Nine of us turned up at the Mill on Sunday including Neils Dean and Cleminshaw (yes that’s right Clem’ made a welcome return to the Sunday club run).

 

The others were Josh, Danny, Mark, Shaun, Steve, myself and Jacob the 20th Century Fox gadget man.

 

He has a 7″ plasma screen excuse for a phone on his handlebars when, if he linked it to his head cam, could use it to navigate his way without ever looking up… Froome style.

 

A notable absentee was newly crowned downhiller Will Thomas. Maybe he was still counting his winnings or sleeping off a hangover from the team dinner the night before.

 

I do hope there are no feuds over the payment of team bonuses after Will’s win on Saturday!

 

Initially four of us set off including Neil C, Shaun, Steve and myself aiming for the hills.

 

The others were off over the bridge in search of a back wind home.

 

However by the time we reached Raywell four had become nine, the others had changed their minds in a moment of madness and they were with us.

 

We continued over Newbald, Market Weighton, Londesborough, Nunburnholme, Millington and Givendale.

 

At this point I decided that a better option for me was to climb the lesser CAT 3 climb of Givendale rather than the Haute Class climb of Bishop Wilton!

 

I completed my ascent and turned down Bishop Wilton at the top of Garrowby just as the others were cursing their way to the top of their chosen col.

 

Shaun had been itching to climb Bishop Wilton for some time and now he wished he hadn’t.

 

There was little time for a regroup after the right turn onto the main road and then the left turn towards Thixendale, down Painsthorpe and onto Hanging Grimston.

 

It couldn’t have been twelve months already since the Big G, could it?

 

Once a year up this beast is enough for any one.

 

Shaun punctured but as we knew that he needed practice in this regard we decided to wait at the top of the climb. Before I got to the t-junction the club president had apparently gone past in a group on his way home after a weekend on the bike.

 

We turned right at the junction and headed off towards the top of Garrowby (again), crossed the main road and headed off towards Millington and Pocklington for lunch.

 

An alternative to Costa will have to be found for next week I fear!

 

We had been to see Angela at the Rambler’s Rest the day before so we couldn’t really go there again, could we?

 

The descent towards Pocklington was a bit breezy to say the least with us lightweights taking a bit of a battering.

 

During lunch there was a brief discussion about going up the climb past Kilnwick Percy towards Warter, then Warter Priory, Londesborough, Market Weighton etc.

 

Fortunately this was only a brief discussion and was soon dismissed to room 101, probably to be let out sometime next year when it’s or we aren’t quite so windy.

 

And so we did the usual flat lands route which was OK in the back wind but some of us had to fight hard for the inside line in the cross wind.

 

Still Mark’s boys need this training element in their build up to next year’s campaign.

 

Not sure that this is warranted in the off season though.

 

Fortunately Mark decided that Neil Dean’s wind breaker services were no longer required at the front between Beechwood and Cliffe and so he went to the front and steadied the pace by a couple of miles per hour which thankfully eased the pain in the legs of Josh, Danny and myself.

 

Josh declared that maybe he hadn’t had the best recovery meal at the team dinner after his efforts the day before.

 

Some bonk food was found and he was OK again.

 

We were soon at the foot of South Cave hill where Josh’s gear cable snapped and stuck him in top gear.

 

Fortunately Josh was born with a good pair of levers and he heaved himself over the top only mildly cursing, if at all.

 

It had been another great day out and the number of riders had increased. Let’s hope it continues!!!

 

Richard Guymer