North Middx & Herts CA 100 - F1/100 13/7/08

I didn't receive the startsheet for this event, due to local mail problems, though I managed to get a copy emailed to me by a fellow competitor.  The night before  the event, I really didn't sleep at all well - this seems to me ever more frequent.  I kept on waking and looking at the clock, though I had no chance of over-sleeping, as I'd set the alarm. Eventually I got up at about 4am.

Carol and I got to the race HQ in plenty of time.  However, I felt pretty nervous, not helped by the sensation of my breakfast sitting heavily in my stomach.  This version of the course was one I don't think I had ridden before.  It starts very close to Tempsford.  After a brief warmup, I lined up - the pusher off was the North Bucks' own Tony Farmborough.  The start is very close to the northbound lane A1, and I was quickly up to speed.  The first 57 or so miles (see course description below) are usually quite quick, and so it proved for this event - I did the first 50 miles in 1:58:38, which is actually my fastest 50 of 2008.  By the time I left the A1 I was feeling pretty good.  As expected, the section to Shefford and beyond to the Norton RAB was a bit harder - at times the road surface is rough, there are frequent roundabouts, and it undulates quite severely.  To add insult, one RAB we had to cross four times had road works by my least favourite company, EDF, which was holding riders up (I must say, however, that the guy controlling the traffic seemed to be trying to get the racers through as quickly as possible).

My strategy for the race was to keep the gears a notch lower than I'd use in shorter events, and to keep the HR 5-10 bpm lower than for a 25 or a 50.  This worked well to begin with.

Unfortunately, and as so often happens to me on this course, I got quite severe leg cramps from about 75 miles, so the final hour of so were pretty unpleasant and my speed dropped a lot, and I had to stop on a couple of occasions.  Still, I made it to the finish in 4:17:37, which is a best for the last three seasons.  I was a little disappointed, as on the road I'd expected about 4:07.

FULL RESULTS 

No	Rider	Club	Time	50
1	Colin Parkinson	South Western Road Club	03:54:13	1.54.10
2	Andy Stuart	V C St Raphael	03:54:48	1.53.37
3	Trevor Mayne	Birdwell Wheelers CC	03:57:22	1.54.56
4	David Johnson	High Wycombe CC	03:59:05	1.57.37
5	James Struthers	Lindsey Roads CC	03:59:25	1.58.17
6	Dave Kendall	Finsbury Park CC	03:59:45	1.55.34
7	Paul Mace	High Wycombe CC	04:00:09	1.56.14
8	Steve Clarke	Verulam CC	04:01:17	1.55.23
9	Nick Calkin	High Wycombe CC	04:01:32	1.57.18
10	Robert Gilmour	Hounslow & Dist Whs	04:04:17	1.58.18
11	Rob Dulson	Hainault RC	04:06:41	2.00.13
12	Karl Austin	Congleton CC	04:09:23	2.01.22
13	Sam Hayes	Bedfordshire Road CC	04:09:28	1.59.43
14	Chris Greig	High Wycombe CC	04:12:19	2.02.15
15	Stewart Wilson	Nene Valley	04:13:53	2.02.18
16	Ian Penrose	Leicestershire Road Club	04:15:46	2.03.30
17	Robert Saunders	North Bucks RC	04:17:39	1.58.38
18	Stan Maclak	Didcot Phoenix CC	04:20:57	2.06.29
19	Mark Scanlan	Didcot Phoenix CC	04:21:09	2.03.42
20	Ray Mason	Rutland CC	04:21:51	2.06.44
21	Geoff Perry	Team Milton Keynes	04:22:00	2.05.01
22	Peter Harridge	Icknield Road Club	04:23:03	2.05.31
23	Barry Tooke	North Hampshire RC	04:23:23	2.06.26
24	Paul Tunnell	Addiscombe CC	04:24:54
25	Chris Tomkins	Hainault RC	04:25:21	2.09.58
26	Alan Crane	Team Sanjan Design	04:26:17
27	Marina Bloom	Rugby RCC	04:27:27	2.09.53
28	Fiona Lawrence	ww.agiskoviner.com	04:31:41	2.13.15
29	Richard Gray	Icknield RC	04:32:12	2.10.43
30	Dave Solomon	Whitewebbs CC	04:32:55	2.11.24
31	Marion Rickman	Bicester Miiennium CC	04:35:30	2.11.49
32	Eric Angell	Redbridge CC	04:38:20	2.16.19
33	Matt Chudley	Bedfordshire Road CC	04:40:16	2.13.50
34	John Thompson	Severn RC TRIKE	04:40:35	2.14.52
35	Trevor Parrish	A5 Rangers CC	04:42:02	2.15.13
36	Barry Gilzean	Icknield RC	04:42:57	2.12.18
37	Moira Goodway	Banbury Star CC	04:43:08	2.15.00
38	Barry Page	Hertfordshire Whs	04:43:42	2.16.58
39	Lyndon Lewis	Bedfordshire Road CC	04:45:13	2.15.10
40	Murray Kirton	A5 Rangers CC	04:48:36	2.13.55
41	Mick Fountain	Didcot Phoenix CC	04:49:54	2.14.17
42	John Howells	Corinium CC	04:53:36	2.23.33
43	Jurgen Stetter	Bedfordshire Road CC	04:55:13	2.25.19
44	Keith Gelder	A5 Rangers CC	04:55:52	2.22.33
45	Mike Bloom	Rugby RCC	04:58:57	2.21.19
46	Sam Skuce	Verulam CC	04:59:27	2.14.54
47	Brian Foster	Norwich ABC	05:00:22	2.26.08
48	Richard Miller	North Bucks RC	05:00:22	2.27.19
49	Geoff Fletcher	Shaftesbury CC	05:03:24	2.19.01
50	Samantha Jenkins	Bedfordshire Road CC	05:08:45	2.30.01
51	Clive Collins	Hitchin Nomads CC	05:14:27	2.31.41
52	Cliff Tremaine	Kettering CC TRIKE	05:16:22	2.27.18
53	John Dawson	Peterborough CC	05:17:54	2.29.54

