26/07/2010 by Laurie.

This race turned out to be a bit tougher than I had imagined - it was 26 degrees and the race split up with a break virtually as soon as we were off.  Jamie Shirlaw and I both managed to get in this initial break, and I was then away for the race - with two laps to go there was a couter attack and a bunch of 3 riders got away.  I busted a gut to catch this break with one of the Yates and just as we caught them they broke again –that did it for me.  However, I still manged to stay away with two other riders, and come in 9th which I was reasonably hapy with.  James, who had sat in the peloton, still had some legs to sprint in out in the main bunch and finish at the front - hopefully he got in the top twenty for his efforts!!  We only have one national race left now - which is the 5 stage Junior Tour of Wales at the end of August.

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19/07/2010 by Laurie.

Just back from a weekend of racing in Belgium.  We traveled over on Friday and on Saturday raced in the prestigious Het Volk race.  I’ve never been in a race like it- what an experience - we raced on quite a technical route with cobbles and quite a few climbs, cheered on by huge crowds .  I hung in there for most of the race but lost it towards the end…Jonny managed to finish somewhere in the forties.  But it was an amazing experience and I learnt a lot from it.  On the Sunday we entered another junior race - here I was able to get in a break which stayed away and i came in in 6th place - it was a real hard race, but I was pleased with my result.  We left the race to travel home, but just missed the ferry so had to travel through the night - I ended up chatting with Peter who was driving, to help him stay awake whilst the rest of the team snored in the back!!  Early night for me tonight - then some easy training this week before a UK junior national next Sunday.

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12/07/2010 by James.

Stage 5 was disappointing for us. The strongest team there, Hot Tubes, rode a good race. Me and Jamie were to cover the early moves as usual with me following the first one, which stuck, but with 3 of us, quickly turning 2 it was not going to last. When it was brought back, a Hot Tubes rider got away with the only people chasing being me and Jamie. Then there was a major crosswind section up the second climb of the day, with me getting caught in the convoy getting bottles for everyone, race over and never been so angry before, and Laurie suffering with Jamie looking after him, but still losing time. Jonny stayed in the front group getting 5th on the stage. Really tough day, lots of bad luck. For me, good legs, but just never got to use them when I wanted! Ah well. Bike racing. STAGE 6. Last stage and Jamie and me covering the early move. Jamie thankfully got in it after bridging across at around 50km/hr, really fast first 25km, av. speed 45km/hr, which is hard work on junior gears. This left all of us to sit in and let the Hot Tubes team ride and defend their jerseys, the tried but their efforts of the week meant they never got the break back under 1′10″. Then the finish was a simply a cat 1 climb, that was about 2km long, but very steep in the middle. Laurie smashed it at the bottom but couldn’t break the elastic, Jonny trying to stay on the white jersey and take some time back, not quite managing, and I tried not to lose any time on the riders around me in GC, no other reason than pride. Jamie in the break finished 9th. Jonny finished 2nd on the young riders jersey, very close to taking it. Unfortunately losing time in the earlier stages meant we lost 2nd on team GC, dropping to 4th, but this does not represent what we did. We were the most active team along with the Hot Tubes team who have a much richer diet of racing that us, preparing for the worlds in a few weeks time. A good week, and looking forward to Wales where experience will really help us and we know we can do well.

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09/07/2010 by James.

Another tough day for me. Punctured just after the neutralised section. Unfortunately a slow wheel change as the chain would not stay on meant I lost a lot of time. 55km/hr behind the broom wagon over 20km got me back on just before the climb so I was able to get over that in the main group. Suffered a bit so had to sit on. Luckily Jamie was having a great day, getting in the early break and attacks. Then as the road got faster and flatter the speed ramped up, I finally started to get some legs back. Attacked off the front after hitting a big pothole and got another puncture on the front!! This time it was a lot faster so I got back without as much trouble, still tough though!! Then started working, but struggling, but luckily again Jamie was on fire so was able to keep the group together from some really strong americans. We all avoided the crash, despite some riders intent on taking Laurie down. The bunch was very mental, but no one lost any time, and Jack Penrice who is staying in our chalet got 3rd and Jonny got 5th. GC is similar to yesterday, but Laurie lost the KOM jersey, but wears it tomorrow as the Points leader in the leader of both jerseys. Till tomorrow!!! Oh, and check out www.irishcycling.com few photos there of me in the break and Laurie getting some good resutls!!

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08/07/2010 by James.

The plan was for me and Jamie to cover the early move, Jamie did the first one, this got brought back and I got the next. That stuck so for the next 90km I was in the break. Laurie did a mahusive attack out of the peloton bridging the 1′45″ gap between the break, no one could close it down, or stay on his wheel. Awesome! After this i started to really suffer and got dropped, then managed to get back on briefly before the lights went out, then it was bye bye. I went back to the bunch and on the penultimate climb got distanced by the bunch and lost 3 or 4 mins. Laurie went on to get a really good 3rd, along with scooping the climbers jersey, and we are definitely 2nd on team GC, Laurie 4th @1′20″, Jonny 6th @ 2′07″ . Me and Jamie a bit out of it on GC now, but there’s still time. Jonny is 2nd on Young Riders @04″ so its looking good for at least 2 jerseys!! We’ll see….tomorrow is another day!!

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07/07/2010 by James.

