Gold and Silver for British Cyclists

[Del]

Apparently there's been some success in the Beijing Velodrome, but today was a great day for me and Andy K as we represented the Agreeables, taking Gold and Silver in West Surrey CTC's Tour of the Surrey Hills.

A challenging 110km course, involving 2091m of climbing over 14 ascents of the North Downs most fearsome Cols (Winterfold, Dunley, Ranmore Common, Box. Leith, Holmbury, White Down and Clandon) demands respect. So after a spring and summer of training at the Hell of the Ashdown, Sydenham Wheelers Reliability, Dartmoor Classic, the Highclere Sportive and the Etape, we decided to taper for the great day by stepping down from the 19s to the 18s in yesterday's club run.

At the end of yesterday's CR, Ajay decided to remind us how dangerous the lanes of Southern England can be by turning to look behind him as we started to wind up for the run in to the sprint, and running off the road into a ditch. Thankfully he emerged ok, with no damage to his bike or Rapha Aubisque top, but I made a mental note not to do the same thing the next day as we took on the worst the North Downs could offer.

I spent the evening carb-loading in Il Sorriso, an Italian Restaurant in Horley. With my carb stores fully loaded, I headed home for a last minute bike check. Going to the garage, I found a split in the rear Schwalbe Stelvio on my Time. I had no Superglue and couldn't contact Andrew Green, and with the overnight weather looking bad, there was a high risk of gravel on the roads. I couldn't risk the tyre so decided to change to bike number 2, the Scott CR1 with its flawless Michelins.

The tension was high and I rose early at 6:30, for more carbs, a cup of tea and early morning Olympic news that Paula Ratcliffe had got cramp in her calf. Hasn't she heard of Nuun tablets, I wondered?

I headed off in the car to pick up Andy and then headed straight back after about 200 metres, as I realised I'd left my cycling shoes in the kitchen. I got to Andy's late, but then I realised I always do, so nothing new there!

Off to the Shere Velodrome to register and with a 10:00 start under broken cloud we were under way. I was going for Gold, make no mistake about it!! The early signs were good as I roared over St Martha's Hill. As I descended towards Chilworth, a friendly lady decided at was good idea to pull out in front of me from her driveway in her landrover and horse trailer. I was delighted and wished her a cheery good morning.

Over the road and Chilworth level crossing, I was through the climb to Blackheath, descended to Shamley Green and soon at the first control at Farley Green. My card was stamped and I was off again, climbing one side of Winterfold HIll, sipping at my carb drink and nibbling a Torq energy bar. Andy's Mike Cottey Etape DVD had stressed the importance of opening up your energy bars the previous night (as well laying out your kit in a specific order in your room to avoid last minute panics). In fact in an effort to fill up a rather dull part of the DVD, MIke had amanged to repeat himself about 4 times on this specific point, so I knew it must be important!

Disaster struck on the first descent of Winterfold. I took a small bite of my Torq bar, but the Mike Cottey style slit had become a tear the length of the wrapper and my Torq bar flipped out, bounced across the road and disappeared into a grassy verge. Mike's DVD hadn't covered this and I wasn't sure how to handle the situation. I was less than an hour into the ride with another 2000m of climbing ahead. I dug deep, reminded myslef that I'm a British cyclist, looked down at my Agreeable water bottle and remembered that I'd had a large slice of bread pudding at the Charlwood cafe yesterday. I knew I'd make it!

Through the next check point I began the 21% ascent of Winterfold Hill via Barhatch Lane. Powered by bread pudding I crested the summit and descended to Shere, before starting the ascent to Dunley Hill via Coombe Bottom. Up Crocknorth Lane, through the check point at Dunley, across Ranmore, down to Westhumble and up Box Hill, we reached the next check point, where I had 2 glasses of squash and a banana, before setting out towards the top of Pebble HIll.

