Got a quick snap of the Ross kit, old and new as Paul Stephens and Alan Cook were warming up
If anyone wants to look at the course details, route and climbing etc links are below:
Weyhill 10mi TT
Weyhill 25mi TT
Now I will hand you over to Paul for the race report :)
So here the rest of the weekend’s story
Once upon a time, someone (Cookie I think) suggested a trip to ride what supposed to be a fast 10 course with a 25 on a lumpy thing thrown in. Deciding a weekend was the way to go, we had to work miracles to get the weekend passes from our she who should be obeyed (x 4 of us).
Cookie drove, in fuel economy mode, at the same time we checked the course out. Initial reaction was not good!! Very lumpy and open to a strong wind. Will was off first being a youngster in the kid’s race. Yes it was hard, but he was very happy, as he'd smashed his old PB. He returned a time of 22:12, which I suppose was ok.
Cookie was next out in the Vets 40+ cat, followed 9 minutes later by my good self. The wind was not nice; the undulations were horrid, but reasonably quick. I got to the turn at an average speed of 27mph, cool I thought, looking forward to the tail wind home.
Ha, where was that wind?
It never kicked in so had to settle for a 24:03, 3 second slower than my PB. Cookie on the other hand just won the event in a time of 19:36 and his new PB. He was happy and £50 notes richer. Paid for the room, but getting a beer out of him was a very different matter. Clive was last to go in the over 50’s section. Clive battled through to do a time of 24:55. Clive actually seemed happy to be on old turf chatting to old friends from racing down there many moons ago. This meant it was it was 7:45 before we got to the digs for the night. A quick shower from a spray can (only kidding), and Will and me were ready to hit the bar. A tap on Clive and Cookies door to let them know we had gone down saw Cookie bolt from the traps to join us.
Shock Horror followed, ordering the drinks from the bar, the bar man said of Will & Cookies drinks, “there’s the ladies drinks, what do you 2 want?” Imagine me having to say their honed athletes whilst trying not to laugh! One had lime soda the other a shandy. Clive restored my faith a little later by at least sampling larger.
Anyway we went for our meal, not bad I must say apart from Cookies curled up fish thing, never worked out what sort of fish it was meant to be. Only one person had the pudding, which I thought was quite delicious, then straight to bed. Will accused me of snoring, how could I, I was awake because he was tapping on his computer.
Early next morning came around far to fast. We had to be on the road for 7:30. Will again in the kid’s event!
As Will set of for the 25, the world was good. Clear skies, no wind, perfect. Half a hour in and the clouds rolled in to the point it was almost dark, the wind picked up, not good. An hour later and Cookie was on his way. The skies had now started clearing with the sun just starting to come through. I started 9 minutes later. Clive was still in bed, how lucky was that.
Pre race I told Cookie he needed to do a 52 dead. As I joined the main strip Cookie was just coming back from the first turn. Crikey I thought, he’s10 minute up on me already, and I’ve only been riding for 4 minutes, how dose that work? The head wind felt the same as the day before, but I felt strong. The tail wind off the turn was a little better. As we passed the slip road for the finishing leg, the road started going in an upward direction, not steep, just long. I felt at home on it! Once over the top, there’s a nice down hill off at the next slip before retracing back up the other side of the hill. It now had the character of a mountain. Still I enjoyed it. Once over it was the 10-mile course again. A 4x4 thing held up cookie at the turn, I was as well until I overtook it going into a roundabout. A quick blast back to the finish and it was all over. I did see Clive just starting, as I was finishing. I thought to myself that hills going to hurt him!
At the HQ Clive had to apologies to the photographer for keeping him wait to photograph him. John and Audrey came down for a dirty weekend and to support us.
Time were Clive 1:05:48, Paul 1:02:48, Will another PB with 58:46, and Cookie 3rd overall and in the vet section with 52:21
Cookie lost out on the £100 prize for best placed rider for the weekend by a mere 1 second, that’s ruff!
Did tell him at the start he needed to do a 52 dead!!
