This 2011 Etape deserves a place on the podium as the most difficult edition ever due to the course profile coupled with the appalling weather conditions.
Setting off in July you’d expect the weather to be fairly warm. Not this day as the roughly 4,000-man amateur peloton set off from the start line at Issoire at 7am 17th July.

The stage profile already had everything in place to daunt the participants, with constant ups and downs which made it difficult to find one’s pace. The course was the infamous stage 9 of this years’ tour which saw a few top names crash themselves out and the TV car incident which saw Johnny Hoogeland impaled on a barbed wire fence.
The drenching rain, strong headwinds and cold temperatures (hardly 7°C on the route) did not accompany us throughout the entire day, but they did stay with us the whole morning. Typical winter weather!

Finally, there were only 1982 finishers in Saint-Flour. I, thankfully, was one of them. The rest either abandoned or got swept up by the wagon. Congratulations to all those who completed this freezing adventure!

www.leetapedutour.com

Rutland press the advantage of the break.

Last night saw Peak Road Club evening road race run off on the excellent Brampton triangle course, on the moors just outside Sheffield.

This course normally leads to a tough race and last night events was no exception. The short and numerous laps (17) including a testing climb lead to very little rest and last night the wind direction added to the testing nature of the course. Approximately 45 riders took to the start line last night but by the finish I believe that this figure was more like 19 riders. (I may have got this wrong as I was Marshalling so was concentrating on waving my flag more than counting riders so apologise for any inaccuracies.)

Luckily for the Rutland, our lads were more than up to the challenge and we were involved in the action from the start. Three Ruttlers took to the start line, Simon Keeton, Nick Lattimer and Steve Ellis (Out of the saddle but still a true Ruttler at heart). After a brisk first few laps…which saw some riders out of the back early on…the first main move if the night was started by Simon, who took off on his own after 4 laps. Looking like Cancellera in his prime, Simon soon established a sizeable lead and was looking strong. Sadly for him the bunch weren’t ready to throw in the towel just yet and gradually reeled him back in.

By lap 6 with gap looking precarious, Nick, Steve and Andrew Prince leapt from the bunch and worked smoothly together to bridge the gap over to Simon. With fresh legs assisting him, Simon and his new breakaway companions, quickly re-established a gap as the bunch looked at each other.

Over the remaining laps of the race the gap hovered around 25 seconds. Despite some valiant efforts from Alex Mitchell (Sheff Rec) on the front of the bunch, the gap to the bunch stayed largely the same and as the laps ticked by it looked more and more as though the leading quartet would survive to the finish.

By this stage I was getting excited…queue more vigorous flag waving…although that might have just been in a effort to keep warm. I was sure that our boys would use their numerical advantage and work over their break away companion in the last few laps. To be fair though they had all worked extremely hard together throughout the race to hold off the bunch who at no stage admitted that they were racing for fifth place.

The bell lap came and the leading quartet were still together…Come on Rutland…Steve was the first to take the initiative and attacked hard shortly after the final climb. After a short hesitation by Andy Prince, he was brought back just before the four swung onto the start and finish straight.

So it was to be a sprint finish. Andy Prince started the sprint and proved just too strong for a fast closing Simon Keeton who finished second. Steve rounded out the podium, having blunted his gallop slightly with the final break away effort. Nick Lattimer rounded off an excellent night for the Rutland finishing close on Steve’s heels in fourth.

So three riders in the top four. You can’t ask for much more than that. Massive congratulations go out to our valiant chargers, Nick, Steve and Simon. Well done to all of you. You made it a great race to watch.

Big thanks too to the Peak Road Club for organizing another great event !!!

Nick leaving the bunch in his wake.

Nick and Steve digging in.

The May club meeting occurred on Friday 6th May at newish usual place Palin Suite @ University Arms and I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed the meeting this month.

As well having a right royal cycling related chin wag there were also a couple of points of note…

The most important one being a new rule introduced that will hopefully encourage people to do their bit and volunteer to help out with events. The new rule states, If you Marshall (event organiser/pusher off etc to count) at two Rutland events during one calendar year, you are eligible to claim free club membership for the following year! This is a great deal for the people who are helping out and will hopefully help out all event organisers to get all the helpers that they need without having to badger folk.

So what are you waiting for, get volunteering today…not only will it give you a nice warm glow inside that you are helping ensure the future of our sport but it could also bag you free club membership next year!!!

There are two further Rutland events this year, Tumby’s road race on Sunday 7 August and Danny’s ten mile trial on Monday 29th August the Bank Holiday weekend.

