CSSC National Day of Cycling 2011
For the last eight years the CSSC (Civil Service Sports Council) has run a ‘National Day of Cycling’ event at the Preston Sports Arena. I have participated in this several times. When I first rode back in 2004 I was successful in being a member of the winning team in the three-up team time trial, and last year I got fifth place in two sprints to give me equal fifth place overall in the points race, so when I saw the event was on again on Wednesday 13 July this year, I decided to have another go to see what I could do. I sent in my entry, applied for and was granted special leave to attend, travelled up by train on Tuesday afternoon, stayed overnight outside Preston and arrived at the Sports Arena in good time in the morning to warm up on the circuit.
The venue at Preston Sports Arena is an excellent facility for a number of sports – athletics, cricket, football to name but a few. Surrounding some of this is a superb closed road cycling circuit exactly a mile in length. The circuit is virtually flat, although it is quite twisty to make it slightly ‘technical’, with a finish straight about 200 metres long. This makes it an excellent opportunity to try out cycle racing on a closed circuit with no motor traffic. We had sole access to the circuit on the day and access to the changing and shower rooms.
On arrival, Dave Wyatt, the National Cycling Organiser, a real cycling enthusiast, whose day job is at Stretford Jobcentre in the Manchester area, greeted us and signed on the 18 participants. There were four events on the day. First off was a three lap (three mile) individual time trial, which I rode in just under eight and a half minutes to place 13th, not brilliant, but I haven’t been racing this year and at least I got over 20mph average! To put this in perspective, the winner completed it in less than seven minutes.
Next was a 10-mile points race, which is supposed to be run in two categories, Ladies and Veterans (over 40), then the ‘Open Age’ group, but because most of us were Veterans with only four under 40, the six eldest (or ‘older gentlemen’, myself included – age 55) were placed in the first group, and the other nine in the ‘Open Age’ group. Points are awarded 3, 2, 1 for the first three over the line on every other circuit (double on the final lap), with a bell rung at the start of the qualifying laps. I managed to grab third place on the first sprint and tried to contest the others, losing third place by less than a bike length on one and on another getting blocked on the corner going into the final straight by a rider not holding their line. So only one point for me.
The third event was a knock-out sprint competition, with riders paired off to race each other on a half-mile circuit, starting the sprint from the 200m point. All the winners would go into the quarter-final, then semi-finals and final, whilst all the losers of the first round would go into a parallel ‘Plate’ knock-out competition. Waiting for this to start I was talking to the rider who had narrowly beaten me for third place in the points race and suggested to him that a good tactic would be to lose the first round so as to have a sporting chance with the other losers in the ‘Plate’ competition. We then found that we had been drawn against each other in the first round. Clearly we couldn’t both lose, so we both raced as well as we could … and again he narrowly beat me!
So I went into the quarter-final of the ‘Plate’, and the other ‘loser’ I was drawn against just happened to be the winner and therefore fastest man in the opening time trial event! I said: “What are you doing on this side of the competition? You should be in the winner’s half!” We rode off and sure enough he beat me, though not by too big a margin, so I was then out of that competition altogether.
Finally, there were set to be three road race events, the Ladies Championship (20 minutes ‘neutralised riding’ plus 5 laps racing), a Veterans Championship (30 minutes plus 5 laps) and finally the ‘Open’ National Road Race Championship (45 minutes plus 5 laps). Additionally there was a ‘Gentlemen’s Plate’, in which ‘Gentlemen’ could ride at the same time as, but not with or against the ladies. Competitors could ride in one event only and Dave Wyatt asked that as there were only the four riders under 40 down for the ‘Open’ championship, if any veterans fancied ‘putting one over on the youngsters’, they should ride that race. As none volunteered Dave decided to combine the Veterans and ‘Open’ Championships into one race, but with places to be awarded for first, second and third overall and for the for first, second and third veterans over the line.
Dave also asked if any men would like to ride in the ‘Gentlemen’s Plate’ as none had put down for this and although not able to with or against the ladies, this would provide the three ladies with a bigger group for the 20 minutes neutralised riding at the start. One man did volunteer and thinking that the combined Open/Vets race might be a little too fast, I agreed to ride in the Plate too so that at least there would be two of us and thus some element of competition. So us two ‘gentlemen’ set off with the ladies and when the bell rang for the 20 minutes up, the ladies started racing and we rode another lap steadily to allow them to get away before we too started racing for four laps. My opponent was obviously trying, riding hard, so I sat in behind him and held his wheel. After about a lap we caught the three ladies and were able to go straight past cleanly so we didn’t affect their racing. When the bell rang for the final lap I went for it straight past my opponent and quickly established a gap. I eased off a little to allow him to get back into contention, but then when we reached the 200m line I started my sprint round the corner into the finishing straight and was clear by a couple of bike lengths crossing the line. I’d only had one man to beat, but hey, it was still a victory and I felt good for it.
Finally I watched the combined Veterans and National Road Race Championship. Once the bell went and the racing started this quickly split into two groups and I realised that had I ridden this I should probably have held my own in the second group. One of the Veterans rode well enough to contest the Open Age Championship and place third overall, leaving the organiser debating whether he should be awarded the National third place prize or the award for Veterans Champion. The rider of course wanted his Champion’s award! Awards were presented at the end before we left and I received an engraved tankard as winner of the Gentlemen’s Plate.
These events are open to all members of CSSC. It doesn’t matter what standard you are, whether you have raced before, how old you are, whether you’re male or female. The events are there to give you the opportunity to try road racing for yourself in a safe environment alongside like-minded colleagues. Besides myself, there was only one other rider from Wales, Rob Mould who won the knock-out sprint and placed well in most of the other events. It would be good to see a few more from Wales trying – why not have a go?
David Lewis
Neath Jobcentreplus
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