Trans Wales

Paul, Jim & Parky line up at the start of the Trans Wales.

This event is the third edition of the Trans series after last years event in Scotland, it was back on home turf for the organisers and the event starting in Builth Wells.
This was my first week long mountain bike event so it was a steep learning curve for me, luckily I had SWRC club rider Paul Facer and his usual team mate Jim Dickson to guide me through the welsh mountains.
Day 1
It all started sunny and mid stage we had a short race through a rutted wood which was too technical for most but gave the organiser a starting list for the evening night race. After reaching the 68km linking stage finish we errected our tents, eat and relaxed for a few hours until the sun went down, when we fixed our bike-lights on ready for the 7km time trial. They had set up a start ramp, surrounded by flood lights with timimg mats for the 280 riders at 20 second intervals. I went up the climb hard, catching 3 or 4 other riders but then I hit the single track which meant I couldn’t get past the rider I’d caught. On the decent the lead to my light came loose, putting me in complete darkness, a couple of times which meant slowing down and stopping once. Next time I’ll have to be more prepared.
Day 2
I started fresh and got into the leading group on the road sections that left the camp site for this 72km stage. Here I got carried away making a real schoolboy error. I found myself leading, opening the gates that were along the route and not long after was chatting to one of the Belguim riders (the eventual solo winner) as we climbed up on the first fire track at the head of the field. This was one of the wettest days on the bike I can remember. As the rain came down I kept in with the fast group of riders that lead the stage and that included Paul. This was fine but I eventually blew, big time, just before the lunch stop, and meant I spent the rest of the day struggling. The route continued through the Brechfa forest that had some really technical decents but in the rain were rather hard going and I was glad to reach the camp site. The first 2 days exertions had made my left knee ache and so I declined on the evening time trial, which basically put me out of overall result.
Day 3
My legs ached all night which meant not much sleep while I listened to the rain on the tent roof. What a different route we had today which covered 72km. Climbing up onto the mashes high on Mynydd Mallaen moor the views were fantastic as the line of riders threaded their was along the route. Although we weren’t getting rained on the marsh was sodden and we occasionall road through rivers were the water was calf deep.Luckily the water was warm and we were able to ride most of the course. I caught Paul at the lunch stop and we had a great afternoon riding together over some fantastic tracks. This was my favorite bit of the week.
Day 4
My knee ached right from the start today, as me Paul and Jim road along a disused railway line towards Aberystwyth. I could not keep at their pace for long and was on my own before the first drinks stop. I had forgotten to pack any energy bars so it was a quick stop for me in Aberystwyth for a few chocs as I didn’t want a repeat of day 2 were I blew big time. Turning a corner in town we all hit a 33% climb which had most people including my self off and walking. Then it was more offroad climbing up towards Nant-y-Arian. At the lunchstop I caught up with Paul who has snapped his handlebars and was looking for a lift to the finish. Here it was raining quite hard and we all stood under some trees for a little shelter. I didn’t have much of an appitite and found the roll hard to swallow. I thought it would be a hard afternoon as I left the stop but after afew hours things cleared up and it wasn’t that bad a day, but took my 6 hours to complete the 82km route. I had been suffering with an upset stomach most of the day and had to stop at poo corner deep in the woods as the stage finish seemed a long way off. Luckily the stage finish was in a town where we could use the leisure centre facilities which meant hot showers with no queing. What was even better was the launderette that did some great business in washing and drying numerous riders kits. With dry clothes I was in a better mood to face the rest of the week even as we walked back from the pub through the now normal rain. However later that night my diarrhoea got worse and by the morning I had deciced I was not going to continue. I got a lift with the organisers to the next stage finish were I and another rider rode back to Builth Wells where we could pick up our cars.

