North Middx and Herts CA 50 - F1/50 25/5/08

After last week's 50 mile event, I had hoped this time trial, held on the same course, might offer the possibility of a better result!  On Saturday afternoon, the wind strengthened, and in direct proportion, so did my apprehension as the forecast for Sunday morning was for rain.  True to the forecast, the rain was just starting when I got up at 4am (Tony was calling en route at 5.15am).

The rain strengthened and by the time we left for the event, it was heavy.  The event HQ was the entrance hall and kitchen of Moggerhanger village hall - the usual venues being booked up for weddings.  The F1/50 start was about 3 miles, and by the time I got to the start, my rear LED lamp had stopped working.

If anything, the wind was stronger than last week's event, but from roughly the same direction.  So the southbound legs were much faster than the northbound legs.  On the first north bound leg, I was just a fe miles north of the Black Cat RAB when I saw Tony ambling south shaking his head (he'd started 10 minutes before me), and it later transpired he had punctured , and lost his drink bottle at the first turn at the Sandy RAB.

In any event, I pressed on.  Given the conditions, I felt reasonably OK and caught several riders, though in the second half my pulse rate drifted down, possibly as I got colder in the rain.

I finished in 5th place - 13 riders finished of 15 starters in a 25 rider start sheet, with a time of 2:01:53 - only 20s slower than last week, on a harder morning.

Results... 

No	Rider	Club	Time	Notes	25
1	Martin Smith	North Bucks RC	01:53:25		0:55:58
2	Dave Kendal	Finsbury Park CC	01:56:19		0:58:08
3	Sam Hayes	Bedfordshire Road CC	01:56:48		0:58:25
4	Hugh Vivian	Finsbury Park CC	01:58:35		0:58:15
5	Robert Saunders	North Bucks RC	02:01:53		0:59:54
6	Malcolm Steer	Finsbury Park CC	02:03:14		01:01:09
7	Nicholas Hay	Verulam CC	02:08:27		01:03:34
8	Lyndon Lewis	Bedfordshire Road CC	02:14:56		01:07:27
9	Trevor Parrish	North Bucks RC (2nd Claim)	02:19:29		01:09:27
10	Scott Edwards	Hitchin Nomads CC	02:23:26		01:10:28
11	Clive Collins	Hitchin Nomads CC	02:23:48		01:11:01
12	Helen Shulver	FVS Tri (2nd Claim)	02:36:34		01:17:39
	David T Ledgerton	Hitchin Nomads CC		DNF	01:10:27
	John Harrison	Hitchin Nomads CC		DNS Ap
	Richard J Miller	North Bucks RC		DNS
	Tony Parks	North Bucks RC		DNF
	Daniel Northover	Finsbury Park CC		DNS Ap
	Richard Gray	Icknield RC		DNS
	Graham Stogden	Whitewebbs CC		DNS
	Matt Chudley	Bedfordshire Road CC		DNS
	Samuel D Skuce	Verulam CC		DNS Ap
	Barry Gilzean	Icknield RC		DNS
	Christopher Lodge	Finsbury Park CC		DNS Ap
	Tom Boulton	Finsbury Park CC		DNS Ap
	Ian R Bibby	Finsbury Park CC		DNS
	Ian Stokes	North Bucks RC		DNS