Cent Cols Challenged

Readers of this will know ,after Alan kindly posted a couple of short notes I sent him last week that I have just ridden the inaugral Cent Cols Challenge . A challenging and ultimately extremely rewarding experience it has been.

Although one is never supposed to begin with an apology I want to say that after 10 days of riding non stop through some quite stupendous countryside I will not make any attempt to go through each day -thank goodness for that I can imagine you shouting - and neither will I stick to a chronological order of events and photos. I want to try to give a flavour of the event and my personal reaction to it.So please excuse me jumping about with the text and the photos.

This is a view of the Verdun Gorge which we cycled through on day 6 .Quite magnificient,the only slight problem being the climb of up to a steady 10% for about 8kms up to col de Baous coming after we had already cycled over 13 cols with about 200kms in the legs ( and mind).

First,to put it into context,finishers of the event rode 2071 kms ,climbing 40600m and 106 cols in 10 days with one rest day in the middle.This took me 83 hours -the shortest time taken for a finisher being about 10 hours shorter than that.Forty riders entered , 4 did not make the start line due to injury or self perceived lack of fitness,and of the 36 starters ,22 riders,including me,finished the whole route.

Above,the last 20 kms loop of the day having already done 200kms around the verdon gorge ,this was some of the best scenery of the trip ,the climb rewarded with a one way road -in our favour for the descent.

Right ,Andy ,at about 8,30am on day four at the top of Col Fontbelle above Sisteron where we had stayed the night.This col was about a 16km climb of a very pleasant 4-5% .Most of thru a light drizzle or mist until suddenly near the top we emerged blinking into the sunshine above the archetypal sea of clouds.

Below le grand depart from Thonon on the shores of lake Geneva.Still smiling as we did not really know what we had to come....with me particulary anxious on the far left thinking that if I dont find a bike I am going to find this really tough. Team Pill is a team that a mate from Canberra races for .He was meant to be on the trip but he realising what he had in store decided to hit a Kangaroo at 60kmh about 8 weeks before departure .This necessitated severe brain surgery from which he is still recovering.It still seems a rather extreme approach to adopt to avoid even the rigours of the Cent Cols but he was successful in this.It is down to him that we were by far the best dressed team on the event and were voted top team by the organiser.Our kit even eclipsed the satorial elegance of Team Rapha.

The event featured a mixed bag of riders.Most had anticipated what was involved and so the general standard of riders and fitness was high. There were 4 adventure racers ( the events which combine orienteering with cycling ,kayaking ,running and so on .When I write running ,I understand that in a 4-5 day event with perhaps 2 hours sleep a night ,there might be 150 kms of running....). They are the 6 times British champions and include a world champion , the holder of the record for the 3Peaks Cyclo Cross (womens comp) and were,you might be surprised to hear ,all very strong using the event as training for the forthcoming world championships. It took me a while to get used to them doing pressups for 30 minutes at lunch while the rest of stuffed our faces on whatever we could get hold of and ingested as many drugs( volterol slow release was our favourite) as were available. I set out below a quote from someone who left it too late to enter-what a shame as I was rather looking forward to meeting this particular individual who presumably would have had a few stories at the tea stops; "This sounds amazing - do send me more info when you have the chance. As an aside, I'm a polar explorer (for want of a better job description) - I skied solo to the North Pole in 2004, an expedition Reinhold Messner called "ten times as dangerous as Everest"; I'm the third in history to reach the N. Pole solo (no one's done it since), the youngest by more than ten years, and I hold the record for the longest solo Arctic journey by a Briton - so I might be able to bring some publicity to the event if that interests you. I would be using it as a training event before an attempt at a South Pole speed record in December To be continued..... Nick A		draft		03/05/09	by Nick A	Delete
	Edit		Norman No Mates

