Photo courtesy of Elaine "Pushin' The Big Ring" Mossman
Alan Silver picked up one of the biggest wins of his career this Sunday, taking the sprint for Radway Green. Silver, who has been on good form recently, particularly in the mountains, launched a surprise attacked after a powerful leadout by Wood was held up by traffic lights 200 metres from the finish. Silver using his experience, took advantage of this to ease up and hit hard as the lights changed green. A couple of hours earlier we were fortunate to even get out of Northwich…
A good crowd rocked up to the Legion on a breezy, cloudy day with the threat of sunshine wanting to come out to play. Kris Zentek had once again put together a tough day in the saddle for the 10 riders who headed out on long ride to Pott Shrigley while Al had put together a route to new cafe Radway Green near Alsager which would take us via Lach Dennis, Goostrey, Swettenham, Congleton, Astbury, Smallwood and Hassall Green. The fact that by 10.20 we hadn’t even got out of Hartford was another matter.
Punctures are a pain and having two on the same day is a bad day in the office. To have two within 100 metres of each other is really bad day, to have the first one less than a mile from the HQ, well you’ll be wishing you stayed in bed! Unfortunately that’s what happened to returnee Charlotte, who joins us having broken up from Uni for the Summer. So having left at 9.40am, by 10.20am we’re just outside Greenbank. Not helped by everyone’s replacement tubes not pumping up and having to start all over again!
While all this was going on, a young rider who hasn’t been out with the club for a while called Matt decided that wearing full length tights with shorts on the top in July wasn’t the best idea (and I didn’t catch the start of this so I don’t know if he knew the person’s house or not) so using a bush in someone’s front garden took his tights off. Don’t ask.
Eventually having changed two tyres and with pants removed we got moving, our group containing Ian Smith, Terry Veal, Phil Sharrock, Elaine, Ady, Jack, Charlotte, Max and Garry having returned from holibob and new guys Neil and Geoff, who is my girlfriend’s Uncle and although new to club runs, has been putting in some times on the club 10s.
The route was fantastic, quite a lot of flat but a few punchy climbs in Congleton for a bit of fun. The sun even came out and the pace was spot on. After lunch we headed straight back for home, something about a race in France? So we headed through Bradwall into Middlewich and home. Oh and of course another puncture, this time Geoff.
Great day out and I’m sure Hindey is going to be busy next week!