You may or may not know, but Me, Jonny, Laurie and Jamie Shirlaw (guesting for us) are riding the junior tour of ireland. A 6 stage race and we’ve done 2 stages so far. Prologue Laurie and Jonny got 5th and 6th and me in 22nd. Then today Laurie and Jonny got into the front group in an epic stage, strong winds and heavy rain showers but got worked over from the American Team Hot Tubes who are really strong and had 3 in the group. 1st, 2nd and 4th is what they got putting them firmly in the lead for team comp but I think we managed 2nd. Jonny came in 5th, Laurie 12th with me coming in 14th 3 mins down in the next group on the road. Brutal day, so so so hard, block headwind, the suffering eased on the climbs which is a bad sign.GC: Jonny 5th @2′03″ Laurie 6th @2′06″ and me 15th @3′04″. Jonny is second in young riders jersey @02″Jamie came in finished in the bunch, just missing my group because his chain slipped. Ah well. Everyone is feeling good and Laurie is probably the strongest climber here so it’s still all to play for. Any way, putting my feet up, speak to you laterz!!

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22/06/2010 by Ian McV.

Stuart Henry in Chester’s Tour Series

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19/06/2010 by jacksosa.

As this is my first posting and being a new comer to the team it’s probably best I start with a few words about myself. I am relatively new comer to the world of cycling, I only started riding for a local club at the start of 2009 and at the ripe old age of 33 it’s been a pretty steep and often painful learning curve especially when I started to try my hand at road, crit and time trail racing.

I have always kept myself fit with different sports over the years and always enjoyed cycling. My riding in the past use to involve hammering a 20mile loop on my mountain bike most morning so I didn’t feel too bad about settling down to working at a PC for 8 hours (something we are definitely not designed to do!). Over the last year and a half I have got more and more involved in cycling and was delighted to be asked to ride for the team back in May.

My first race for the team was the Capernwray Road Race, this had actually been my first road race ever the year before and I had come in last place! (25^th) so I was hoping for a significant improvement this year. The plan was outlined at the start and it was going to be a hard and fast. Things went to plan and Stuart took the win with Andy in 4^th and me in 6^th place so a great result for the team and a pleasing ride for me – a marked improvement over last year!

Next up was the North West Divisional Road Race Championships in Lazonby. I was in the 3^rd/4^th race just 1 point away from my 2^nd category license (I couldn’t have planned it better!). Feeling pretty confident after the Capernwray race and on a course I knew would suit me I was aggressive from the start and me and 2 other riders managed to go clear on the first lap. I think many of the rider’s in the peloton thought this was too early and as a result we were able to capitalize on the group’s hesitation and build a very comfortable gap of over 3 minutes by the end of the race. I put the race to bed in the final 3 miles of the race with an attack on the next to last climb and road to the line for the win.

A rude awaking was next up…. as I found myself on the start sheet for the Dumfries Bikefest Grand Prix. All started off well enough, quite a surreal experience cycling alongside the likes of Dean Downing, Malcolm Elliot and Christian House thinking this is pretty easy! As the pace started to increase my confidence started to decrease and very soon I was riding at the back of the pack and it was not long before I leant a major lesson in positioning. An increase in pace at the front of the group on a climb with a cross head wind sent me and quite a few other’s out the back and scattered all over the road – after several miles of hopeless chasing it was time to call it a day and get in the car. Worst feeling in the world being sat in the team car watching a race you are suppose to be in. I remember thinking I never want this to happen again.

Next up was the Morecombe Bay 2 day event. As this was 4 stages in 2 days and I was conscious of “wanting to last the distance” as it was by far the most and longest racing I had done to date with the final stage being a 75 mile hilly road race on the Sunday that would be a major challenge for me with a moving up in class. After the initial prologue it was apparent Andy, Jack and Stu were flying so I was working to help them as much as possible during the weekend. Some work paid off with a win for Andy in the CRIT race but disappointment in the Sunday’s road race with a break of 4 riders including Andy and Stu being pulled back in the closing meters of the line after being away for most of the race – the disappointment was very apparent in the team.

Bring you up-to-date with last week’s racing, the first being the Leazes Criterium over in Newcastle where I went with Stuart to try and help support him in defending last year’s win. Due to the nature of the event and the number of riders entered positioning was paramount, and despite an epic battle to make my way up to the leading pack I was unable to sustain it and provide the support I was hoping to for Stuart as I blew completely after 18 mins! Lucky Stuart was on top form and didn’t need any help after bridging on his own to a 3 man break away and taking the sprint for the line in fine style – top ride Stu.

The second race of the weekend was the Bob Swailes Memorial Road Race on the Sunday. Again I was doing my best to support Stuart in an attempt to do the double like he had the previous year. It was a hard race with the wind and rain making thing even tougher. After getting Stuart in to the break I spent most of the last 3 laps just in a policing role pulling back any attacks and controlling the pace at the front. Unfortunately Stuart had to settle for 2^nd place after the eventual winner went clear on the last lap. I ended up in 13^th place, cold wet and shattered ready for home and a hot bath.

Thanks for reading and I hope to update you soon on a few more rides and races and hopefully some good results in the rest of the seasons racing

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18/06/2010 by Ian McV.

And if you do, don’t use a SuperSix!

Click here to see just what you can do on a road bike

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15/06/2010 by Laurie.

We all had a very wet race this last Sunday at the Bob Swales memorial race - back on that Old Hutton circuit with all the pot holes.  It was great to ride in the bigger team - and experience some of Stu’s friendly banter whilst racing!! With a lap to go Stu and I were in a break of 6 I think….unfortunately I ran out of steam and came in 6th - Stu got 2nd  - thanks to all there for a good race.

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