End of season blues

Returned my fastest '25' of the year in the Team Swift event on my 'local' A50 event this Saturday afternoon, event closed on a middle 54 minute ride so allot was expected especially after the super fast Port Talbot event the week before when Chris Boardman's Competition record was broken by Ireland's Worlds TT entry David McCann (Pheonix CC) 45:54 (Finished a creditable 11th)
Again it was a story of two half's, with the harder outgoing leg dominating my performance, I was OK to begin with but my effort slipped away in the several harder sections and I was only 28:40 (26.12mph) at half distance some two minuted down on my 5 minute man Baz Charlton (Lyme RC), he only took 30 seconds out on the return 24:30 (30.61mph) as I got into my stride to finish in 53.11 Event was won by Matt Bottrill (I-Ride) 48:59 the only rider to break 50 minutes, Richard Handley coming close with 50:03 and Stuart Dodd 50:11 a minute back on last week, Charlton an un accustomed 4th in 50:28. and most agreed it was 1-2 minutes slower than the Welsh event.
On the Sunday I had a promisingly fast '10' in the Team Midland Racing event on the A46 near Alcester but again there was a big difference in the out & home legs with me taking only 10 minutes to the turn but an agonising 12 minutes to come back to record 4th fastest of the day 22:05 youngster Dean Robson (Somerset RC) running out winner in 20:30 from promoting club Rob Weare 21.28
Getting to the end of the season now, only got a couple more weeks of racing to go before I can have a jolly good rest. Talk after the race is of last weeks super fast race (15 riders inside 50 minutes) and Fabien Cancellara performance in the Worlds TT which he won by by two and a half minutes. The most impressive piece of time trialling I think I have ever seen. The sheer speed of his cadence almost defied what we have all come to perceive as 'fast' it must have been above 110 RPM for the race on a far from flat course, his time would equate to a 43 minute '25' (35mph) as he made the other pro riders look ordinary and had caught the silver medallist (for a minute) and then Bradley Wiggins for two minutes who looked likely to take the bronze until his untimely mechanical mishap on the final hill with 10Km to go.
The result board is generally more chatty and people hang around a bit longer to talk to rivals and friends, I always try to keep up with what other riders have been doing during the season but its time to ask other (and yourself) how you found it? beat your targets? enjoyed the best/worst? Starting to analyse what went right and wrong and thoughts are already turning to what to change for next year, I have to pull up a bit until I have a proper chance to take it all in. Phew!

C Group – Horsham, 26th Sept

Another good Autumn morning and the SWRC gathering at Downside on Saturday 26th September was in sunshine. Thirteen of the C group, including - riding for the first time with SWRC - Toby from Bookham (welcome), set off for Horsham led by Paul and Linda. Before I knew it I was back where I was last week, in conflict with gravitational forces and heading for Effingham and the steady rise up to the North Downs before the drop down White Downs and again upwards on to Holmbury St Mary. From there it was on to Walliswood, crossing into West Sussex at Rowhook and onto Horsham and Horsham Park for the tea stop.

The return route took us to Rusper, Newdigate and Dorking and along the Rusper Road the C group were blasting along at great speed, winding up to 30mph at certain points, with Mandy and ‘two cakes’ Bob at the front contesting road sign sprints near Newdigate. The group settled down for the run in towards Dorking and the final routes home for individuals.

European Masters Track - Photo's

Solo breakaway to take first points


Leading Greenstreet, Jackson, Abadie and Christensen in the break


Holding off the (world pursuit champion) Claus Christiansen (DEN)


Halfway the Frenchman leads! And I follow


Going into the lead with third sprint win


Final sprint with Peter Ettles (pursuit champion)


And the winner is?


Top spot on the podium :- Steve Clayton (GBR) 2nd Sylvain Abadie (FR) 3rd.


Victory lap :- 'We are the champions'


Starting effort in the 3K pursuit :- Holding on to qualify 4th



Missed the bronze by 1:40th of a second

Cent Cols - Wednesday 23rd

More HOT news from Nick Allen, riding in the Alps.

Starting with yesterdays lunch, and a good reason to burn a few calories.

Tartime provencale. Not a baked bean in site...







the route has been superb throughout mostly on roads with no cars at all and views almost good enough to take your mind off the pain, from saddle sores in my case....