A fast descent to Betchworth and then back along the A25 to Dorking into a headwind, I reached the bottom of the climb to Coldharbour and Leith HIll at 65km. This was the first sign of a little tiredness, but I drove on, past Clay Pigeon Shooters and other cyclists, through Coldharbour and then dropped down fast to the Ockley - Cranleigh Road, before turing off to the worst road on the entire ride - Tanhurst Lane.

Tanhurst Lane deserves its own paragraph. Even in a county like Surrey, Tanhurst must have the worst road surface there is. In fact, it doesn't really have a surface. It has a collection of pot holes, liberal sprinklings of gravel, greasy areas of mulched leaves and a gradient that kicks up to near 20% in places. It looks like the sort of place that Surrey's highway engineers go to prove that they're absolutely useless and can be let out and trusted to damage roads across the county. I hate Tanhurst Lane!

At the top, another check point, a glass of squash and a glass of water, I heroically refuse the offer of a jam donut, relying instead on the rather warm peanut butter and jam sandwich I've been carrying round in my back pocket. I'm off again with 2 other guys who will be my companions to the end of the ride.

Over the top of Leith Hill, down to Holmbury, over Holmbury Hill, a checkpoint at Peaslake and we're still on for Gold!! Across to Sutton via Hoe Lane (a sort of mini Tanhurst), past the Volunteer pub and within a mile we are at the bottom of the last big climb, White Down. It hurts! My legs are now feeling tired, but the three of us crack on. We reach the top of Dunley Hill, descend back down Crocknorth and then head towards Shere. But there's a 10km looop thrown in just before the descent to Shere!

We are warned of a fallen tree, which we skillfully avoid by riding on the part of the road where the tree hasn't fallen, down to West Horsley, where we turn towards Guildford, before turning left again for the last climb over Clandon Downs. Normally I'd ascend this as carefree as Ajay riding into a ditch, but I crawl up with my legs feeling like they are about to cramp. Then finally we are at the top, for a screaming descent into Shere. Nearly a little too much screaming, as I almost overcook the hairpin and nearly lock the wheels, and then nearly misjudge a corner on the way down, but I reach the A25 safely and cross to take the lane back to the Shere Velodrome.

I check back in with 4hrs 54 mins on the clock and am presented with a Gold Medal, on the condition that I pay the West Surrey CTC man £2.50. I can't find a podium, so I step outside and phone the wife, who feigns interest and tells me that my mobile signal is cutting out, which effectively stops me waffling on about my heroic deeds until I get home.

Being as the event is run under Audax rules, the doping controls are stringent. I test negative for mudguards, but positive for a cheese and pickle sandwich, a ham sandwich, a spoonful of coleslaw, scotch egg, quiche and cold rice pudding and a tinned pear. I'm let off as I make a £2 donation to West Surrey CTC funds.

Andy arrives at 5hrs 30 mins to claim silver. He'd stopped for a donut at Tanhurst! We stand in the Shere Velodrome and listen to the Addiscombe CC national anthem and then the inevitable BBC interview with Jill Douglas follows. We tell her it's all down our weekly club runs, which have made us expert at evading Surrey's 4x4 drivers on the type of course we have faced today.

It's nearing the end of the season now and I feel in top shape now for the season's closing event, racing for the East Cowes chain link ferry on the IOW Club Trip in October.

[Antloony]

Well done guys. Looks like all that training has paid off, I may have to join you for whatever your doing your doing it well.

Del, what a brilliant, humerours and well written account of the day. I was almost with you reading through your report. This needs more airing and deserves a place in Cycling Weekly.

[Michelle]

Ah yes, Tanhurst Lane, I remember that bastard from last years TOTSH.

I told Keith that it was on, but he looked in the Audax calendar and said it wasnt. It's a tough old course, I know that much. Well done for your gold, and a very humorous report. Very LOL for me, getting strange looks from folks in the office.

[Elliot M]

great report

[Andrew G]

[quote]In fact in an effort to fill up a rather dull part of the DVD, MIke had amanged to repeat himself about 4 times on this specific point, so I knew it must be important!

[Sylv]

Yes good report - only 19/20 though due to the past/present tense switch

Well done