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OPINION

Discovering Rutland should be fun...

by James Warrener
Tue, Apr 24, 2012 17:11
5
Even though they seem to have a problem and spell it CiCLE, I am looking forward to this weekends action.

It must be something to do with the East Midlands... Spelling it CiCLE has always added a little bit of something different to the Rutland Classic.

The pro race has been saved after a winter of financial rumours. The sportive survives too and I am looking to get round the course a lot more successfully that my last outing in 2009.

I am only doing the 54 before anyone thinks some sort of heroic ride is about to happen. That is still 3000 feet of climbing so I will need my climbing legs on.

I am expecting rain and wind as it doesn't seem to have stopped raining since...

  1. The hosepipe ban came into force
  2. I got a new bike

...That'll be nice.

jersey

The main challenges on the day will be Launde Abbey which is only about 300 metres long but seems to take ten minutes to climb. The way we will enter the climb will be over a speed stopping cattle grid... so you start from low speed and get slower.

Neville Holt is a bit longer and slightly less steep but it has been a staple of road racing in this area since I was a lad.

In fact its all going to be a bit emotional for me as its twenty years since I first started riding and time trialling in a club format. Twenty years!!!  Lots of memories and lots of ups and downs to play over in my head as I head around my local roads.

I am going misty eyed as we speak 1

 

 

Rutland CiCLE Tour
east midlands cicle classic

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5 comments

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SPAM Naval | 11 years ago
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it was chalk and cheese compared to weather last year. the freezing driving rain before we hit the first feedstation was a real tortuous slog. my hands and arms were constantly numb and my feet weren't much better. Luckily I managed to remain puncture free for the full 100 miles. Second half was a bit more manageable.
Organisation as usual was first class and route and scenery is great.

Avatar
Cjsanders | 11 years ago
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Aching a lot today. In that weather even the 54 mile route seemed like a proper challenge. Would never have managed the 100. Climbs seemed even more brutal than I remember (or is it me just getting older and less fit)

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Parlee-king | 11 years ago
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Should have used the winter bike .... forecasts looked Ok at 7am..might rain by 3pm ... but after 20 miles lashed it down. Hideous freezing rain = numb feet & hands.
The sight of my house near the 50 mile point was too alluring. so I bailed out

Hope those with bare arms and legs survived the course

max temp today 7.7c

Good pre-event emails, well signed, efficient registration....... see you next year

Avatar
James Warrener | 11 years ago
0 likes

It certainly will... am thinking of using the winter bike 2

Avatar
SPAM Naval | 11 years ago
0 likes

Hi looking forward to it as its a beautiful route. Did the 100 mile for the first time last year and really enjoyed it and there is definitely some thigh burning climbs in there.
Last year the weather was fantastic, warm and sunny all day.. This year I fear will be a bit different...
Enjoy!

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