader course run by Cycling UK (the cost of which is financed by the club).
The revised groups are detailed on the Social Rides web page, as well as below, and will run with effect from Sunday 25th August:
Keith earlier this year with his unique custom built bike and wheels (minus a few extra bags he is taking).
While we all contemplate our rides this weekend let’s take a moment to applaud club member Keith Griffiths as he tackles the iconic 1,200 km PBP Audax ride on Sunday. Starting in the Parisian suburb of Rambouillet on Sunday evening Keith, alongside 6,000 other cyclists, has just 90 hours to complete the ride west to Brest on the Atlantic coast and back. All of this is unsupported with only periodic feed stations and control checkpoints to break up the relentless ride. Sleep is allowed if you’re prepared to queue and pay for one of the basic “beds” but most riders will be taking respite from the snoring in their bivvy bags along the way in bus shelters, canteen floors or on park benches.
PBP is an event that requires proof of 200 km, 400 km and
600 km Audax rides just to be eligible to enter. It only happens every 4 years
and has a long and unique history, starting in 1891 following the first long
cycle race, without rest, of 600 km from Bordeaux to Paris when amazingly 3
Brits completely dominated the podium taking the first 3 places. The French were inspired by this event and the
inaugural PBP followed in the same year. A brief history of the PBP can be
found here: https://www.audax.uk/about-us/history-of-paris-brest-paris/
For anyone who is interested in joining the Audax cycling
community we’re certain Keith will be very happy to help point you in the right
direction when he’s got his breath back.
In the meantime there is a huge amount of information on the Audax UK website
here https://www.audax.uk/
This has been a journey of many years in the planning for
Keith, encompassing so many different components of riding a bike, from fitness,
nutrition and even bike building. It’s one
that we very much hope he’ll be able to share with us all in more detail when
it’s all over.
Main photo – That winning feeling! Jamie Parkinson taking the win ahead of the chasing bunch at the BC West Thames Series #13, Hillingdon
Well, what can we say… we are now well and truly at the heart of the 2019 racing calendar and FCCC’s Road Race team season continues to go from strength to strength. July has seen the team entering events across the board from road races, closed circuit races to town centre criteriums. Indeed, picking up on the latter, a big highlight of the month included seven FCCC riders racing in front of big crowds at the Farnham Town Centre Criterium.
Special congratulations to Giles Short, Gavin Lattimore and Joe Naylor, all of whom earned their 3rd Cat licence during the month. This adds to the three FCCC Road Race team members who we mentioned in last month’s round-up as gaining promotion in June.
A special mention also goes for the excellent finishes by Warren Vye and Mark Nuttall in the National Masters Circuit Race Championships held at Hillingdon on 13 and 14 July. A 9th place for Warren and a 12th for Mark are tremendous results in a highly competitive national championship.
The most notable results from a busy July are listed below:
2 July – Hillingdon BC West Thames Series Rnd 12, 3rd Cat, Luke Stratford – 7th Place, 4th Cat – Gavin Lattimore – 9th Place
3 July – Dunsfold Park Surrey League Vets Series #9, ME/MF Warren Vye – 6thPlace
4 July – Hillingdon Masters Series #7, Masters 50+ Warren Vye – 10th Place
5 July – Dunsfold Park Surrey League, 4th Cat, Joe Naylor – 2nd Place, Gavin Lattimore – 4th Place, Giles Short – 7th Place
Marshalling the bunch – Joe Naylor and Gavin Lattimore controlling things at Dunsfold Park 4th Cat Series
7 July – Lee Valley LE COL/Arcadian Series 2019 – Round 11, C, Warren Vye – 8th Place
7 July – Charters Peugeot Farnham Town Centre Races, 3rd Cat, Mark Nuttall – 6th Place
Attack! – Adam Dart and Adam Bassom battling away at the testing Farnham Town Centre Criterium
9 July – Hillingdon BC West Thames Series Rnd 13, 3rd Cat, Jamie Parkinson – 1st Place, Luke Stratford – 7th Place
Pure Elation – A solo attack just before the final lap saw Jamie Parkinson crossing the line to take the win!
