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Well, another go at the Chirk 200km Audax [it wasn’t cancelled last Sunday ] took place on the 31st March [not weeks later like some events we could mention ! ]
So while the club run was regaling the fact that big Al had kept the start to the winter time of 10am [to allow for the clocks going forward] Syd Rimmer and I headed for Poynton for an 0800 start [my 5:30 alarm was really 4:30!]
Exact numbers of participants wasn’t clear, but was at least 10 times more then the 3 [of 79] that started last week [and 2 of them finished ! ]
So anyway, a bright start with dry weather and a light breeze promised better things to come, our route out though to Nantwich was fairly uneventful, even though the pace was a bit lively, the slight following breeze and low temp was having the [un] desired effect.
We caught the event organiser up as we crested Church Minshall [still not sure how he got in front], and we decided to stop at the control for a well earned tea and cake at the Galley at about 50km [I nearly did an Al and ended up with 2 pieces of cake being delivered, but Ady would have been proud of me as I resisted the 2nd – would Al have been so strong when facing his demon?]
From there a route through No Mans Heath, Malpas to Overton [where we had our first unscheduled stop when I had a tyre bead come off in a bizarre pot hole incident] on through St Martins to Chirk [now if you think Beeston was picturesque 1 week on from the snow, all I can say is ‘ you should have seen Chirk’] a well earned beans on was consumed with gusto and yet another piece of cake.
To say the route out of Chirk was a cross between the agricultural and the alpine is a bit of an understatement, and the now rising headwind on the return leg was taking it’s toll, Tea and yet another piece of cake at the final control at the Ice Cream Farm was just what any Dr would have prescribed.
The last 60km to Poyton was straight into the now quite strong wind and when we got to the X roads at Whitegate, it was all I could do to not let my bike turn right for home. Fortunately the route back to Poynton being nearly flat was just what this happy camper ordered, a 2nd unscheduled stop at Lach Dennis while Syd nursed several sore bits followed before the final push.
210km [that’s about 130 miles in old money]in 10hrs 50mins and finishing at 6:50 pm ! Well done Syd, at least we didn’t have the Tour of Flanders and the Boat Race result ruined for us.