Showing signs of the strain just after top of col du machine . Behind me there is a drop of about 2000 feet and the road contouring round built on an overhanging rock shelf

After climbing up above the clouds this is on our first big climb today up col du machine





Stopped at a superb country retaurant who served Ravioli , french cheese ravioli by the bucket. Lance A stopped here when training on col de romeyere which we descended.

Two food stops a day with a lunch as well. Great food and here are team Rapha tucking in. Real food provided. No one can face gels or bars in the second week.


This is the top of our last climb of this our penultimate day, Col du Granier. We have now done 102 cols as the 7 tomorrow were insurance against bad weather. Today had more wonderful countryside as we travelled north back into the Haut Alps to finish near Chambery.Warm and sunny all day with many big cliffs and one climb of 16 kms Col Toutes Aures going into col Pra l'Etang. This gave 15 for the day, and 4350 m of climbing .

100 Cols

Nick Allen is taking part in a tough 100 Col event, over 10 days, in the Alp at the moment.
Best day so far. Started with this fella and scenery superb throughout. From provence through Drome . 208 kms and 5000 m taking about 10 hours. Col de rousset to finish which was a bitch.
My bum is killing me.

Tomorrow another 200 kms and to my amazement another 5000 m. Have done about 950 miles now and the end is in sight , sort of.
Another 6am alarm call . Oh joy.

Yours ,
Saddle Sores (Nick Allen)

2 x 50 + 500 = <10 BBAR?

A final attempt to improve my BBAR times as this is the final counting events, I've entered two '50's this weekend at opposite ends of the country! The thinking at the time of entry proved logical and despite valiant efforts on my behalf I strike out on both occasions.
I entered the Yorkshire Road Club 'Victory 50' on the A19 up to Northallerton from Thirsk, the day was promising (as most of the week had been - Indian summer Ahoy!) so with Fiona doing the driving we trecked up the M1/M18/A1 mid day, I'd asked for an early start my next ride on the Sunday morning being the Severn RC '50' 250 miles away! (setting a new record for exclamation mark use!)

Mind over matter




A warm Yorkshire day with light wind from the South greeted us as we got out the car at the HQ in Dalton on the edge of the North Yorkshire Moors, It was a decent ride to the start and I'd done some stretching in the morning so I went to the start feeling confident about my chances. Start was wind assisted so I tried to keep my gears down and something for the second half but I was impressed with HR at 162 on the climbs as that usually means I'm in the red but here I feel comfortable and balance out my effort on the faster sections to reach half distance in 54:00 on target for 27.5 mph ride.
I saw Andy Wilkinson (Port Sunlight Whs.) out on the course needing a 1:42:04 to clinch the BBAR from Nik Bowdler last years winner and current leader, I needed faster than 1:49:16 to improve my position. Fi said "That Wilco went by with such a Whoooosh!" after talking to his helper while roadside, I was trying to do my best to emulate Andy's onomatopoeia! My ride began to unravel here, I could point to so many things, too much the day before (38m at 15mph - slowest ride of the year), no ride in the morning (first time this year!) wrong food (bit of too 'spicy' risotto on the way up!), not enough warm up (warm day - its not a '25'), not enough to drink (only drank half a 750cl bottle - but not a hot day either) I just could not press home my advantage.

Thums Up!