Paul's photos

Alan's photos

Bank Holiday Racing x 3

A week after the 12 Hour I felt like a little light sport so I'd entered three events over the holiday weekend! We had a bit of a mad dash back from Devon on the Friday, while we were packing up the car Phil Rayner and partner came past, we were having coffee on the (raised) veranda when we saw them on bikes below us, our friends own the last house (The Point) on the dead end through Noss Mayo so we knew they would be back in 10 minutes. "You riding the LVRC National on Sunday" just down for a couple of days visiting family. Strange co-incidence but this part of Devon is like Piccadilly Circus, if you wait here long enough everybody will eventually go past.
VTTA National '50' on the Saturday at Cranage just north of Holmes Chapel (Circuit that goes around Jodrel Bank Observatory) I was one of the favourites, the event was delayed by two hours while traffic lights were cleared off the course so I didn't start until 5 O'clock, I fell asleep in the (warm) car and only woke up with 10 minutes to get to the start. Three laps of a 17 mile course I started well but came up short on the last lap as the rain poured down and the wind got up although I beat all the late started unusually the winning three all came from the front half of the field who had calmer conditions, my time a modest 1.58.00 good enough for 5th place.
The LVRC Nationals on the Sunday only started at 11.00 so I had a bit of a lie in on my usual Sunday morning not having got in from the previous day until 9.00pm. I decided to have a bit of a 'sit in' for the first lap but the course around Napton in Warwick shire (beware places that have windmills on their town signs!) is pretty tough. I knew the course from two years ago when I was just getting fit and I had trouble on the hills, make sure to be at the front on the major climbs to be at the back at the top. A group of 8-10 went away immediately and it took a lap for up to get organised but soon it was through and off for everybody, except those who had men in the break (lucky bastards!)
Andy Eagers (Derby Mercury), Malcolm Smith (Fenland Cl.) and Simon Day (Go Sport) were the main agitators having missed the move but everybody did their bit and my legs coming back to life I was feeling OK, a big lap of 20 miles and the back half was up and down all the time like a Roller Coaster, gradually the group got smaller and the big hill at Priors Marsden really tested the legs. Last time up the hill and we had absorbed the break, Eagers and Paul Stubbs from the promoting MI Racing made a break, I got up to them but had twinges of cramp so took it easy up the climb being the last man to get back in the dwindling bunch over the top. The two leaders had 30 seconds and the bunch was at sixes and sevens over the chase, we were all pretty knackered but then I had another attack of cramp in both calves and thighs both legs and it was agony, I could not continue with the bunch and by the time i recovered they were 30 seconds up the road. I chased to the finish but never regained the pack Stubbs won it from Eagers and Ex-Pro Steve Marrows (GB Fire) winning the bunch sprint, myself about 15th.
Ben Luckwell (Sports Beans) won the A race from Geoff Giddings (MI Racing) and Roy Chamberlain (Team MK) Phil Rayner packed last time up the hill "Too Hilly for me" never mind at 44 he will be in the B race with me next year.
I had entered a 2 Up on the Monday, I probably would have given it a miss if it had been solo as I could feel the effects of the cramp from the day before, but my partner (Triathlete Mark White) and I had unfinished business after our one second miss in the Zenith event a couple of months ago. It was another miserable morning chilly and brisk for the Coalville Whs. event over two laps of the Gryffydam circuit (25 miles). We had a good first lap catching out 2 minute men just after the first lap but I was suffering and we could not shed them and they stayed with us until the finish
Mark and my time of 57.51 only good enough for 5th on the day behind Matt Botrill and Geoff Platts (De Rosa) 53.06 (new course record) 2nd Wayne Randall (Planet X)/ Nigel Haigh (Sportscover) 54.26 I went home to have a lie down

National 12 Hr. Championship (ECCA)

I've had a week to reflect on this event, no result is yet available as the organisers try and unravel the complexities of the four circuts and the 104 competing in the National event. As defending the 45-50 age group I felt I could go better than last year but the recent spat of weather made me anxious for the half day to come. Sure enough we were greeted with slight rain and wind the first riders setting off with lights in the darkness at 5.00am. Fellow SWRC rider Paul Alderson and I were 12 minutes apart over an hour later as weak light reflected the wet roads.
He has ridden this one before, he says the finish is bad, all I am concerned with is the start, get on the road, see how you feel banish the preparation get on with the event.
Always alot to do before the off but it is the culmination of alot of preparation long rides to nowhere, races sacrificed to the hope of a better harvest, the bike, the food, spares no sleep in the Travelodge the night before just lie awake behind your eyelids going over all the possibilities for the next day, I have Fiona and Adrian out to help and Paul's wife and daughter are there to overcome any eventuality that may occur on the roads between Cambridge and Newmarket.
The first part, the fast part on the A11/A14 is busy for Six O'clock in the morning, I have started fast, Is it too fast? I can see my minute man Paul Holdsworth (No 80) up ahead, I'm closing in on him, do I lay back and use him as a pacemaker? He's sure to be in the top 5 but it begins to rain, soon it is lashing down as we approach the first turn at Red Lodge (23.5m). In front of me I see what looks like a SWRC jersey, It' Paul he's had two punctures and looking grim, we exchange a shout water is everywhere. On the return I catch my minute man, I've done the first 25m in 57 minutes, the bad weather makes me anxious to ride hard and get away, to where? There is only the road and the rain but I feel good there is no pain yet!
South the rain eases off but I am drenched Four Went Ways roundabout comes and goes 50 miles in 1.57 I've calmed down a bit, there are lots of riders at the side of the road with punctures I shout for my phone to be passed up I dread wasting my good beginning.

