RATz Club Championships 20th - 21st August
Paul Sheppard - Tue Aug 9, 2005 19:29:14 |
Roll up, Roll up, the RATz Club Champs is comming up!
Over the weekend of the 20th to the 21st of August the Club Champs will feature races, rides, competition and prizes, as well as the final, and in most catagories, the deciding round of the RATz Rampage!
The itinarary will be loosely as follows:-
Sat 20th:
Trail Quest - Starts form 12:00 to 14:00
DH race - Starts from 16:00
RATz Rampage - Starts from 19:15
Beer and BBQ - From 8 'till late!
Sun 21st:
XC Race - Starts from 10:30 to 12:00
Hill Climb - Starts from 13:00 to 14:00
Prize Giving after Hill Climb
Camping will be available for Sat night, so there's no excuse for not joining in the festivities over night.
Hope to see everyone there!
|
Ride For A Flight results posted
Ben Gladwyn - Tue Aug 9, 2005 9:29:40 |
| Ride For A Flight results |
Rampage Round 4 - REPORT
Ben Gladwyn - Tue Aug 9, 2005 9:24:49 |
Ratz Rampage Round 4 by Steve Jones
The penultimate round of the Ratz Rampage was held on a sunny evening with perfect conditions for racing. The course was the same flat and fast Park Wood singletrack as round 2 but running the other way round. This time though the start lead in was right from the main arena which put the first lap times over 11 minutes. The fastest laps went just under the 8 minutes which was faster than last time but my new section shortened the course very slightly but removed the two way section. Although I am still convinced it is quicker this way round as the singletrack flows better.
Racing
I led out the charge in Racing category hoping to either get away or hold back any fast starters in the single track. I knew I had Steve Farmer (Pedal On) on my wheel literally as he was buzzing my tyre as usual. What I didn?t know till we hit the main circuit was we also had Mark Cracknell my team mate from AW Cycles, Andrew Claridge (Liphook Cycles) and Mark Hutt (Hounslow & District Wheelers all in close procession behind. I overcooked a sharp corner onto a new section I had only just cut that afternoon. I hadn?t yet had a chance to practice it at race pace, I managed to hold onto my lead just. When we hit the farm track Claridge steamed through at 25mph plus with the others on his wheel and I had to squeeze in behind Cracknell back in 4th. It stayed like this for a lap at a pace everyone seemed comfortable with and I was waiting to attack on the straights but Claridge put the hammer down every time and we all just hung onto the wheels. I messed up another corner going wide into the nut shells and slid off, Hutt hit my wheel but stayed on but I was down and had twisted my stem. By the time I had got going they had gone and were having their own battle attacking each other on the straights.
It took me a lap and a half but I got back on the back of the train just as Cracknell attacked down the farm road, for me it was the worst time for him to make a move but I had to hang on to the back. Farmer pulled up with gear problems shortly after, ?someone? had left some holly cuttings on the course that afternoon, my answer, he should look where he is going or he must have taken a wide line! Hutt attacked Cracknell on the Nuns Path and they both edged away from me round the fields as I had exerted myself too hard catching up. Cracknell having raced the night before could not respond and Hutt pulled away to take the win. I felt I was closing in near the end but Cracknell responded with a fast last lap after the bell and took 2nd and now leads the series by 10 points over Luke Smith as he missed this round (no doubt saving himself for the NPS final this weekend where he has a good chance of taking the overall in the Expert calss) and slips to 2nd overall. It is unlikely he will make up 10 points over Cracknell at the final. I ended up 3rd and Claridge also suffering from his early exertions of leading 2 laps dropped back to 4th but was lucky not to get caught by the chasing pair Paul Crook (Anglia Sport RT) 5th and Bren Drivall (Brixton Cycles) 6th. Drivall?s consistent results put him comfortable in 3rd overall only 5 points behind Smith so if he doesn?t show again Drivall could easily move up to 2nd. Charlie Wigfall is close behind and is a podium contender, I am next in 5th but having only raced 2 rounds so far I am out of contention like most of the others below me.
Fun
Paul Cross led from the start with Chris Keeble-Smith still officially a Sprog till next week the next rider through and only a minute down. He went on to take 2nd place behind Cross and completed an amazing 6 laps. Rohan Gladman initially was third but slowed and retired on the 4th lap leaving 14 year old Hugh Chadwick (RATMBC/PPV) to pick up the remaining podium place having completed 5 laps. Cross is now back leading the series with only 3 results but they were all wins. Tony Davies is now down to 2nd having missed this round so Keeble-Smith could move up to 2nd with a good result at the final. Cross looks certain for the series provided he finishes the final and finishes somewhere in the top ten at least even if that means walking in
if he has a mechanical he should do it.
Club
Colin Houston (Pedal On) and Kim Burrows (Pedal On) set the pace on the opening lap and Andrew Edwards (Reading CC) was the only one able to keep them in sight. Edwards passed them on the Nuns Path before the fields but the Pedal On pair kept him in touch. They all swapping places with roadie Edwards usually getting the better run on the farm road. Burrows edged ahead on lap 4 but lost the lead again and slowed on lap 6 , battling with team mate Houston, Edwards slipped away on the wheel of a passing racing category rider and got towed in for the win. Burrows moved back into 2nd on the last lap as Houston lost a minute on the last lap but held on for 3rd. It could almost have been team tactics as Burrows went into this round leading the series by 4 points over Edwards, 3rd place would have meant he lost his lead. Coming 2nd meant he scored 3 points less than Edwards and holds a 1 point lead going into the final. The Club series is definitely going down to the final round.
FINAL ROUND
The series final is being held in conjunction with the RATMBC Club Championship weekend on Saturday 20th August (don?t turn up Thursday) but at the usual time of 19:15. Series prizes will be given out afterwards at the Clubs annual barbecue, riders who have supported the series are welcome to join us for a free burger. Camping is free if riders wish to stay on and take part in the Club Championships and Fun Day on Sunday, you will need to be full members but you can join on the day. Membership is half price from 1st August so now its only ?10 for Seniors and ?5 for Juniors. Check out the website www.ratmbc.co.uk soon for details the weekends programme.
Round 4 results | Series points |
Southern XC Success
Ben Gladwyn - Wed Jul 20, 2005 12:29:33 |
Many thanks to all friends and members who lent a hand on Sunday at our Checkendon track. The 4th round of the Southern XC series was judged by all to be a great success, helped by some glorious weather and a wing walking airshow by the Utterly Butterly biplanes!
We had a big turnout and appreciated all the positive feedback from the riders on the day.
Riders pictures are available to preview and purchase at www.cyclingphotos.org.uk. A massive homegrown gallery is also here on the Ratz site.
For more information on the Southern XC series, see their web site. LondonCycleSport have now posted Luke Webber's race report.
The next round to be held at the Ratz circuit is Round 6 on 25th September. |