When your average speed is over 27 mph for fifty miles the pressure is on to be close to the limit all the time, I should be able to push through this speed ceiling but it is dependent on so many factors and yet they all serve to show you that you will fail if you let your speed drop and this at the end of the day is too crushing a reality for the under pressure rider to resist, it is no coincidence that many of my best rides have been done when my computer failed, and riders tape over their 'values' on power meters. In the end the will to ride fast is only balanced by the knowledge that 'it was done' in the mind as well as the physical limits of the rider.
Make of that what you will but I came up short (again) with 1:49:59 for 9th place - I found out later as no sooner had I got back and delivered my number at the HQ than we were on the road back to Leicester, before we left news came through Wilco had also narrowly missed his target by 25 seconds (or 0.12 mph if you prefer) bummer! I left the remains of the field to benefit from the exodus of traffic from the Middles borough V WBA football.
A brief stop to swap cars and refill bottles I ate my tea (frittata) travelling along the M40 to a rendezvous with old mate living in Clanfield (Darkest Oxfordshire) from which it was but a short hop to the next mornings event on the A419 between Cricklade and Cirencester at 7.00 the next morning. Apart from riding back to the HQ (5m) I'd done a bit (20 min) of stretching to ease off the muscles but that was it, It was a lovely morning, sunny with the lightest of breezes (but some people will complain about anything!) I was the only rider to attempt the 'double' although several had entered both, I still wanted to see what I could do, a new course for me, I'd only ridden part of it 4 years ago as part of the WTTA '100' (my first of my comeback 4:38:27!)
The back end of the field had been 'stacked' with all the fast men in an effort to ease pacing issues on the three lap course but as we were to find later these measures were to prove not useful because if riders are not prepared to 'self regulate' as we saw in the recent BTTC Champs then Time Trialling can be reduced to a farce. the start was wind assisted and I kept my gears down as yesterday but here to give my body a chance to ride myself into a second severe effort in less than 15 hours, after the turn we had a long 10 mile pull into the wind (which for this course not so favourable) which was slightly rising so I was mildly surprised to be going so well around the outskirts of Cirencester and the first lap completed without too much trouble and above 27 mph. 25 miles came along in 55.30 not going to set the BBAR alight but I was moving well and felt I could push on a bit into the wind, My minute man Dave Kiddell (CaleverCC) caught me soon after and I let him go although he was travelling only marginally faster as I felt I would pull him back if I began to 'motor' AS it was I started getting twinges of cramp second time up the steep slip road and I was a bit ragged, when the downwind section came I could not take advantage of it like I hoped and when I came to turn into the wind I closed in on my 2 minute man Nick Green (Stratford CC) but could not drop him, Dave Summers (Bath CC) my 6 minute man was now also in the mix as I was cramping up badly and only able to turn over a smallish gear but still ahead of these two.
It was then that scratch man Barry (Baz) Charlton (Lyme RC) came past with Paul Holdsworth (Houndslow & Dist) glued to his wheel, this was not edifying as the paced passed the pacer on the slip road shouting "Your going too slow" this to the man 3rd in the BBAR! and winner of many events this year Bizarre!
Summers and Green passed me in agony but I was able to continue and re-passed them on the way to the finish and there was a bit of 'ding dong' racing to the line (which I lost) this I think was fair and I don't think any of us three felt taken advantage of, we did not speak about it but if we had then I'm sure we would have seen it for what it was, committed riding at the end of a race. Baz had caught Paul around 25 miles and was not happy to have him there for the rest of the race, we talked about it as we rode back to the HQ, he was very reluctant to make a complaint, he had after all won the race but Holdsworth by his action had come second and the third rider Nick Sparks (Sheffield Tri) was also not happy. We had all seen the 'action' all the marshalls had seen it too! and on a 3 lap course it's hard to mistake pacing for what it is. Holdsworth is way more experienced in the ways bike racing lore and law to know that this sort of stuff, riders do not like it Paul and I have raced together over 30 years, I spoke to him after the event and made it clear that Baz was not happy and likely to make a complaint, we have been close (in times) all season but pacing has given him an unreal advantage in this event and that can have real consequences for this and a season long competition like the BBAR and so the complaint was lodged with the organiser.
I think you can definitely make a clear distinction between no nonsense 'battling' riding of the style that engulfed the three of us at the end of this ride and the type of riding that Paul was engaged in. As a separate incident earlier in the year I was accused of pacing at the Team Swift '50' when Antony Nash (Scunthorpe Poly) (A good TT'er Tony but I'd been out of racing for 20 years Tony Who?) caught me for 2 min with 8 mile to go and we had a 'battling' ride to the finish. The third party who we caught during this incident was disgusted at what had taken place or what he had seen (me being a fast rider on a zero etc etc). But Tony who at the time I did not know (but subsequently got to know better as he rides the track) was OK with what had taken place as we discussed the incident immediately after but It must have looked like pacing to the third party, he was very angry & indignant and was going to report me! In the end he was convinced but the onus should always be for the caught rider to drop back a distance (although this is never specified) but once it gets to 10 seconds in my experience then riders get on with 'their' ride.
Back to the Severn RC event, waiting confirmation but Baz won it with excellent 1:44:17 I came in with a credible 1:52:30 and with hindsight I could have done better BBAR ride here if I'd not ridden the day before but we shall just have to live with the consequences - It's only a bike race!

