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The picture is by micksdad.co.uk and was taken at the Stratford CC open 10m TT in April.
Ow!
Yesterday I headed North to the legendarily swift E2/25 course. The forecast was for light winds and the TT forum was buzzing with expectation of fast times. Could the hour be on?
The event was the Shaftesbury CC Middlemarkers event – a middlemarkers race being my only chance of riding this sort of course. I arrived in plenty of time and started to warm up. No point really, it was already boiling hot. However, it did give me time to clock the trees bending over in the ‘light winds’. The journey to the turn was very painful indeed: it took me 35:28 and it looked as if I’d be lucky to get a 1:10:xx. There was even a 3:16 (18.37mph) mile in there. Sloths were pointing and laughing.
As soon as I turned the ‘light breeze’ swung in behind me and I was away – spinning out my top gear and shredding my groin in the process. My return was 25:40 with a 9:55 last five miles (over 30mph). Final time 1:01:08. That was probably the hardest I’ve worked in a race all year.
I left the event shell shocked and sore and began regretting the decision to enter another ’25’ on the Sunday…
Race stats: 25 miles in 1:01:08 (24.54mph). 41st out of 113 finishers. Slowest mile (5): 3:16 (18.37mph). Fastest miles (15 and 22): 1:54 (31.58mph). Top speed: 34.0mph. First 12.5 miles: 35:28 next 12.5 miles: 25:40. Max heart rate: 166bpm, average HR: 160bpm. Winner: ?
Today was a 5:30am alarm call and an hour’s drive for the Hemel Hempstead CC ’25’ on the Bicester to Aylesbury road. I was not fired up for this event.
As soon as I got on the bike it became cleat that my legs were empty. Yesterday had taken its toll. My average HR for the event is shockingly low (not through lack of effort). It’s a pity because it was a cooler day and the cross wind was light. It’s also a very nice course (the F13/25) with a good road surface. I rode an even paced race for a 1:4:56, but the time was kind of irrelevant for once. The craic was good and the results were prompt – it was a good fun event.
Race stats: 25 miles in 1:04:56 (23.10mph). 24th out of 42 finishers. Slowest mile (16): 3:03 (19.67mph). Fastest mile (10): 2:11 (27.48mph). Top speed: 32.1mph. First 12.5 miles: 32:31 next 12.5 miles: 32:25. Max heart rate: 157bpm, average HR: 144bpm. Winner: Steve Golla (Sigma Sport) 53:03.
And Cav won stage 2 of the Tour!
Lance Woodman 