London Phoenix

Draft 2017/18 calendar...

Sept Sat 23rd Welwyn Wheelers - Welwyn

Sat 30th CC Luton - MK Bowl

Oct Sun 8th LBRCC - Leighton Buzzard

Oct Sun 15th Hemel - Hemel

Oct Sat 21st Team MK - MK Bowl

Oct Sun 29th Kingston Wheelers and GS Prestige – Bedfont Lakes, near Heathrow

Nov Sun 5th Icknield RC – Shuttleworth College

Nov Sun 12th GS Henley Venue TBA

Nov Sun 19th RAF Halton

Nov Sat 25th Corley Cycles - MK Bowl

Dec Sat 2nd Kettering CC - Kettering

Dec Sun 10th Twickenham CC - Hillingdon

Dec Sun 17th Lovelo - Berkhampstead.

Rockingham – January

CXL got off to a great start at Welwyn (South) last week, with Chris in charge and me losing a three way sprint for 6th (or 8th as it says in the results). Yesterday was Rnd 2 at MK Bowl and fast again despite all the rain in the week. I was lacking in power somewhat and lost a minute to riders I was with at Rnd 1. 12th.

Next week sees round 3 at L Buzzard on Sunday, and before that the Trophy at Derby on Saturday.

Neil wrote:CXL got off to a great start at Welwyn (South) last week, with Chris in charge and me losing a three way sprint for 6th (or 8th as it says in the results). Yesterday was Rnd 2 at MK Bowl and fast again despite all the rain in the week. I was lacking in power somewhat and lost a minute to riders I was with at Rnd 1. 12th.

Next week sees round 3 at L Buzzard on Sunday, and before that the Trophy at Derby on Saturday.

Well done, sir! Good work

A good day at the CXL in Hemel. Great to see Chris and Will racing, appearances on the podium for ex-LP's Matt Webber and Gary 'the linchpin' Lingard, plus I snuck into the prize money for the first time in ages. Back to the MK Bowl next week.

Back to the MK Bowl again yesterday and despite what seemed like a lot of rain in the days before it was still riding fast.

When you're on the front row of the grid stood next to a world champ you don't expect him to miss his pedal and fall into you as we started, but that's what happened, it delayed us both and we were just outside the top ten at the first corner, the difference is he still went on to win the bloody race, while I spent 40 minutes fighting to pull a couple of places back.

Still another 8th place and it turns out 8th, 12th, 8th, 5th 8th = 3rd in the league standings at the moment, which is nice, if unlikely to last.

Excellent -I love racing at the bowl. My 2 weekends away mean I miss MK Bowl, Mistley and Grafham, probably my 3 favourite courses..

Comms again for Central on Sunday, so I'm off to the Notts & Derby for some Saturday start at the back action.

Last weeks race at Bedfont Lakes, very close to Heathrow, was not unlike a big, well groomed, Gunpowder Park, a good find for CX in London.

Central League has finished for another year.

Results of 8th, 12th, 7th, 5th, 6th, 10th, 7th, 7th plus 3 missed for comms duties and 2 missed with illness = 7th overall, which seems fair enough for a consistent if unspectacular series.
Overall 17/18 = Ridden 8 CXL, 1 NDCXL, 1 Regionals, 1 Trophy.