This weekend I rode the excellent 400km from Denmead (nr Portsmouth) to Weston-Super-Mere and back, via Amesbury and Cheddar Gorge. The ride westward was into a blustery headwind, and the route across Salisbury plains and Porton Downs offered no shelter: put simply, for 5 hours I felt like I was climbing a mountain rather than progressing across relatively flat countryside! The descent through Cheddar Gorge was a blast, but the climb at the other side (and later, heading homeward, up to Shaftsbury) was anything but!

Allan Hopkins took 6th place and Gavin Garrett 7th place out of a field of 50 riders in Round 4 of the Surrey Cycle Racing League evening handicap series.

The Surrey League Handicap 26 mile road race held over 10 laps of the Newchapel circuit saw Duncan Murdoch take a great 5th place overall and was also 1st Veteran in a field of 30 riders including elites and Category 1’s.