Up to Red Lodge for a second drenching, it rains even harder and I ask for warm coffee, but by the time I get to drink it it's luke warm but the rain has abated and we are turning onto the second circut at Six Mile Bottom. Holdsworth goes past me after using me as a pacemaker, that's the last I'll see of him I think to myself, I have to settle into the 'B' roads, keep the gears down, minimise the time lost on every incline of this lumpy circut. I go past rider after rider and a few stick with me, try not to get distracted it's a difficult transition, I see Keith Coffey (No 70) stretched out on the grass with cramp(DNF).
In the distance can it be? Holdsworth is coming back to me, we exchange a grim glance as we pass he is suffering more than me, but I will suffer sure the pain begins to bite, you just have to see it through to the end, 12 hours everybody does the same. 150 miles in 6.22 only 6 minutes up on last year but it's been rough and the finish is yet to come. We are turned onto the 3rd circut 10 miles away down the A11 near Duxford, Holdsworth sits on my wheel an official has to stop his car and warn him for taking pace, it must be bad for him. We have been turned two laps early and my back-up do not know where I am, I have no drink for 25 miles and begin to feel sick and disorientated. Holdsworth leaves me for dead, it's my turn to suffer
I have to call for help but I cannot get my phone off lock "I'm at the far end of the circut" I screech to the distant panic and when they find me I roll to a stop at the side of the road, I drink it all up 'carb', water & cola and then a ravaging hunger soon after as my body comes back to life from its dormant state.
The next 40 or 50 miles go by in a blur of bile and sweat and as I fight to maintain my speed and dignity, my body rejects the effort to perform and my mind does somersaults to stem the wish to stop, at one point I stop to be sick at the side of the road, but there is nothing there it is full on war the body and the mind battle to resolve the conflict.
I have to change bikes as I have broken an armrest but the spare is too different and compresses my shoulders luckily Adrian is able to effect a repair and I am back in the 'Sigma' like laying on a sofa, the comfort permeates my body. Adrian gives me some fruit in a cup and it settles me down somewhat, I am dry now and the sun is quite warm, there are combine harvesters scooping up the fields of golden wheat but whatn will I reap?. The wind is still there pushing me back when I try to go faster, the roads pass under my wheels and onto the finishing circut.

These roads are the worst yet, lumpy and rolling, a bad surface rattles your body and the wind is stronger than ever, but we cover the roads both ways and get a glimpse of the other riders everybody is moving in the same laconic way at the same reduced speed. Cammish the eventual Champion (284.54 miles) goes past "The worst roads on Essex" he shouts I thought we were in Cambridgeshire no matter. Andy Stuart is catching me again, I caught him 10 minutes at 100 miles and now a minute behind, he must have found his second wind, he catches me his bike sounds awful grinding under his effort. I re-pass and drop him as his effort is dissipated in the creaking carbon and dry bearings, I press on past my helpers another drink another sponge, "Thank you" Fiona.
My computer is up the spout (it says my Av. speed is 30mph!) I have no idea what I am doing but only 2 hours to go. With an hour to go I reset my computer to see how I'm going, after half a lap 22.5 mph not bad I could be on for 260 not what I had planned (276 23 mph Av.) but a decent effort. I'm brought out of mt daydream with a bang! A broken spoke in the front and it's the one with the magnet so it will not ride until I stop and wrap it around another spoke, my hands too tired to unscrew the 'bleeder'. I get a wheel change anyway Fiona is following along and a minute here and there but I lost my computer again.
I roll to a close in a lay by on the A505 within sight of Duxford aerodrome, the little planes had been buzzing overhead the second half of the ride, I was just aware of them as my concentration slipped on and off the race. Its getting dark by the time we get back to the HQ at Gt Chesterford, I see Paul he is OK with his 252.68 miles considering the start and the horrendous day. I have managed to defend my title with 263.88 miles, less than I'd hoped but good enough for a top ten on the day
There are lots of stories of events out on the road punctures, broken chains the wind and the rain, How? and Why? Did we manage to get through it? that particular battle is locked inside my head.

