Willesden Cycling Club

The legendary Willesden PBP Support team is to roll again!

Willesden riders on this event will be pleased to know that the club is planning to provide food, basic sleeping accommodation and bag drops at the key controls along the route.

Support will begin at the Parc Etang campsite in St Quentin, where riders can hand over their drop bags for the overnight stops. As in previous years, it is planned to have the sleeping stop at Loudeac (450km from Paris) on the Tuesday and Wednesday night. Here your tent and sleeping bag will be waiting for you on both your ride out Brest and return to Paris.

On the Thursday night the support will be moved to Mortange-au-Perche for a last rest before the home straight to Paris. On Friday afternoon support will return to the Parc Etang camp site

Cost of the support will be circa £120. However this may vary according to the number of riders who wish to take advantage of club support. All you need to do is get your self, your bike and your kit to Paris…. Oh, and ride the odd 1200kms.

We urgently need an idea of numbers (and money) so we can book ferry crossings and arrange hire vehicles. So email WillesdenCyclingClub@yahoo.co.uk asap to bag your place.

Ray Kelly

In this issue Bradley writes on appropriate clothing to be worn on long distance events. The Do’s and Don’ts.From head to toe:

• Do wear a well fitting and undamaged helmet with warm headwear available to put underneath, (a bandana or cotton cap will do).
• Do protect your eyes with sun or plain glasses. (It is essential according to cousin Raymondo that they should cost the earth).
• Do wear several layers of clothes, a long sleeve top with a short sleeve one underneath. A good quality undervest with a spare thermal vest and a good quality breathable waterproof jacket in your saddle bag will usually suffice. Taken to extremes, you could carry every item that you have ever purchased a la Mark Brooking. Better be safe than sorry.
• Do wear well fitting shorts/ bibshorts and have long training bottoms available to combat the freezing cold nights (and Sunday afternoons).
• Do Wear White socks which are a must and should be worn inside well fitting comfortable cycling shoes. If hot foot sets in, loosen the straps or laces of your shoes for extra comfort.
• Do wear track mitts and always carry some light gloves for those chilly moments.
• Don’t wear a knackered helmet
• Don’t wear a cheap plastic waterproof jacket
• Don’t wear worn out cycle clothes with the crotch worn out
• Don’t wear pants under your cycling shorts. Antiseptic cream is the only thing to wear under shorts
• Don’t look like Mike the Bike
• Definitely don’t wear trade kit, Willesden clobber is essential (see Ray while stocks last). Kelnago palpitates at the very thought.

That’s all for now. Onwards and upwards. Definitely upwards if The Beast from the East is your thing.

Bradley Spannerman

Ian Why has just sent me some more information on Simon, which he has received from Janet.

He has recently moved to a long term term care home in Surbiton, Surrey. He is still in the process of settling in and the staff are also having to learn of his needs. Janet would greatly appreciate knowing that someone would visit and give him something to laugh about. She says bad and politically incorrect jokes are a particular favourite of his.

He is getting quite good at simple general knowledge quizs and crosswords, if the clues are read to him. He also likes to be read simple adventure stories. As well as amusing him, these will also provide good stimulation.

He is at –

Blenheim Lodge
1-3 Adelaide Road
Surbiton
Surrey
KT 6 4TA

It might be an idea to call ahead to let them know you are coming.
Their number is 020 8408 8751.



John Davies

Organiser Mark Brooking reflects upon the nature of the beast.

Mark Green corners the suppy of orange segments

Ian Oliver, wondering how the date was tatooed on his right arm..

Time Wainwright

Peter Turbull dressed for the rain some hours before its arrival

That was painful

Paul Stewart looking relaxed and unruffled….

Andrew Deaner, fortunately his professional services were not needed atop Streatley Hill

Mike being Mike

Clifford French

Martin Lucas

Steve Ayers

Darlene “What Hills?” Rini

Tracey Horsman and master chef at the controls

Dappled sunlight scene at Streatley, how little did we know

Mark and Diane Horman perpare for the hungry hoards

With my bike (and nerves) back in one piece, I set off on the first of four planned cyclosportives yesterday, in wonderful sunshine; the countryside was full of people doing ‘normal’ Sunday things along with the 120 or so of us deciding to thrash ourselves round some of the toughest hills the Chilterns could throw at us. The Verulam CC’s Chiltern 100 starts of with some deceptively comfortable fast bits, before settling down into hill after hill after hill. Managed to get round in 6 hours and 2 minutes, just missing out on the sub 6 hour ‘gold standard’, but it’s not supposed to be a race and I ‘enjoyed’ myself (apart from on Kingston Blount). For more ramblings see http://omcoc.blogspot.com/2007/06/chiltern-100.html

My apologies for the late posting of Glad’s report from last weekend. I’m living up/down to my name. Miles Back

Just to keep you up-to-date with the other events this week on Wednesday Tony Woodford finished in 2nd place in the LVRC race at Hillingdon with Chris James coming in with the bunch. They are looking for some more 40+ riders to join them in these events. Ed rode in the Maidenhead 10 on Wednesday and recorded 23.53 and then disaster struck and his handlebars broke when he was returning home(Read all the details on his blog.) Gill wasn’t able to ride as Derek is in Harefield hospital recovering from what was meant to be a one day visit.

