I can't have a cycling blog without writing something about The Great Tour.
This was one of my defining moments in cycling, encompassing all the joys associated with great rides - superb company, scenery, sunshine, mileage and accomplishment; just on a much bigger scale. In cycling, you have to accept that for every up there is a down, in every sense. The Great Tour also delivered the worst spill I have experienced.
In a nutshell, the 2010 ride was planned as a circumnavigation of the coastline of Great Britain in 64 days to raise money for The Prostate Cancer Charity and retail trade charity Caravan. Graeme Knott, Hugh Roberts, Alistair Cope, Mike Sweeney and Sam Mashford were the hardy souls who completed the whole thing, starting and finishing in Seaton, Devon.
My involvement was just to ride the first two weeks - Seaton to Scarborough - approx 900 miles. My trip was cut short on my home stage, close to St Osyth, when I had a nasty spill and was carted off to Colchester A&E. My focus then became getting fit enough to rejoin the ride, which I managed and subsequently had the priviledge of taking part in the final week.
It was special for me, and pulling the video clips together for this 8 minute summary of my time on The 2010 Great Tour was a really nice trip down memory lane. Sunshine, bikes, great people and an excuse to air the Superstars theme tune! My thanks go to Dan Broom for producing such a fine video record of a great event which I have randomly plundered and shoddily edited for my own purposes.
Following my incident at Basildon the previous week (see last blog – Another Tale of Cyclocross Misadventure) I was a bit bruised, sore and unable to ride a bike.
This combination of circumstance is always irksome, but was particularly disappointing last weekend. Not being able to ride my bike meant missing out on the Amis Velo Hillyfields Supercross.
Amis Velo may not be my club, but this is my home race, taking place no more than a few hundred yards from my front door. I know the course like the back of my hand – walking our dog there regularly and riding the trails most weeks. Its also home to the Colchester Rovers training sessions.
IfI was going to do well at any race this season, I felt this was going to be the one – my pre-season aim was to give this one my all and trust in local knowledge and experience to guarantee a higher than usual finish. My off at Basildon put paid to that grand idea.
Triggsy crests a climb on home turf
I have to say, I really enjoyed spectating – having the time to chat, catchup with many of the people who helped me the previous week and soak up the glorious October sunshine on the grass bank above the start/finish line.
Knowing the woods well, I was also able to walk the course, cutting corners to catch as much of the action in different spots as possible – I loved it.
Mark Fraser saved one of his diminished stock of cowbells for me, which I put to good use annoying as many riders as possible on a couple of climbs.
There were a couple of offs on the start finish line and a few thorn cuts visible of riders’ arms, but the injury prize of the week has to go to Tiffany Hore.
Following a spill on a tight corner, she ended upside down in a bramble bush. Still clipped in, she couldn’t move her legs and lying on a bed of brambles meant she couldn’t push herself back up. By the time I had made my way down the slope, she was being helped out by a guy from Welwyn Wheelers. She remounted, legs covered in blood and finished the race. One tough cookie.
Thats my boy - Fin smiles or grimaces for the camera
Some great racing was on show in all categories with outstanding rides by junior National Champ Hugo Robinson in the Elite Race and Sean Dunlea in the Youth.
The organisation by Amis Velo was, as ever, superb and I managed to spend a Sunday with bikes and cyclists without once feeling sorry for myself that I couldn’t come out to play.
Youth U16/U14 Video from John Swindells
Veteran / Womens Race video from John Swindells
*AGAIN – A PHOTO AND THE VIDEO HAVE BEEN NICKED FROM OTHER PEOPLE’S YOUTUBE AND FLICKR - John Swindells and Amis Velo, respectively...
