I'm in...good training for the Dragon Ride the following week...apparently!
You can tell how corporate and regimented this is all getting...under the terms and conditions I spotted the following:
I agree that participation in the event is personal to me, I am strictly prohibited from swapping, selling or transferring my place in the event or allowing any other person to wear my swim hat and participate in my place.
How do they know the weather forecast that far in advance?!
I'm sat with Vince right now. Rode to Cambridge together today across that 'strade bianchi' farm lane bit after Barrington hill to get you into Cambridge thru the backdoor. Never done that before. Amazing to see my laptop actually booted up after that jiggling and wasn't just a bag of silicon crumbs.
Any road. We are talking each other into getting Senator John Kerry to take timeout from the Crimea negotiations to see if he can help us get a day off to join the blue train. Unfinished business with this ride for me having pulled up ill in 2011 on 99.99 miles, realising then that the Chiltern 100, is actually 110 miles.
Just recalled trundling through the ride at 10mph clearly unwell with a high fever, yet some dude in all the Sky gear was trying to draft behind me. For different reasons: a couple of losers.
.....I have 3 months to get myself much fitter and lighter (I have to lose 11kgs just to weigh the same as Magnus Backstedt!) and then attempt to hold on for grim death to the blue train for a few miles before blowing up.....
There's a couple of names missing from Nathan's list above.
Robbie, Ian S and John T have a different club name / team name. Perhaps they can correct it?
I think this is the current list:
Gran Fondo (177 km) MC Gran Fondo (177 km) Stef Gran Fondo (177 km) Daniel Gran Fondo (177 km) MartinH Gran Fondo (177 km) JohnL Gran Fondo (177 km) AndrewR Gran Fondo (177 km) Nathan Gran Fondo (177 km) Skelders Gran Fondo (177 km) Jane Gran Fondo (177 km) MarkW Gran Fondo (177 km) JohnT Gran Fondo (177 km) Robbie Gran Fondo (177 km) IanS Gran Fondo (177 km) Shaun Gran Fondo (177 km) MartinL
Medio Fondo (122km) David Medio Fondo (122km) Emma
If I am still in the UK, 01 June is my 50th birthday & judging by my 2 weeks back on the bike thus far, I'd be fit enough.... but planning a.n.other eastern adventure as I type so I don't want to sign on the dotted line 'til I know where I'll be. That's my neck o' the woods after all (Bushey).
sadly cant make this now. free place up for grabs if anyone wants it. i'm signed up for the gran fondo, but you can choose to do the shorter routes on the day if you prefer (although you know you want to the full 100!)
if you can use the place post here and i can contact the organiser and swap the entry.
OK Team, there's been some confusion about whether the organiser is going to allocate individual start times to us on Wednesday - and if so, does it mean we can't start together?
The good news (just in from Eddie, of Verulam CC) is that we can elect to start together - 'Riders will be released in groups of 30, so just tell the starter that you want to be released together ... it will help if you all wear CCA kit'.
Unfortunately, Medio riders cannot start before 8:45 and you will skip the first 30 miles or so of the Gran anyway, so my suggestion is to start whenever suits you (8:45 - 9:25am) - but remember that you have every chance of scoring just as many points as anybody in the Gran Fondo, so give it your all.
For CCA riders in the Gran Fondo, we can start between 7 and 8:40am. So I propose we meet at 7:30 at Old Bovingdon Airfield, get into the 'start queue' and aim to start before 8am. Going for gold this year (and it will be a CCA 1st) we have: Shaun, MC, John P (formerly Stef), Daniel D, Martin H, Alex (formerly John T), Mark W, Martin L, Robbie, John L (fortified on scrumpy and no longer wavering, I hope), Andrew, Nathan, Ian S, James B (formerly Skelders) and me (clinging to the end of the alphabet and probably to the end of the blue train too).
Any queries, post here. If not, looking forward to seeing you bright and early on Sunday. C'mon CCA!
I'm not going to be able to come. My new cassette hasn't been delivered yet (reason enough) and also I'll be too tired on sunday, long day of work tomorrow
So gutted.
If anyone wants my chip let me know here asap because I'm only around till 12 tonight
Comments
Just booked a wedding for the day before this, so likely a ridiculously late night for me, going to be interesting!!!
Looking forward to those gravelly descents again!
John
You can tell how corporate and regimented this is all getting...under the terms and conditions I spotted the following:
I agree that participation in the event is personal to me, I am strictly prohibited from swapping, selling or transferring my place in the event or allowing any other person to wear my swim hat and participate in my place.
How do they know the weather forecast that far in advance?!
