With another busy work week I did in the end opt for withdrawal of my KCA 100 entry and instead joined Adam Grange for a shorter event – the Team Axiom 25 on the A3 based P885 course over at Liss on the Hampshire / West Sussex border.
Weather forecast looked terrible for the Sunday morning, with heavy downpour forecast. Almost half the riders entered decided to stay in bed with the prospect of a wet and windy ride. On the day itself we were warned that the event could even be cancelled for safety reasons at any moment if there was too much spray on the road. Observers from Team Axiom were out monitoring this. I was waiting at the timekeeper for my start under heavy rain when he got a call from the roving marshall to report that visibility and spray was fine and he could continue to despatch riders – phew!
With so many non-starters, and a quality field (120 riders all faster than 1:00:00) I had a lonely ride to my fastest 25 since about 1998 with 56:45. The only other riders I saw out there were a couple of 50-minute men who came past me.
Adam continues to set a PB each time he races and today was no exception with an impressive 56:07. We are both doing well from cutting back on the swimming and running these days!
As seems to be the tradition in Time Trialling, post race you always consider “what might have been” – of course the turns and roundabouts had to be taken carefully with the rain, and it was hard to make any sense of the wet garmin display – but the conditions were the same for everyone and booking a couple of 56 minute 25’s is a good mornings work.
And spare a thought for EGCC’s official photographer Mr Anton – this was a grim morning to be out taking photos of the event!
Keith Lea of Paceline RT won the event in 50:03 – also a PB. No ladies started – so no ladies winner.
Great organisation by Team Axiom and a pity so many folks did not start due to the weather.
Images courtesy Mike Anton
