My Tour de France

[Chuck]

As soon as I scrolled to the first pic (before I even read your cap) I was thinking that's probably TLL fifth from left

Man you've got some pins

Is there a report ??

[toolonglegs]

yup I am built pretty solid! ... My thighs have shrunk a bit with the year I had off!. I was thinking that cyclocross wouldn't be so much like cross country Mtb with power to weight being everything. But so far the 2 courses I have done have had huge amounts of climbing!.
Yes race report is in Mtb section under cyclocross but from now on I will put them here. But in brief I got 31st out of 51 .... I have a lot too learn!.
Tommorow is shaping up to be very wet... Hopefully flatter though!. I might chuck my Mtb in the boot as well all the same.
Results are not important though... I am just super chuffed that I can handle pushing myself so hard... I am smiling through the vomit!.

[Chuck]

I am smiling through the vomit!.

So on the steep pinch climbs do the leading guys run or ride ?? Is there a technique to it, or each to their own ??

[ft_critical]

Sorry to be rude TLL, but you came straight from work and forgot your cycling socks right?

[toolonglegs]

Haha I get cold feet especially if we go through water!... Yeah not very euro at the moment!. But then that pic when I am about to go down the dip makes it look like I am riding a little clown bike anyway ... So my image will always be bad!.
I am training on my 9 speed ribble shi**er at the moment, mudguards and pack rack ... Apparently it really upsets some people lol.
Chuck... On that climb you had to get the start right with no one stuffing up in front of you... It was quite long so better to ride it. Some guys can run obstacles REALLY fast but if you ride something nearly as quick as running then you do as you get back up to speed so much quicker.
Powers is one of the top riders in the US and rides everything ... One of the few who do... But if you watch the world cup races you will see how good technically the top euro guys are... Everyone was riding the barriers and jumping the ditches... Freakin cool to watch.
http://vimeo.com/32565236

[toolonglegs]

Race number 3 ... what a setting,side of a hill with huge chateau on top . Chateau was great, not that I noticed it once in the race...side of hill was HORRIBLE. I put the 38 back on today instead of the 34 ..big mistake. Although it wasn't muddy,it was wet and very soft. There was a big road climb and about 4 short nasty pinch climbs. Most times I rode them but not all. I lost about 10 seconds a lap until I noticed people taking a shortcut under a tree instead of around it. Started well but with all that climbing I faded big time. Bloody hard workout on the back. But it is only an hour right!. Anyway no idea where I finished, felt like I was riding better than previous times but no way I can compete with that much climbing!. Next week will be flatter I hope .
Very happy I run tubes now... no way my tubeless set up would have lasted.I ran 30 rear and 28 front.Probably a bit low as I could feel them rolling on the off camber grunt climbs. But the traction was pretty good. Also learnt how to stand on pinch climbs and still sort of keep traction. Gear changes were great this time.
Should have run a short sleeve shirt today... 7 C and I was boiling (short nicks,short gloves,long workers socks!).
Will wait and see results and if I can find pics ... but I finished one lap down on the leader .

[foo on patrol]

How about you take a pic of the places that you do these races TLL. Then we can get a real idea of the country side you race at.

You take photos for a livin don't ya?

Foo

[toolonglegs]

Will a video do?...I am in about 30th in the first and same in the 2nd (2nd video must be the 2nd lap) as gaps got a lot bigger .Think I must have finished about 33-36th out of 53ish .
I regretted putting the 38 on...my power to weight at 102 kgs is not great .

This was pretty steep with thick leaves...they needed a trail bike to go through and make a trail!.

This doesn't look it but it is steep off camber...got ripped to shreds by the end of 9 or 10 laps.

[foo on patrol]

That's what we wanna see TLL.

Love the bloke at the end there, almost made it over the top and just didn't have enough grunt left and rolled it.

Foo

[toolonglegs]

You'll enjoy this one then ... this is from the week before ... last guy does an over the bars. I am mid pack (or further back) as usual .
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7bBPc1K6z6o&feature=youtu.be[/youtube]

[foo on patrol]

How the hell did he manage that?

Never seen anyone go over the bars at the top of a climb before.

Foo

[toolonglegs]

No idea... It was very steep on both sides but smooth as well... If all us boys (and 1 girl I think) could do it on our "roadies" you would think a dualie would have no problems!.

[ruscook]

fantastic vids TLL... Cyclocross looks damn hard, not like softies who just sit in a bunch ride smooth tar

[toolonglegs]

Oh well, I sucked this weekend... 36th out of 53 and 15th out of 17 for my catergorie . ANd to think I thought I did a bit better than the week before!.
1 tour and 6 minutes behind the leader!...and the winner was actually in 39 to 49 group! (freaking strong!...respect).

[duds2u]

1 tour and 6 minutes behind the leader!...and the winner was actually in 39 to 49 group! (freaking strong!...respect).

Did you start in the wrong race?

[toolonglegs]

1 tour and 6 minutes behind the leader!...and the winner was actually in 39 to 49 group! (freaking strong!...respect).

Did you start in the wrong race?

There is only one race ... this is my 4th competitive event since May 2010, I have a long way to go to be fit. ALso I have a Catergorie 1 license so I couldn't do any easier race even if I wanted to .

[toolonglegs]

Rhone Alpes CX championships ... good start,good course for me with a lot of climbing but not as steep,fast,rolling... 30 minutes in and just off the podium in my catergory...voila!.

No warning...no reason.

[Chuck]

It wouldn't be TLL if something didn't get broken

[Redbull]

"no warning, no reason" LOL

[toolonglegs]

Yup...bit of a pain in the pooper!. Just came off the dirt and onto a road section... Would have been in big ring and pretty high up on the rear, had only had one mis-shift all race and it was no very mucky. Luckily I am pretty quick with these things and locked up the rear wheel quick smart. Dura-ace derailleur is a bit bent but may be ok, chain seems ok as does the cassette. Will replace the outside drive spokes as they have marked up a bit... And of course the hanger, will order 2 today, it damaged the frame a bit around the top of the hanger but hopefully will be ok!.
Anyway crc got an order for ultegra derailleur and also another set of pedals as I will start taking my Mtb as a back up bike.
At least I got a good 30 minutes in before it all went wrong!!!.

[toolonglegs]

Middle of December...full summer kit!.

Turns out I was in 20th when I had the mishap (44 starters) ... a bit better than usual if I could have stayed there!.

[mikesbytes]

Far out, what's happened to the world's climate. I rode in winter gear about 2 weeks ago

[ft_critical]

Bike needs yellow bar tape

[toolonglegs]

Yellow bar tape... Eek. This is on its 3rd wrap... It is so thick that it only just gets round the top curve!. Super comfy for big hands. Yellow ... My old club lost 60% membership because they wouldn't allow the racers to drop the yellow jersey for a black one!... So they started a new club instead

[toolonglegs]

Mike... Certainly compared to the last 3 years it is very mild. But they are saying it will be a white Christmas.