A5 Ranger 'Hilly' - Season Opener

Start of a new season began for me on Saturday with the A5 Rangers CC Hilly 30.8 (15.3 for one lap) on the A5 and roads around Towcester to Daventry. The weather had been wet all day with heavy and frequent showers and the wind got up giving every rider a tough race and I was drenched a couple of times and the roads already treacherous form a bad winter were running with water. I'd ridden this event twice before but still managed to loose my way to the start and end up doing a 10 mile loop thus getting to the timekeeper 10 minutes late for my allotted position. Not to worry, I went off in the auspicious No 50 slot (J Woodburn DNS) but in the midst of the 'one lappers' I was fine for the first of my circuits (40:36) but from here I was solo as most of the marshalls had made an early exit and I was left to plough a second furrow around the lap On mi'todd
30 mile quite a long way for a TT opener and I would be lieing if i said my concentration did not waver on the second lap, as I got soaked again the sun came out briefly as I crested Weedon (Bec) hill for the final time in bottom gear (39 x 21 - Note to self, put a lower bottom gear on for Leicester RC/Melton Hilly) and plugged away into the wind I was getting cold by the time I crossed the line for the last time (42:54)
Matt Bottrill (Team i-ride) was the winner 1:11:48 (35:46) from James Perkins (Zenith) 1:14:28 and James Cambridge (Team i-ride) 1:14:43 the one lapper Jon Shubert (Verulam) 38:17 from Sam Barker (Planet X) 38:58

Up hill and into the wind - Bottom gear

Winner Bottrill

2nd Perkins


Sarah Brooke Photography