PTW

May I be the first to congratulate all the helpers -marshals ect on an excellent event. This is as good as it gets. Also Les should be up for a knighthood.[ARISE SIR LES] proud to be a member. Even if I did a crap ride. STUART.

Another fabulous PTW event. Huge thanks to Les and the team. Really enjoyed the ride and the encouragement from marshals clearly worked with a PB to end the season

Congratulations Les, on another superb club promotion, , hope it did,nt mess up your birthday celebrations too much .I think from the pusher off crew ,we were overmanned, as Selwyn was most reluctant to let the rest of us have a push , ,especially with the ladies contingent, !Seriously Les , WELL DONE, p.s. Sorry i could,nt help with the clearing up

A Weekend in the life of an organiser.........Where do I start.......... On Saturday evening, I had cancelled my gig and went out and put all the signs out. It was a nice evening and I noted some of the more Keen riders were out doing a recce of the course. The evening was calm and I was hoping the weather forecast was going to be wrong...... Quick check of the risk assessment..... All good.

6:30 am the alarm goes and "It's Hissing down" Oh No not again! driving up to the event headquarters, The skies are black.. past Neath, it's a monsoon.... All this effort and if we have loads of standing water and poor visibility we'll have to cancel.............you can't let people ride if you can't see them on the carriageway..... can you! oh I don't know..... YEEEEARRRGH!

As me and Karen drove up the valley, the sky was getting brighter, on the bottom half of the course there was no standing water, all the signs are still in place, ... Hopes are Up!......Carrying all the stuff into the HQ, some riders are already milling about and looking for their numbers.... "Its still only twenty past seven"...... I set the Numbers out and the riders are almost in my computer case..... But this is soon done and people start signing on......

Karen is setting up the refreshment stall, getting the water, setting up the urns, laying out the cakes.... Spot arrives to issue the numbers.... OK now I can get out and look at the top of the course, quick spin through ... Yep All OK and no standing water... THE SUN's COMING OUT!!!! Yippee. Back to the HQ.

At the HQ I finalise the on the day risk assessment…. Chill!..... Then I’m told that there is debris on the carriageway…… but I’ve only just got back……. Where how much? What is it? Where is it?..... Update the risk assessment…… Is that OK….. It’ll have to be.

Alf arrives with the results board, Awesome. Now as this event is so oversubscribed I run a reserve list of 15 riders and due to the weather forecast I got a lot of cancellations and all were notified on Saturday. So Alf works his magic and the results board is updated.

Hand over the timing sheets to the timekeepers….. Nothing I can do now………….. Just wait. At this point, If nothing else happens and no other club members turn up we have an event, riders will ride and the event will be a success….…. Then the best part of organising an event happens.

Dai Triggs is at the HQ when I am setting out the numbers, What Can I do to help before I go to Marshal at Resolven roundabout? Pip, tells me that Selwyn Griff and Tud are at the start, and he will take up the florescent jackets… Paul Naysmith turns up… Where do you want me, brill can you phone the times through? Yep no problem, Alf and spot are at the HQ making sure things go smoothly there. Bevan turns up, anything I can do to help? Brill can you take the start list down to Wyndham, no problem can I have one as well? John Boulton, Nigel Jones, Wyndham and Kevin Rattenbury are already at the Aberdulais Turn. Mark Hillier texts me I’m a little late so I’ll go direct to the McDonalds roundabout, I’ve got a fluorescent jacket. Bill Gannon is there ready to be on the opposite side of McDonalds. JD and family turn up where do you want us. Brill…. Hirwaun roundabout….. And beat this…. Andrew Grist from Bynea CC had contacted me in the week….. Where do you want me to Marshal…. Can you do Rhigos Roundabout? No problem, see you at 8:30….

Try and get some coffee to the Marshals do the top half, get back to the HQ to refill. Shit I’m running late, the times start coming in…….. People recording personal bests, people not recording personal bests… Vets complaining about their times, their standard times… Vets complaining about other people’s standard times. Alf and I check and double check and update the results board.

AAARGH!!!! the marshals down the bottom half of the course did not get their coffee…. (Apologies to all I missed and I promise that will be a Job I allocate to someone else for next year )……

All the riders are in even though there was a deluge during the middle of the event and especially in the last 15 minutes. Once again this was one of the most competitive events of 2013. Where else can Michael Hutchinson record a 47:02 for a 25…….. And come 4th…. Amazing.

Matt Bottrill won with a 46:13, Ryan Mullen was 2nd with a 46:36 and Marcus Christie was 3rd with a 46:41. Incidentally another Irish rider Connor Dunne did a 47:18. The reason all these Irish riders were here, they were seeking qualifying times for the World Time Trial championships that are coming up shortly.

After all the results were in and the presentations were done, Karen and I packed up the car and ran around picked up all the signs and called in for a harvester…… It was a great little birthday meal LOL. When I got home I checked the results and sent them off to the TT forum and CTT web site and chilled. All complete I sat down and had a birthday drink at around 9 O’clock

The event was not just a success, it was amazing. The comments, texts and emails I get make it all worthwhile, all the riders say the same thing, because of the number of people at the side of the road, they feel safe, the course is superb and the atmosphere we generate is Unique. The club know how to do things well and that is something I’m very proud to be part of. Yes we make mistakes, (Once again sorry about the coffee) we criticize ourselves (long may it continue) because the result is when we do something, we do it well, very well.

A massive thank you to all those involved, it was a great day and a great way to spend my birthday. I have no doubt we’ll have an equally great day next week at the Porthcawl Criteriums so in the words of Bevan and Paul Naysmith. OK Dave, Where do you want me!!

Wyndham Thomas is Bananaman!

Nice one Les, sounds like it was lotta hard graft / dedication to organise,,,but if anyone can pull it off Ya The Man!!!

Felt sorry for the guy that DNF, climbed off due puncture at Resolven roundabout.....He started the long walk back to Glynneath up the A465 on foot shoeless, glad someone stopped to pick him up.

Great write up Les. Fingers crossed now for next week.
I must apologise about the rain its my fault because I put out my Road Closure notifications out on Saturday night, All lamimated and all soaked, I replaced a few today.

Thanks for the offer of help next week.

CJ is in charge of barrier men and I think they start at 08:00 hours ( Breakfast in The Pier)

I am hoping we will have enough club members to help with marshels on the course.
Not for cyclists but for pedestrians this time. Please conact me or CJ if your available to help.
Apologies its two weeks running.

Thanks in advance

Dave

Before anyone asks, NO! I'm not having a sly fag, I'm discretely eating my LOW fat mini Ritz crackers , I could have done with a coffee after them . Gotta keep the engine fuelled. Lyndsey, your on for next year, I dusted the turbo off earlier, well, jet washed it, it's been a while .

Ah ha! Managed to get hold a photo of young Mr Evans, in the event curtesy of Mr Nic Forbes of Bynea CC

Some more shots Courtesy of Paul Naysmith

Me and Alf updating the results board with all the reserves


Karen Setting out the refreshments


Shirley on her way to the start


Shirley finishing with a new Personal Best


And we even got one of Rod Hicks crossing the finish line