Elmet CRC 12 - Storming ride and stage win

A week of frustration and illness was turned to a hard earned personnel best & club record in the Elmet CRC 12 Hour Time Trial at the weekend, missing last weeks races because of a head cold was probably a blessing in disguise as they were plagued with fiercely windy conditions and I was able to rest up from the travel and stress of competition for this weeks event which I had targeted for a big mileage for my BBAR challenge.The event consisted of two laps 30 and 14 miles around covered numerous times in the flat lands just South East of York. This is the first time I repeated a 12 Hour course but I reasoned that in an event where so much can go wrong the more predictable the conditions and the more 'knowns' the better

Calm before the Storm


Fiona enjoyed her weekend of rest, it's as hard work for the helpers, early mornings forign beds, driving and food to be prepared and delivered without a hitch. But we are a good team, Adrian had taken a day off from his holiday in the Lakes to treck across country and repete his sterling efforts of last year when the conditions and unfolding events served to frustrate and hamper our efforts. We stayed Adrian's mum Jean in York and she regaled us with drug testing stories as she was a BC Commissar but now works for UK sport anti doping agency. Un-beknown to me she had been at the recent National '50' where she had been fulfilling professional duties on the Ladies event although she did say she would have to state a conflict of interest If I was called (No chance then!) I had an almost peaceful night although there are always too many variables in your head to call it restful, the alarm at 5.00am announces the day which will take all the resources of mental & physical strength you can muster.
The HQ in Melbourn was in the middle of the two loops and there was an easy and friendly air about the place as the early starters got away in the still morning that promised much. Rain was forecast so I put a good layer of leg (& arm) rub just in case. I was called to the line before I had a chance to get my gloves on so spent the first minute fiddling with 'Velcro' and getting my computer started, so much to do so little time

Paul Holdsworth in close attendance

I was 'given the off' at 6.58am two minutes in front of 'last man' Carl Ruebotham (Team Swift) and I wondered how long? it would take him to catch me, so I set off at a brisk pace no need to hang around. Although I have only ridden three 12 Hrs. before I was looking for the best performance which I hoped would garner a reward of a big mileage so tardiness was not an option, on the first two big laps I was able to re-familiarise myself with the course, its various bends and road surface the same as two years before when I covered these roads between half a dozen and ten times, In a Time trial you often only pass once or twice but I wanted the comfort that comes from familiarity, there were too many things that could happen and go wrong so give me 'boring predictability, all I wanted to focus on was to ride my bike as far as possible. No distraction, just get 'In the Zone' you and the pedals, revolutions that will be my mantra for the day, the progress of the credit crunch and war zone and Paris Hilton would just have to wait for a day while I committed myself to the road and leaving a microscopic trail of rubber on this surface this would be my testament.
I went through the first 100 miles in 4:06:00 (59:30/1:02:00/1:02:30/1:2:00) and caught Paul Holdsworth (Houndslow & Dist) for 3 min at 80m but he was shadowing me as he did last year but I was determined not to let this be a bad omen and put me off. The wind got up after an hour of grace and there was a long section on the big circuit into the wind which was going to be the crucial battle ground of the day, if I let the wind dominate my ride I would suffer so I reasoned to make this the one section where I would not let my form alter and I hunkered down to make myself as aero as possible and did not get out the saddle or ease up until it was over

We had already been on the small circuit for 3 laps after 55m and this was a bit more sheltered and I had a bit of solid food to supplement the Carbohydrate drink and gels but your appetite gets suppressed and it was difficult getting the mouthful of chocolate spread and hot cross bun down the crucifixion metaphor not lost on me here, the banana went down more easily. It started to rain, showers, enough to wet the roads and make them greasy, I did a bit of cyclo cross on one corner where I misjudged the road surface and my speed but when the rain stopped after an hour and dried up I jettisoned my crash hat as my ears had gone numb and the fast part out of the way I would have to take my chances in a spill or accident!