Yorkshire Road Club 'Victory 50' Result

Severn RC '50' Result

STOP PRESS! - Paul Holdsworth Disq! Self 7th

C Group - Tanhouse Farm 19th Sept

It’s preferable that blogs have pictures to make them at least visually if not factually interesting. Having not taken my camera on the latest SWRC Saturday ride I am at some disadvantage in my hopes of cobbling together a blog. Not to be undone, I have included in this report of the C group ride to Tan House Farm pictures of a stuffed Marmotte and Michael Hutchinson. Their connections with the ride to one of SWRC’s favourite tea stops are, some may argue, tenuous to the point of non-existent, but I will do my best.

Ten of the C group set off to Tan House farm lead by Peter Dewis. There was a hint of Autumn in the air – arm warmers were evident and both Barbara and Peter had seen mists on the North Downs on their journey to Downside to meet up with us all. We briskly made our way to Effingham via Plough Lane clipping along at around 18mph which immediately took me out of my comfort zone and was the first evidence that it was going to be a jour sans for me – the cost of having missed too many recent SWRC rides.

The southbound approach to White Down as we know is a steady uphill if not steep grunt to the top of the Downs, once over this and once past Holmbury Hill I knew I would be OK. What’s more, the sun was coming out, the arm warmers were being rolled down, and it was turning into a warm, golden, autumn day. However, it was soon after passing through the Holmbury St Mary area that Steve decided to head back realising his chest infection was making it difficult – we hope to see him back in the group soon. Ben also turned back early but I think he was OK. So we were now down to eight.

Along the way, and only three or so miles from the tea stop, John Major realised a slow puncture was hampering his progress so we all stopped, as it happened, by a duck pond. While some were feeding the ducks with spare energy bars which made them quack more vigorously, John was immersing the inner tube in the pond to find where it was leaking air. Apart from scaring a few frogs John couldn’t find the source of the slow puncture. In general, John was having a difficult day with his bike and despite a gleaming new cassette and chain he was the source of frequent, and alarming gear-crunching sounds.


It is at this point that I introduce the picture I took of Michael Hutchinson, at the first and recent (9th Aug 09) official time trial in Richmond Park where he completed a ‘sporting’ 10.4 mile circuit in 22’ 38”. The event, organised by London Dynamo in collaboration with the Royal Parks, was a success and all being well there will be more TTs in the park next year. So let’s hope we will see some SWRC cyclists having a go at some of these local events next year. Dr Hutch’s average speed was 27.6mph which was much more than the C groups usual average of around 15 mph. We C group riders have a lot of work to do before next year.

After large mugs of coffee, some carbohydrate loading, gazing at Tanhouse farm sheep, cycling talk, plus another puncture mending session, it was back on the road towards Dorking, and home for all via various routes – Peter taking Boxhill on the way. For me, it was back into Kingston via Oxshott, Claygate and Thames Ditton with finally 70 miles on the computer.

Now I was feeling like the Marmotte in the picture - well stuffed. Me and the marmotte (the one on the right) were both at the top of the Zugspitze on a recent cycling holiday in Germany.

Lasham Airfield

Numbers were at the lowest I'd seen for ages for yesterday's A group's ride into Hampshire. Not that that's a problem as long as someone knows the way to get there. Usually with Sabin, Mark or Trevor there, we have no problems hammering along the country lanes in the right direction.
Recently though I have been planning routes on my home computer and uploading them to my Garmin GPS just in case we weren't quite sure of the way. And yesterday proved to be a venue just outside our normal sector of knowledge, so it was worth the effort. Of course we could have taken a map, but when we are a small group arriving at turnings together, it's helpful to say which direction to go without stopping. Mind you I haven't quite perfected this as we had to ride up the A3 cyclepath for 1/2 mile near Thursley where we came across this poor dead bird. I'm not quite sure what species it is?

