Autumnal pleasures

Last Saturday we escaped down to France for a few days - A computer issue preventing me from updating the blog whilst actually down there. After the first day, the weather was glorious, sunny and warm, with temperatures well into the 20's most of the time.

Between the demands of further garden development work and that of Mrs M who expressed a forceful desire to spend a day at the coast at the charming old town of Collioure (south of Perpingan) I managed to get a few sorties in on the bike. Very much needed after more than a month without being able to get out in the UK. All the rides were a reasonable length of around 90 to 120 minutes, using the usual circuit of quiet back roads around Mirepoix, Chalabre, Leran and the like. Also found a beautiful new route out towards Les Pujols, which took me through some fabulous little hamlets or a narrow road where I did not see a car for over half an hour! Of course all that cycling required indulgence in the favoured French pastimes of eating fine food and drinking local red wine and Blanquette.

Also discovered the outline route for next year's Tour De France - very pleasingly the Pyrenees are later and will go through Mirepoix on a Sunday. The following day the start is from Pamiers for the first time, before heading into the Pyrenees proper. Should be good...

Guildford Cycle Challenge 2009 - Sunday 27 September 2009

Got a full morning's pass from She Who Must Be Obeyed to take part in the Guildford Cycle Challenge. This was my first ever cycle sportive and in honour of the occasion SWMBO got up before 7am to cook me a pre ride omelet. What a star! She could get a job any day as team support on the Pro Tour. This set me up wonderfully for the ride of around 90km - I had chosen the Challenge option rather than the Epic at 130km, not least because I had to be back in Forest Row by 2pm in readiness for a punter come to view the Yellow Peril - see my other blog if you need to know more!

I set off at the head of a group just before 9am at a reasonable pace and was rather hoping someone would have caught me up. Instead what happened is I missed a route sign and blithely carried on, with around 20 others following me like Lemmings. After about 10 km I realised something was wrong and stopped. My fears confirmed I then had to lead the group over an extra climb to rejoin the official route further down. After that I shot off like a scalded cat so no one would pass any further comment.

The first half of the course was gently undulating and the weather was superb throughout. After that the weather stayed the same but the course changed, starting with a vicious 21% sudden ball tearer of a climb and a number of other Surrey Hill climbs following. Stopped a couple of times on the way for refreshments and arrived back before lunch, just over 3 hours of actual cycling. Only one nasty accident seen and no aches to speak off - Definitely something I will do again. Maybe even the 'Hell of The Ashdown' next March!