1950 Cyclocross Race.mp4

SCX round 3

Finally I feel the race legs. Strathclyde Country park was the first time I've got near the top ten. So the hunger is on for more Scalps, shame about Gordy, hopefully next week we can flight the opposition together. Hail the VCM's a force to be reckoned with..

Mugdock!! you only hope its like this.

the only way is up.

How to climb an SCX banking from Steven Turbitt on Vimeo.


Big up to Steve Turbitt from the legendary Glasgow United.  A great wee film.

giving it everything

I love watching Zdenek Stybar race - totally committed, an exceptional bike handler, a racer who gives it everything. Check out him soloing to victory on Sunday at the World Cup opener at Aigle - constantly pushing so damn hard.

Amazing - that mental and physical strength to turn yourself inside out.

Pretty inspirational stuff.

For me Sunday was my 2nd cross race of the season, Rd 3 of the SCX Series at Strathclyde. 2nd race back after over a year off racing and training, trying to get my health sorted out.

After a pretty good start I found myself unexpectedly sitting in the top 3 at the start of lap 2! Things quickened up pretty soon after though and I wasn't able to follow the race for 2nd, 3rd and 4th, if I had tried I would likely soon have gone ka-boom! Some fantastic support from fellow VCMers, my friend Don visiting from Oregon, Ros, friends from Selkirk and fellow cxers, got me through some rough middle laps. Able to push a little harder on the last 2 laps I hung on for 5th!

Pretty chuffed with this. Just hope I can stay healthy, enjoy some more racing and get a little stronger as the season progresses, so maybe I can get to a point where I can give it everything for an hour..

andy

Bang :o(

Sxc 3 Strathclyde country park.

I was sitting in 11th place with Simon pushing me hard, Starting lap 5 and out of nowhere i skidded to an abrupt halt, A quick check and it was clear it was terminal. Bitterly disappointed but i will return.

Pic: Lyndsey Carson

Well done to Andy 5th fantastic and Simon 13th. Maddy and Lyndsey dueled it out for 3rd and 4th respectively, Visiting Don Leet pulled off 20th vet with Iain following in 31st.

Great support on the course for VCM along with Marty popping out from behind trees every lap.

night-ride-epic

a plan is forming for an epic night ride somewhere soon.



need: lights (lots), legs (some), hipflask (gin or whisky)

who's in?

fast

Plean cyclocross.

The team raced at the weekend.

200+ photo's here.

100 miles anyone?

http://www.xcracer.com/raceentry/viewevent.php?event_id=101

Blenheim 'cross

Check list:

- Bambi legs

- Feeling nauseous

- Gibbering inanely

- going an odd puce colour

- crust of gel and drool in beard


All ticked! It wasn't cold enough and only moderately wet, though. A glamorous setting for the first cross of the year, all the same.

Nervous on the start line. I got gridded (no idea why, but it helped get a decent start). Number 13 mounted right way up to confuse the gods-of-luck. All the usual small battles that mean so much for an hour then disappear just as quickly. Did better than expected - always good. A lot of fun and a lot of pain, who'd a thunk it.

More this weekend...

3^ CX

 

A couple of weeks since the 3 Peaks now. Time for a quick report.

 

Good fun and a chance to catch up with friends I don't see often enough. For the third year running the event was dry- BONUS. Ingleborough was tough as ever but went well enough, 21st through Cold Cotes probably my highest yet at that point. Road section to Whernside was ok, not too windy and caught a few more so into the top 20.

 

Whernside however was not nice; in previous years I've got into a nice rythm climbing the steps 'till the ground levels into the rideable top section. Not so this year, instead CRAMP and plenty of it. Lots of possible reasons for this but mainly the legs weren't ready for this kind of effort after two months lost to the flippin cold. Suppose I've been lucky as I've avoided a serious cold for the last two winters but why the hell did I have to catch one in the build up to my main race of the year? Best laid plans! The view off Whernside was stunning, fantastic just to be out in such an amazing part of the World. Descent off Whernside went well, no punctures or mechanical issues so happy enough with that. Managed to spot most of the quick lines I think but still some improvement to come there. The Mary Poppins bike came into it's own on this section; the extra width of the flat bars and V-brakes were ace. Back to a proper 'crosser next year? Not sure yet.

Into a group of six or so for the spin along to Pen-y-ghent. This gave a chance to spin the legs but the cramp was determined to stay. Pen-y-ghent is the most rideable of the three climbs and normally has been my favourite hill, I was grovelling up it this year though. Just a case of getting up and over the final hill, not really able to attack this one at all, glad to only loose a few places as I was scared of blowing completely.

 

So all in all a good day out but a long way off the ride I know is in there. It's always frustrating not being able to race to your maximum but that's all part of bike racing I guess- you can't be 100% in every race. Still pleased I made the trip to Settle though and a good chance to see my folks who came down to be support crew. Massive thanks to Emma and my whole family who followed round as support, don't think we could have squeezed any more spare wheels in the little Corsa but thankfully none were needed. Good to see Steve McInnes absolutely ripping it for 7th spot- top bloke and a quick bike rider- well worth the journey down from Mull. Thanks to my mate John who had a year off riding, took the pics in this post and provided some much needed encouragement going up Pen-y-ghent.

 

Onto 'normal' 'cross now. Hopefully the results will come.

 

Cheers

Stevo.

ten thousand words

Meadowmill Results

Seeing as some of you lovely folks were racing your socks off at meadowmill I'll just let you know that the results are up!

http://www.scottishcyclocross.org.uk/