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17/08/2010 - 'BALD EAGLES' 15th ANNUAL BELGIUM TOUR
Bald Eagles Tour

Original members Jack Watson and Pete Ryalls plus Ken Haddon, who has now finished his apprenticeship, were joined this year by Tony Woodcock and we all met up with original member Ted Battersby who has been resident in Holland for the last 10 years.

Our most successful trip was helped by recent changes in category system by WAOD to encourage older riders to keep competing. It has never been easy to fathom the vagaries of WAOD categories, but it has become easier as we get to know the ages of the Belgian opposition. Category G is for all riders over 60 plus those who cannot compete in younger groups. The category is then divided into three. “G” is for riders approx LVRC Cat “E”. “G+” is for riders approx LVRC Cat “F” but up to the age of 71. “G++” is for riders 72 and over. So Tony and Ken competed in “G+”, Jack Pete and Ted in Cat “G++” These Cats compete together in the same race with separate placings for the two categories.

Our first race was at Roborst and a Belgian first in this part of flanders, a “hilly” circuit!
Tony soon got to work and at the end of the 2nd lap opened up a gap on the long climb, he was joined by 3 Belgians who over 2 weeks we got to recognise as the strongest riders in this category. As an indication of his super form Jack bridged the gap alone and this was the winning break. Ken and Pete were in the main field which eventually
fell apart on the difficult circuit. Tony punctured on the last lap and was robbed of a possible win. Jack won his category as the only one in the break and Ken put in a Cavendish type sprint for 3rd in Cat, followed by Pete for 2nd to Jack.
Day 2 at Laarne, Tony not happy with his puncture the day before attacked from the start taking with him 4 others and this was the last we saw of them. Jack got a gap on the last lap while Ken and Pete played policemen.
Result Tony 2nd Ken 11th Jack 1st Pete 4th
Day 3 Beveren. Once again Jack in an early move which eventually led to a sizeable split in the field, Tony bridged the gap. Ken and Pete in the main bunch. Jack again 1st as the only on in cat in the lead group, Pete punctured on last lap when in with a chance of 2nd place. Result Tony 3rd Ken 10th Jack 1st Ted 7th
Three races in 3 days time for a rest!
Day 5 Merelbeke. A new circuit away from the one we have used since the start of our trips. Road works prevent racing on the original circuit.
Pete in the early move which formed the winning break soon joined by Jack and Tony so we had 3 in the winning move.
Result Tony 4th Ken 9th Jack 1st Pete 2nd Ted 8th
Day 6 Bazel. Another familiar circuit for us. Tony resting. Another great ride by Jack only one in category of the 6 man break.
Result Jack 1st Pete 4th Ted 7thh Ken 23rd


We are now into “holiday” period no race for 3 days and then due to torrential rain we thought better of it and returned back to our camp site base. Lethargy sets in and we decide that the next race South of Brussels is too far to travel so a day in Gent instead.
Day 11 Semerzake. Our star rider Jack finally did it, winning the race overall in a lone break over the last 10km. 6 wins out of 6 for Jack. The rest of us all in a large bunch
contesting a hairy finish.
Result Jack 1st Pete 3rd Ted 4th Tony 3rd Ken 7th
Day 12 Destelbergen, our final race of this years tour. Driving rain thunder and lightning before the start deterred Tony who had signs of a cold. Weather did not deter Pete who was driving at the front for most of the race and stayed up there to the finish spoiling Jacks 100% record. Ken had lucky escape in pile up at the finish, loosing spokes in his back wheel but staying upright and walking to the finish.
Result Pete 1st Jack 2nd

16/08/2010 - MILESTONE FOR MICK IVES
In 1958 a very young Mick Ives,riding for Warwick Cycling Club and only in his 2nd season of cycling, won the Lichfield C and A C 25 between Lichfield and Burton on Trent in a new course and event record time of 58 mins 35 secs.
In those days the course was held on roads far different from todays,there with 3 dead turns where riders had to turn around a marshalin the middle of the road.
This weekend Ives returned to the same venue to compete in the Mercia C C Open 25 ml event, the course had changed over those years, --no dead turns now--, just 1 flyover-,on an out and back course on the Burton By Pass.Nevertheless Ives, now 71yrs of age , 59 mins 28 secs, less than a minute slower some 52 yrs after he set the record.
Ives is now in his 54th season of nonstop cycle racing.During that time he has won 5 World Cycling Championships, 69 British ones,and over 1,250 Open Events.

