Cardiff 100 Miles Road Cycling Club – Open 25 mile Time Trial

A gorgeous July Saturday for a time trial in the Welsh Valleys, a test from Usk to Monmouth and back. The wind was pumping though and it was going to be a tough ride, wind on your back out to Monmouth then in your face home. Not expecting to break my personal best for the second week in a row because of the conditions I was still keen to set a good time and try for the win.

I got on the turbo to warm up, Carleen (the ever helpful girlfriend/cycling widow) pinned my number on and I got the heart rate up. 10 minutes to start time, I pop the daft aero hat on and adopt my space age appearance jump on the TT bike and head to the start.
10… 5, 3, 2, 1 Go! Into my rhythm quickly and out onto the A472 I could sense the tailwind, constantly having to dig deep to keep my heart rate up in the 180’s I knew this was fast. Only meaning one thing, the return leg would be hard. Through 12 miles in around 48 minute pace I was feeling good into the turn, over the bridge and back along a rolling unclassified road before hitting the duel carriageway for home. Bang there’s the headwind! This was a grovel I dug in and had to concentrate on pedalling circles. The last 3 miles were dead flat and the wind was really strong but I knew I was going well looking at my watch. Over the slip road it was a full on sprint to the finish line, pushing the 53x 11 as hard as I could. Approaching the line the photographer caught me in a full warface / gurn / grimace, certainly not a smile thanks Alan! Heart rate pumping and lungs and legs on fire, I stopped my timer 51:27.
Back in the club house and a cuppa and some wicked flapjack was enjoyed during the nervous wait for times. A chance to admire Darren Carpenter’s very slick looking Giant Trinity too. The times were in and mine was posted as 51:26, my third fastedst time ever, I was well pleased. It was enough to give me a winning margin of 38 seconds over Ben Anstie (Chippenham Wheelers), with Welsh Time Trialling legend Colin Wallace (Merthyr CC) taking 3rd in 53:12.
Thanks to Bob Jones and all at Cardiff 100 Miles RCC for the event and Alan Jones for the photo (http://digitallphotography.co.uk).