My new car is a bike

Check out the comedienne Dave Gorman's blog

http://gormano.blogspot.com/2008/08/my-new-car.html

Olympic survey

It looks like all the track riders are equally liked so no outright winner there.
And it was all too easy to guess which discipline of team GB would get the most medals. With no medals for BMX or MTB it was down to th girls to get the road medals (17%) but with 12 medals from a possilble 26 (46%) the Track squad were easily the best.
http://www.ndtv.com/olympics/gameresult.aspx?sport=CYC_CB

Tour of the Surrey Hills

Trevor Lenthall writes:

The weather looked good for this years event – so I was hoping to match the times I had attained in previous years. With a start time of 10:05, there should be plenty of riders in front to catch and keep my chin up. I had my family en route to provide bottles when necessary and support through the pain.

Early on the start group sorted itself out and I managed to link up with a couple of very strong guys, Richard and Chris. They finally dropped me 18k from then end – trust me, I tried get in contact again – but it was never going to happen.. I knew the pace was good and had this confirmed when we caught Matt from the SWRC who had an earlier starting slot – he sadly lost a contact lens on the descent of Leith hill and this led to him being dropped. It wasn’t until the final climb up staple lane that it became clear that this was to be a stonker of time for me and the guys now in front of me. I finally arrived in Shere at 14:05 – exactly 4hrs, smashing my PB by 14 minutes!

Chris and Richard (whom I have to thank for putting up with me for the first 90k) clocked in with 3:55 and 3:58 respectively – Excellent – Thanks Guys! Chris did mention another person breaking 4hrs – but I didn’t get him name.

Jan from SWRC (About to spend a week in the Alps) complete the course in 4:57 – great! Dave Reynolds and partner finished with times of 4:19 and 5:01 – well done! Dave you are going to have to come out on SWRC club run! Nick from SWRC started in the same group as me but I didn’t see him back – so hope it came together or you on the day..

Anyway – Great event – thanks to the organisers – I suppose it wouldn’t have been so good if it was raining and I had a puncture or two – but hey Everything worked – Great! PS Chris – contact SWRC sec to pass you details to me.

Olympic medal number 3

The trio of Jamie Staff, Jason Kenny and Chris Hoy had reportedly posted some electrifying times in training - and they have carried on their form with a time of 42.95 seconds.
Any fears that the team may have peaked too early were quashed within seconds, as the 17.98 second opening lap of Jamie Staff underpinned an excellent opening performance.
Jason Kenny consolidated the British lead on the second lap, handing over to Chris Hoy, who completed the Britons' sizzling run. It brought the British team home more than half a second faster than the French team, who are considered to be their main rivals.
The British team reversed the result of the World Championships where they were beaten by the same margin by France.
"We'll talk with our legs," said Chris Hoy before the event began and the team has done just that with their first performance at these Games.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/olympics/7563693.stm

