After a number of years where this has been the fast 25 of the year for most of us due to good weather conditions, someone decided that we needed a change and we had a moderate West-Nor'westerly to contend with. In addition there were squally rainshowers amid the sunshine with many of us getting dowsed just after starting. It was also a chilly morning, but not too cold fortunately.
With this the Phoenix's interclub challenge against the Redmon CC (full result here) we needed all the riders that we could get - particularly the faster ones, but they were dropping like flies.
Pete Edwards has yet to start his season due to a knee injury; Brian Powney didn't write "Interclub 25" on his calendar in large enough letters and a family trip to the Isle of Wight took precedence; Joe Bertorelli punctured during his warm-up ride and couldn't get it fixed in time to be worth starting; Ray Dare slunk off to ride the Sussex CA 50; Jake Dodd was off trying the Sigma Sport road race at Lyne, her first full road race - non of this sissy handicap lark! Jen Dickens played safe by not starting following a recurrence of her back problem & Ann Bath had also fallen sick, nursing a cough.
In the absence of all these, Simon needed to do a 42 minute 25 for us to have a chance at winning the team and even with his form, Comp Record is asking a bit much. He was pleased with his ride on the day, but had hoped for slightly faster conditions that would have allowed him to beat the hour. Grant was disappointed to have gone slower than in the Addiscombe event a few weeks ago. Tony Tugwell did a quite reasonable 1:15:55 for the morning, but is that a pb? - I've got to search back through the records as I missed any comment on it at the event.
Finally thanks go to all the marshals from the Phoenix who turned out when the Redmon were unable to offer much assistance: Ron Powney & Jen Dickens at the turn, Doreen Powney and Carolyn Margery (assisted by Ben & Nicholas) at the Hop Oast leg, the man from the Redmon (whose name escapes me!) who sent us down the Broadbridge Heath leg and especially Tony Bensberg for turning the riders at Broadbridge Heath and then beetling off home again. All the important points on the course were covered, on the assumption that all the riders did at least know roughly were they were supposed to be going.
And thanks to Frank Cubis for taking on the task of timekeeping the event over the last few years in the absence of a timekeeper from the Redmon and also to Judy Margery for being Frank's assistant at the finish, a job that terrifies her with the responsibility of getting the numbers right. |