Well that was a busy weekend for Raiders .... and there is another similar one looming in a fortnight's time....... that is more training laps at Leigh on Sat 19 Sep plus the regular Raiders on the playground at Furzefield School on Sun 20 Sep.
Sunday's session at Furzefield - 6 Sep
David Burnham took charge of the older group..... and we managed to categorise everyone as 'older group' which was lovely as I could just talk to people and otherwise loiter..
After an hour of skills training we finished with three handicap races
Girls race - 5 laps - handicap
1 Emily Kirk
2 Annabel Canning
3 Chloe (help... I can't find her name on the signing-on sheet)
2 Annabel Canning
3 Chloe (help... I can't find her name on the signing-on sheet)
Younger boys - 5 laps - handicap (including a mystery rider who wanted more laps)
1 the mystery rider
2 Aston Gayle
3 Oli Roper
2 Aston Gayle
3 Oli Roper
Older boys - 8 laps - handicap (the mystery rider now having had enough)
1 Matthew Burnham
2 Daniel Warhurst
3 Alex Collins (who had raced at Brighton earlier in the morning)
2 Daniel Warhurst
3 Alex Collins (who had raced at Brighton earlier in the morning)
Matthew Burnham was working throughout the session, on his bike, helping younger riders act out the coach's instructions.... so thank you Matthew.
Saturday's training session at Leigh on Saturday afternoon - 5 Sep.
We've never had so many show up.
The total number in the group was 20........ and that included six parents and myself...... which leaves us with 13 riders.
And in all shapes and sizes..... from the four big cheeses (who rode off back home afterwards) through to a couple of new faces moving at their own pace...... Owen and Izzy Cawood who come from the triathlon world and are friends of Amy Beattie who was also there with mum.
In fact we had two mums (a first I think) as Jo Matthews (15) arrived with two parents, all on bikes and diving into various groups that suited their pace.
Invite to join Sky on the finish line of the Tour of Britain in London on Sunday 13 September - the final day of the tour.
Adrian Webb, chairman of Redhill CC, got lucky this summer and as a result of digging up a pot of gold in his back garden, he got to spend 24 hours with Sky during the Tour de France.
They scooped him up towards the end of Stage 5, had him sit among the riders for the evening meal,then sleep in a room between two riders (Stannard and Thomas I think it was).
Nest day he got to listen to the team talk before Stage 6.... and to sit next to the lead car driver throughout the stage kicking off in Abbeville.
A spin off has been this follow-up invite, for a group of 15 from Redhill Raiders, individuals who would be inspired by seeing the Tour of Britain from the inside, so to speak.
The names were drawn out of the hat and the nine Raiders (together with six parents) heading up to London on this adventure will be:
Emily Kirk (2014 Rider of the Year - girl)
Alistair Canning (2014 Rider of the Year - boy)
Annabel Canning
Ellen McLeod
Louis McLeod
Ben Elliot
Joshua Armstrong
Lukas Lamberth
Daniel Warhusrt
The inspiration seems to have started a week early as Louis McLeod signed up to ride his first race on Sunday.... and Daniel Warhurst is set to follow suit in a matter of days.... well done you guys.