2nd Cycling Medal

There was a superb performance and a silver medal for GB's Emma Pooley in the Women's Time Trial, behind Kristin Armstrong of the USA. It was GB's first ever medal in a Road Time Trial at the Olympics and a result which caught many experts off-guard.Pooley is an emerging talent, who at the age of 25 has rocketed into the world's elite during a stunning 12 months. Top tens in both the Road Race and Time Trial at last year's hilly world championships in Stuttgart in Germany marked her all-round talent and was a hint of what she could do.The elite women have less opportunity to display their Time Trial talents than their male counterparts, so Pooley's ride was certainly not widely expected. Her recent win in the Tour of Brittany included a Time Trial stage win, but even eighth in her debut at the worlds in Stuttgart last year - on a hilly course which suited her, much as the Olympic course has - didn't fully suggest the talents she displayed in a ride which was most remarkable for its confidence and pacing.
Climbing with a remarkably easy rhythm and the high cadence of a rider supremely comfortable when the road goes upwards, Pooley looked the part right from the start of her ride and she belied her lack of experience with very well paced ride. It was clear that she was on a ride, but when she came in almost two minutes clear of the four preceding riders it became clear that she had produced a potentially medal-winning ride, but there was a long way to go.Hiding behind a huge pair of dark glasses in the GB easy-up tent, Pooley looked cool and collected as she waited for the remaining riders to come in. As rider after rider staggered over the line well outside her time there was a growing realisation that the emerging British rider had produced the ride of her short career at the highest level. As the event moved towards its climax, the 10km split time showed Pooley in the lead, with no-one seriously challenging her except for Armstrong of the USA, who was just three seconds down. It was all to be decided in the closing few kilometres, a testing descent and that now familiar closing climb to the finish where the road race produced such drama.As she came into view close to the finish, Armstrong caught Oenone Wood, the Commonwealth Games Champion in the closing half a kilometre and that was the moment that we realised that Pooley had probably lost the gold medal. Armstrong, riding in an upright style with a very smooth and high cadence looked remarkably like namesake and compatriot Lance, who was such an expert against the clock. She used her size and power to claw herself ahead of Pooley on the final descent and that blasted up the final climb to line.And at the line she did indeed slip inside the time of Pooley, but a medal was now a certainty for Emma and as the last rider world champion Kupfernagle of Germany crossed the line it was confirmed to be a silver. Karin Thurig of Switzerland claimed the bronze.Nicole Cooke produced a typically 100% ride, but never really settled into a pace which would threaten the medals. Her job had been done during that phenomenal gold medal winning ride in the road race, but it didn't stop her putting in a huge effort which saw her almost collapse when dismounting from her machine. Also worth a mention was the fourth place of the legendary Jeannie Longo-Ciprelli of France at the age of 50.

Report from B.C. website

More Pinarello!

Just a few snippets of video from the Pinarello trip and my first go with Moviemaker. Unfortunately nowhere near the standards of Alan’s videos. My thanks the voices of Ken and Bill amongst others and I even managed to get in an "And here we are.....". One note for the future: Video only works in landscape format!

Olympic road race

I didn't foresee Samuel Sanchez winning the mens RR so no correct answer to the survey.

What would have been better would be to guess the womens winner as I definitely thought Nicole was in with a chance. And so she prove when she road a fantastic race to get in the winning break and took the up hill sprint from the other 4 riders. It was a great team effort for the GB squad of Sharon Laws & Emma Pooley, who attacked at the bell to streach out the field and allowed Nicole to escape when the German team pulled the bunch up. Most of the race took place in a terrential downpour that cancelled other Olympic events, and made the road very slippery with quite a few riders falling, including Sharon.

4-up TT...4 shirts

4 SWRC members took on a 25 mile 4-up time trial run by Farnham RC this morning (Sunday). 4 different shirts were worn, with Bill in the new SWRC kit, Dudley in his own Team Luciano kit, Paul Cannon in his Epsom CC kit (Paul has been in SWRC for years before his defection) and John Harris in the old SWRC kit. But a fine coordinated performance over the undulating Bentley bypass course, with a very strong wind blowing, gave the team a time of 1.01.45 for fourth place. Disappointingly just over the hour, which looked acheivable until Dudley pulled out with a puncture two thirds through the course.

Sunday ride?

Anyone fancy a ride on Sunday seeing as it's due to be tipping down with rain tomorrow (Saturday)?

July Survey

Would you believe it but this months survey shows you're not all die hards but forward thinkers with 50% in favour of riders with race radio ear-pieces.
As it's the middle of the summer, and there's lots going on you've got a couple of surveys and you'll have to be quick this time as the RR is on this weekend.

N Lancashire (VTTA) '100'

The omens for the weekend looked good!


Spent the weekend in the Lakes visiting family and ride another hundred mile time trial on roads I'd never crossed and places I'd never heard of, to be fair I did a middle 1.2 riding the Preston Wheelers '25' a couple of years ago on my road bike (I'd been over Hardknott and Wrynose Pass both ways the day before) along this part of the A6 near Garstang.
It was blowing up a storm the night before as I went out to recce a place to leave the car so I would have another bottle at 60 miles (Fiona wasn't stupid enough to get up at 5 and do the honours - this is after all her patch & she was having none of it!) The second part of the course (covered twice) went out through the Lune Valley along the coast through Preesall to the river Wyre,
To be fair it wasn't a bad morning as I was getting changed in the car by the roadside a farmer his dairy herd marched by and into a nearby field, good thing nothing on my bike is edible. "Mind not to go d'ount Snapewood Lane (to the start) said the 'sign on' man It's full of cow S***" now I know what he was talking about
I only had one person to look out for this morning the scratch man Jose Pinon Shaw of the ProBikeKit team, he was starting 5 minutes behind so simple to keep tabs on.
First bit easy along the A6 but then through pedestrianised Garstang shopping street with cobbles and all manner of traffic calming that I'd never had to negociate in a time trial before. Then a dead turn in the road, such a long time since I'd done one of those (circa 1977 on the old Hampton course I feel or maybe the Bath Road '50')


