Bobbie reported...

Local sportive finishes this weekend with the Downland Autumn, previously described, but there are always winter events on the websites for the more hardy. Steve Robertson finished the season by riding the Blenheim Palace sportive event at 100 miles. As seen in Cycling Weekly, the event was both well organised and prestigious, although the fundamentalists apparently demanded energy gel instead of delicious sounding bacon sandwiches. Yeah…so would I! Steve did 7.40 for the distance which was very lumpy midway.

Everybody who is somebody, plus a good few nobodies turned up on 25th October for this traditional end-of-season bash, capably organised by the ubiquitous Paul Mepham and the usual team of over-used helpers. With nil in the way of refreshments, headquartered in a muddy car-park, and offering the prickly perils of the bush-privy, the event still attracted an impressive field of 407 riders (a record entry) who enjoyed sunshine with a blustery but warm SW wind.

Thanet Club fielded 6 members and friends in the Medway Velo Reliability Ride for the Kent Air Ambulance. With Colin, Doug, Bobbie, Steve and Phillip plus Enrico from the Sunday bunch, there was much laughter on this traditional carnival day. It was a large field with some good, well-equipped riders but nobody tried too hard on the Chartham and Elham Downs course which was mostly on good roads. Vic William's stern countenance added just a touch of discipline but, being a reliability ride this year, nobody worried too much about his clock. The feed station at Elham was staffed by enthusiastic volunteers and everybody got a finisher's medal.

The true heroes of these events are the casual riders whose entry money and additional donations count just as much as the good guys. With the odd exception they are hastily prepared and relatively poorly equipped and are quickly dropped, but nearly always finish, and the medallion truly means a lot more to them.

The next charity run is the Rye Wheelers/Rotary Club 'Tour de Rye et Romney Marsh' on Sunday 18th October. This was first tried last year with a maximum distance of 100k - this is well within the scope of the most wrinkled of club members! The organisers have done much to tidy up the route instructions this year.

For the more serious minded, the North Downs Sportive seems to have shifted to November with more details to be announced.

Report by Bobbie Fairhall - TRC's very own 'directeur sportif'

View to Ventoux from Bedoin, 13 miles of hell to come!

Colin and Bill at the Summit

Colin said... "Just to say a big thank-you for supporting me towards raising a final figure of £2,100 for MS – I was overwhelmed by the final amount and certainly helped me keep going on the gruelling final climb up Mount Ventoux."