Weekend of 17th/18th April - By Chris

This was a weekend to savour! The forecast lived up to the promise of clear skies, light winds and warm days - over 18 degrees centigrade.

After all the concerns about Simon's knee injury and whether we would get a ride as a reserve team. Sadly, Steve, Simon and I weren't able to do the Antelope RT 3 up team time trial. Simon was delayed in Calais, waiting with thousands of others for a ferry following the closure of all UK airspace due to the volcanic cloud covering the country. The organiser had called me on Thursday evening to confirm our ride only to be told it looked unlikely we would be there due to the uncertainty about Simon's return.

I had already resolved earlier in the week that if we didn't ride the team time trial I would do a "big ride". So on Saturday morning I set off with Steve to ride a 100 mile route around Berksire, Hampshire and Wiltshire. First we completed a clockwise loop of Newbury ending up at Hannington and then St Mary Bourne At this point, about 45 miles, Steve peeled off for home as planned and left me to carry on heading south to Stockbridge and then west to Grately before turning north to climb up the Chute Causeway. The views were fantastic but I wasn't really in the mood for sight seeing after 75 miles.

I ran out of food(3 hot cross buns - half of one consumed every hour) and drinks after Chute and the shop in Shalbourne was closed. I had no option but to hang on and stop in Kintbury for an energy drink and chocolate bar. With only 13 miles to go to complete the Century I was reinvigorated and found the last part of the route fairly easy, completing the 100 miles in 6:50. Approx 14.5 mph, quite pleasing considering the 5500 feet of ascent.

Sunday was billed yet again as an easy ride and lived up to this although my companions, Steve and Mark persuaded me to climb up Walbury Hill to Coombe Gibbet and then the long ascent to Faccombe. My legs felt fairly fresh and surprisingly I enjoyed both climbs and in fact the whole 28 mile ride at an easy pace.

A good training weekend. Hopefully we will get the whole group out again soon with Simon now home and only Stuart not around - stranded waiting for a flight from Las Vegas. Can think of worse places to be stranded though!