Surrey Duo - Redmon GP des Gentleman

All smiles at the start

Final event of the season a 15.4 mile GP des Gentlemen in and around the lanes South of Dorking from North Holmwood to Beare Green, Clarkes Green, up to Rusper then back through Newdigate and finish outside Holmwood Park. This is a two-up but with a difference 'The Gentleman' today is Andy Hicks' and I am his 'Pacer' I ride at full time trial pace and Andy gets to come past me in the last 200 meters and cross the line first.

So no changing position, Andy gets a free ride to the line, he must have thought there was a catch but who else would come up with such a one sided competition than the French! Traditionally its an old pro with a young turk but these days its got a bit competitive and old pros are not the 'Puffing Billys' they used to be. Andy is a handy athlete and I have to 'Pace' him over a hilly course not my favourite parcours at the best of times, Andy always drops me out on the club runs when the road goes up.

Andy and myself in the Surrey lanes (Pic Matt Scoles)

We do not have a chance to practise, I go around the course the day before as it's a few years since I rode this with brother Alan (I rode a version with President John Bromley in the 90's) but now in its 39th year its become a bit of an end of season 'Classic'. Its rained in the night but by the time we take to the line among the early starters its warm enough for Andy to discard his arm warmers. We have done a ten mile warm up "Do a bit at race pace" says Andy he was suitably quite when I was on the 'rivet' concentrating on going a bit faster than he usually does in a time trial.

The skip speaks! - Hutch warms up

We still managed second spot (Pic Matt Scoles)

As we head up the A24 there is a bit of headwind but I'm more worried about puncturing on the wet roads, Andy is tucked in, I take it steady, to give us both a bit of time to get into the flow of racing. When we get onto the Capel bypass I begin to pick it up but I have to keep my legs spinning its not your normal Dual Carriageway course. I've put a 53 ring on instead of my usual 56 as we pass onto the Rusper road, suddenly Andy is not there, I wait, I might have dropped him on the greasy corner but we get together again and he is blowing a bit, the road surface is very bad and I almost overshoot a corner and all the time Andy is trying to stay with me with almost no vision. I give him some encouragement on the stiff climb up to Rusper as we catch our four minute team (two minute intervals) and then the first team on the road from the promoting Redmon, the riders going very slow now we are at the top of the course but out of the trees, the light is better as are the roads

SWRC - Dream Team

A sharp left and we have a nice decent but it is tricky with the broken surface in the tuck position  we begin to motor a bit, past the tearooms at Tanhouse farm, no time for a stop today Andy! Newdigate is thankfully free of the early morning paper buying throng but once left and onto Henfold lakes we are behind a tanker and a car insists on passing even though we are flying almost blocks the way but they all clear away and we have a clear run to the finish. There is a slight drag up to Inholms Lane and while I pile on the pressure Andy looses my back wheel again and when It comes for him to sprint past me at the 200m mark (which was at least double that!) his legs were gone to jelly and I could see he had had a tough time on my wheel but like the champion he is he got out the saddle and gave it everything he had

Winners - Pollard/Hutch (In Gear)

 We saw a few SWRC friends around the course, I don't think Andy noticed as he was concentrating, it's difficult to go fast in the spray of a back wheel in a tuck position and avoid all the pot holes and muck but he did a magnificent job, we were leading with the biggest 'plus' on standard right up until the last of the 52 teams came in and then it was Michael Hutchinson and Dave Pollard (In Gear) the defending champions that beat us, they had to do the fastest time on the day as well and I think our fifth on time not too shabby for a combined age of over 120 years o7ò







Redmon GP des Gentleman Result