Time Trial Finale (Waterloo Sunset)

Paul Alderson and I had one final ride on our TT bikes on Sunday in the Hillingdon CC '25' the Handy Cross course on the A404/A4 near Marlow . A chill morning with thick fog over the Thames as we (Myself and brov Alan) descended off the M40 down the starting leg I've heard so much about. (and which prompted Paul to go and buy a 56 chain ring after his last ride here a couple of weeks ago) Paul had done his fastest time (54.06) in this event last year and had tempted me out for one last lung bursting effort.
A pretty decent full field with Paul a seeded rider at number 90, I was off somewhat earlier (at 45) having entered when my PB was still a mid 56 minute ride. I'd been out to meet up with the Saturday run from Cobham and it was good to see all the groups ready to go out but I cut short my ride so as not to overdo it, as luck would have it I had the wrong keys to get into Alan's flat in Wimbledon so I had to pick up some from Judith uptown at Somerset House, that was all I needed another 20 miles in London traffic (on my TT bike!) people must have thought me a courier as I bumped over Waterloo Bridge.
It is cold enough to see my breath, I keep wrapped up until the last moment and then peel away leg warmers, arm warmers I leave on, It is calm, hardly enough wind to rustle the autumnal leaves still clinging to the trees
The start was the closest to the old Q10/19 'ski slope' on the A21 at Tonbridge we used on the 80's devastatingly fast, bikes used to develop a speed wobble in a crosswind as riders approached speeds not usual for a bike. Apparently that has been a problem here and Paul said he could only go down on the 'drops' but I had no such problems and I stopped pedalling top gear when my revs went over 120 (47mph). The course turns off the A404 and goes onto the Old Bath Road (A4) towards Reading a more bumpy affair with numerous kinks in the road, I had to work at the little rises to keep my pace up but I caught my seven minute men by the turn. I began to go better on the return, I think I over geared myself on the way out, that fast start makes you think you can keep that gear going when you should strike the right tempo for the terrain. Back on the A404 I was enjoying my ride, the feel of the pressure in my chest, cold from the air, full lungs but not painful, the arch of my back which lends the power to the legs like a dam holding back the water solid and still, legs pumping, I'd lost a bit of time but not here, in full flight right to the line and then the release as you feel the hotness of the effort push back into your cheeks and your legs, that is a nice feeling the effort is over.

I stop and I get into the car with Alan, we go back up the road to give Paul some encouragement, Police cars are in a lay-by, a mum taking her son to football has knocked off a rider, thankfully the rider is not badly hurt but it makes a bad scene by the side of the road, the boy has missed his match and looks about to cry, the woman has her arms across her chest and stares blankly as riders go past. Paul is doing a good time, not his best but looks smooth and in control, crouched low over his bike in his familiar knee warmers and dark glasses.
At the finish the talk is of the accident and the recently crowned BBAR champion Nik Bowdler of the Farnborough & Camberley CC, a local rider to SW London its a fair few years since the BBAR crown has been a 'Southerner'(1995 Gethin Butler Norwood Paragon) His time today 51.53 for 3rd and I feel better about my ride 53 dead (7th) just over a minute behind him, that was my target for the day, Paul 55.17 in 15th (but only 15 seconds off 10th) in a tightly packed result Winner Baz Charlton 51.14 from Scott Povey 51.31 holding onto their form right to the tail end of the season