I suppose you have to start a new season somewhere, and although this season started several weeks ago there has been no action on the blogging front
I'd ridden the Melton Hilly 20.5 on the 27th of March on the B6047 between Gt Dalby and the A47 a course that defines the word 'Hilly' with hardly a flat in this flattest of counties. Its one of those roads that attracts bikers and men in bobble hats driving Morgans and Caterham 7's but on this day a long line of Lotus Elise's streamed along the course making everybodys life more difficult, it only gets used once a year and yet cyclists cannot get one to themselves so we have to avoid the racers as well as the muck spreaders and horse boxes and other rural obstacles
I finished 13th of 28 who managed to make it on a typical spring day, cold and sunny I never removed my leg warmers after riding out and my time while 2 minutes slower than last year but in my defence I had ridden five events and although I never go well in these type of events it provided part of my training
Skip a few weeks with a head cold thrown in last weekend I missed the local CDCLA '10' not the best on a wheezy chest, and so to this weekend and my first proper outing on my 'Parlee' others having been done on the spare (52/39). The BDCA '25' always a fast early pointer to who is going well and where i did my PB & my seasons best last year, no chance of that today although the conditions were pretty good with a SW wind making for a fast return in the sunshine and all the new bike bling out on show. Matt Sinclair an Ex Footballer (footballers not known for their fitness, that Giggs only just discovered yoga and he's been at it for 20 years) Matt already a formidable short distance TT'er but with more miles in his legs and sporting 5Kg less weight looking the business on the turbo for an hour taking things seriously.
Even more extreme an unrecognisable Stuart Dodd minus 12Kg (difficult to tell what riders are like behind the visors but the Lycra is pretty unforgiving) Instantly recognisable however and stylish with it Ian Cammish (Planet X) came in with the first 50 minute ride of the day 50:42 after a string of good performances but Sinclair (Lutterworth RT) a 26 sec beating of his PB for 50:10 looking like the ride to topple. Baz Charlton (Lyme RC) and Derek Parkinson (Cleverly RC) came in tied 50:32 Derek my 5 min man was almost upon me 30 seconds behind me at the finish where I managed a creditable 55:06 loosing most of it on the way out as my return was still +30mph. "Definitely a power PB today" says Derek as he saunters along next to me like the cat that got the cream, he was looking for an actual PB but would have to be satisfied with the scientific equivalent as I eyed his 60+ carbon behemoth chain wheel. Last years winner James Wall (Echelon) ran Matt close but could only manage 50:19 and Matt was looking good for the win until the new slimline Dodd (Drag2Zero) came in with 48:42. You think a rider sponsored by a wind tunnel would have worked out that slimmer objects go through the air more swiftly well here was proof if needed that we could all do with a bit of a trim
