Today was the day of my first sportive of 2017. I’d been at the match in Altrincham yesterday so opted to stay over in Macclesfield so I was close by for the start of the sportive.
A short drive up from there to the starting point at Poynton Leisure Centre and I parked up and got ready for the ride ahead. You had to register in the Leisure Centre which was behind the school where I parked. Then a quick cup of coffee and I headed to the start line as it was getting close to 9am.
The route looked fab and a return to old cycling haunts of my 20’s, including the dreaded Alderley Edge hill I always used to hate.
We set off and my legs were as good as they were on Friday if not even better. Those hills of Gran Canaria the other week must be paying off! I un-intentinally lead a group out for the first 10 miles or so as I was doing my own thing and other riders gathered behind me.
I paused at the start of the dreaded hill to have a gel just in case. I need not have worried though as it was much easier than I was expecting and I was soon at the top, cycling past several other riders who had stopped to catch their breath after the climb. Really pleased with my fitness improvements here!
The route then wended it’s way down the far end of the hill and onward past the back of Jodrell Bank to Lach Dennis and the feed stop just before Middlewich (which incidentally is on my route from home to Altrincham FC!).
After the feed stop I settled down into a fast pace with the aim of getting back within 4 hours 8 minutes total time as I would get Gold status for the ride then. My legs were more than up for the job.
After wending our way past the side of Congleton, through the suburbs of Macclesfield we arrived back at the finish line with a time of about 3 hours 44 minutes. Well chuffed as that’s an easy Gold time.
I retired to the room where everyone was and had some vegetable flan (their veggie option), a flapjack and some more coffee. Lots of people sat around and I got chatting to quite a few other cyclists, including 3 Wrekinsport members who had immediately recognised my Raiders kit.
A totally fabulous ride in a totally different area than normal and I managed an average of 17.7 mph over the 58 quite hilly miles, which I was absolutely delighted by.
Route: click here
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