 

F1/100 (2007 revision)

START    On slip road west of A1 and south of Tempsford flyover leading onto A1 northbound; at LP3.  (GR162523 ) Proceed towards A1, care at  T junction 60 yds after start; northwards on A1, and continue over Black Cat RAB to
TURN    (10.24 mls) at Buckden RAB. Retrace on A1 southbound, straight on at black Cat Rab and Sandy RAB to
TURN    ( 25.18 mls) at Warden Lane RAB. Retrace on A1 northbound, straight on at Sandy Rab and Black Cat Rab to
TURN    (40.19  mls) at Buckden Rab. Retrace on A1 southbound, straight on at Balck Cat Rab and Sandy Rab to
TURN    (55.13 mls) at Warden Lane RAB. Retrace on A1 northbound to
BEAR LEFT  (57.85 mls) at Beeston, signed A603, then in 200 yds sharp left at Bidlake Cnr, to join B658, proceed south over all junctions to Shefford, right at mini r/bout to Shefford North RAB, left along A600 over next 2 RAB’s to
S/O     (67.51mls) at Shefford Sth RAB, proceed eastwards along
    A507, s/o at next 3 RAB’s to
TURN     (72.37 mls) at Norton RAB, retrace A507 westwards to Shefford Sth RAB where  S/O over next 2 RABs to
TURN        (79.60 mls) at Shefford Nth RAB retrace A600, becomes A507 over next 2 Rab’s to
S/O    (81.95) at Shefford Sth RAB, proceed eastwards along A507, s/o at next 3 Rab’s to to
TURN        (86.82 mls) at Norton RAB, retrace A507 westwards to Shefford Sth Rab where S/O over next 2 RABs to Shefford Nth RAB (94.05), turn right to Shefford, left @ Shefford Mini-rab onto B658, proceed north to
FINISH    (100 mls) about 1 ml north of G&M RAB , 176 yds south of Sugarloaf Cottage, 43yds south of the 1st telegraph pole in field which is 86 yds north of wooden footpath sign (northill.3/4 ml).,  GR164468