The Old Ports enjoyed good support at our Reliability from the Kent Velo Girls, so Say and I decided to return the favour at their Sportive on Sunday. Starting out from Bewl Bridge it has been running for three years and the drill is familiar. It is a women's only sportive but men can play if they wear pink. Those waiting with baited breath for the start of the Giro d'Italia will know that in the world of cycling there is no shame to be seen in the Maglia Rosa. So I pulled on my old T-Mobile top, pinched Say's pink Rapha collar and signed on.
They offer three rides, 20, 40 and 60 miles so the event was pretty accessible to anyone wanting to give it a go. However this should not let anyone get complacent. Some sportives will market themselves on the presence of one or two well know climbs, The Wall, White Down, Box Hill, Carters Hill etc. But then offer plenty of flat bits in between for riders to get together and hammer along. The Velo Girls' course, that takes on places such as Wadhurst and Bodiam is more like a set of sharks teeth. One long row of sharp pointy things. None of the climbs are that long, but they don't leave you alone. And after a winter of neglect and lousy weather some of the road surface was interesting.
As we lined up the much promised great weather was noticeable by its absence. I was beginning to profoundly regret my decision to leave my overshoes at home. But five miles in, wet and filthy I was having a cracking time. No big groups formed but after the first feed a few of us got together with a woman from 7-Oaks Tri leading us up the climbs, a chap with a Sky rain jacket leading us down, and me doing my impression of a tractor on what flat bits there were. About 10 miles from the end my legs started to go and I could not stay with them over the lumps, but job was pretty much done.
Finally the sun was trying to show itself as I came into the final miles.
Say was having a more torrid time having ripped her rear tyre at 15 miles, finally threw in the towel at 53 miles and 4 tubes later. She was not alone.
All the feeds were brilliant and at the end we were welcomed with cups of soup and cheese rolls.
Pluses - Great route, well organised, good food and signage
Minus- the fickle fiend that is our weather, and potholes.
They offer three rides, 20, 40 and 60 miles so the event was pretty accessible to anyone wanting to give it a go. However this should not let anyone get complacent. Some sportives will market themselves on the presence of one or two well know climbs, The Wall, White Down, Box Hill, Carters Hill etc. But then offer plenty of flat bits in between for riders to get together and hammer along. The Velo Girls' course, that takes on places such as Wadhurst and Bodiam is more like a set of sharks teeth. One long row of sharp pointy things. None of the climbs are that long, but they don't leave you alone. And after a winter of neglect and lousy weather some of the road surface was interesting.
As we lined up the much promised great weather was noticeable by its absence. I was beginning to profoundly regret my decision to leave my overshoes at home. But five miles in, wet and filthy I was having a cracking time. No big groups formed but after the first feed a few of us got together with a woman from 7-Oaks Tri leading us up the climbs, a chap with a Sky rain jacket leading us down, and me doing my impression of a tractor on what flat bits there were. About 10 miles from the end my legs started to go and I could not stay with them over the lumps, but job was pretty much done.
Finally the sun was trying to show itself as I came into the final miles.
Say was having a more torrid time having ripped her rear tyre at 15 miles, finally threw in the towel at 53 miles and 4 tubes later. She was not alone.
All the feeds were brilliant and at the end we were welcomed with cups of soup and cheese rolls.
Pluses - Great route, well organised, good food and signage
Minus- the fickle fiend that is our weather, and potholes.
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