Sunday 7th February

The four man Tourmalet team set off this morning in the cold and murky conditions. A decision had been made in the pub on Friday night that we would have another crack at finishing all the climbs on our own version of the Hampshire Hilly Sportive. It was not to be!

The pace was quite quick and Steve and Chris contested the Sydmonton sign, "won" by Chris. Then it was up over the Wayfarers Way towards St Mary Bourne. As usual, the group split up, Simon and Steve benefiting from their compact gears. Pete and Chris pushing something slightly higher. At the top there was a brief re-group so Steve could adjust his rubbing rear brake - it hadn't slowed him down up the climb!

On the descent, Simon and Chris pulled away working effectively together down the valley at speeds in excess of 23mph, practicing for their first event of the season, a 2-up Team Time Trial on 7th March. Steve caught them up as they slowed and it was then it was noticed Pete wasn't with us. Two weeks ago Pete had punctured at the same place and we had gone back, so this time Chris set off as before., he reached the bottom of the final steep section of the descent with no Pete in sight. As mobile phones weren't working it was assumed he had turned around and gone home. This was confirmed a little while later when text messages finally came through saying "handlebars loose have turned back" We were now down to three.

As usually happens the pace picked up and we worked well together up the Bourne Valley. The St Mary Bourne sign couldn't be contested due to traffic but Chris took the Stoke sign, which he immediately regretted as the route then turned sharp left up the prolonged Stoke Hill.

We then made our way over the A343 and on to the various Chute villages with some tough climbs and all three of us "mixing it" pushing the pace. Little did we know it, but this would take its toll on all of our legs and make the last few miles very tough!

The road undulated over the Hampshire/Wiltshire border and then after a fast descent into Shalbourne it was back over the ridge again from Ham up to Buttermere. It was after this climb and Chris's first puncture for nearly 3 months that all three of us decided we weren't going to last the whole course yet again and that we would truncate the route after Linkenholt by climbing up to Faccombe and then again to Ashmansworth and home. The long dragged out climb to Faccombe took it out of our tired legs. Steve kept on trying to come past Chris who forced the pace each time but after 5 attempts let him go and Simon, unusually out of form brought up the rear.

The last descent into Highclere was pleasant and all agreed it had been a tough but necessary workout. 56 miles and 4150 ft of climbing.