Getting from 100 to 200 miles is the crucial mental trick that you have to perform to finish a 12 Hr. a wise man once said that to do a good 'Twelve' "The ability to race over the second half", there are many ways to approach the event, pace yourself throughout the ride or start fast and hang on, this is the most common approach with many events doing the first 100 miles on Dual Carriageway roads before turning onto circuits but here on mainly B roads a 'Third way'. I chose this event because there is a price to pay in 'speed drop' from DC to slower roads that can see your Average speed go into free fall and this can demoralise, but I chose this event which I had broken the Club Record 2 years ago and I think it suits my style of riding, you still have to go out hard and post a good marker but so long as you maintain your 'form' then the MPH speed slips away at an easy and (psychological) manageable rate. Many packed at this point as the wind was relentless and the half way point not yet reached, you break the laps down into smaller target sections, you concentrate on your pedal revs (90 to this point and 85 overall) and your pedalling, keeping your style smooth, every ounce of effort saved here will be needed in the final miles. Carl caught me at 125m and I was surprised it had taken so long but he only drew out another 30 seconds on the next 30m lap and I reasoned this must be correct, I was able to use Carl's speed to break myself away from Holdsworth's orbit and then just after 150m I caught Andy Jackson (Pedalsport) for 10m another of my rivals and I knew I was doing well.

Of course you know when you cannot break the elastic bond that keeps two competitors in the same orbit because the helpers cars keep passing and re-passing you in an effort to keep in contact with their rider, and this is the only contact you have on a circuit course as you never see (or get a time check) apart from what your helpers tell you and when you have 12 hours to fill and all those questions to ask you never have enough information and you feel you are in a desert (or a coma) unable to communicate with the outside world and all these questions. Andy Jackson's helper gave me a sponge of cooling water infused with cologne and as I cleared the salt from my face I considered the tardiness of my own helpers 170 m and not a sponge in sight, thank you Mr Jackson's helper

Shouted instruction "How about a sponge"


200 miles came up in 8:29 (1:03:30/1:06:15/1:06:00/1:8:45) and I knew I had 3 1/2 Hrs. to go as far as my condition would allow, I was only averaging 22.5mph at this stage and I knew I needed to sustain 23mph to reach the major milestone of 280m, a much wished for lull in the wind was greeted with another bout of stormy weather followed by rain. Andy Jackson re-passed me and I clung to his momentum but I could not raise my game even .2mph that was necessary, I let him go reasoning that even at that speed he would only take 6 or 7 minutes to the finish. All the corners were tricky now and the ragged surface and the rumble strips on the A 1079 were bone jarring and my right foot which had been hurting for 80m was now numb (and still is as I type this)

The weather and the event close in

With an hour to go the rain which had been a constant drizzle became a downpour and I was getting a 'graunching' from my rear wheel, my freewheel would not do so freely as one of the bearings disintegrated so I was literally on a 'fixed' or risk my chain wrapping around if I stopped pedalling. Adrian & Fiona were close by at this stage so I asked for a bike change which went smoothly but in all the excitement I needed to relive myself but I had no option but to do it as I rode along in the rain, I thought I might get an update on how Cav and the boys were doing in Paris not quite the glamour of the Tour
I only had 40 minutes to go, enough for one final lap of the finishing circuit, bike felt so different after being 11 hours on the 'Sigma' it was just a case of survival, I was getting hungry and ate my final gel and another hot cross bun, damp from the rain it had been inside my skin suit for the best part of 100 miles, how's that for an instant meal Jamie, even Hugh Fernley might find this a bit too adventurous for his pallate. My final 75m (1:07:15/1:08:00/1:10:00) and 4 min 30 seconds to run out with 276.50 miles just over a nine mile improvement, Ruebotham was the winner with 285.08 and Barry Charlton (Lyme RC) 281.61 2nd Myself 3rd just ahead of the 'pack'

The pain and the pleasure of finishing (on the spare)

I was the third last to finish just before 7.00pm, handily by the timekeeper outside the HQ, I gave him a wave through the fogged up window in appreciation of his effort and token response to all those helpers who had been out all day to see the race pass off successfully. The HQ looked like a refugee camp with an assortment of riders in blankets and helpers in all weather gear. I was soon shaking with the cold, for the last hour I had only just generated enough heat in my body to stave off the cold in the wet conditions. There was congratulations from those I knew and those that had seen me on the road, at times it felt like a lonely road and a long way, sure you can go further (or slow down less) but I hadn't been beaten by the conditions today and as the result began to sink in I knew I had won my stage of the Tour