Burton & District Cycling Ass '100' - Heat is on

I've had an exciting few weeks as most riders are bringing their season to a close with late season races that feel a bit 'After the Lord Mayor's show' but I still have the World Masters in early October so I need to be ramping up my intensity to get the best out of my fitness. While my overall training is well down on previous years I still seem to have the condition to do some amazing rides, better than when I was doing the BAR when I might have been overtired, I leaned from last year If I do less training then It has to be top quality and then more rest. I rest every other day so my training/racing is only three or four days a week and my monthly total has not topped 900 miles all season (compared to 1500m in other years)

BDCA - Not the easiest (Pic by Flybike) o7ò

So how would I fair over one hundred miles? I'd done a couple of long rides in the two weeks previous but my ride would depend on careful pacing, I need a '100' time to improve on my VTTA BAR (7th 2012) last year I blew it on a windy Northern day I made a good start and went to pieces. This time on local roads the BDCA '100' on the A50, it was cancelled last year due to a RTA (motorbike not a bike!) and there were many disappointed riders who lost out and I did not get a chance to correct my Yorkshire error. This year only one chance, all or nothing, I suppose last year I thought I had a second bite at the cherry but this year I don't have that luxury.

61 year old  Ken Platts (Cambridge CC) on his Lotus (7th)

It was a windy day again and I had to make a slow start not to repeat my error when my eagerness let me down. I make the first quarter (most of it into the wind) 59 minutes, there is a good crowd out and Fiona is out to assist and enjoys a bit of roadside banter with the other helpers on the dog leg to Doveridge which thankfully is fairly neutral in the cross wind. There's plenty of interest as its the final British Best All Rounder counting '100' and a ride off between defending Champion Adam Topham (High Wycombe) and 2011 Nik Bowdler (PedalRevoloution) I take another bottle and its pretty much all I need to the finish. I have to temper my cool start with a bit of speed on the return and get to half distance in 1:53:56 so I have a second lap and a second time up to Blythe Bridge where the wind is stealing my time as it blows directly down the highway leaving no place to hide.

Joel Wainman (SWIFT) 3rd

It takes me 1:05 to do the next 25 miles as I grind out my ride but as I get to the final turn inside 3 hours I know I will pick up on the way back and beat 4 hours which at the start of the day was my target. I can feel my legs go a bit wobbly with the lack of endurance training and Andy Jackson (Swift) who has only caught me three of the five minutes he started behind me to this point reels in the reminder in the last 15 miles to catch me on the line. 3:54:11 a few years ago that would have been a disappointment but with lack of training miles and tough conditions its a great result. Local rider Charles Taylor (South

Andy Jackson (SWIFT)

Pennine) shows the National stars what can be done with local knowledge and on a set of favoured Shamals wins the even with an amazing 3:35:39 Bowdler 2nd 3:36:06 and Topham 3:40:20 for 4th but he still leads the BBAR and it will all come down to the final event of the season the Manchester Whs. '50' on these very roads (starting Blythe Br. end) on the 28th Sept I will be riding that one as well, final preparation for the Masters. o7ò

Result here

Pics here (By Flybike)