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29/05/2010 - WELCOME AT THE INN, ELLENS GREEN
Mrs Elaine Scown
Email : elainescown@btinternet.com
Telephone : 01403 822155
Message :

I run the wheatsheaf inn at Ellens Green West Sussex and have a number of cycle groups use us for a refreshment stop, if you come round this area please feel free to use us as a rest stop.

28/05/2010 - URGENT HOG HILL NEWS




RAPH-CONDOR SERIES AT HOG HILL



There are members who were expecting an event at Hog Hill tomorrow 29 May. despite it not being listed in the handbook.



Please note that there will be no event on this occasion as the Region is promoting the ABC National Criterium Championships and a support race for DEFG & H at the Fowlmead Circuit in Kent on Sunday 30 May.



The next LVRC Rapha/Condor event at Hog Hill will be on Saturday 12 June. Other future events are as published in the handbook.



Fred Little

Events Coordinator

Region 9

26/05/2010 - A TOUGH BAPTISM INTO LVRC RACING
This may seem familiar to a lot of us. But here are the thoughts of Les Dalley who joined the LVRC fold this season... to taste the enjoyment of road racing!!
I have cycled for quite a few years now, mainly off road but with a bit of road here and there. At the beginning of this year I decided to get a new road bike and join the LVRC to do some racing. I then sent off my money for 4 races during the season.
My first race entered was the Sevale race at Leigh Sinton. As I am 45, I signed up for the B group and really had no idea what to expect in terms of pace and intensity. Having done quite a bit of training through the winter and leading up to the race, I felt mildly confident and excited at doing well and certainly hoped to stay with the bunch for most of the race. However, it was not to be! With only half a lap done, I got dropped. I then had to deal with my despondency and disappointment and carry on. This I did and eventually got caught by the C's. I stayed with them for a lap and then slipped off the back of that group too! That left me to do the last lap on my own. However, this was aided by a guy from Worcester St Johns in a similar position and we rode around together to the finish. On reflection after the race, I asked myself what on earth had I done. My experience had knocked my confidence and I had 3 more races to do!

I then skipped my next race at Gt Witley. Which left me with the Sevale Handicap Champs on the 23 May. Once I had worked out the way in which the race would be run and figured that every group would be chasing from the gun, I new I was in for a tough time. Well a tough one it was too! Again I was in the B group, which unfortunately had the combination of being one of the smallest groups and also had some very strong riders in it too. (who went on to catch the C's and D's later) We went off from the gun at a very high pace indeed. I tried to take my turn on the front as much as possible, but as it was such a small group, there was no time to recover what so ever. Then disaster struck about 5 miles from the start, I hit a pothole (which frustratingly was not pointed out by the rider in front of me that I was following) and punctured! I fitted a tube and blew it up, but the A group had already passed before I could get riding again. So once again I faced riding on my own and this I did. I then figured that if I carried on around the lap to the start and HQ, I could ask permission to rejoin the race on the last lap to give myself at least a 15 mile work out without counting on the overall positions. This I was allowed to do, I grabbed another tube and then rejoined the the race and got in the now formed, B, C and D's group. I then worked on the front of this group for as much as I could and really enjoyed the experience. I was determined to get a good work out from it and that was exactly what I did. I new that I could not influence the race final positions as the next group were too far ahead to catch before the end, so I just buried myself. I was careful not to get involved with the final sprint of that group and just peeled off before the finish. Despite my bad luck and frustration, I came away quite positive in my ability and enjoyed the last lap very much.!

25/05/2010 - CORRECT TEL. NO. FOR PHIL ETCHES
Region 5 Registrar Phil Etches correct tel no is 01476 577262

24/05/2010 - MESSAGE FROM CRASH VICTIM PAUL SHOOBRIDGE
I would like to say thanks for the get well card, small things can mean a lot, I would just like to say I have had an enormous amount of support from all the guys I race with each week visits in hospital being taken out and loads of encouragement every little bit has meant a lot to me and I will find it difficult to repay them all, what a great bunch of lads these LVRC men are,
I have now raced with most of these men since I started riding just before I was forty I never rode or raced a bike before then so the whole thing was new to me I just thought it was a great sport and so hard and in the last twenty plus years have now travelled and meet some fantastic people because of the bike, so I cannot complain,we all have or ups and downs and the bike is not forgiving.unfortunately I don't think I will race again so I will try to help the guys in my area in any way I can,I wish you and the LVRC every success for the future and hope to see you all again soon thanks for a great part of my life.

Best regards Paul