Not very Sporting :(

[Andrew G]

As the title says. Today was a DNS for me and I expect Jon too as he's normally got more sense than me.

Here ends my SPOCO SE season in tatters .

The SPOCO series involves completing a minimum of 1 short (10ish), 3 middle (25ish), and 2 long (50ish) sporting TTs. The first of my two long ones was due to be today with a 42 mile event at Handcross, with a 50 next Sunday - miles away.

I knew it was going to be wet today but a bit of rain doesn't put me off, this morning though and I was greeted by torrential rain . I did try setting out but even only at Sanderstead the rain was pooling on the main roads in places. With this event a Sporting it would be on quieter roads. Not knowing the roads I'd have no idea where any potholes were, what the road condition was like, any bends at the bottom of hills, I turned back for home as I didn't think it would be very safe.

My stupidity is well known, but I'm not that stupid.

This and next weeks events were the only two long ones I could fit in so my SPOCO challenge finishes today in failure. A bit annoyed but when I decided to do a Sporting Series I didn't expect it to be this sporting...
21 mile race - Torrential rain
10 mile race - Torrential rain before, hail afterwards
27 mile race - Iced off
25 mile race - Weather actually okay for this one
25 mile race - 25 mile wind, straight in my face for the last 7 mile leg
42 mile race - Torrential rain - DNS

At least now I don't have to go out miles to near Chelmsford for the crack of dawn and next weeks 50, mind you I won't have a time for a 50 now so I can't try and nab the handicap prize in the SCCU 50. Hats off to Jon for doing this series each year as it is not a friendly one for us with locations, most of the events tend to be bloody miles away.

Sod's Law the rain's eased off now but it's due to rain for most of the morning and I'd still have concerns about what the road ahead was like, I'd want to race round not just ride steady wondering what might be waiting for me.

[Antloony]

Bad luck with the weather Mr G, maybe someones trying to tell you something. I hate the weather spoiling things, about this time last year Mrs Loon and I booked a weekend away in Silverstone for the World Super Bikes only for it to be rained off on the sunday.

I share your grief man....

[John the old'un]

Sorry to read your post Andrew. Bl**dy weather. Know exactly how you feel.

[Michelle]

Bugger bugger bugger bugger bugger!

[George]

Andrew it was lovely testing weather today, I got drenched and had a puncture, but apart from that it was Great

[Antloony]

The ironic thing is half the rain they forecast hasn't materialised and all in all it hasn't been a bad day round these here parts.

[Andrew G]

Just read you post George, but then you always make me feel a wimp .

If it was a normal(DC) TT I'd have done it, it was only as it was a Sporting and on quieter and potentially more dodgy roads that I skipped it. Didn't want an accident ahead of the bulk of the season.

Ant - I've been annoyed at the way the weather has cleared but trust me at 5:30 this morning it was not good.

[Jon H]

[quote="Andrew G"]Today was a DNS for me and I expect Jon too as he's normally got more sense than me.

[Andrew G]

Well done Jon for doing it. I'm not sure if I feel better or worse now .

Apart from the heavy early rain it was not knowing the course that put me off, didn't want to descend a hill in to a wet bend with a pothole and wreck the next few weeks/months.