13/02/10
So off to the shop I headed as is the norm for a Saturday and I was strangely looking forward to the session of pain that lay ahead of me.
We had a few more guys out with today in the non stop race group which would make things a little easier as there would be more time to recover after the turn on the front.
We headed out exactly the same route as we have done for the last 4 weeks but with the knowledge that we may have to change the route slightly seeing as further south of the county had taken a battering with the snow in the week.
Everything was going to plan until we hit Platts Heath and Sandawy here we cam across are first patches of ice and snow across the whole width of the road. This decimated our tightly packed group as the guys gingerly picked the safest route on the road. An executive decision was taken by Rob K and me that rather than pushing on to Charing Heath we should get onto the A20 as soon as possible. With some extremely icy roads negotiated we eventually got onto the A20 but without Owen, as he had snapped a spoke and the wheel was rubbing on the fork blade. We said out goodbyes to Owen here and headed on up to Charing Hill.
With the ascent of Charing Hill completed and a quick regroup and chat on what to do next we headed on to Challock where we decided that Westwell Hill would indeed be manageable and then we could take the A28 to the Chillam Fork and on up to Molash and then down the A251 into Faversham that way.
With everybody lined out doing 1 minute turns on the front we were soon heading up Molash and surprisingly I was hanging in there only to loose contact after the ascent.
Another regroup at Chalock and we were heading off down the A251 towards Faversham.
Everybody was again lined out doing 1 minute turns on the front but with a freezing easterly wind in our faces everyone was making sure shelter was taken as soon as there turn was completed.
As regular riders will know this road always ends in a tear up for the Faversham sign and today was not going to be an exception.
With legs tiring gaps opened up but with a core of riders at the front the pace was still kept high. After last weeks solo attack for the sign I thought I would use the benefit of sitting in for a bit longer this week and open up the sprint a bit later. This had the desired effect and I managed to get past the sign first.
With a regroup in Faversham we were heading onto the familiar roads back into Sittingbourne,
With a few turning off here and a few more turning off at Stockbury to head along the A2 back to the shop there was just 3 of us to head back up the Warren to Lords Wood.
All in all a very good ride with a few dodgy patches of ice, a strong freezing Easterly wind in places and one mechanical.
Some strong riders are emerging from these sessions and Medway Velo should be a force to reckon with in the forthcoming season.
Until next time
Andy
