On Saturday afternoon, Team Grumpy will be lining up for their second 2-up of 2012, the Team MK 2-up. This is a fairly regular event for Team Grumpy - either the team turns out, or Grumpy Bob rides solo. Indeed, one year, the organiser entered Team Grumpy in the 2-up section, even though only Grumpy Bob had entered.
This season sees a change: formerly the event was held over two laps of the 10 mile Astwood sporting course. This year it was to be held on a new course, the F15/25. Unfortunately thwarted by roadworks, the event will now be a 15 mile event. The course, dubbed F15/15 or some such is based on the Brogborough 'cheatie' course which sees the riders start by descending a hill that that they don't need to ride back up. Grumpy Bob is somewhat apprehensive about how apprehensive 'Grumpy' Art Vanderlay will be on the descent.
'Grumpy' Art is probably a bit more apprehensive about the general lack of fitness in Team Grumpy than in his own descending skills: both riders have been afflicted by illness and injury in recent weeks. The Team Grumpy Manager is aware that recent performances by Grumpy Bob have been distinctly lacklustre, while 'Grumpy' Art is still recovering from his bout of viral assault.
All things considered, the title of this article is quite appropriate.
Showing posts with label Team MK '20'. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Team MK '20'. Show all posts
Tuesday, 24 April 2012
Sunday, 17 April 2011
Team MK 2-up: Team Grumpy takes 3rd place. Out of three teams...
As the title should make obvious, the weekend's regrouping of Team Grumpy once again failed to set the world of team timetrialling aflame, with another rather under par performance. Grumpy Bob would like to be able to place the blame squarely on the shoulders of the erstwhile Team Manager, who chose to spend the afternoon gardening rather that shouting requests for 400W at the team, but frankly it was down to the riders.
Having said that, both 'Grumpy' Art and Grumpy Bob rode pretty well together on the whole, and accommodated each other's strengths (few though they might have been on the day) and weaknesses (numerous though they may have been on the day). Grumpy Bob had managed to forget his Garmin, so was riding without telemetry, which turned out to be rather a good thing, and (he says) quite liberating.
Ultimately, however, this performance really ranks among the many underwhelming 2-up performances Team Grumpy has delivered on the domestic time trialling scene in recent years. Team Grumpy is looking for a further domestic 2-up before they leave for the Duo Normand in September, and both riders are looking at the Norlond '10' in early September. Between now and then, Grumpy Bob imagines both riders will be exhorted by the Team Manager to train just that bit harder. Actually the Team Manager has a disturbing tendency to refer to 'training' as 'practicing', which brings with it images of complete amateurishness on the part of the riders.
Having said that, both 'Grumpy' Art and Grumpy Bob rode pretty well together on the whole, and accommodated each other's strengths (few though they might have been on the day) and weaknesses (numerous though they may have been on the day). Grumpy Bob had managed to forget his Garmin, so was riding without telemetry, which turned out to be rather a good thing, and (he says) quite liberating.
Ultimately, however, this performance really ranks among the many underwhelming 2-up performances Team Grumpy has delivered on the domestic time trialling scene in recent years. Team Grumpy is looking for a further domestic 2-up before they leave for the Duo Normand in September, and both riders are looking at the Norlond '10' in early September. Between now and then, Grumpy Bob imagines both riders will be exhorted by the Team Manager to train just that bit harder. Actually the Team Manager has a disturbing tendency to refer to 'training' as 'practicing', which brings with it images of complete amateurishness on the part of the riders.
Friday, 15 April 2011
Team Grumpy regroup for Team MK 2-up
This weekend sees one of the all too infrequent Team Grumpy 2-up rides, at the Team MK 20 mile time trial over two laps of the sporting course near Milton Keynes at Astwood.
Recent outings at this event have not been great for Team Grumpy. In the last year the event was run, 2009, 'Grumpy' Art was unable to ride, due to work commitments. Accordingly, Grumpy Bob sent in a single entry form for the solo event, clearly labelled as such. Grumpy Bob was therefore perplexed to find himself entered as a 2-up team, complete with 'Grumpy' Art! He was even more perplexed to find that, even when this was pointed out to the organiser, he still found himself ineligible for inclusion in the solo event results.
