Double Expresso

Another exciting weekend of racing in wind and rain with the added incentive of a 5 O'clock start on Sunday for the BDCA '25' on the A50 near Uttoxeter, It almost didn't happen as a lorry spoilt its load of coffee beans on the road. A team was clearing up and closed the road as the early starters (me No.6) pondered the scene from the Hilton Cricket Club HQ with images of that bloke from Rising Damp and his lackey with the broom.
The A50 transverses the Midlands so the East wind meant an easy ride to the turn which was just as well with yesterdays ride still in my legs, I have taken my 56 ring off for the 'Hilly' season and only a 52 for my sins but with my new found zest for pedalling I caught my minute man before 10 miles and the remainder of the field just after the turn to be the first man on the road. I have not been using a watch or speedo yet only a heart rate monitor and riding to that but I could not get my pulse above 155 and it showed on the return when it got hard I just went slower and did not feel that I was responding to the battling conditions.
There was a couple of lorries at the 'spill' with 5 miles to go but the carriage was open so I carried onto the finish and then a miserable 20 minute ride to the HQ in the early morning drizzle, I had worn arm and leg warmers for the ride as no chance of a warm up in the delayed start and they were soaked and cold from the spray and the bitter wind. My time of 57.29 good enough for 5th place with the winner being in form James Perkins of the Zenith CC with 52.25 from Bill Moore of Shorter Rochford 54.39 over two minutes behind. Both of these riders won events the previous day Moore recording 21.43 in the Wyre Forest '10' and Perkins did a quite staggering 20.06 in the N&EM VTTA '10' on the A1 at Tuxford that I also rode with a respectable 22.10 but the wind was alot worse.