We know Mike keeps telling us it wasn't a race, it's a sportive, but for those interested the results from the official web site are:Andy C 7:42:10
Paul 7:45:08
Andy M 7:45:14
Tim 7:47:19
Martin 7:52:37
Robin 8:10:42
Simon 8:28:50
Nick 8:29:14
Craig 8:40:34
Mike 8:48:39
Of the supposed 8,500 entrants (of which we think 7,500 turned up) only 6,178 finished the rest were eliminated, but that did not include any of our group of immediate friends. There will be more stories of the day to come, including we hope a poem from Andy M. Our yellow jersey goes to Andy C who turned a 45 minute deficit in the Chiltern 100 into a fantastic win storming up the cols.
2 comments:
well done to you all. Wasn't the descent off the Tourmalet something!
After reading Etape Virgins(of which I was one) it reminds me of that great day in July. At 55 if you told me @ 30 years of age that I can do this in 7hrs + I would have told you you were mad in the head. I must say I was glad in one way to see the rain as being a fair skin Celt(irish version) this was preferable. The whole day went like a dream.... got over to base of Toumalet in great time ....I had always decided in my mind that once I had gotten to the top of Tourmalet that the rest was going to be possible. That was the case and I smiled all the way up the Hautacam. I was surprised how many riders must have miscalculated in their food/abilty or whatever as Ib went by so many walking crawling wobbling etc.....as I was in the top 30% these riders actually got to Hatacam ahead of me so they obviously were going well up to that point?
At the finish my emotion was pure elation and I shed a tear or two for a few ccling mates who are no longer with us. Afterwards I had a great evening with the group all of whom finished well..looking back at a photo of group around a table outside a bar all the faces looked gaunt despite the wide smiles of a wonderful achievement. This for me was a pinnacle of my cycling career which I took up late in life...I wonder will I repeat it again? Who knows?
Post a Comment