Cheshire Classic

The sun was out as we all lined up for 10 laps, 50 miles of the Cheshire Classic: a tough little circuit, with a short sharp climb each lap.  Before we had even started, lined up on the start line, my tyre went 'bang', so there was lots of frantic running back to cars for a spare wheel before the race had even got under way! (I was just glad i'd got my token puncture out the way, as worse was yet to come!)

We finally set off, the pace being pushed each time up the climb.  The first couple of laps seemed to have a higher average puncture rate and it was soon discovered that a box of tacks had been thrown onto the road.

Two laps in and heading down the main road there was a crash.  A car decided to overtake us, with our bunch on one side of carriage way and a dropped group of riders on the other side. The car clipped the bunch, taking quite a few down.  I manged to avoid it as everyone to my right hand side seemed to hit the tarmac.

The bunch slowed down to allow riders caught behind the crash to get back on but the race was soon stopped 1/2 a lap later, while the ambulance arrived and the Police did an incident report. The tacks were cleared up and, what remained of the peloton, enjoyed 20 to 30minutes sat at the side of the road enjoying the sunchine.

When the race restarted, it was cut down by 2 laps to a total race distance of 8 laps.  The race stayed together, with a few more pepople slowly being dropped off the back and the bunch being thinned down, but no major bids for freedom. A couple of laps to go and there was another puncture: this time it was Ali Holland who suffered that misfortune.

It was apparent the race was going to come down to a bunch sprint.  In the last lap, I got well placed going into the last corner, only to find myself losing places coming out of the corner and sprinting for the minor placings.

Iona

Tour ta' Malta: Stages 3 and 4

Stage 3

We were up at the crack of dawn. All the bikes were loaded onto two removal vans and we piled onto the coach - rather bleary-eyed... most of us hadn't managed our usual caffeine fix (except Jon and Steve, of course, who always come prepared with their enormous flask of tea!)

At around 7:30am, we wheeled our bikes onto the ferry and set off for Gozo. It was another beautifully sunny day with clear blue sky, although there was a strong breeze.

There was a hilly ride to the start of the race course - a new course for 2011. Most of us were pleased to discover that the climb wasn't half as long or as hard as the previous day's! We were also rather happy when it was announced that we would only be riding 6 laps of the course, rather than 8!

After a neutralised lap (to familiarise ourselves with the circuit) we had a 30s break before the race started. The Polish and Italian riders (lying first and second in GC) flew up the climb. Alice, Iona and one of the Dutch riders put in a good chase. Iona managed to stay away for over a lap. Sarah and Steph found themselves safely in the bunch (well... what was left of the bunch - several riders had lost contact with the bunch on the first climb.)

The Dutch girls attacked a number of times but never managed to stay away. The men's race merged with the ladies' on the fourth lap - only for a short stretch of the course - but enough time for Alice to shout at Andrew (her boyfriend) and give him some encouragement. Sarah pinged off the back of the bunch when she found herself last around the corner at the dead turn (at one end of the course) she eventually managed to chase back on but found herself off the back of the bunch again on the climb of the final lap.

With the Italian and Polish girls safely in 1st and 2nd places, third place was to be decided after a bunch sprint. Alice was first across the line, securing another place on the podium for Squadra Donne.

Stage 4

We had another early start but we were all relieved that we'd only be racing for 12 km! This was another individual time trial: three laps of a great, fast stretch of dual carriageway. The course started with a fantastic downhill section, where you couldn't help but pick up some speed. After a dead turn at a roundabout, we found ourselves slogging back up the same drag that we had just flown down!

Iona had a fantastic ride and took third place. Steph finished 6th, with Alice and Sarah in 9th and 10th places.

After a gentle ride back to Sliema, it was time for the prize presentations.

Iona Sewell took 3rd place in the overall competition with Stephania Magri in 5th place winning the first Maltese rider competition. Fantastic results for Squadra Donne! Alice finished in 7th place and was a real asset to the team, using her strong riding, enthusiasm and extensive past racing experience to support and encourage the others. Sarah finished 12th in her first international stage race.

Andrew Griffiths (Twenty3C-Orbea) rode a cracking time trial to reclaim the leader's jersey and win the overall tour (by just over one second!!)

