Forza Squadra Verde!
fields all around. Half way up the notorious Sector Lane climb I had to take some of the rain gear
off.
I was Last Man in. Plum Sponge & custard hit the spot. I realised that I would not be enjoying a four course feast in the Hotel as dinner stops at 21:00. SHAME !!!
See all of the Audaxers there next year – after all it will be my 30th!
Mark Brooking
Mark Brooking’s camera has thawed out enough to send a few photos of the Willesden’s brave assault on the 2009 Easter Arrow. The photos were taken at the pub some 50km and three hours from the start…. and explains why they packed.
One of our team was so concerned, he threw himself from his bike the week before. “Cycling Wheatley“, managed to break the smallest of bones in his hand but it meant that he had to scratch from the event. We all thought, “lucky sod”.
Martin Lucas and Peter Turnbull who were members of our other team, decided to join Mark Brooking’s elite squad as some of their team had shown a modicum of sense and pulled out of the ride.
The start for us was from Mark’s house at 10.00am on Good Friday. It was to be Mark, Me, Jim, Wendy, Martin and Peter. That was until Jim and Wendy saw the light and volunteered for back-up support duties.
Alison Brooking provided hot drinks and most importantly, bacon rolls before the start. All duly fuelled and after the obligatory photo shoot, off we went.
It was a bright morning. No rain and even some blue sky. Unfortunately, there was also a 1000mph headwind that we had to surge into.
Three hours and 45 kms later, Peter had the good sense to puncture. It was at this point that we decided to adjourn to the nearest hostelry to review our situation.
Peter had been riding with verve and determination. Martin was content to sit in, I was just about hanging on and Mark was doing a spot of hanging off. Mark was also the only one of us that knew the way. This was another challenge for Peter or Martin at the front. We all had difficulty hearing each other because of the noise of the wind.
Anyway, we found this really cosy pub/restaurant. Open fires, low beams. You know the look. After some splendid food , we headed back to Mark’s. At one point, I was doing 29kph on a straight flat road without pedalling.
Martin drew our attention to the black clouds bearing down on us from behind. We tried, but couldn’t out run the sleet, hail and rain that eventually enveloped us.
Peter was already drinking tea and eating a hot cross bun when the remaining three of us arrived at Mark’s. We thought that he was lost but his homing instincts had kicked in.
For once, we had done the sensible thing. A night ride in the terrible weather conditions of the Easter weekend could have been dangerous let alone mildly uncomfortable. We had decided from the onset that we would start and see how it went. We did that and so all targets achieved.
Ray Kelly
Ian Why has worked extremely hard to produce the volumes of paperwork required to obtain Club Mark status. This is a major step forward for the club and will be the foundation for the club’s future.
As Go-Ride Clubmark accredited club we have demonstrated that we have the proficiency, structure and coaching organisation to enable young people to take up cycling. In summary Ian has been able to demonstrate to British Cycling that we have excellent working practices and Club Management together with the Sport Equity and Ethics policies to deliver safe, fun and challenging activities for young cyclists.
There is still a lot of work to do but we will soon be organising events where we can introduce and enthuse young people about the wonders of cycling.
High Wycombe Good Friday 10 TT
It is a truth universally acknowledged that when more than one Willesden rider enters an event, there will be hurricane conditions. Well done, therefore, to all four of us who braved the elements (which included a sleet shower in the car park beforehand) to ride the High Wycombe 10 out near Oxford on Good Friday
As a long-term student, I am becoming somewhat of an expert at blagging – for this event, I managed to obtain the use of Richard Jerome’s ‘famously comfy’ sofa bed and also get yet another lift with him (‘you really have to learn to drive, Ed’ – this is from a man who has seen how badly I control my bike…). I also managed to cadge some energy drink from Adam Pawlikowski (‘Hello Adam, I’m Ed, can I have one of those Lucozades please?’), who I’d managed to convince to ride this event, and who didn’t look too happy with the weather, but nonetheless put in a respectable performance. I am also trying to convince Derek to provide me with some aero wheels, but he didn’t seem too convinced with my argument. He did get me a cup of tea though, good man.
I had ridden this course once before, and had done pretty badly, so I was looking to prove a point today. There was a decent tailwind for the first 4 miles, so a cruising speed of 28-30mph was possible; then a drag up to the turn, then a reasonably quick, sheltered 2 mile section…… then pure suffering. Straight into a brick wall headwind, had to push so hard I felt sick. Wasn’t looking too clever when I pulled back into HQ, where Gill and Richard were waiting, looking fresh as daisies. I’d managed to go 43 seconds quicker than I did on a slightly nicer day on this course last year, though, so it was worth the coughing fit and aching thighs.
