Exmoor Beast 2010

The Exmoor Beast sportive -  hard, but fabulous in a thigh burning, lung wrenching kind of way. This year was my second ride - a complete contrast to the ‘Siege of Leningrad’ event the previous year. That was carnage on the moor as cyclists plodded their way through the persistent winds. The only thing missing was the Black cat itself!

2009 was, ‘Will I get round?’. I had no choice in the end, having spent £200 on new winter boots and tights. The derision I would have endured from Beautiful Wife Jo if I had turned back was spur indeed. In the end there was the warm camaraderie of those of us who had battled round together, and snooty glances at those who did head for home.  But then I forgot to mention the compression tights I had also bought to drive home in.  Quitting was not an option! 

2010 was different. I’d  trained more, lost some weight, climbed the Alpe d’Huez AND the Col de La Croix de Fer, and finally bought a new machine. In carbon. Grey and subtle in design, lighter, faster and way more than I deserved. I was going to draft my socks off, hitch lifts, get out of the saddle on hills and generally be very impressive.

Which is interesting. 

As a fledgling long distance rider my view had always been ‘I’m here to enjoy the ride, get round, take in the scenery, blah blah blah...’ So how have I morphed into a phantom wheelsucker in the space of three sportives? (Etape Caledonia, Beast and Beast again) In fact I started Beast 2 with the first approach and finished with the second. Many thanks to the large guy in the orange jacket riding the tall bike who sucked me along for six miles average speed 24mph! I don’t think he knew I was there there until I nipped past him on the next hill. And yes....I did feel bad about that.

I’m competing towards the back though, and in fits and starts.   Riders I pass, pass me in return. We have time to admire each others’ machines, chat about how much nicer the weather is this year,  then quietly, almost unnoticeably one of us will pull away – ‘enough idle chatter – down to business.

I climbed the Dunkery climb better than last year, took the watersplash with the caution due a new carbon bike, flew down the road into Lynmouth, bolted my soup at the feed station and finally found I'd shaved one hour off my last year's time – result! I now have a target for next year – under five hours – and if achieved I may ‘man up’ and enter the 100 mile event for the following year. Or not.