Clive's traditional New Year opener, this is a basic level 200km Audax event starting and finishing in Oxford. This year's event was on Saturday 7th January, and thankfully the weather relented from the grot of the preceding week and granted us fine weather.
Arriving early at the Park & Ride, there was only limited faffing and we were ready for an early getaway. Sneaking off a few minutes early, we were noticed by the Audax Gods who, frowning upon our 'cheating' dispatched the Puncture Fairy to enact their vengeance upon us. A puncture after just 400 metres is NOT the best start to a year.
Patched up, we headed through the 'official' route under the Bridge of Sighs and through the ancient University Buildings before heading West into the fresh and persistent wind. The first indication that "weight loss is good" was that I arrived at the top of Cumnor Hill in the main group, and without the customary lung hanging out. Ray, who was accompanying me, was already struggling after being ill all week.
Shrivenham and Swindon came and went, the wind remained. Long draggy bits were climbed more easily than normal, but Ray went off the back a couple of times, normally he's another one who is a nightmare to keep up with uphill. As we arrived in Malmesbury after 80km, we caught Marmite Geoff who had started even earlier. I was up for a quick "grab and go" stop at the garage control, Ray decided completing the event with Geoff was far more sensible, and let me go. Despite the wind, the first leg had only taken 3 1/2 hours for 80km and I was keen to see what time I could finish in.
Having refuelled at the garage with the obligatory dirty pasty (Cheese & Bacon Ginsters Mmmmmm) and first of the day's 3 cans of Relentless (really must check if that stuff is on the UCI list of banned substances) I left quickly and was soon blasting along the main road. I credited the refuelling with my speed increase, but it was probably due to the fact that the first bit of the second section went East with the wind.
Flashes of brightly coloured lycra could be seen way ahead on occasions and through the Cotswold Water Park to Cirencester, I managed to reel in many of them. Even when we reached the long drag of the WhiteWay no-one came past. Approaching the "Compton Abdale Alps", 3 steep climbs one after the other, I could see a largish group near the top (probably 5 minutes ahead). On each climb, they were a little closer, and it may have taken 6 miles, but eventually I caught them up, and we cycled into Chipping Camden together. I realise now that no-one overtook me on the second leg over the Cotswolds. Previously, I've been on my own, save for the few seconds of respite when passed by others.
Equally, last year I left Chipping Camden in the dark, this year we were in and out by 2:45. Fuelled by double Relentless intake our group of 5 stayed together over the lumps and bumps to Moreton-in-Marsh, and I climbed Dorn Hill near Draycott for the first time on this event without walking. It helps to be doing it in the daylight, and to be able to see how much of it is left. We arrived at Shipston-Under-Wychwood, only ??km from the finish before stopping to put on lights, and had the energy left to sprint up the chevronned climb in Finstock in the big ring after 180km ("weight loss is good"). The last few kilometres is gradually downhill or flat, but I was still amazed (and dead chuffed) to arrive back at the start at 17:03. A personal best by three hours ("weight loss is good").
My phone threw a wobbly about operating Endomondo in low power mode, insisting that I had travelled to and from London several times in the day. However, my trusty GPS functioned well, and I managed to upload the stats here. A great ride made better by an unexpectedly good performance.
Ray & Geoff finished too, by the way.
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