We hung around for the excellent cakes and the prize presentation, given there were large quantities of Easter Eggs on offer. Gill won 4th lady, which involved some cash as well as an egg. In the prize raffle, I managed to snaffle a pair of Rudy Project sunglasses. Richard, already enraged by my use of blue armwarmers, helpfully pointed out that the glasses were the ‘wrong colour’. A good HQ atmosphere, a well-run event and times on the day were very respectable for the conditions: fastest was the impressively tall Richard Prebble with a 21:03.
Adam Pawlikowski: 26:22
Richard Jerome: 24:49
Gill Reynolds: 28:09 (4th lady)
Ed Packard: 24:19
Full results: http://www.cyclingtimetrials.org.uk/Results.asp?ID=52686Ed Packard
West London Combine 10, Knowl Hill, 2 March 2008
Although it was a bit chilly and breezy to be lurking round the Knowl
Hill village hall car park in our new skinsuits, the unseasonal sunshine
led to a carnival atmosphere and a large Willesden CC turnout at the
first West London Combine time trial of the season. Indeed, Richard
Jerome almost whipped out his portable barbeque from his well-stocked boot.
Meanwhile, Jayne Paine was telling anybody who would listen about how
she had beaten Gregarios superstar Mike Diggins the day before. While
Mike Diggins hovered sheepishly in the background.
After usual comparison of new kit and shaved legs, the serious business
began and we all set off to warm up. I felt a bit rubbish, and was
wary of Richard, who had shown some decent speed taking fourth place at
the Finchley Crits at Hillingdon the day before. He’d also kindly given
me a lift out to Knowl Hill, so I took the opportunity to destroy his
careful nutrition plan by offering him a pastry. Mwahaha!
Ron ‘I-ron-man’ Purdy, possibly a target of the Hillingdon Triathletes
given his gruelling regime in the swimming pool, advised me that I
would have a ‘bad day’ if I didn’t catch him by the first mini-roundabout.
Alas, I’m quite superstitious and therefore knackered myself trying to
achieve this goal.
In the end, the wind was not particularly troublesome and the Willesden
put up some respectable times, which will hopefully convince them to
enter some opens as the weather improves. Richard and I finished in the
top 10 overall out of 80 or so riders, and Jayne and Ludovica were the
two quickest women. Suzz Patel also showed some decent form, over a
minute quicker than he was at this event last year – he was also lethally
efficient in collecting the £2 entry fee, keeping an especial eye on
certain students who managed to run up considerable WLC debts last
year…
Most importantly, Willesden CC also won the competition to eat the most
cake afterwards, largely because the club run turned up to see how
things had gone. Gladys, Jayne and myself shared hair styling tips and we
forced Mike Diggins to buy us all tea and cake (prolonging his weekend
of suffering).
Alys Mathew: 29:42
Ludovica Bruno: 28:00
Chris James: 28:17
Ron Purdy: 36:00
Ed Packard: 24:07
Richard Jerome: 24:16
Jayne Paine: 27:39
Brian Moon: 30:34
Joanna Austin: 29:21
Suzz Patel: 26:32
Ed Packard
Café Rouge
10 High Street
Ruislip
Greater London
HA4 7AW
Hippy (Stuart Birnie) has published his memoirs on the Willesden Reliability ride.
See http://www.thehippy.net/nucleus/index.php?itemid=1012
Prime Coaching are holding a “Preparation for Racing” training afternoon at Hillingdon Cycle Circuit (Springfield Road, Hayes, Middlesex, UB4 0LF) on Saturday 5th April 2008 from 1.30 to approx. 5.30 PM.
The event is open to Male and Female 3rd and 4th categories Seniors, Juniors, and Under 16s. The cost is £12 for adults, £8 for youths.
The numbers are strictly limited, so to reserve a place contact David Lambourne by email at: lambourne2@talktalk.net , or phone: 01628 638984
——————–
Further planned events include:
An adult novice riders (or returning riders) event on Saturday 24th May 2008
A Womens’ road event (lectures and training session) on Saturday 26th July
Plus:
The popular Thursday evening training sessions re-start on the 10th April at 6.30 PM.
