Lea Valley CC 50

[Jon H]

I was first reserve for this, and during the week I was told by the organiser that someone had dropped out so I was in, substituting for No.39. Now, if I was a reserve with a 2:00:12 LTS time it meant pretty much everyone else in the field was a sub 2-hour rider - this was a faster field than when we rode the National 50 a couple of years ago!

So, off up to the E2 course on a hot and sunny Saturday afternoon. It also turned out to be quite breezy. The first 4 miles were really quick to the first turn at Four Went Ways, followed by a horrible slog into the wind for 20 miles up to Red Lodge. My average speed just went down and down on this stretch and was around 23mph by the halfway point. I thought I might be able to pick it up again with the tailwind, but it just wasn't happening - I'd put too much into the first half and was cream crackered. At Six Mile Bottom the average had only gone up to 23.5mph, so I bailed out.

Still, not all bad, the tan got topped up a bit.

[SteveD]

That's some classy field if 2:00:12 isn't fast enough. Having experienced the breezy conditions down at Bently I wouldn't have fancied a 50 on those exposed roads!

[Andrew G]

Bad luck Jon, that's a long way to go for your legs not to play ball.