John
The chilterns are mentioned in the same article as galibier
Note that there are currently 1667 entries across both distances. I'm not sure how close this is to the event maximum?
If you're thinking of riding but haven't entered yet, maybe do it sooner rather than later...
Blue train needs YOU too
Jane
Daniel
Skelders
Andrew
Stef
Nathaniel
MC
Robbie
John
Shaun
Medium
------
Emma
David
looking awesome.
ps. yeah, vince? Will? Martin?
Any road. We are talking each other into getting Senator John Kerry to take timeout from the Crimea negotiations to see if he can help us get a day off to join the blue train. Unfinished business with this ride for me having pulled up ill in 2011 on 99.99 miles, realising then that the Chiltern 100, is actually 110 miles.
Just recalled trundling through the ride at 10mph clearly unwell with a high fever, yet some dude in all the Sky gear was trying to draft behind me. For different reasons: a couple of losers.
Year of the turbocharged blue train ... and (with a little bit of luck) a Chiltern Hundred team gold
.....I have 3 months to get myself much fitter and lighter (I have to lose 11kgs just to weigh the same as Magnus Backstedt!) and then attempt to hold on for grim death to the blue train for a few miles before blowing up.....
...maybe I should buy some tubs....or eat them?!
John
Robbie, Ian S and John T have a different club name / team name. Perhaps they can correct it?
I think this is the current list:
Gran Fondo (177 km) MC
Gran Fondo (177 km) Stef
Gran Fondo (177 km) Daniel
Gran Fondo (177 km) MartinH
Gran Fondo (177 km) JohnL
Gran Fondo (177 km) AndrewR
Gran Fondo (177 km) Nathan
Gran Fondo (177 km) Skelders
Gran Fondo (177 km) Jane
Gran Fondo (177 km) MarkW
Gran Fondo (177 km) JohnT
Gran Fondo (177 km) Robbie
Gran Fondo (177 km) IanS
Gran Fondo (177 km) Shaun
Gran Fondo (177 km) MartinL
Medio Fondo (122km) David
Medio Fondo (122km) Emma
i won't be with you this year, i will be in sunny florida (what a bummer).
see you all soon
strappy
Looking forward to it. I'll be looking for a lift down.
from the archives, 2011 over 20 riders
2010 also good
free place up for grabs if anyone wants it.
i'm signed up for the gran fondo, but you can choose to do the shorter routes on the day if you prefer (although you know you want to the full 100!)
if you can use the place post here and i can contact the organiser and swap the entry.
Refreshments available at the food stop:
PowerBar energy drinks
PowerBars and PowerBar shots
Bananas
Bourbon biscuits
Jaffa cakes
Jelly babies
Wine gums
Flapjacks
Salted pretzels
Dried cranberries
I'm bringing a rucksack!!
The good news (just in from Eddie, of Verulam CC) is that we can elect to start together - 'Riders will be released in groups of 30, so just tell the starter that you want to be released together ... it will help if you all wear CCA kit'.
Unfortunately, Medio riders cannot start before 8:45 and you will skip the first 30 miles or so of the Gran anyway, so my suggestion is to start whenever suits you (8:45 - 9:25am) - but remember that you have every chance of scoring just as many points as anybody in the Gran Fondo, so give it your all.
For CCA riders in the Gran Fondo, we can start between 7 and 8:40am. So I propose we meet at 7:30 at Old Bovingdon Airfield, get into the 'start queue' and aim to start before 8am.
Going for gold this year (and it will be a CCA 1st) we have: Shaun, MC, John P (formerly Stef), Daniel D, Martin H, Alex (formerly John T), Mark W, Martin L, Robbie, John L (fortified on scrumpy and no longer wavering, I hope), Andrew, Nathan, Ian S, James B (formerly Skelders) and me (clinging to the end of the alphabet and probably to the end of the blue train too).
Any queries, post here. If not, looking forward to seeing you bright and early on Sunday. C'mon CCA!
Scrumpy John
Next year then
I'm not going to be able to come. My new cassette hasn't been delivered yet (reason enough) and also I'll be too tired on sunday, long day of work tomorrow
So gutted.
If anyone wants my chip let me know here asap because I'm only around till 12 tonight
ps. have fun!
Shame you can't make it this year - needed your wheel to cling onto in the hills
I have not heard from JT just yet and was going to take his entry - could I get your chip/entry just to be sure I get it in time?
Let me know what you need me to do.
Alex
However if you can't make it we have to accept that.
I could collect your chip tomorrow and meet up with Alex on Sunday at Bovingdon. Would this help?
Daniel
Hope you have a good time
Alex now has my chip, though thanks for the offer!
Alex is a fine replacement!!