My “job” may not pay much, or in fact at all when it comes down to it, but it does come with some perks. One of which is getting to attend the annual Cyclosport Industry Party. On Saturday around 200 people from the cycling industry gathered at the Alexander Pope pub in Twickenham (why Twickenham nobody knows…). After coffee and milling around, around half of those split into groups for a ride to Box Hill and back.
The theory was that there would be four groups, ordered by average speed. Group 1, 2, 3, 4. 1 and 2 were to do 5o miles, 3 and 4 38. Now last year I went with the fast group and, even with killer hangover, held my own and enjoyed doing so. I’d have given it a go again today, especially as the hangover was absent, but I just didn’t feel like doing 50 miles at that pace. Not and get back in time to stash the bike at the hotel, make myself feel presentable, and get back in time for lunch. Besides in a group that was going to include Stephen Roche, Yanto Barker, Jonathan Tiernan-Locke etc, there was going to be some seriously competitive testosterone going on. Not from them, but from the other riders around them trying to look good! It got worse when so few riders were in Group 2, they ended up being amalgamated into one group – man was I ever pleased to have opted for Group 3!
I had a blast of a ride. It felt way easier than last year, though it still took me quite a long time to warm up. Last year we were in shorts and short sleeve jerseys – this year it was winter layers and I didn’t regret them either. What a difference a year makes? I’m still glad I don’t live in London. 20/30 minutes to get to what passes for countryside? No thanks. But in a group, able to hold our ground amongst the urban traffic, visible due to our sheer numbers, it wasn’t too bad. Sean, one of my fellow ride/writers rode with me which gave us chance to catch up, and unlike the Etape Cymru when he went off ahead, today I managed to keep up. Well, apart from Box Hill of course. Let’s be serious, that was never going to happen…*grin*.
I know Box Hill is iconic and I’m sure going around and up it nine times would be no fun at all. But on it’s own it’s really not that difficult. Not even for me. Especially not with the immaculate road surface it now has, thanks to the Olympics. In fact, being steeper at the bottom and then settling down, it’s the kind of hill I actually get faster up. At least I got to see all the road graffiti I’d heard about, and there was quite a lot of sociable chatting on the way up. Last year I was probably last to the top. Not this year :).
Mr Sportive Photo was lurking half way up the hill, as might have been predicted and just for once I actually waved at him. Always nice to see a friendly face :). See, look, here I am, waving…not drowning ;).
And here we all are at the top. Sean was already there, in “was that it?” mode. Yep, that was it. Sorry :P. Nothing compared to the Mendips, or the hills around Shropshire, that we are respectively used to. Still, the views from the top were nice, though you don’t get to see them until you’re on your way down again.
From here it was a race for home. Fun :). I’d warmed up by now, my legs were in, and I was ready to do my bit to keep up. There was some very silly descending from time to time, and I even had to tell Sean to get himself out of the way so that I could overtake him at one point *grin*. Man I love downhills :). What can I say – now that there’s less of me, I guess there’s less air resistance too! We also had some very daft sprinting bits when circumstances demanded, especially through Bushy Park, though the arrival of a deer in the middle of the road in front of us nearly stopped play in a very horrible way… I braked a little too hard and felt my back wheel come up…and then luckily go back down again! *phew*. Slightly more sensible sprinting after that ;). I did my best, and I think I acquitted myself fairly well. In fact I think the ride was my favourite bit of the day :).
As planned we were back in time for me to have time enough to get me and the bike back to the hotel, frock up so that I felt like a girl, and be back again in time for lunch, which was running late anyway. I had roast chicken and chips, dear reader. Not bad, not good, but fairly safe, which was the important thing. In order to mitigate the amount of drinking likely to be done over what could be a long period of time, I opted for the white wine & soda option. Damage limitation!
There was a Q&A session after lunch..and I’ll leave it up to you to play identify the famous cyclists and others. Well I could tell you who they all are, but where would the fun be in that? I love the way they look like a line-up…talk about similar outfits!
In there somewhere, in case you haven’t named them all, are Daniel Lloyd, Matt Stephens, Roger Hammond, and Yanto Barker. Oh, and some Jonathan Tiernan-Locke person. I will point out that Matt Stephens had very nice shoes. Yanto Barker was clearly very animated. And that Magnus Backstedt is wearing a Bike Pure wristband, which is very cool, because clearly that means we have a great deal in common. Not ;).
Cycling time: 2:10:53 hrs
Distance: 35.58 miles
Avs: 16.3 mph.
ODO: 843.53 miles
Here are my two fellow Cyclosport writers. Sean – at the top of Box Hill, and James – concentrating very hard on whatever Adam is trying to get out of his interviewees.
It may have been a Cyclosport Party but there were so many other people there from different areas and companies that I, and in fact we, didn’t know, that I felt a bit out of place and I’m very glad Sean and James were there! It felt a little less sociable in some ways than last year. The celebs didn’t hang around much, places to be, rugby to watch, etc. There wasn’t any central seating to keep you all sitting together, as the space had been cleared for the Q&A and the Wattbike challenge that I wasn’t brave enough for, so everyone got a bit sort of spread out – like sitting around the dance floor at a school disco. I did meet a few folk I’d been hoping to catch up with, though I won’t list them all because I’d miss someone and cause offence! I met some new folk too, and also made a few useful contacts., so it was still good, just in a different way. There was a hardy group growing and settling in for the night after a while, but my time had come, and besides I needed some food. Time for Cinderella to make an exit, with both shoes, and via the chippy ;). Girly lightweight I know *grin*.
Thanks to Adam, Cyclosport and Hot Chillee for inviting me – and for a great ride. Well, it’s always all about the riding, right? :).