16/08/2010 - VIEW FROM THE BACK OF THE BUNCH BY A ‘B’ CAT RIDER TRYING TO SURVIVE IN THE EFG’S
LVRC TEAM VELO CLUB NOTTINGHAM RACE REPORT

VIEW FROM THE BACK OF THE BUNCH BY A ‘B’ CAT RIDER TRYING TO SURVIVE IN THE EFG’S

The Team Velo club Nottingham road race was held on the flat Flintham course on Sunday August 15th over 6 laps and 38 miles. Thankfully the dreadful weather in the week had given way to bright sunshine with nothing more than a gentle wind.

I am new to LVRC racing and have decided to enter a few EFG races this year to see if I can survive and to try and get some proper race experience, before moving to the CD races next year. As usual I took up my customary position towards the back of the bunch although I am always vigilant of what is going on in terms of attacks and counter-attacks.

As soon as we came out of the neutralised zone two riders attacked but it was early days and the peloton quickly closed them down with little effort and that was to become the order of the day. Attack followed attack with Chris Gunter, George Minion, Ken Cowdell and Phil Etches all prominent. From my position at the bank though you could sense the bunch respond as soon as any decent gap had opened and they were closed down within a mile or two.

I had my eye on two of the potential threats, these being Don Parry and Mike Allen and I was happy to sit behind them in the knowledge that they were unlikely to let any break go too far down the road before they got the bunch working to close it down. Unfortunately for him Don Parry was forced to retire with illness after two laps.

The side wind on the long straight before the left turn up to the finishing line was getting stiffer and this is where the peloton momentarily split in two with two laps to go as Ken Cowdell put in some hard efforts but the chasing bunch quickly closed it down as his umpteenth attack faltered. The bunch was pretty much altogether with only a couple of riders having been dropped.

With every move being neutralised the bunch was together at the bell and the race was on. With half a lap to go the bunch watched Chris Gunter drift off the front for about the fifth time but on this occasion no one responded, all eager to save his or her legs for the sprint. Brian Sunter then kicked hard and joined him 100 yards up the road but still the bunch watched them go and watched them go.

By the time the bunch responded it was too late and, as we swung left 600 metres from the finish we were sprinting for third place. With the wind directly behind us Martin Hackley kept the pace high as we all jostled for position. I had managed to creep forward and get on Phil Etches wheel but John Downing fancied a bit of that and I was gently squeezed out of the way. I had intended to kick from 300 yards but there was no room on the outside and I had to wait for Phil Etches to kick before any room appeared. But it was to no avail, Phil Etches kick gave him enough daylight to grab 3rd place, behind the escapee’s Chris Gunter and Brian Sunter, who won their respective groups. John Downing got 4th, Martin Hackley 5th and Mike Allen passed me just before the line to grab 6th. I had found myself under geared when we kicked and a gear change caused me to lose some momentum but I was still happy with 7th place over the line in what is only my 4th LVRC race.

12/08/2010 - MKCA & LVRC CRITS RACE LEADERS WITH ONE MORE RACE TO GO
MKCA & LVRC CRITS AT THE BOWL 2010

THESE ARE THE LEADING RIDERS IN CATEGORIES AND RACE POSITIONS AS AT RACE 11 ***** ONLY 1 MORE POINT SCORING RACE REMAINS *****

A
Tim Carter 15
Campbell Noon 14
Paul Bird 8

B
David Watson 13
Ian Goold 9
Adrian Cox 8

C
Jim Moffatt 27
Paul Freeman 9
Mick Dredge 7

D
Ralph Keeler 26
Cliff Dixon 5
Alan Duncan Jones 5
Ian Cooper 3

E
Martin Hackley 27
Dave Woods 14
Don Parry 12

F
Bob Richards 24
Murray Kirton 18

G
Gordon Batcock 6
Ken Haddon 3
Stuart Walters 3

10/08/2010 - TOO CLOSE TO CALL IN DUNTON SERIES WITH ONE RACE TO GO
With just one event to go, on the 19 August the competition is wide open for a number of Categories. In Cat A Steve Murrell and Richard Somerset are tied on 9 points but Martin Ryan is not out of it on 7. In Cat C Dominic Gabellini leads Steve Barnsley by just 1 point and simiarly for Cat D where Chris Edwardes leads Richard Kemp by a single point again. Things are even more tight in Cat F where Dave Burwood and Dave Whybrow are equal on points as are Roy Godbeer and Chas Wilde also equal for the H's.