Last Sunday/Next Sunday

This weeks pic: Pete on the beat - keeping the backstreets of Hipperholme safe 1980 style


Well I’m not sure it was quite the LSD run I had in mind (more LFD, anyway, that’s how it seemed to me). It was great though to see such a good turnout, I’d heard that no one seemed interested this year but that wasn’t the case last Sunday. For those who wer’nt there, 10 turned up for my suggested steady ‘hours in the saddle’ NON-high-end-speed-training ride.
There was a strong, cold, south easterly wind blowing so instead of going up to Halton Gill and over Silverdale that astute thinker and tactician Melvin suggested turning left at the duck pond, through Hetton to Malham. I always find the undulations between Winterburn and Calton difficult and last Sunday was no exception, however we re-grouped in Airton and pottered over to Malham.
Ian an myself decided not to join in the battle for the polka dot jersey and instead enjoyed the sight of young Jonny haring up the Cove Road with the pack in panic, desperately chasing this embryo Pantani. I don’t know who took the KoM points but I saw a young man who before long will be dictating the pace at will.
Melvin had got it right of course and we enjoyed a tail wind over Tennent Gill to Darnbrook. Ian and I chose to enjoy the scenery over Nab End with its wonderful views over Cowside Beck to Yew Cougar Scar. This caused us to lose contact but we assumed that re-grouping would occur at the green in Arncliffe. However our thoughts had obviously not communicated with the sharp end and they were nowhere to be seen so we followed the time-honoured cyclists route turning left in Arncliffe to ride to Kilnsey on the back lane via Hawkswick. Lack of tyre tracks on the road soon told us that the others had chosen the faster but busier road at the other side of the dale. We re-grouped once we reached the Wharfedale road, it was hard on the front into the strong headwind but Richard and Jonny pulled us along to Cracoe Café, with Dougie making a last dash bid for glory.
After (in fact I was still chewing the last bit) one of the best bacon & egg butties in the Dales, Steve announced that he had promised to be home for about 1o’clock. As it was now 12.45 I thought he was joking but the pace he set into the wind to Skipton and then down Airedale suggested that he was running scared. I’d no computer on the bike but I’m told we were averaging evens all the way, which, to anyone who knows just how strong that wind was, is impressive to say the least. Mel again showed his tactical nous by turning off to Embsey. Dougie tried to do some work at the front which resulted in him overexerting himself and being dropped, and, as traditionally happens on Condor clubruns, left to battle the headwind alone. That dark horse Damian did a bit on the front (and off the front), we know he’s fitter than he has been for years, it was obvious that, whilst he is riding strongly, he had no intention of giving us lesser riders a free tow - he had bigger fish to fry at the other side of Keighley.
I accidentally found myself at the front when we singled out to go through Keighley. The pace must have been pretty slow but no one else was interested in the view from the front so I stayed there untill Ingrow Station. Ian and Jonny abandoned at this juncture, their work done for the day.
The tension and anticipation then exploded; we got to those potholes by the pub opposite the Chippy and Damian put the hammer down, earlier than I had expected, but his out of the saddle effort took him clear, only Steve had an effective response and even he looked to be on elastic. Nigel and Martin pulled away from me and Richard but their chance of glory had gone. I was surprised to see Richard drop back a bit, obviously the distance was getting to him. Damian and Steve disappeared into the distance, I don’t know which of them ended up asserting their superiority but I was informed by a reliable 3rd party they were still locked in battle approaching the finishing line.
So much for long steady distance, they hav’nt quite got the hang of it yet. We are going to try again next Sunday meeting at Brighouse 9am for the Snake Pass. Langsett & Strines first unless there’s a strong easterly in which case we’ll go via Holme Moss & Glossop hitting the Snake with a tail wind. We must try harder to stay together and to slow down whilst going up hills.