Crawley Wheelers CC - 10 Gatwick 1/3

Let’s see if I can be a little more prompt this week.

The weather forecast suggested a wet afternoon with a dry spell for the first of our Charlwood 10 mile trials, so it was fingers crossed it would be right, guess what, it wasn’t!!

Rolled up to the Lowfield Heath meeting point, only to find some pesky residents were occupying our normal parking spot.

After a little while Wayne B rocked up, and we both looked at the ever darkening sky and pondered whether anyone else would turn up, we already knew one stalwart rider had decided not to ride.

There was soon enough marshals to host the event, Mark P, Sam C and Simon L, the only things missing were the riders.

Tom messaged to say he was coming across, but if it was just him we could all go home early.

Neil rode into the car park and he was undecided as to whether to ride or not, at this point he was the only one on a bike.

Time crept on, as it always does, Mark P had deployed the square umbrella, who knew such a thing existed and then Tom arrived.

With two riders and five marshals there was much talk about whether to ride or not. Just as the decision to call it a day and head home was about to be made, Brian M appeared, admittedly commenting about have sore legs from doing a run a few days ago.

There followed a brief discussion, the rain stopped and the decision was made, WE WERE RACING

Much fiddling around with safety pins, handing out hi-viz and dispatching marshals around the course, synchronising of watches and he had three hardy racers at the start line.

Lights checked and words of warning about the wet surface they were off, under an ever darkening sky.

Simon and myself headed to the contested finish line, and waited, the rain started and got worse, the first flickering light appeared, Brian had completed his first lap and then Tom came into sight, riding down the gap to Tom, after a little while Neil came round, and the rain got worse still as they headed out on the second lap.

There’s not a lot to say about standing in the rain waiting for grown men on bikes to do another 5 miles, except we waited in the rain.

Tom came in to sight, followed closely by Brian and Neil.

Soggy race numbers were handed back in, race signs collected and times handed out.

Driving back to Lowfield Heath I said to Simon, that despite the weather I was pleased we’d put the race on, and funnily enough Sam C said much the same, not sure what that says about us or cycling, I’ll let you decide.

As for the results, given the conditions I was impressed, and here they are