The final round of the Willesden SR series started this morning at 6am from Waltham Abbey. The fearsome 600km route known as the “Beast from the East” will take the 62 starters down to Taunton via Princes Risborough, Hungerford and Warminster.

Tracey and Diane Horsman will be waiting at the top of Streetley hill to provide the riders with a breakfast boost. Sleeping and feeding facilities have been laid on at Yeovil and will be manned by the crack Willesden Catering Corp.

The riders have until 10pm Sunday night to finish the course. So think of them as you go to your cosy bed this evening.

John Davies

Organiser Mark Brooking briefing the riders at the start

Willesden Riders, Mike, Steve, Cliff and Tim elect to let the rest have a head start.

L to R. Mike, Paul Stuart, Steve and Darlene Rini just before the 6am start

Mark Brooking and Ray Kelly have booked their places for Paris having bagged their 600km PBP qualifier over the weekend. This makes them the first in the Willesden to attain this for the 2007 event. They rode the “Beast from the East” course a week in advance of the actual event in order to reccy the out the route for the 80+ riders already entered for this event.

Conditions on the 300km outward leg from Waltham Forest to Taunton Dean were very windy. With the section across Salisbury Plain being particularly gruelling. The night time sections were very cold, with temperatures plummeting to 4C. Mark was prepared for this and was carrying some form of high-tech self heating coffee system to whip a nocturnal expresso. Just the job to warm the cockles and keep you wide awake during the night section.

Mark is finalising changes to the route sheet this week, principally caused by an unexpected road closure at 30km in to the ride. So allow a little extra time to pick up new directions when you report to the start this Saturday morning. There is a healthy entry from Willesden riders, all eager to book their place with Ray and Mark on the start line in Paris.

A. Badger

The time trialists have been out and about this week. Ed Packard, who had a fall from his bike on the wet cobbles whilst riding through Hyde Park, teamed up with Richard Jerome to ride the Bicester Millenium C.C. 2up 10 on Tuesday evening over a 2.5 mile circuit at an RAF base and finished with a time of 24.14.

Wednesday afternoon saw Brian Moon in action in the London Vets 10 at Billington and recording his fastest 10 of the year with 26.25. On Saturday Ron Purdy rode in the Lampard 10 and finished in 30.36 on a very windy day when most people were indoors watching the cup final.

Sunday- Chris James rode in the High Wycombe 25 at Maidenhead and returned 1.07.42 to record his fastest time of the season. Gill Reynolds rode in the National Championship 10 in Cambridgeshire and did 26.13 and Ed Packard who was visiting his sister, a nurse, who was home on leave from Iraq, rode in the Stowmarket and District 10 and again finished in the top third of the field with 24.27.

Hope the weather cheers up for the Bank Holiday weekend.

Cheers Gladys

Another windy afternoon at Hillingdon, this race featured a few Primes and for once I decided it would be best not to contest these and save myself for the overall sprint. Several small groups threatened to get away and one group looked to have succeeded up until the main bunch caught them right in the last corner.
Luckily I was near the front when this happened and managed to sprint into 9th place.

Richard Jerome

Results
1 Joe Skelton Brixton Cycles
2 Roger Woodford AW Cycles s/t
3 Harry Bolstrode N/A
4 Mark Matthews AW Cycles
5 Russ Turner London Dynamo/Cyclefit.co.uk
6 Alan Sherman Kingston Whlrs
7 David Farrow Eagle RC
8 Stuart Jackson Team Quest
9 Richard Jerome Willesden CC
10 Russell Painter Norwood Paragon CC
11 Richard Stannard Sigma Sport
12 Adan Cutterell Addiscombe CC
13 Gavin Spiers Reading CC
14 Chris Jones Bynea CC

1st woman – Janet Brkmyre Planet X/SheCycles.com

As a warm-up to the BBQ season, the Westerley & Willesden Cycling Clubs are organising a visit to the Rebellion Brewery at Bencombe Farm, Marlow Bottom, Bucks.