First off a huge round of applause for the organiser as it's the best event I've done. A superb startsheet with loads of info and a bit of humour, plus the addition of google satellite pictures of the turns, tons of signs (HQ, to and from the start/finish, on course), and in the HQ two projectors. One projector showing TdF highlights on the back wall and at the other end of the village hall a huge white sheet as a screen and at sign on a GoogleEarth fly-through of the course running on a loop with key parts marked on it.
Nice weather, bit of a breeze but not too much. The course is a South to East crescent shaped affair and you start in the middle of it, heading South first and then back North and East before turning to head West to the finish.
Started on a road running parallel with the A3 for a nice pedaling descent before a little kick up to a roundabout, right and then merge via the slip road on to the A3. On to the A3 and heading West / South and I was going well. My legs felt good today and I was up for this one
. As the road curved South I picked up the headwind which was a bit draggy but I kept the speed good.In to the first turn and doubled back on myself before a left hander to go under the A3, woooo bit fast in to that it's tighter than I thought, and then climb in a circle back up to the A3. I was caught by my two minute man here which was a bit of a surprise, he was a seed and I expected him to catch me but not until at least 10-13 miles in, not 6. Oh well he must be on a flyer as I wasn't hanging about.
The long leg all the way to the other far end now. This stretch of A3 is a dip and drag affair but not much and flows nicely, smooth road surface too. Oh and I'd now have the wind behind me for chunks of it
. I caught my 4 minute man quite soon who looked to be suffering, a young lad whose Mum and Dad I kept passing at the roadside as they looped in front to support him along the course in a few different places.There was a fairly long drag along here shortly before the next turn but I pushed over it well and didn't let my average speed drop by more than 0.3mph. The final turn was similar to the previous one with a climbing circle to go over the A3 this time before a descending circle to loop back on to the A3 and the head for home. I really started nailing it as hard as I could now as the turn was at 18 miles so I knew I could bury myself in to the headwind I picked up again for the final 7 miles home. Another longer drag on this bit but it didn't slow me, my legs were going great guns and I just powered over it and on to the slip road that the finish was on.
Damn that was good fun
. Great course, pretty fast and with some interest along it with the varying patches of differing green in your peripheral vision. I knew I'd done well and got a new PB and by a fair margin, beating this season's 25 target time I'd set myself too 
.Back at HQ and GoogleEarth had been replaced by the result sheet and woohoo! 58:54
Now that's me a very happy man today, proved my previous "under" wasn't a fluke too 
.I was the only Addiscombe today, the Scarletts were due to ride but were DNS. The Tullys from Anerley were out and it was nice to see them Richard doing a mid-56.
The flyer who caught me early...Simon Tout 51:20 and finished 4th. Prebble did a mid-52 but the event was one by the rocketship that is Kevin Tye in 49:56.