Although I have been in the club for years it still suprises me that there are new venue to visit, and to prove this, the last four clubruns I had been on were all new teastops to me.

Ightham Mote - Nice setting but poor food.
St. Ives - 10/10
Lullingstone Castle - Ok but slow service.

So it was on past Churt, Hearn, Sleaford, Binsted, Holybourne and then up Brockham hill to our final destination. Well it was worth the trip as the food came up to standard with all of us opting for baked potatoes, tea & cake. There were a couple of other groups of cyclists there, so we joined them, sitting outside in the warm afternoon sunshine.

As seems to be the norm these days someone has to get back home, so it was full steam back to Surrey and Coombe bottom and our familiar lanes.

2 x 25 + 10

We had the first decent week of weather in ages and I was able to train without fear of being blown or washed away so come the weekend I felt like I'd prepared well. Stone Whs. '25' on the Saturday afternoon was a repeat of the Manchester Whs. two weeks before but the conditions as I made my way up the M1 and A50 nearly to Stoke were more promising, I did 25 minutes on the rollers in the warm sun I built up a head of steam with a towel over my neck as the sweat poured onto the ground.
The wind had got up a bit but was much the same as before, I slightly misjudged my time so went to the start in a bit of a panic but had five minutes to compose myself before pushing into the race, I decided to take the first part of the ride a touch easier and leave myself something for the return so my 19:30 at 10 miles and 24:20 at half distance some way down on before (18:25 & 23:04 respectively) I went better on the way back but was some 11 seconds short of my previous time with 53:40 so not able to make a difference with a different strategy, my RPM in both 85 and my pulse 152 Av. / 160 Max almost the same (152 / 158)
My dad used to say "Does not matter if you start fast, go fast in the middle, or at the end, you always end up with the same time" It seems on this occasion he is probably true, I feel that this course with such a discrepancy in speed one way is just not for me and I require a more even paced course. Although it did not deter Charles McCulloch (Shorter) who recorded 49:02 the only man over 30mph road man Richard Handley 2nd (KUK) 50:38 and Manchester Whs. winner Baz Charlton (Lyme RC)a second faster 50:59 3rd.
Sunday I had another '25' the ANDCC 'Lighthouse Trophy' over a sporting circuit at Granby in the Vale Of Belvoir, a 9.00am start was generous but we all wished we had started an hour earlier as the wind got up to spoil the morning. I was 6th overall in 57.46 but back on form after his aberrant behaviour in the BTTC event last week Matt Bottrill (I-Ride) banged out an astonishing 52.23 to beat the next man by nearly 4 minutes. I went home to make 10Kg of damson jam!

Stone Wheelers Result

ANDCC Result

Lemmings

Arriving at Winchester station on the early train we were befriended by one of the locals. "I like your mate's Specialized," he slurred "but aren't Saracen supposed to be bit crap?" Ignoring this crude attempt to psyche us out, we mounted up, and rode across town to the start of the 2009 Lemming Trail. A mass of riders were already signing on for the event, and an exotic array of Titanium and Carbon MTB's were being given a final tweak before the start. The ride follows the Southdowns way from Winchester to Eastbourne, with an overnight stop after 65 miles on the first day, followed by 35 miles to the finish on top of Beachy Head. With 9000 feet of climbing it is a strenuous route, but well suited to roadies who fancy a change from tarmac. Will and I settled into a brisk pace which got us clear of some of the slower starters, and with blue skies and sunshine all around the Downs had never looked so good. Trailbreak had done an excellent job of marking the route, and with flapjacks and SIS refills at each checkpoint the miles soon ticked by. We arrived at Truleigh Hill for the overnight stop in the first ten, a nice surprise, and had first go at the showers and tea. Catering was excellent, if a little strict, "Could I have one of those boiled eggs?" I asked... "No! they're for vegetarians only"... "Supposing I told you I was a vegetarian?",.."Then you'd have to give back your bacon"....