13 July – Hillingdon National Masters Circuit Race Championships, E, Warren Vye – 9th Place
14 July – Hillingdon National Masters Circuit Race Championships, B, Mark Nuttall – 12th Place
16 July – Hillingdon BC West Thames Series Rnd 14, 3rd Cat, Jamie Parkinson – 6th Place, Luke Stratford – 10th Place
23 July – Hillingdon BC West Thames Series Rnd 15, 3rd Cat, Adam Bassom – 9th Place, 4th Cat – Gavin Lattimore – 5th Place
25 July – Surrey League Handicap Series #14, Kitsmead Lane, E1234, Ollie Rastall – 5th Place
Following the wheel – Ollie Rastall and Mark Nuttall position themselves on the bell lap at the Surrey League Handicap Series – Kitsmead Lane
26 July – Dunsfold Park Surrey League, 4th Cat, Joe Naylor – 2nd Place
28 July – Hog Hill, LE COL/Arcadian Series 2019 – Round 13, C, Warren Vye – 10th Place
A worthy mention
A result which didn’t produce a top 10 finish for FCCC, but would have made any team’s sponsors very pleased with the media coverage, goes to Mark Nuttall and Matt Davies. In mid-July, both FCCC riders entered the Surrey League 3rd Cat Road Race on the popular Dunsfold 6.7 mile circuit. The below summary is taken from the Surrey League Race Report produced from the event:
The weather was perfect – warm and sunny conditions with little wind. Come race start, 50 plus riders took to the start line for the morning 3rd Cat event and with a strong field present, racing was going to be brisk. Paceline RT brought the biggest number of riders to the race with 8 so they did have the upper hand as regards numbers.
Once the riders joined the circuit (start of lap 1), coming down Wrotham Hill, 2 riders Mark Nuttall and Matt Davies, both from Farnborough and Camberley CC attacked. They quickly gained ground and passing me had a slender lead of around 15 seconds. A lone Addiscombe rider was in pursuit but was dangling just off the front of the steady-paced bunch.
Attacking from the gun – FCCC teammates Mark and Matt create a healthy gap on the bunch
As the leading duo passed me on the second lap, they had gained around 40 seconds lead, but the bunch behind were chasing. The front 3rd of the bunch was lined out with the sole purpose of catching the leading duo.
By lap 3, the leaders still had a good advantage, around 30-40 seconds, but by the reaction from the bunch behind, I doubt this pairing would go the distance. Behind them the bunch was gunning it. 2 riders had escaped the bunch and were chasing the leading duo, but this just created pace in the bunch. Also, the bunch had split due to the pace, but by lap 4 the bunch was together still chasing the Farnborough and Camberley guys.
By lap 5 Mark and Matt’s lead had come down slightly and just as they entered the final lap, they were caught.
Combativity Award – No win for FCCC, but both Mark and Matt receive a Stolen Goat goodie bag for their efforts
If you’re interested in the idea of road racing, then get in touch with our RR secretary, Warren Vye. He looks after a friendly team with a wealth of experience who can pass on plenty of advice and tips.
Congratulations to all our members who took part in the Prudential Ride London 100 on Sunday. We hope everyone enjoyed the day and achieved their goals, both in cycling terms and raising money for good causes.
Thanks for sharing your photos with us.
We’ve tried to find all members who rode and their times, but if we’ve missed you out then please get in touch and we’ll add you in!
Good luck to all our members (19 at the last count) taking part in the Prudential Ride London tomorrow. The weather looks fair so it should be a great day – enjoy!
Follow their progress live on the website tracking page (use the Advanced Search option to filter by Farnborough & Camberley): https://results.prudentialridelondon.co.uk/2019/
A brisk start on a warm Saturday morning was completely frozen by a puncture less than 1 mile in. However, once we had put some new rubber in, we cruised along the canal and into the woods.
The route, which had been titled “Fleet to Frensham the hard way!”, soon unveiled the first challenge, the suitably named “impossible hill”. This short climb is covered in gravel and kicks up to what feels like over 30%. A short walk for most of us except two nifty climbers who managed to grind their way up.
After the “impossible hill” the route carried on through some lovely landscapes and bought us to Frensham pond where the water looked very inviting. A quick 5 minute ride down to the local shop in Tilford is where we sought much needed water due to the blazing heat.
The route was perfect. A mixture of everything was thrown in which in some places tested your skills and in others rewarded you with some amazing sights. It was a wonderful ride and the bike handling skills will definitely benefit me out on the road!
Sadly me and my dad had to depart early so we dashed home quickly on the road leaving the rest of the guys to tackle some even more rough terrain. Near the end of the ride, in Caesar’s Camp, another brick wall of a hill got in the way of Jon, Tony, Cameron and Terry. However they all managed to power their way up the loose climb!
I’d like to thank Terry Holmes and Scott Heyhoe for organising it.
If you’d like to get involved with club off-road rides, then contact our off-road secretary, Scott Heyhoe.
With over 40 race entries from across the club’s road race team, suffice to say June was both a busy and successful month. A (large!) number of the most notable results are listed below.
Particular congratulations go to Jasper Kortweg, Adam Dart and Tony Morancie who were all able to earn their 3rd Cat licence during the month, along with Warren Vye who has already picked up enough points in the season to retain his Cat 2 licence for 2020.
