Felt Colbornes Team

The new strengthened Felt racing team from 2009 is for 2010 the Felt-Colbornes Race Team. With five new riders and two new sponsors the team is ready for 2010. Joining the team as a headline sponsor is www.colbornes.co.uk the Audi, VW and Skoda dealerships in Guildford, Basingstoke, Camberley, Walton and Woking. They have stepped in as the main financial backing and vehicle sponsor making more us competitive with the full time teams in the Premier and Tour Series events. Also www.tigercomms.com the global leaders in call management technology have boosted the financial help. As well as continued support from www.roadwheel.co.uk tyres and exhausts great deals in Fleet Hants.
With the more help from Saddleback ltd the distributor of Felt, SRAM, Zipp, Castelli and Vredestein. We are able to add an additional seven riders including the 2006 National Circuit Champion James Taylor, and brothers Matthew and Richard Kipling, Tom Smith, Ian Legg, Peter Wager and Garry Clark.
The key part of the team is we all get on well, and all having fulltime jobs whilst not full time professionals, the superb past results and strong team spirit means that the Felt-Colbornes Race Team expect to be competitive with the UK’s best and aim to cause a few upsets along the way.
At the end of February we are planning a training camp in Gran Canaria to prepare for our season starting off at the Severn Bridge RR on the 7th of March as this is sponsored by Saddleback. Full list of riders below please come say hello during the season and have a look at our cool team bike

Justin Hoy (Team Manager)
Tim Elverson
John Wager
Lee Smith
Richard Mardle
James Taylor (former PCA rider)
Tom Smith (AW Cycles)
Ian Legg (Owen Cycles)
Matthew Kipling (Team Kenesis)
Richard Kipling (MTS Cycle sport)
Peter Wager (VC Meudon)
Garry Clark (Banjo Cycles)

Sunday was the National Master’s Road Race Champs on the Owslebury Nr Winchester. Myself, Tim, John and Warren were out to see how we could go. with the race splitting after 30miles of the 88mile race Me, Tim and Warren all made the front group along with all the other main contenders. Danny Axford was very strong on the climbs of his local course and with 14 miles to go attacked and gapped us quickly getting 30seconds gap with the Corley guys looking at me and me looking at them he soon had 2 miniutes, on the last lap Chris McNamara (Corley Cycles) attacked I jumpped across and we stayed away to the finish. lucky for me Chris can’t sprint so I took 2nd and a Silver Medal, after my 3rd last year.

Tim and Warren unfortunaly had problems Tim punctured and Warren suffered with cramp. Tim came in 7th and John who did the job of slowing the bunch got 10th in the 35-39 age group.

Also last week I won my 13th race of the year at Dunsfold.
Looking forward to the rest of the season now!

Win number 10 for the 2009 season came this Saturday in the WXCRL road race in Ringwood. Clothed in the new Castelli aero race team kit and riding the fastest Zipp 808 wheels I was looking the nuts see report.

http://www.britishcycling.org.uk/web/site/BC/roa/EventReports2009/20090523_wxcrl_round2.asp

Great past week with the sun coming out and some new Zipp 808’s On Tuesday first race out was Dunsfold park the top gear test track this being the first of a 16 race series. From the off 110 riders pushing on at 30+mph I attacked hard later that lap joined by another 5 riders we pushed on to open up about 30 second gap before starting to jump about but keeping them all under control no one was coming past me with 808’s up to speed I took my 5th win of the year.

Wednesday
Eelmore with 45 riders in the E,1,2 event the racing was fast from the off but after 10 laps or so the split was made with Tim and Rich Manbag in the front myself and John slowed the bunch in hope the boy could pull off a result.
With this being Tim’s 2nd race of the year he suffered as well as Rich but getting 5th and 8th.

Saturday

Myself and Tim were back at Dunsfold for what could be the LaMans of bike racing 53 miles on a flat test track in the wind. With a massive crosswind the bunch was split to bits I jumped hard accross to the front group into the wind. making the front group 7 strong we all pushed on hard. behind Tim’s bars had come loose teach him for changing his stem the night before! again just like before attacks came on the last few laps with Phil Sykes being the strongest in the move I had let him get a small gap before jumping the others and getting working hard with Phil for the last mile and again timing my finish to come past and take my 2nd win of the week, Tim came in the group just behind for 10th.

Sunday

Myself, Tim, Tom and Warren rode the Les Ingham Memorial RR on the hilly Surrey circuit. Tom starting fast to get the £20 prime at the end of lap 1, myself and Tim were feeling the day before and not enjoying the hills so at half distance we were drinking tea and watching. Warren was happy as only a 50kg rider can be with all the hills riding in for 11th place.