See the Prime Coaching website for further details at www.primecoaching.co.uk
Please note that most of the coaches at these events are Willesden CC members!
Regards
Lindsey Hobbs
Ron Purdy completes the pageant of new kit with a salute to our old style jersey or two!
75 Gill Reynolds (L) Willesden CC DNS
76 Alys Mathew (L) Willesden CC 29.42
77 Ludovica Bruno (L) Willesden CC 28.00
78 Christopher James Willesden CC 28.17
79 Ron Purdy Willesden CC 36.00
80 Edward Packard Willesden CC 24.07
81 Richard Jerome Willesden CC 24.16
82 Mike Eddleston Willesden CC DNS
83 Jayne Paine (L) Willesden CC 27.39
84 Claire Beckwith (L) Willesden CC DNS (app)
85 Brian Moon Willesden CC 30.34
86 Joanna Austin (L) Willesden CC 29.21
87 Surendra Patel Willesden CC 26.32
Finchley Criterium – March 1st 2008 , Hillingdon Circuit
Blimey girls, it was windy… and frankly so was I – my previous four races (and a trophy!) were no preparation for a day like this. So there was me, Ed Packard and Richard Jerome, all with the new Willesden kit on. With legs freshly shaved, we really looked the part. Although only a spectator, Richard Cooper also looked the part; he, too, was sporting the new Willesden kit and had also shaved his legs. It’s possible to sustain quite nasty injuries waving a white hanky from the side-lines, apparently.
Richard Jerome was nowhere to be seen for the pre-race pep-talk, however. He’d gone up to fiddle with the photo-finish camera, looking evil and sniggering like Muttley. All the racers lined up for the three o’clock start like a flock of exotic birds in coloured lycra. The De Ver boys looked like big yellow canaries; 
remind me not to join their club. And off we went – down the hill, round the sharp bend, up the other hill, round the other bend… then the wind hit us like a sharp smack in the face. We all but stopped dead. The big canaries fluttered about a bit and the Cambridge Schoolboy Team choked on their gobstoppers. We huddled together for warmth and shelter. This was how it was for the whole race – up, down, up, down, SMACK.
To make the hour zip past that little bit quicker, there was a side competition to see who could be the quickest and hardest on the brakes. Any significant speed could also be lost through heavy swerving. Our own Ed Packard was particularly good at this manoeuvre; “Willesden!!!” they shouted, admiringly. I soon got the hang of it all, and on one lap braked so hard I was out the back before you could shout “Mine’s a large one!”. I had a job to catch up with everyone else and hang on, but I lifted my game a little when I heard Chris (“Jumbo”) James shouting encouragement. I was glad he wasn’t on his bike and able to give physical help (NB: the last time Jumbo gave me “physical help”, I almost ended up in hospital).
The last lap was odd: a group in the middle of the bunch went for a lie-down. I was too surprised to stop and join in, and I’m not sure I would have been welcome. With six boys writhing around on the grass, however, I knew I wouldn’t be last and decided to make a final push (I couldn’t call it a sprint ) for the line. I’m pleased I did because I beat compulsive trainer ,Mike Diggins.
YES….I BEAT MIKE DIGGINS! I DID!
Then it was back to the green hut for tea and cake and clapping and cheering and admiring the grass stains on various riders’ lycra pants. Richard Jerome had sneaked back up to have a look at the photo-finish camera again. Ed said how Richard enjoyed helping with computer-based electronic equipment. We all looked the other way.
The prize-giving was a masterpiece of Willesden cunning and contrivance: Richard managed to make himself 4th and copped £15; I embarrassed the Finchleys into rustling up a First Lady prize of a lovely white base-layer AND a kiss. It looks lovely on . Thanks Finchley ! Ed got the best prize of all, however, because I let him ride down the Uxbridge Road with me. So, apart from the injured cyclist who was carted off in the ambulance , we all had a really jolly day!
Jayne (AKA Bunty B.)
My grateful thanks to all members of the Willesden Club run on the way to Wendover Woods who found me feeling sorry for myself after falling off outside Denham Golf Club Station on the way down the hill. I was all set to give up and get in the team car, but the support and encouragement of club members including Suzz, Mike the Bike and Martin the Unstoppable helped me continue on. True club spirit.
I reported later to Stoke Mandeville where an x-ray revealed a broken metacarpal (in the right hand) and I am now plastered up.
John Wheatley
