Cyclocross Training and Racing

[DavidF]

The cyclocross season starts in earnest at the end of this month, with the first of the Fixx series of races. There are 4 races in that series, and there will be a few others as well such as The Muddy Cup in Cashel and the National Champs. The season runs from the end of September to January.

I'm not going to go into the big explanation of what cyclocross is, but here is the thread from myself, DC and Franks exploits last season to give you a flavour of the action.
http://www.racing795forum.com/home/view ... s&start=10
Basically its 45mins - 1hr of flat out shoulder-to-shoulder racing on grass and mud with some off the bike sections

So...better great training...

We are lucky in that we have the perfect training ground - the old Golflinks behind the FCJ Secondary school, which we have kindly been given permission to use again this year

Training will be every Tuesday at 7pm. The session will be:

2-3 warm up laps - approx 15mins

Intervals - approx 3 x 15s flat out, 15s rest, x 6 - 3 sets with 5 mins rest between sets. These are done as a group to simulate race action
10min cx specific drill - 30s flat out, 30s running shouldering the bike, 30s rest - repeat for10 mins
CurlyWurlys - 100m sprints with 360 degree turns - this is for practicing tight turns and accelerating hard out of corners

2-3 warm down laps

If there are newcomers we can also do some drills for mounting the bike, hopping off, barriers, shouldering technique etc...

Session takes about an hour and is HARD! The first few weeks will be a ball of pain! but if you want to race CX its necessary

All welcome - there are quite a few cx bikes knocking around so maybe if there are people there with cx bikes but not using them they might loan them out?

MTB's welcome as well, but let me tell ya if you turn up on an mtb you're going to suffer

Even if you don't intend to race,these are great sessions

Here are the race dates:

27 September - Fixx Rd1 - Dublin TBC
25 October- Fixx Rd2 - Dublin TBC
15 November - Fixx Rd3 - Dublin TBC
29 November - Muddy Cup - Cashel, Co Tipp
13 December - Fixx Rd4 - Dublin TBC
10 January 2016 - National Champs - TBC - somewhere in Northern Ireland

[DavidF]

We have a few weeks behind us now

Training as usual at 7pm sharp tonight. If you want to see what its all about come down and have a look

Registration for the first race - Grange Castle - is now open, details here: https://fs25.formsite.com/twracing/form24/index.html

[DavidF]

A few more dates for the diary:

DCCX Series:

Race 1: PunchesCross, Sunday October 18th
Race 2: Kilmuddery, Sunday November 22nd
Race 3: tbc, Saturday January 23rd

Punchestown is a great venue DC and I did a race there last year
Kilruddery is a famous XC mtb venue

[NMcCord]

Best of Luck to David F and David C and the young Barry as they take part in the first round of the CX tomorrow . keep it lit lads ....and Barry watch out for them lads on MTB bikes

[DavidC]

For the record...

Very enjoyable first race of the season for me, DavidF and Barry on 27th September at the Fixxx Supercorss Cup Round 1 at Grange Castle, Dublin. A flat course, dry ground and sunny conditions made for a fast race, which probably suited the roadies better than our trio of MTBers. Anyway good solid performances all round, especially from Barry in his first ever CX race.

Results of this and all Fixx Supercross Cup races can be found here - https://fixxcx.wordpress.com/results/
(You'll find us in the B race.)

[DavidF]

For anyone looking to join in, fyi the week after racing the session will take place on THURSDAY nights

So this week training will be 7 sharp in the Golflinks on THIURSDAY 22nd October

[LorraineB]

Best of luck to david conway, david furlong, ross and barry in the 2nd round of the cx tomorrow in dublin.

[frankb]

How did it go today lads?

[DavidF]

Went good Frank

A new course, at the now disused Glencullen Golf Club. A hilly course with several leg breakers early in the lap, followed by fast swooping downhill
The main feature though was SAND!. This is a common feature at races in the home of cyclocross, Belgium, but a first here. So the organisers made the most of the bunkers on the old course, and we had one run up through a bunker to contend with and a tricky downhill bunker as well. Happy to say it didnt cause us too many problems , but there was plenty of comedy with riders going out over the bars and all sorts. You can see the action in the video below, we're from about 4:30

The race itself was a 45min sufferfest. We all got a good possie on the start line (100 riders) , Ross blasted off from the start never to be seen again, DC slightly ahead of myself and Barry. DC didn;t seem to be going as well as previous weeks as myself and Barry had him close at hand for the first few laps. He slowly got away then. Myself and Barry had another ding dong, you'd throw a hanky over the two of us in these races...passing back and forth until Barry had a small off on a greasy corner and I managed to slip away

Ross did as only Ross does, rocked up, blitzed everyone and finished 12th in his first cx race DC was in 38th, myself in 52nd about a minute and a half back and Barry 55th about 40s back. Total field was 95. Curiously I finished in exactly the same position as rd 1 . This was an excellent course,proper hard, with some good technical features. Great venue all round. We had a great supporters club too with Lorraine and girls and Helen and kids and my own Eve and David. Saoirse and Robyn togged out for the girls races and got on great.


Next up Tymon Park on the 15ht November and the Circles of Confusion

Here's the video: https://vimeo.com/143648483

[DavidF]

Training tomorrow night 29th October at 7pm sharp, behind the FCJ Secondary School

Have a few surprises in store, so have your dinner at lunchtime