Still, this year looks quite rosy, though a turn-out of only 30 solo riders and 3 two-up teams is disappointing for this event, which is on a really nice (if challenging) course, is always well organised (except as noted above) and usually has good weather (Team Grumpy suspects the organiser has some dodgy deal with the weather deities).
Team Grumpy look forward to the weekend, hope there will be no punctures (or other mechanical disasters), and expect to consume a decent quantity of energy drink. Expect a sudden surge in Leffe share prices when the markets open on Monday.
Recent outings at this event have not been great for Team Grumpy. In the last year the event was run, 2009, 'Grumpy' Art was unable to ride, due to work commitments. Accordingly, Grumpy Bob sent in a single entry form for the solo event, clearly labelled as such. Grumpy Bob was therefore perplexed to find himself entered as a 2-up team, complete with 'Grumpy' Art! He was even more perplexed to find that, even when this was pointed out to the organiser, he still found himself ineligible for inclusion in the solo event results.
Still, this year looks quite rosy, though a turn-out of only 30 solo riders and 3 two-up teams is disappointing for this event, which is on a really nice (if challenging) course, is always well organised (except as noted above) and usually has good weather (Team Grumpy suspects the organiser has some dodgy deal with the weather deities).
Team Grumpy look forward to the weekend, hope there will be no punctures (or other mechanical disasters), and expect to consume a decent quantity of energy drink. Expect a sudden surge in Leffe share prices when the markets open on Monday.
Saturday, 9 April 2011
Onwards and Upwards...maybe
Regular readers of this blog (if there are such people) could be forgiven for thinking that the Team Grumpy riders are a whiny set of underachievers, bossed around by a Team Manager who regularly (and ineffectually, it has to be said) demands the delivery of 400 Watts.
On the basis of this season's results, it may well be true that TG comprises a pair of underachievers, but Grumpy Bob and 'Grumpy' Art aren't particularly whiny. Perhaps we drink too much energy drink*...
Team Grumpy are looking forward to their next 2-up race, which is the Team MK 20 mile event over two laps of the Astwood circuit near Milton Keynes on 16th April. Past performance have been 'interesting', and have seen punctures cramp Team Grumpy's 'style'. Bizarrely, in 2009's event which Grumpy Bob entered as a solo rider (because work commitments prevented 'Grumpy' Art from riding), the organiser included both Team Grumpy riders in a 2-up team. This was despite only actually having one entry form!
This year, it's a bona fide Team Grumpy entry, and the Team Manager is already honing her encouraging 'verbals'. It'll be interesting to see whether Team Grumpy can pull some kind of performance out of the collective underachievement of the 2011 season...
* apparently the bottles of energy drink that Grumpy Bob found in the fridge (and one of which he is consuming as he writes this) was purchased by the Team Manager specifically for consumption by 'Grumpy' Art on the weekend of the Team MK 2-up. Grumpy Bob has been roundly chastised...
On the basis of this season's results, it may well be true that TG comprises a pair of underachievers, but Grumpy Bob and 'Grumpy' Art aren't particularly whiny. Perhaps we drink too much energy drink*...
Team Grumpy are looking forward to their next 2-up race, which is the Team MK 20 mile event over two laps of the Astwood circuit near Milton Keynes on 16th April. Past performance have been 'interesting', and have seen punctures cramp Team Grumpy's 'style'. Bizarrely, in 2009's event which Grumpy Bob entered as a solo rider (because work commitments prevented 'Grumpy' Art from riding), the organiser included both Team Grumpy riders in a 2-up team. This was despite only actually having one entry form!
This year, it's a bona fide Team Grumpy entry, and the Team Manager is already honing her encouraging 'verbals'. It'll be interesting to see whether Team Grumpy can pull some kind of performance out of the collective underachievement of the 2011 season...
* apparently the bottles of energy drink that Grumpy Bob found in the fridge (and one of which he is consuming as he writes this) was purchased by the Team Manager specifically for consumption by 'Grumpy' Art on the weekend of the Team MK 2-up. Grumpy Bob has been roundly chastised...
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