And of course, none of this could have happened without the constant and never-failing support and encouragement of Steve and Jon... massages, food, bottles, water, mechanical assistance, spare parts etc. etc. the list goes on. We couldn't have asked for anything more from our wonderful Team Manager and Soigneur.

Tour ta' Malta: Stage 2

In the blazing sunshine and scorching heat, today's stage took us six times around the St Martin circuit. The first climb saw the field scattered and Iona, riding onto the leader's wheel, soon found herself in the break. Steph and Alice formed a chasing group with one member of the Dutch team and another Maltese rider.

It was a tough course - made even tougher by the heat. All four girls worked really hard - Iona again making it onto the podium (in third place) with Alice and Steph taking 4th and 5th.

Big thanks to Elaine for handing out bottles and to Jon and Steve for all their encouragement and support.

Tomorrow we're off to Gozo and it's going to be an early start...

Tour ta' Malta: Stage 1

This stage took us along the familiar Coast Road - four laps, 25 km in total.

The women riders were first off. There was a slight increase in wind speed but this was not a major problem on the hillier sections of the course.

Whilst all of the team rode really well, Iona set the fastest time for the whole race - 42 min 34s. However, the Chief Timekeeper took a different view and gave first place to a rider who had not completed the whole circuit!

Tomorrow the race goes to the gruelling St Martin Circuit with its sinuous 2km climb - to be covered six times. The team's plan is to rectify the timekeeper's mistakes and make it obvious which is the best team in the Tour ta' Malta.

Report to follow...

Jon

Womens Team Race Series 1

There was a pretty poor show from Squadra Donne girls at the first race of the Women's Team Series in Windsor but with the team flying out to Malta the following day, it was always going to be a challenge to get everyone together.

Tamina and I were on the start-sheet and Jon recruited a couple of girls to guest for the team. It was fun to be racing on home-territory and lovely to have some support from the local guys from Team Quest, with whom I ride regularly, and Darren Hague (from Team Shutt), who came out to watch the race. There's nothing like a "Go Sarah" to spur you on and get the legs moving!

There were a number of nasty crashes in this race last year. Tamina and I had discussed tactics before the race and agreed that it would be important to stay at the front of the bunch in order to avoid crashing... I was particularly determined to stay out of trouble, in order to make it to the start of the Tour ta Malta next week! The course was around 8.5 miles (7 laps in total) with a couple of drags, a fairly straight, wide road through some little villages and then a sharp left-hand turn onto Drift Road (a straight, wide road) with a drag up to the finish.

I tried to stay towards the front of the bunch, which meant I had to work harder than if I'd sat further back but this did help in keeping me out of trouble...

From what I remember, laps 1 and 2 were fairly uneventful. There were a few attacks, but owing to the fairly flat nature of the course, nobody really stayed away for long. There was a big crash on lap 3. I managed to avoid it and chase back onto the leading group. There was a further crash coming up to the first prime (at the end of lap 3) and a small group of us (including Tamina and myself) got away. I was working hard - having just chased to catch this lead group, I was now riding with some of the strongest riders from the field of 80.

Tamina was riding really strong and initiated several attacks in the first few laps. Unfortunately, she was taken down by another rider on the fourth lap :-( There was another nasty crash further down the road on lap 4, which I avoided by the skin of my teeth (a flying bike hit me but I managed to stay upright!). I put in a bit of a sprint and caught up with the lead riders: a group of around 8-10 of us riding "through and off", trying to keep the pace up in order to stay away.

As we approached the finish line at the end of lap 4, the pace lifted and I found myself struggling and then riding on the wheel of another rider who was also struggling. We pinged off the back of the lead group but much to my surprise (I'm not sure why I was so surprised!) the chasing bunch were coming up behind us. I dug deep until the top of the drag and then <thankfully> was able to sit in the bunch and recover for a few minutes before trying to lift the pace at the front to catch the leading group.

Just after we had turned onto Drift Road, we saw flashing lights ahead. The race was stopped. The Air Ambulance was arriving. There had been a serious crash and several riders were badly injured. I think we were all pretty shaken up by the events of the race and worried about what would happen if the race were to restart. We waited for a good 15 minutes before the Commissaire announced that the race would be abandoned. This was a real shame but I was actually rather glad about this decision.

I really hope everyone who came off and was injured makes a really swift recovery... and that future Team Series races will be crash-free...

Sarah

Big thanks to Darren Hague for the photos.