It was a day for kites and not for bikes
Race always starts with short TT (2.7m) but this year non aero equipment ONLY so on your road bike which was fine and democratic but into a gale of a headwind pretty uncomfortable for all concerned, there was much coughing and spluttering in the car park afterwards, I managed 7:25 for 40th place (same as last year) I think my days of getting up in the top twenty gone! Hill climb specialist and fair tester Matt Clinton (Mike Vaughn Cycles) came out on top with 6:42 easily beating Mike Dales (Velo 29) 6:53 a second ahead of Jamie Scott (Colbert RT) and and Darren Bell (Ellan Vannin - IOM) tied for 3rd
In the afternoon a 65 mile jaunt around the lanes Bruntingthorpe/Gilmoreton/Kimcote, always a bit busy with local afternoon traffic and farm vehicles and a small group of nine get away after half distance and finished a minute up on the bunch (me) with several little groups in between clipped off on the last lap Steve Guymer (Active RT) the winner from Russ Falder (Mammoth RT) who took the overall lead as Clinton was stuck in the bunch and Matt Foston (Langdale RT) third, I managed a bit of a sprint for 12th in the bunch which made me 35th on the stage and (still) 40th overall
on the Saturday
Next day we had a circuit based on N Kimcote/Shearsby/B'thorpe and I had to start on my super light TT wheels as I noticed my back tyre a bit threadbare and with no glue in the cupboard not able to fix another, sure enough just completing a lap I broke a spoke on the hill up to the finish and had to wait for service, there had been an accident with a rider in the ditch so I had to wait over a minute and then get going. I had a tow behind the service vehicle up to the crash victim but he could not hang on to the car so we set off in pursuit of the bunch, I cannot deny I did hang on for a bit (well alot!) but there was 5-6 cars behind the bunch and I could not get through them all in the cross winds and it took me nearly a lap to finally make contact with a bit of a slingshot from the service car up the feed hill but my legs were in shreds and my careful plan to ease my legs into the second day now gone to pot. I took a caffeine gel (meant for later in the race and lots of drink) I managed to remove my arm warmers in the lee of a hedge out of the wind but the battle continued at the front of the bunch but I was on the back of the front half when the race split, a rider had a near miss when his left crank came off at 35mph thankfully he did not but everybody had to fight around him and the pressure was still on the front again and I was drifting dangerously near the back now as the feed hill approached, the speed went up and the bunch was blown apart at the back as riders sat up, although I carried on for half a lap doing bit 'n' bit hoping that the pace would ease with 3 others but the bunch had gone and I continued after a bit with another rider James Rutherford (SIS) surely the oldest man in the race at 55 as our two younger companions turned off for the HQ
It's the first time I've not finished this race I could see I would not have had the condition to go all the way, as I watched the race progress and the bunch disintegrate in the wind and only 40 risers finished in two bunches a couple of minutes apart. Graham Sumner (GB Fire) won the stage and second in the race clipping off the front on the last lap with Dieter Drodger (Team CF) who is the overall winner. J Shirlaw (Herblife) third o/a
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