Sept 24th 2007 South Downs Challenge

I have been booked on the Monday morning British Airways 9:20 AM LGW - EDI flight for three weeks. The first week I missed the flight. Arrived in time to see it taxiing away from the stand. Last week I only just caught it as it was pandemonium on the roads and at Gatwick going through security. Today, despite leaving at the same time as previous weeks and getting lost around Redhill I managed to get through check in and security in time to get half an hour in the business lounge!

I was well prepared for the South Downs Challenge Sunday morning. I was at an eighteenth birthday party Saturday night in Basingstoke and did not get to bed until after midnight. I then had to get up at 5:30 AM to drive down to Waterlooville to enter and start.

The nice thing about the event was that tea, coffee and biscuits were free before the event and after the event there was hot minestrone soup, cheese and ham rolls, hot cross buns and cereal bars as well as tea coffee and biscuits, all for nowt, gratis, free! They even arranged nice weather.

There were two loops, the 50 miler and the 80 miler. As the wife wanted me back by lunchtime and I was uncertain of my fitness I sensibly opted for the 50 miler. Did well, I was home by 13:30 PM in time to watch Chitty Chitty Bang Bang on the Rald Dahl Weekend on ITV3 with my young son.

My time was 2 hours 42 minutes for 50 miles (including time stopped at feed station and 750 metres of climb) which beats the last years winning time but I have not seen the full results yet. I should be in the top 10 I hope. I was disappointed to miss Gold standard by 4 minutes but at least I was well within Silver. What will be to my advantage is that for once it was not me that got lost but a bunch of fast guys who ended up doing an extra 4 miles. Their hard luck in my view, that is usually me. Anyway will be interesting to see full results when they are published.

I was talking to two guys at the start line who were experienced cyclists with a few trips to the Alps and Pyrennees under their belt including most of the 2007 Etap (although they had never done an Etap). I did the first 12 miles with them at some speed before they peeled off to do the 80 mile route, but, by that stage we had already picked off a lot of guys who had started before us. From there to 38 miles I did on my own. No one passed me. I caught one guy who managed to pull away on the hills (caught him again in last 10 miles and took him), another who had a puncture and was fixing it by the side of the road and a third who was struggling. Otherwise I was lonely and anxious that I had missed a turn off.

The course was somewhat hilly with two "out of category" climbs (so my legs told me, but I didn't get off). With 12 miles to go I was struggling. Two guys caught me. They tried to blow me away but I did my limpet act and tagged on. Once they could not get rid of me we worked together, with me having to spend time at the front (I reckoned that I was going to suffer anyway, so I might as well suffer with others and get it over with quicker).

We rode at quite a pace and picked off another 4 or five guys. They set out the tactics with us changing the man in front rapidly as we passed the other riders so they could not latch on (their tactic not mine).

With two miles to go I ended up at the front, and no one seemed to want to take over from me. I knew what was coming and at the one mile marker they shot off, I tried to go with them but I was not quick enough, anyway I knew they would only open up less than a minute on me and as they started before me (they got lost as well) they would not beat my time, so I was happy to let them go.

I was the 5th man across the line (the 80 milers had not started to arrive and everyone else was behind me). My right thigh had been trying to cramp for the last 8 miles and I was shattered. I don't think I could have done the 80 mile route. My average speed despite the hills was just under 19mph. Well pleased, wicked.

I was absolutely shattered after the ride and my son and I and I lounged on the settee in the afternoon watching Chitty Chitty Bang Bang on ITV3.

Had to go to bed early. This morning it is not my legs that are sore but my neck and head.

That is my 2008 Etap training done, roll on the race.