The loudest jersey in the Dales

Piers Mortimer's blog on the Team Velocake blog.  May be another 'personal worst' on a tough year but the jersey made up for it Another great read with lots of the same emotions most of us have felt over the years in this race.

Read the blog post here or click the loudest bit if the jersey

"I tell myself me and this race are finished, no need to do this again. I will be back next year."

Greg May - lessons learnt and lessons to learn

Greg made the trip from Ireland again in 2011 after a year off the 3 peaks in 2010 and his preparation was meticulous... (in part!) as his blog shows. As ever, and a recurring theme in this race isyou can never prepare enough. 

"Turn left onto road, big ring, smash it out…or so I though. After about 500m cramp…not a little …but both thighs and hamstrings at the same time. Try to pedal…can’t…f**k.. get off bike to stretch….cant swing leg over cross bar…f**k….pedal again…cramp…and repeat."

Some good lists there on hios blog anyway about what went well and what he'll do different next time..!

The Isle of Man TT of cyclocross

"the thought struck me during a moment of clarity half-way up Whernside that this race is essentially what the Isle of Man TT is to Moto GP racing… the latter is a modern-day slightly sanitised spectacle, whereas the former is the purest form, as tough and still to this day demanding of the ultimate sacrifice as it always has been… and I found myself thinking the same of the 3 Peaks Cyclo Cross in comparison to an hour and 5 laps around a city park"

Some cracking thoughts here post-race by Whyte Bikes designer Ian Alexander.  I knew Ian for many years - first when he raced as a skinny junior (Will his thighs fill his cycling shorts now? Katie asked me when I told her Ian would finally be riding - we haven't seen him for ten years!).

Aside from catching up with a friend from my days in Cheltenham, I was so pleased to watch my favourite race unfurl itself to such an experienced cyclist as Ian.  A modest but strong and very wise rider, Ian's ridden the Ras in the past (as a team mate of Rob Jebb at the time, as it happens) and certainly knows a thing or two about bikes.

It was a great joy to link up again with Ian and a shame I wasn't in good enough condition to chew the fat after the race, wandering round all slinged up as I was.  His blog's a great read here on the Whyte website. Thorough, analytical, but also heartfelt and warm.

"I fed and watered without problems too and I was pretty sure the only wall I was likely to hit was the hard stony sort lining the trails. "

(Read Ian's pre-race tech blog of his Whyte bike via an earlier post here)

Geek Haven

Really geeking out on this at the moment.  It's a great visual way of seeing where youyr strengths and weaknesses were in this year's 3 peaks cyclocross.

(I've found out that the descent off Penyghent was where I lost most of my time)

What else you will learn:

• Andy Peace would probably be on the podium again if he descended as well as Rich Thackery or Ian Taylor (and if Jebby wasn't racing!)
• Rich Thackery yet again takes the Penyghent descent leg - utter downhill god.
• Lewis Craven's 14 mins by the roadside at Stoors Common with no puncture support cost him another possible podium place
• People lower down the field had relatively much poorer legs for the Ribblehead > PYG leg.  Fatigue..!

Mark Mckie's first time

Just discovered a few blogs from the pre- and post- race days from Mark Mckieof York Cycleworks on his first event.  Well done Mark a solid first ride and sounds like more to come.

Read hios post-race blog here

and more in the run-up / aftermath here

Velocake Podium

They ride bikes, they eat cake. I may be one of them, as I even have one of their jerseys. But I didn't podium this year.  Steve did for them.  With two of my cousins.  And my brother.  Cheeky. Read their blog here.

Welland Valley back once more in strength

The guys from Welland Valley have more cyclocross experience between them than many small-to-medium countries. With a fine pedigree behind them. Adrian Killworth, Andrew Wood, Julian Rathbone and Dean Barnett all turned up for this year's event and a club update is here.

"All four of the intrepid Welland Valley riders were climbing well with Barnett descending as quick as the leading riders as he used his previous 3 Peaks experience to seek out the quicker lines."

Crosstrax celebrate brilliant 2011 team victory with a movie

Some great video work by Team Crosstrax to top off a great performance in the team prize this year whilst the other teams around them crumbled.



Crosstrax @ 3 Peaks Cyclocross 2011 from Ed Barber on Vimeo.