5 June – Dunsfold Park, Surrey League Vets Series #5, ME/MF Warren Vye – 7th Place
6 June – Hillingdon, Masters Series #5, Masters 50+, Warren Vye – 8th Place
7 June – Dunsfold Park, Surrey League, 4th Cat, Jasper Kortweg – 2nd Place; Giles Short – 6th Place; Gavin Lattimore – 7th Place
9 June – Surrey League Barcombe Road Race, 3rd Cat – Mark Nuttall – 7th Place
9 June – Hog Hill, LE COL/Arcadian Series 2019 – Round 7, C Warren Vye – 3rd Place
16 June – Hog Hill, LE COL/Arcadian Series 2019 – Round 8, C Warren Vye – 5th Place
16 June – South Winchester P&R, Sotonia Summer Criterium, 4th Cat, Adam Dart – 5th Place
18 June – BC West Thames Series Rnd 10, 3rd Cat, Luke Stratford – 7th Place, 4th Cat – Adam Dart – 5th Place, Gavin Lattimore – 10th Place
19 June – Dunsfold Park, Surrey League Vets Series #7, MC/MD Luke Stratford – 10th Place
23 June – Surrey League Cutmill Road Race, 3rd Cat, Mark Nuttall – 4th Place
23 June – Milbury Road Race, LE COL/Arcadian Series 2019 – Round 9, C Warren Vye – 9th Place
25 June – BC West Thames Series Rnd 11, 4th Cat, Tony Morancie – 4th Place
25 June – BC West Thames Series Rnd 11, 3rd Cat, Luke Stratford – 4th Place
26 June – Dunsfold Park, Surrey League Vets Series #8, ME/MF Warren Vye – 7th place
28 June – Dunsfold Park, Surrey League, 4th Cat, Giles Short – 2nd Place, Tony Morancie – 4th Place
For a little insight on what it’s like to be in a circuit race, this is what Tony Morancie had to say after his final 4th Cat race (the result promoted him to 3rd Cat) on 28 June at Dunsfold:
FCCC road race team had Giles and I both out on the Friday evening. With five to go, one guy got away. I put in a huge dig to bridge over and I tried to go with him, but he was a very strong rider. He ended up winning very comfortably. So, it came down to a bunch sprint. I was feeling good coming off the last corner about 3rd or 4th wheel. One rider went early but I thought I would bide my time as it was a strong head wind. I couldn’t see who was behind me but it was starting to open up in front, so I hit it with about 200 metres to go. I was out on my own between the bunch and the rider in front, going strong and giving it the beans trying to get second. I’m approaching the line but I’m not quite past him thinking I could try a bike throw and maybe I could do it. Then just at that moment another rider rolls by both of us to take second. It’s only my other teammate, Giles!
If you’re interested in the idea of road racing, then get in touch with our RR secretary, Warren Vye. He looks after a friendly team with a wealth of experience who can pass on plenty of advice and tips.
This month’s off-road social ride takes place this coming Saturday, 6 July. Terry and Scott have cooked up a lovely route around Frensham Pond. Ready to ride at 9.00am from the canal car park, junction of Reading Road South and Aldershot Road in Fleet. Suitable for mountain, gravel and cyclocross bikes, and ridden at a medium pace.
Sunday 7 July sees the Farnham Festival of Cycling taking place, including the action-packed Town Centre Races from 6pm.
The races take place on a closed roads section of streets around the town centre. We have a large team of FCCC racers taking place in the 3rd Cat race at 6:40pm and the guys would love to hear some supporters cheering them on!
The races are free to watch, and with the riders whizzing by right in front of you, it’s exciting stuff. As the programme attached shows, there are several races including ones for kids, women and some Elite riders too.
We’re very pleased to announce some exciting new benefits for club members.
A few months ago, West Heath Garage in Farnborough (who are located by West Heath roundabout, only 200m from our club riding meeting point by Speedy’s) kindly gave us some free tickets for the London Bike Show, which we passed on to a few lucky club members. Since then, we’ve had a few more conversations with them, and they have been able to come up with a really valuable set of benefits that we can now announce.
On car sales, West Heath Garage can offer FCCC members the following (on production of proof of membership):
£250 discount on any new or used car over and above any other offer or negotiated price
£250 free accessories on any new or ex-demonstrator Subaru car over and above any other offer or negotiated price
As well as being a full Subaru dealer, and a franchised Citroen/Peugeot servicing centre, West Heath Garage are also part of the Bosch Car Service Network. This means they can service and repair all makes and models of cars and vans. As part of this, they are offering the following further benefits to club members:
Free collection/delivery/vehicle wash in the Camberley/Farnborough area
12.5% discount on labour charges for repairs
Fixed price service and MOT offers
We’re continuing to talk with West Heath Garage about other ideas where we can work together, including events. This definitely won’t include jersey sponsorship though, so don’t be concerned if you’ve recently bought club kit. We firmly believe that club kit should be kept free of any non-club references. Watch this space for news of further developments.