Tueday

Tim was the only rider from Felt at Dunsfold and managed 5th place after all night chasing the front group.

Wednesday

Eelmore Rd2 again loads of strong riders and fast racing this time myself and John made the front group with 8 others gaining over half a lap on the bunch. With John leading me out for the finish I was sure to get a result but an attack from Chris Minter with a lap togo I let John ride accross slowing up the other and making them chase, unfortunatly for John they did just that and coming into the last corner we were all back together. With the finish insite all 10 of us were across the road looking at each other so with 400m togo I just kicked hard and increased the speed with every pedal revolution taking my 3rd win in five races John managed 8th after his efforts and Tim taking 13th from the bunch.

Keep the good times rolling!

With a good start to the season for the road team (bar Tim and his illness). We have kicked off with a long list of 70-95mile road races including the Jock Wadley Memorial and Roy Thame Cup we have worked hard to get some results.

The Roy Thame Cup (Spring Chicken RR) was run in dry conditions for the first time in years this is a race i enjoy being flat! with Richard getting in the early move we had it covered but just down the road he had gone down a pot hole! So then in the last 2 laps myself and John attacked hard and managed to bridge back to the front within the last half a lap, then once accross John pulled back any rider who dare attack having the faith that I would win. So how could I let the boy down!

In the week between Roy Thame and Thames Velo RR Myself and Richard raced at Thruxton feeling very strong I managed to over come 5 of the Sport Beans squad to take the win see race report http://www.britishcycling.org.uk/web/site/BC/roa/EventReports2009/20090322_thruxton_crits.asp

Thames Velo is 75miles around the Thame area with a very strong field including Sport beans Corley cycles and Sigma Sport teams this was going to be fast! Sure enough from the off the racing was run at high speed Warren managed to get in the move of the day but unfortunalty for him no Sigma rider so they pulled it back within 15miles making the race all come back together with just 7 miles remaining. with a bunch sprint coming up I managed to push my way to the front coming up the hill towards the finish I had managed a good position not thinking the finish was to far from the top of the hill I jumped hard only to then look up and see the flag another 300m away.

Sitting and standing trying to get my legs moving faster I looked under to see everyone on my wheel but I managed to push hard and only two riders managed to pass me one being Simon Gaywood the known sprinter from Corley cycles and Marcin Bialobloki the Polish Pro from Sport bean team.

Good times guys lets keep it going!

Tim myself and John all made the decision just over a month ago to ride the national 10 champs after the tour of Wessex was cancelled.

So after sqeezing qualifing times in last month we were placed among the early starters on the Liphook course. We arrived with our matching DA’s all kitted out in new skinsuits.  While sat on the turbo warming up the rain was light before we were set off, I was the first felt rider off at number 50 feeling good with the sound of the Zipp 808’s under me and local support even my wife holding my 8 month old son shouting “go on dad”!  I managed to do a 20:23, the fastest I have been for a few years.

John was next to go just 6 minutes later with the same bike and wheels, he was sure to be close and yes a 20:27 a new PB.

Then another 10 riders later was Tim with his DA 808 front wheel and the advantage of a new Zipp Sub9 disc, must be worth 10 seconds over 10 miles for sure clocking a 20:13 taking 47 seconds off his PB he was more than happy.

With our rides over a quick warm down and back to the HQ for post race cake and tea and a look at the results board with the first 75 riders in, Tim was in 3rd looking good. Then 3 cakes later the weather warmed up course dried out and fast guys took to the road, with some short 19’s coming in it looked likely for Michael Hutchinson to do an 18 and for sure clocking 18:07 and taking the win over Tony Gibb by 43 seconds shows his class. We ended up 34th, 40th and 49th and 5th fastest team.

All happy bring on the Divisional road races.

Sunday 9th March

Justin and John took on 40+ riders at the Omega Thruxton circuit race with a flurry of attacks from the start before Justin jumped across to a group of 6 after 4 of the 14 laps. Justin knowing (John would be doing a good job of slowing the bunch) this was ‘the move’ got stuck in with the others pulling away from the bunch not missing a move as the taste of the win was strong. Coming into the finish Justin launched himself from 300meters out showed the others just how fast Zipp wheels on a Felt can go taking the victory by 3 bike lengths and a flying V salute.

Saturday 8th March

Wet and windy weekend for road boys Justin, Tim & John. Saturday they took on the Roy Thame Cup around the wet lanes north of Oxford, Tim and Justin both managing to get into the 2nd group on the road riding hard to pull back the front group unfortunately without enough riders to catch the front group of 8, they had to settle for 9th and 13th respectively and John coming in 20th.

Tim (left) Justin(right) Loving the Felt f2 pro’s and Zipp wheels but not the weather!