Steve Dennis writes…
The plan was to repeat our success in the team 100 at the 50 miles distance, but as our “third man” – any man (or woman) for that matter didn’t enter, our plan was scuppered from the off!
Mike and I headed over to Liphook on a decidedly dank, dreary morning to ride the a3crg ‘holiday’ 50.
After going off-course in the same promoters 25 last year, I was paranoid about not going wrong again, especially as the organiser had put on his start sheet, “Anyone going off-course will be required to
take a ‘DOPE’ test”, which I took as a personal insult!
So, armed with my on-board GPS and turn distances written on my top tube, I set off into the murk. Mike was already well on his way when I started having started 70 minutes before.
It was plain to see from the first stretch of dual carriageway that it was not going to be a day for course records. A gale blowing from the
south-west with intermittent drizzle showers took care ot that. And with two laps to cover, everyone was sure to get their fix of head-
wind.
In the end though, my time was not far off a PB that I set last year on a local course. Just think what this course might be like on a good
day!
Mike did 1hr 58mins 23secs for 31st place while I got 5th place with 1hr 48mins 00secs. The winner did 1:45:32, who, earlier in the year did a short 1:39!
Incidently, on those times, our “third” man would have to have done 1hr 52min 15secs to have beaten the club record.
