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Derby Canter
So how far is 100 Km? Back when we entered the ride it
seemed like a mornings work. As the time got closer we
slowly realised that it is really quite a long way. The
instructions arrived and confirmed our fears a 100 Km is
actually 116 km and as we started at the top of a hill
(the clue was that the start was at Walton ON THE hill)
there would no doubt be a climb at the end. There was no
question now 100 Km is a long way and that was how far we
where going to go on our first AUDAX.
We turned up at the control HQ (or the community centre
which sounds less grand) to complete the formalities
which consisted of a cup of tea and a banana. Looking
round we realised that we would not be surrounded by out
and out roadies. In fact most of them looked fairly
normal, well until Mike, Roger and Daisy arrived. After
the usual introductions and trading of insults we where
off, more of a rolling start that a high adrenaline les
mans. We rolled gently out onto the Epsom Downs trying to
make sense of the route instructions. After a few missed
turns and retracings, which owed much to the follow the
leader style of navigation adopted by most of us, we
headed toward Charlwood and the first control. Coming
into Charlwood was the closest that I'll ever come to
being in a peleton, behind there was some confusion.
Someone stopped. Someone didn't. Then they did, Sideways.
Once it was established that only minor bruising and a
loss of pride had occurred we where off again. This was
just like racing only at a more gentlemanly pace.
After the first control the field had split up a bit and
I was forced to actually navigate. Every now and then a
group or two would whizz past, none of whom I recognised
from the start (it was not until later that I realised
that there where two events going on and they both
converged on the same lunch time control). It was quite a
surprise when we reached the lunchtime control to be
treated to tea and stickies. Even better we where told we
had all missed a big rain shower. Even better we met the
other three who had only been there for five mins which
meant that we where not as slow as we though we were (OK
they had been hampered my punctures but even so).
The next stage was long, very long, with a sting in the
tail before the next control. We suffered from a post
lunch dip. Another control would have been nice just to
split the journey into bite size lumps but there wasn't
one. To compensate the route took us along some really
stunning Surrey country side. This is the real beauty of
an AUDAX, the route takes you along roads that you have
not been before and to see places other than your normal
rides. Much, Much later we sat at the bottom of Box hill.
The North Downs Looming. Walton was truly on a hill and a
big one. Thankfully we didn't do the zig zags but we
still had to climb slowly and steadily to the top. The
preceding 100 km didn't help. Eventually we reached the
last control. We where in the home straight just a quick
sprint (well it was more like a slow dawdle) past the
grandstand followed by a few route finding hurdles before
we where back at control HQ sipping weak tea, eating
stickies and gently seizing up. It would be a short
evening.
Our times? well a lot slower than Mike, Roger and Daisy
as they where nowhere to be seen, and this was an AUDAX
event rather than a race so really the time is
immaterial.
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