Volunteer for Steve’s Tumby’s road race

Volunteer for Danny’s time trial

The rest will not be in french as i am not that good at it yet although i can get bread and try to get riders to work in races with cries of allez!!! I have been meaning to write something for ages but during the winter not much happens apart from loads of rain but for the last five weeks we have not had a drop and tempretures have hit 3o degrees plus most days so it has been too hot to do much riding in the day. Since the start of March, when racing starts here, it has been full on every weekend, and lots of them to choose from. The licence is cheap only 38€ and you get  your kit with that and about 5€ to enter races. You don’t win money just loads of alcohol in the form of wine or a local brew call Pineau (potent stuff).  The first one I rode for my new club V.C St Romain was at St Vincent des Jalmoutiers it had 208 starters. I managed to get 3rd after 80km of mad action on little back lanes, at least all the roads are closed and not a angry motorists to be seen. Winnings- 2 bottles of wine-1 bottle of Pineau. My second event at Bertric Buree was a tough hilly course and I got 3rd again in a break of 5, nowt changes with my sprinting!!! Winnings-4 bottles of wine- 1 bottle of Pineau. If this carries on we will be alcoholics by the end of the season! I do hope all memebers are well and the racing is good. I do keep looking on the BC and CTT website for Rutland riders and glad to see plenty of them racing and placing.All the best for now.

Nick Latimer missed the Rutland 10 but while down South put lots of hilly Peak District riding to good use in the Welwyn Wheelers Good Friday Hilly TT, and the Bishops Stortford CC Easter Monday Hilly TT. Nick was 6th in a large field of 112 riders in the Welwyn event, posting a time of 1:05:12 for the 26.5 miles. Unfortunately Nick didn’t get to find out if he could hold off Alex Dowsett for 14 minutes in the Bishops Stortford event, as the Team Sky rider couldn’t start due to injury. In his absence Nick was 3rd out of 55, with a time of 1:08:06 for the 27 miles. Reports and pictures from the events are here:

http://www.velouk.net/2011/04/22/tt-report-hot-and-hilly-in-herts/

http://www.velouk.net/2011/04/25/report-bishop%E2%80%99s-stortford-hilly-time-trial/

Marc ready to do battle in his new French clubs kit. Magnifique!

I had an email from Marc earlier this week, updating me on his progress in France. This is what he had to say:

“The French season started last week end too so it’s gone from no races to loads of races every weekend. I’ve Joined V.C. St Romain, it’s the nearest club, great lads but all French so chatting is difficult at moment. Attached a photo new kit. Not my choice colour….I am still Blue, White and Gold inside!”

Gavin Evans And Nick Latimer in the Duo Normand Start house.

Saturday saw Rutland riders Danny Lowthorpe and Nick Latimer take first place in the SheffRec two up 25 on the O25/11 Hatfield Woodhouse course in 57:02.

The win carried on the tradition started by Darren Otter and Marc Mallender last season.

The event was again a credit to SheffRec’s fine organisational skills, so hats off to them for that and a big thanks to Rob and Denise for promoting the event.

Sorry I was too tight to buy any pictures from this event so you’ll have to make do with another snap from last seasons Duo Normand!

I’ve received an e-mail this morning from Malc confirming that they are all ok. By the sounds of it everything in the house that could break has done.
They are all in good spirits considering what has happened, it is an absolutely disaster and have no deaths or injuries in their immediate family.
Malc missed the big shock as he was working way down south. He drove home and arrived home at midnight and could not believe what he saw when he walked in to their house.
The city is totally devastated and may take years to come good.

Although he’s been left here since 1994 Malc Pearce can still turn in some good performances on the other side of the World. Whilst we’re freezing in sub zero temperatures Malc was out at the New Zealand National Road Champs this weekend doing what he does best……….getting his fancy dress kit on ! A few pictures of Malc enjoying a beer and the weather dressed as Goldmember.

If you’ve managed to get someone to buy you some sleek carbon fibre or polished titanium for Christmas then it’s probably not too late to take it back.  In the British Medical Journal a few weeks ago a study by Dr Jeremy Goves at Chesterfield Royal Hospital proved(!!) that riding an old steel lag is no slower than on a brand new carbon framed thoroughbred.  There is a summary on the bbc news here or you can read the whole bmj article here
The proof is included in the article and is (95% CI –00:03:34 to 00:02:30; P=0.72).

In fact his fastest commute to work was actually on the old steel lag but this was “as a direct result of chasing one of my fitter cycling colleagues to work”.  Probably not too difficult to figure out who that was so he must be fairly fit to keep up.

This is a great boost to my confidence.  When Pete Goodfellow drops me on Cressbrook on that old rusty steel thing with a rack and panniers it’s not because he’s fitter than me it’s because he’s riding an old steel bike thus gaining an unfair advantage.

So, we’ll no doubt see Bradley Wiggins burning off Schleck and Contador next July on an old 1970’s Raleigh.  You can’t argue with science and I expect to see plenty of supporting comments from the British Steel section of Rutland CC.