This year was my 2nd attempt so I knew what to expect, this is an advantage & a disadvantage as you have a better idea what training & preparation to do but you also know what a bonkers event it is & therefore I was way more nervous. Not helping the nerves was a shocking forecast for race day, I kept looking at the forecast in the days leading up to it but it never got better, in fact it got worse & with the recent rainfall in the area conditions were always going to be soggy.
We got to Helwith Bridge nice & early & I thought I had a good position on the start line but by the time we started I was somewhere in the middle as loads of riders had pushed their way to the front. On the first road section I was flying, making up loads of places & dodging the inevitable crashes, got to the bottom of Ingleborough in good shape & more importantly ahead of club mate Graham Piccavey & Huddersfield Road Club's Andy Whitworth & Owen Mitton.
Simon Fell was ridiculous as always, so blimmin steep it's untrue & the wind was horrendous blowing us all over the place. It was a slow slog to the top of Ingleborough where Graham & Andy passed me before we tackled the descent. I'd been working on my descending so didn't do too badly even passing a few people which never happened last year.
Always nice to get to Cold Cotes & say hello to Emily & the support crew of Graham's other half Diane, daughter Sam & her other half Richard?, not forgetting the dog, who's name I've forgotten. Didn't need anything so got on with catching Graham on the road to Whernside. Got with a nice fast group but slightly too fast, we caught Graham but I was knackered by the time we hit the climb so started to drop back. The rain had gone from a drizzle to pi$$ing down by the point, at the top it was sideways hail!! Staggered up the climb & then came the slightly scary bit of riding across the top with a left to right gale force crosswind trying to avoid getting blown into the ravine to the right.
Descent was OK better than last year as I rode a lot more, very very wet though so changed gloves & waterproof at Ribblehead. Stuck my Royal Mail showerproof coat on & Emily's ski gloves grabbed a couple of gels & cracked on. Matt Enticknap from Malton Wheelers rolled past & we worked together to the bottom of Pen-Y-Ghent where he packed as his pedal was bust.
By this time all thoughts of catching Graham or getting a fast time where out of the window, just wanted to get to the top & get to the finish. I rode as much of the climb as possible, then walked/staggered to the top which never seemed to get any nearer, just went on for ever & sideways rain/hail was ever present. Eventually got there to get my dibber dibbed by the marshalls. The marshalls yesterday were absolutely brilliant, it's one thing riding this race but to stand at the top of a mountain for several hours in those conditions is something else.
Forgot to mention the infamous puddle near the bottom of PYG which was about 2ft deep when we rode up but possibly another foot deeper by the time we rode down. I say rode down more like waded through, was soaking wet by this time so it didn't really matter. Descended pretty well once I'd got past the tricky bits near the top then just had a few miles of road to ride before the finish.
That has got to be one of the hardest days on a bike I've ever done but still enjoyed it in a weird way. Roll on 2013.
Here are the times of the Huddersfield riders. Rob Jebb won the event in 3 hours 9 minutes, an outstanding time in good weather let alone the horrendous conditions yesterday.
| 140 | David Beachill | Huddersfield RC/Salamander Fabrications | M | Finish | 14:02:53 | 04:32:53 |
| 141 | Ivan Boyes | Huddersfield Star Wheelers | M | Finish | 14:28:27 | 04:58:27 |
| 376 | Owen Mitton | Huddersfield RC/Salamander Fabrications | MV40 | Finish | 14:27:50 | 04:57:50 |
| 377 | Andy Whitworth | Huddersfield RC/Salamander Fabrications | MV40 | Finish | 14:21:52 | 04:51:52 |
| 378 | Giles Bailey | Huddersfield Star Wheelers | MV40 | Finish | 14:52:48 | 05:22:48 |
| 379 | John Docker | Huddersfield Star Wheelers | MV40 | Finish | 15:08:22 | 05:38:22 |
| 380 | Peter Dukes | Huddersfield Star Wheelers | MV40 | Finish | 14:45:06 | 05:15:06 |
| 381 | Graham Piccavey | Huddersfield Star Wheelers | MV40 | Finish | 14:12:54 | 04:42:54 |
| 611 | Timothy Beachill | Huddersfield RC/Salamander Fabrications | MV50 | Finish | 14:21:18 | 04:51:18 |
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