Lake Windermere Steamer 'The Swan'

Across Cockerhampton Moss a zig zag of dikes and gulley's, not much cover just reeds and bull rushes and cows. First leg on the A588 out to Hambleton not too bad catching my 2 and 4 minute men and up on Jose but only by half a minute, wind behind coming back lovely pick up a bottle and avoid the cow dung back on the A6. New computer is putting me at 2.10 at half way, I've been trying to do a calculated effort similar to the first part of the 12 Hr in two weeks time but I'm still having to try like mad and although the roads are lumpy and slow compared to dual carriageway I should not be going this bad, even if I go the same speed over the second half a 4.20 is way off the radar for my form.

I'm a little put off and the struggle goes out of my effort, you always think of quitting in the second half of a '100' but you struggle with the thought of stopping and that always seems worse than the pain and the struggle to continue. I have a gel, have something to drink and continue. I appear out in front, shopping precinct, dead turn, cow dung. Then the second leg into the wind, its getting up a bit, I'm catching riders all struggling more than me, keep your gears down, keep it at 90rpm it's nothing compared to the 12 Hr in a few weeks, it's all good, every pedal rev will get me to the finish

Around the last turn with 15 miles to go I was level with Jose but it was obvious my calibration on my computer was wrong, it was only 9 miles to the finish which came up at 94 miles in 4.08.27, I had miscalculated my effort, Jose beat me by by 36 seconds (4.07.51)


Not a cow!

Stelvio trip again

What a good week up in the Dolomites. Every day was good and different. The Pinarello Granfondo was its usual well organised self with the mass 20 mile sprint up into the foothills, and the usual suspects of the Passo San Boldo, Valmorel and Nevegal to climb. All was going brilliantly during this first half, but it was the superfast groups after the climbs that did me in where the pace was so fast I couldn't keep up and got dropped from 1 group before the final climb (crawl) of the Montello and 1 group after, to come in at 7h27m. Quite pleased with that as I had done 7h22m last time I did the long one.
John has covered most of the rest, but I have to say that the Stelvio was Awesome!Epic! Spectacular!...and cold!
Unfortunately the trip all ended badly for me half an hour before returning to the hotel, after a beautiful day returning from the Passo San Pellagrino with Dudley and Dave. After climbing and descending the San Boldo, Dave and I freewheeled towards the next road junction, I looked behind to check that Dudley was somewhere behind us...turned to look forward and smashed straight into Dave in front who'd put his brakes on to slow down for the junction up ahead. OUCH!...Result...broken arm and multiple grazes and bruises and a night in Vittorio Veneto Hospital with my arm in plaster and still wearing my ripped shorts. I won't go into all the complicated details, but I eventually managed to join my wife in Fance for a holiday, feeling pretty sorry for myself and still hacked off that such a stupid smash should have happened to me at all! I think I am cursed.

Why does it always rain on me ?

Having recovered from whatever virus it was in June, July had gone ok so I was looking forward to the Team Cambridge 10 on Saturday. No1 goal was to ride 10 miles, not 10.5 or 11.

Jonathan Thomas parked across the road from me near the start and was in a hurry as his start time was only 20-25 minutes away (traffic). As we chatted it started to drizzle, which developed into rain and then into a torrential downpour. The A11 was not any place to be riding a bike and despite the obvious frustration for everyone it was the right decision. As can be seen from photos ( taken from the comfort of my car) Jonathan got drenched in his brief time on the turbo and riding to and from the start. 30 minutes later, at my start time, condition were ideal - no wind, sun and a flat fast course. I decided against a solo effort not least because I'd back to the race HQ, handed back my number and then consoled myself with a large slab of fruit cake. One plucky chap was seen giving it a go when I started my 70 mile drive home.......