Well it was another early start for this ride, the alarm rang at 4:15am, I can't get out of the house in less than 90mins but then that does include some time for stretching. Fed & watered I was off on the 80mins drive to the start, but with empty roads that bit was a breeze.
A new timing set up meant there was no signing on to be done at the start. This was the first U.K. Sportive to use this new system, a stick on label attached to the helmet. These were sent out in advance along with your rider number for attaching to the bars. It's my reckoning that the stick on label could go on the frame but of course telling us that they must be attached to your helmet helps enforce the wearing of a helmet, no problem for me with that.
Having assembled the bike & got kitted I loaded my pockets with plenty of energy bars, gels & stocks of drink powder for the ride. I dread to think how much that lot weighed, about 6 bars, 6 gels & enough drink powder for at least 6 bottle refills. It was going to be a hot day & this ride was going to take in excess of 8hrs so food & drink were going to play a key part of the day perhaps more so then normal.
After the obligatory comfort break I made my way to the start, more activity & seemingly more enthusiasm than last year, which was good. The start pen was filling steadily & groups were being set off at regular intervals so I joined in with the next group & after our pre-ride briefing we were set off. I was keen to take it reasonably steady for a while & so sat near the front of the group to conserve energy. Too far back un the group & I feel you use too much nervous energy, especially in a group of riders you're familiar with. The two guys on the front were setting a good steady pace which was comfortable but quick enough for now. After a while a couple of guys, triathletes I'd guess, came by lifting the pace a bit but not so much as to split the group up too much. However this didn't last long as we shortly overshot a right turn, well the front half of the group did anyway but thanks to the shouts from the back lost time was minimal. I was straight back on the pace & found myself on the front , I made sure I didn't stay there too long tho', we hadn't got to the first feed yet! We soon found ourselves on some very narrow lanes & passed several groups of riders on our way to the first feed station, always a good moral booster. It wasn't too much longer before we got to the first feed tho' & I was glad of the chance to replenish my bottles & empty my bladder!
I didn't hang around too long here tho', although there were plenty of people seemingly taking a leisurely break. Immediately after the first feed the short distance riders take a left whilst the middle & long distance riders go straight on. Back on the bike & I thought a few of the group I was in were setting off but I got that wrong, mind you, there hadn't been too much communicating so far so I didn't really know if anybody else in the group was on the long ride. Turns out I miss judged the movement & was on my own. There was a solo rider up ahead who I steadily reeled in only to find out that he was on the middle distance ride, but a look over my shoulder & I saw that there was a reasonable sized group behind, so I backed off a bit & waited for them to catch up as I was still conscious that I still had over 100miles to go, but I still hadn't found anybody else who was doing the long ride.
There was a slight breeze from the south & that's the direction we were heading so far. The route was feeling familiar from last year & I sensed it wouldn't be too much longer before we got to the roundabout where the middle distance riders would make a left turn & the long ride guys a right. And I still don't know who's going to turn which way! After a bit & still sheltering in the group we approached the next split, me with slight trepidation, still not knowing if anyone else in the group was doing the long route. I soon found out! As ALL the other riders in the group swung left I made the right turn & was now riding alone. Not very impressed I refocused turned the music on & prepared for the next section which I remembered was going to take me out into the open & continue southerly into the breeze. Maybe some of the group had changed their minds as it was very hot & there was a world cup football match they may have wanted to get home to watch.
There's some long open stretches in this next section where I tracked & passed a few steady riders whilst maintaining an average speed still in excess of 30kph. Eventually after, believe it or not a couple of lumpy bits, I rounded a bend to find temporary traffic lights with a short queue of cars & to my relief at the front of the queue a group of about 10-12 cyclists. As luck would have it I didn't even have to dab a foot down & we all rolled off together. I was still keen to keep the pace high so soon doing myself on the front but I went with it for a bit to try & sort who was up for it. This was my sort of ride & I felt good so why not give them a little test. To my surprise we were soon down to just three, & one of the guys had been in the group to the first feed but hadn't stopped. I did a good turn on the front before taking a breather & indicating for the next gut to come thro'. We now entered 3up TT mode which we maintained for a considerable while, the next/2nd feed was at just over half distance, 80miles (ish). We were working really well together, each taking good fair turns on the front & as we passed thro' a village we caught another rider who managed to tag on but was not strong enough to take any turns on the front & in fact he didn't stay with us for too long before he was out the back. Then the guy who'd been in the group to the first feed started to fade & before long we were but a duo. We still carried on relentlessly towards the second feed, with just a few words of pleasantry before we got there. Turns out his name was William, he was probably half my age & as soon as there was any incline I was being dropped. Parr for the course for me mind, but when it's so flat & you push hard the inclines seem to hurt even more! The second feed is really a bit far into the ride considering there are four feeds in all, but it was a welcome sight & opportunity to top up the bottles again. We didn't stop for long & it wasn't much longer before we'd settled back into TT mode, with the breeze now favourably behind us but not letting up on the pace & sharing the work. Somewhere in this section as we approached a right turn a rider approached from the opposite direction & made a left so he was ahead of us, I thought it must have been the point at which the middle distance ride rejoined the route. He was a strong guy & we pushed a bit harder to try & catch him, he was only a couple of hundred meters ahead of us but we were only just drawing him in. After a couple of miles he sat up & we became three again & were soon a new revised TT trio. Turns out I've met the new guy on at least one other ride some time back in Essex & boy is he a big strong rider but also that he hadn't joined from the middle distance route but had missed the turn & put an extra 5miles.
The third feed was busy as the routes were all back together again now & it was a flying stop where I was nearly left behind & had to work hard to get back onto what was a reasonable sized group, we rolled easy with the group for a couple of miles before passing them all & getting back into the groove. Once we were on our own again the pace was full on & I for one was starting to tire, every time our big new guy went thro' it was a struggle to stay on but we steamed on to the final feed which meant there were only about 20 miles left to do. Again it was a quick turn around & we were away again with a fourth rider but he didn't stay with us for too long, he skipped his turns on the front & once he did take a turn he went to the back & was off for good. This was now starting to take it's toll & I'm sure my turns on the front were becoming shorter & the struggle to stay on when the big man went thro' was becoming harder! The finish was getting rapidly closer but I went out the back & managed to rejoin once before I finally blew with what I thought was about 10miles to go. I waved the other two guys on & continued as best I could & was passing riders who I'd guess had been on the shorter rides. Quicker than I thought the road became increasingly familiar of the finish which gave me the boost to push just a bit harder again. With the final few turns there were a few more riders to pass as I continued to push as best I could to the line. Once over the line I had a look around & found the two guys I'd been riding & thank them & bid them farewell.
Last year my time was 8hrs 37mins, (8hrs 09mins on the bike), & I had been riding to better this I'd been hoping, conservatively to better 8hrs 30mins. I knew I'd gone faster than last year & also that I'd gone well within my target time. The provisional times when posted were not as accurate as they should have been, I think there were several riders that switched to a shorter route but didn't declare this to the organisers & also that there were some glitches with the new timing system. Now that the times have been finalised I'm more than happy to find that I completed the ride in 8hrs 2mins, (7hrs 35mins on the bike). This time gave me joint 7th fastest time of the field of 78.
