Stony '11.4' 27th June 2012

A warm sunny and quite still evening this week: how unusual that felt! I rode over to Stony Stratford via the V10 redways, which is always a navigational challenge (but the traffic on V10 seemed quite heavy). At one point in an underpass, I got off the bike to avoid trailing through broken glass, and got talking to a group of four kids who seemed interested in the bike. After letting them look at it (and feel its weight - or rather lack of it), I carried on my way. Later, at the time trial, other riders ventured the opinion that this was unwise - but actually they were pretty good-natured kids, and quite young. Anyway, I reached the signing on just in time to get a start one minute before Tony. So, I knew I'd get caught, question was - when? I set off in as good a style as possible, with the instructions from the start crew that I wasn't to let Tony catch me. That may have been intended as encouraging, but frankly it would have taken a puncture to avoid the catch! Anyway, I successfully negotiated the crappy road surface into Beachampton, where the worst and deepest potholes appear to have been filled, rode through the ruts and holes as I exited Beachampton, then began the climb up to Nash. This time, I chose to moderate my gears. Did this help? Not a bit - I still suffered and grovelled up to Nash. Once through Nash I tried to settle into a better rhythm and avoid an early catch. But to no avail, Tony rolled past at pretty much the same point as the last time we rode this course. Never mind, I thought, he didn't keep pulling away so fast last time. But what was this? Tony roared off like a bat out of hell, and not even descending like a stone from Nash could keep him in sight! Clearly either Tony was on song, or I was going backward. Or both. In any event, I finished in third place out of 12 with 27:43. This is marginally quicker than the last time I rode at Stony Stratford, back in May, but frankly nothing to shout about. Ho hum! Results