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