Few more pictures below, unfortunetly I didn't get any of Clive or myself(Will).
Not worked out how to edit your story so far....
ReplyDeleteSo here the rest of the weekend’s story
Once upon a time, someone (Cookie I think) suggested a trip to ride what supposed to be a fast 10 course with a 25 on a lumpy thing thrown in. Deciding a weekend was the way to go, we had to work miracles to get the weekend passes from our she who should be obeyed (x 4 of us).
Cookie drove, in fuel economy mode, at the same time we checked the course out. Initial reaction was not good!! Very lumpy and open to a strong wind. Will was off first being a youngster in the kid’s race. Yes it was hard, but he was very happy, as he'd smashed his old PB. He returned a time of 22:12, which I suppose was ok.
Cookie was next out in the Vets 40+ cat, followed 9 minutes later by my good self. The wind was not nice; the undulations were horrid, but reasonably quick. I got to the turn at an average speed of 27mph, cool I thought, looking forward to the tail wind home.
Ha, where was that wind?
It never kicked in so had to settle for a 24:03, 3 second slower than my PB. Cookie on the other hand just won the event in a time of 19:36 and his new PB. He was happy and £50 notes richer. Paid for the room, but getting a beer out of him was a very different matter. Clive was last to go in the over 50’s section. Clive battled through to do a time of 24:55. Clive actually seemed happy to be on old turf chatting to old friends from racing down there many moons ago. This meant it was it was 7:45 before we got to the digs for the night. A quick shower from a spray can (only kidding), and Will and me were ready to hit the bar. A tap on Clive and Cookies door to let them know we had gone down saw Cookie bolt from the traps to join us.
Shock Horror followed, ordering the drinks from the bar, the bar man said of Will & Cookies drinks, “there’s the ladies drinks, what do you 2 want?” Imagine me having to say their honed athletes whilst trying not to laugh! One had lime soda the other a shandy. Clive restored my faith a little later by at least sampling larger.
part 2
ReplyDeleteAnyway we went for our meal, not bad I must say apart from Cookies curled up fish thing, never worked out what sort of fish it was meant to be. Only one person had the pudding, which I thought was quite delicious, then straight to bed. Will accused me of snoring, how could I, I was awake because he was tapping on his computer.
Early next morning came around far to fast. We had to be on the road for 7:30. Will again in the kid’s event!
As Will set of for the 25, the world was good. Clear skies, no wind, perfect. Half a hour in and the clouds rolled in to the point it was almost dark, the wind picked up, not good. An hour later and Cookie was on his way. The skies had now started clearing with the sun just starting to come through. I started 9 minutes later. Clive was still in bed, how lucky was that.
Pre race I told Cookie he needed to do a 52 dead. As I joined the main strip Cookie was just coming back from the first turn. Crikey I thought, he’s10 minute up on me already, and I’ve only been riding for 4 minutes, how dose that work? The head wind felt the same as the day before, but I felt strong. The tail wind off the turn was a little better. As we passed the slip road for the finishing leg, the road started going in an upward direction, not steep, just long. I felt at home on it! Once over the top, there’s a nice down hill off at the next slip before retracing back up the other side of the hill. It now had the character of a mountain. Still I enjoyed it. Once over it was the 10-mile course again. A 4x4 thing held up cookie at the turn, I was as well until I overtook it going into a roundabout. A quick blast back to the finish and it was all over. I did see Clive just starting, as I was finishing. I thought to myself that hills going to hurt him!
At the HQ Clive had to apologies to the photographer for keeping him wait to photograph him. John and Audrey came down for a dirty weekend and to support us.
Time were Clive 1:05:48, Paul 1:02:48, Will another PB with 58:46, and Cookie 3rd overall and in the vet section with 52:21
Cookie lost out on the £100 prize for best placed rider for the weekend by a mere 1 second, that’s ruff!
Did tell him at the start he needed to do a 52 dead!!
I miss reported Clive’s time, it was slower, but then again it was Clive who spotted it. Clive actually did a 1:06:31, not the fictitious time I gave him….Sorry
ReplyDelete