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Thank you to all who have renewed their membership for 2019 so far and welcome to all new members of the Surrey League. Membership is steadily increasing and for this year each member will receive a Membership Pack, which will be handed to you at your first event, full of product which our sponsors have kindly donated. Milland and VC MeudonThis Sunday sees VC Meudon road race promotions on the Milland circuit, as per the normal timetable for a double event day. The circuit is tough with both races taking in the steep climb, on numerous occasions, just outside of the village of Milland. The climb is short but does feature a narrow entrance, a very short 25% section, and a lengthy drag over the top and onto the old A3. The rest of the circuit is hard with not much time for recovery especially if teams/riders force the issue once over the top of the main climb. 55 riders are planning on racing the morning 3rd cat race with Paceline RT and London Dynamo each bringing a 5-man squad to the event. They are closely followed by Oxted CC and Addiscombe CC who bring a 4-man squad each. The afternoon race, catering for 2nd/3rd cat riders, will see 42 riders (pre-entered) take to the start line. Southdowns Bikes CASCO Pet brings a team of 5 with Paceline RT supplying 3 riders. Surrey League and the Kerry Group Ras MumhanOver the Easter period, the Surrey League had representation at the Kerry Group Ras Mumhan stage race. John Heaton-Armstrong (DS), with Amanda Clifford, lead a 5-man squad (Chris MacNamara (Captain), Oliver Richardson, Jack Freeman, Alex Cross, and Joe Hill) for the duration of the 4-day event.  This popular event is based around the village of Killorglin and presented the riders with stunning coastal scenery, high mountain passes, and some very tough and grippy roads. Located in the South West of Ireland, the riders were exposed to some harsh North Atlantic weather but also enjoyed some warm and sunny conditions. The team left the UK making the long journey to the coast, then ferried themselves across to Ireland to take in another long drive to Killorglin. It was then 4 days spent racing/driving around the South West of Ireland before taking the arduous journey back to the UK.  A full report to follow, but below are the GC results from the team; Individual Classification (by Time) 1st Ben Healy Team Ireland 11:39:45 5th Jack Freeman Surrey League @ 2:28 6th Chris McNamara Surrey League @ 2:28 33rd Joe Hill Surrey League @ 9:10 63rd Oliver Richardson Surrey League @ 24:34 101st Alex Cross Surrey League @ 52:52 Young Riders Classification (by Time) 1st Ben Healy Team Ireland 11:39:45 2nd Jack Freeman Surrey League @ 2:28 12th Joe Hill Surrey League @ 9:10 31st Alex Cross Surrey League @ 52:52 Team Classification (by Time) 1st Ribble Pro Cycling 35:07:07 4th Surrey League @ 5:44 Thursday evening Handicap racingThe Thursday evening Handicap series kicks off tonight (7:15 pm) with riders tackling approx 30 miles on the Kitsmead Lane circuit. Racing should be quick as the field consists of 40+ riders with Paceline RT bringing a healthy 7 members of their team.  If you are new to Handicap racing, this is how it works. Each of the events is held on a Thursday evening starting at approx. 7:15 pm. They are open to all ability categories including Vets, Juniors and Women. The slowest riders, usually category driven, are set off first with faster riders starting after in various ability groups (equally spaced in time) with the E/1 last to leave. Surrey League bonus points are available for the first 2nd, 3rd, 4th, Vet, Junior and Women riders and will count towards the overall rankings. Below are the first 6 handicap events which you can enter via RiderHQ if you wish.
Dunsfold Park- VetsIt’s not long until racing at Dunsfold Park begins (1st May). Wednesday evenings will see the Vets do battle and take on 10 laps of the circuit. This year the race will be split into 3 age categories (40+, 50+, and 60+). The race will still be as one, but come the finish, the results will reflect the new category grouping. Dunsfold Park- Women and 4thsThen on Friday evening (3rd May) its the turn of the Women and 4th cats. The Stolen Goat Women series will start a few minutes behind the men and should complete 9 laps of the circuit. The Precise Performance 4th Cat series will start at 7 pm with riders completing 10 laps. Both series are sponsored and prizes (1st place only) will be awarded on the night. You’ll have to be Surrey League member though to claim your prize, so if you win and want to claim your award please join. If you know of any 3rd/4th cat women that are looking for entry-level racing, in a traffic-free (virtually) and safe environment, then please let them know about the Stolen Goat Women series. Weekend events in April/May/June23rd June – VC Godalming & Haslemere promote two events on the Cutmill circuit. A morning 60-mile road race for 3rds is then duly followed by the 2nd/3rd cat race in the afternoon. Entry into these events are now open via RiderHQ. Novice Race Preparation Training SessionsPlease remember that if you are new to the Surrey League, and a 4th cat male/female rider, you will need to complete 2 Novice Race Preparation Training Sessions before being allowed to race with us. Once passed, you’ll be given an accreditation card which you must bring with you to your events as well as your Surrey League and BC race licenses. A few years ago, the Surrey League introduced ‘Race Preparation Training Sessions’. These have the aim of introducing basic and advanced group riding skills to all novice 4th cat riders (men and women) so they are more prepared for competitive racing. They are run by qualified British Cycling coaches, with the help of a number of experienced riders, on various traffic-free circuits in the Surrey area. More details are available on our website and you can enter the sessions via RiderHQ. The next sessions available are; Race CalendarsThe race calendars are live on our website and are continually changing.
The Road BookThe Road Book has kindly allowed members a 10% discount code (SURREY2018) when purchasing from their website (www.theroadbook.co.uk). Launched in November 2018, the world’s most compelling sport finally gets the chronicle it deserves. The Road Book is a landmark publication, containing a comprehensive review of last years (2018) racing, from the first World Tour race of the year (the Tour Down Under) to the last (the Tour of Guangxi).  The three Grand Tours, five Monuments and the World Championships all receive lavish attention, across one thousand original pages of reports and statistics, as do the UCI Women’s Tour events. Other major races are also covered with an impressive array of data. High-quality images and more information can be found on our website. Membership PackMembership Packs are now being distributed via the weekend events. Both Glyn and I will be present before sign-on and after the racing to give members their license cards and packs. Please come and find us at the HQ during the day. More information regarding the Membership Pack can be found on our website and its thanks to our sponsors for providing the product/discounts you’ll receive. SponsorsAs well as stolen goat (sponsoring Women’s racing and overall rankings) and Precise Performance (sponsoring 4th cat series), we also have Chimney Fire Coffee, Rouleur, Wilkinson Sword, MOA, Assos (Care Products), and Pelotan all supplying product as regards our Membership Packs. R Squared Industries have also provided a discount code for members for product sold on their website. For a full list of our current sponsors, please view the updated Sponsors page on our website. |