The second day start was in reverse order from the previous night's finish, so our speedy group was kept back till 09.45. Starting with a hair raising fast descent off Truleigh Hill, we were soon passing Ditchling Beacon, and heading for the Seven Sisters. The rolling bridleway on these Downs makes a fantastic mountain bike trail, with some great views over the channel and the white cliffs. We managed to claw back a few more places on the final climb up Beachy Head, and crossed the line in overall 6th and 7th position, and a gold each. Thanks to Trailbreak for a very well run, highly recommended event, and respect due to the SWRC member who recently completed the entire trail solo in one day without the use of his rear derailleur.

Niall Clutton

BTTC - Men - Women - Espoirs - Masters - Juniors

I'm not chasing times this week but a title, around the lanes of Buckinghamshire, the British Time Trial Championship on a circuit based at Botolph Clayton, 3 times for the men (30.1) and 2 times the rest (20.8m) I'd done a bit of preparation for this, a recce of the course and a couple of 'speedy' sessions in the week to perk up those quick twitch fibres that haven't had much of a workout of late, it's all relative in the wet and windy conditions as the day was likely to be but under the circumstances we were spared the rain and a full days racing with 300+ riders ensued.
I even did a proper warm up (on the rollers) for 25 min as it was a straight out effort from the off, no hanging around to see how you feel? Just get on with it as hard as your legs will take you. These events are a great leveller, as a National Championship should be but the Masters (30+) split into 5 year age groups so see how we fare against competition from road and time trialling alike.

'Wiggo' and shadow!


The course was a fair test of all the skills necessary to be a bike rider, speed, stamina, bike handling and climbing, well not too much climbing just enough to put off the pure speed merchants. The wind posed the biggest obstacle as I sit on the line 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, GO.... just had to keep my revs as high as possible, keep on top of the gear, drive up every incline and into the wind which seemed just about everywhere, I had the good fortune to catch Dave Johnson (High Wycombe CC) on my first lap (on his second lap) as I'm one of the last to go at 2 min intervals and on a circuit you never see another rider anyway so it's a bit of a lonely ride but with these circiuts its a concentrated effort and over so quickly you just have to deal with the pain of the effort which is pretty much max (for me 155 HR) all the way
On the back of the circiut Tom & Jerry Nason and Martin Koester on a railway bridge that takes on the proportion of an Alp and then a fast bit before the climb up to the finish of the first lap in 22.58 a good effort but can I better it on the second? I spray my legs with water and have a gulp to drink on the decent to Edgcott before the sharp left hander but my mouth is dry before the top of the next rise, no time for any more luxury before the finish just drive all the way, up the climb for the last time trying to keep 'evens' but dropping to 18mph by the top it is just a dash for the line less than a mile and it is all over. I turn in the road Geoff Platts (I Ride) my 2 MM is 30 seconds further adrift so I know I have done OK.

'Hutch' gets the crowd excited




In the end only 6th 47:25 with 23:00 second lap so pretty even pacing as you would expect the only way to go faster is to go faster all the way and I just cannot see I could have done more. Defending champion Kevin Tye (ODL) is the champion again 45:34 from Mick St Leger (VC St Raphael) 46:20 up from 3rd last year and Stephen Whitewick (Utag) 46:35 in the bronze, I'm only 50 seconds off the podium but about where I should be on form. Ride of the day Jeff Jones (Chippenham & Dist) 45:09 winnerof 'B's and fastest overall, I was 30th but with masters starting at 30 years no disgrace.
Womens and Mens went to form with Emma Pooley (Cervelo) beating all commers (and a fair few men) with 46.11 from Wendy Houvenagel (SIS) 46:41 and Julia Shaw (Utag) 47.15
Bradley Wiggins (Garmin) 1:2:15 put on a good show for the excellent crowd with a 30mph display of exhibition bike riding putting over two minutes into Michael Hutchinson (In Gear) 1:4:34 and Chris Newton (Rapher) nearly another two again 1:6:14 after Matt Bottrill (I Ride) was DQ'ed for pacing 'Wiggo' for nearly 2 laps after being caught for two minutes.

SWRC at the BTTC


Masters 'D' Result
Masters overall Result
Womens Result
Espoirs Result
Mens Result

Pro Team Jerseys