courtesy of Seacroft Wheelers
http://www.seacroftwheelers.co.uk/sportivereports10.htm
Jodrell Bank, Sun 14 March.
Fred Lyn's observations on the 80 mile sportive in the shadow of the famous space telescope.
"Mostly flat, largely cloudy and very windy - not to mention fast.
Very well signed course and good feed stations - although I would have preferred icing on the fairy cakes!!I was on 19s by half way, having got with a small group of decent riders and then flayed myself for a few miles with an elite bunch, before deciding that I would blow up big time if I tried to keep that up, so eased off.
Then suffered the consequences and got cramp at 50 miles and suffered from there on - which, coincidentally, was the 'hilly part'.
Took it easy and managed to get rid of it at around 70 miles, when we hit a couple of stretches of pavé and a level crossing and the banging about brought it back.
However, held it together and finished with 4h 39m odd for an official 17mph and 43rd out of 272 (incl 4 DNFs) finishers and fastest in the (unofficial) 56 and over category (20 finishers in that category - 8 in the 60 and over)
Pleased with it, really, as I wasn't lacking in energy and, had it not been for the cramp, would have carved several minutes off."
Fred
