2010 Anthony Maynard Sportive

[StevieP]

Details at: http://www.anthonymaynardsportive.org/

[franarchy]

Just signed up for 190k better get training!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Gastroplodder]

I'm entered for the 110k, quality not quantity this year I hope (2 punctures last year rather slowed me down).

I've no trouble at all with 190k distance but I'm so slow the organisers will have gone home by the time I finish.

Nik

Vegetarian Cycling & Athletics Club

[fredrikw]

thanks for the bump

I'm going to try to make it this year, last year was bit of a mess because of my shoulder injury.

[StevieP]

Sof and I are doing it on a tandem.

[skoptic]

Signed up to the big daddy too Should be interesting - I'll be coming straight from a nighttime sportive that finishes 2 hours before this

[FatherofArdvarkboy]

Hi Stevie,

Thanks for posting about this. I should have been on here ages ago.

I'm doing it again this year.

Like with last year, I'll do the short one and another couple of riders from our club Reading Cycling Club, will ride alongside anyone who is new to this.

Thanks everyone for entering, Anthony would be proud.

And just to add, all profit goes to charity, the main one being WSPA. which was Anthonys favourite one.

Fredrik, so glad u can make it this year, and glad your shoulder is mended now.

Gastro, don't worry , my friend took over 11 hours for the long one!

Hope we all get to meet sometime on the day.

Dave.

[FatherofArdvarkboy]

About meeting up, just ask for me, I'll be around, registering etc.

I and 2 other RCC riders are riding with Ants sister Theresa, family and friends, they are not regular riders like we are.

If you are not bothered about times etc, then please come and ride with us for a while.

We are doing the short one.

Sue, Ants mum and friends, and family will be running the last station at Acorn Ridge. She'd love to meet you and say hello.

It will be about 20 miles to go from there.

Dave.

[Gastroplodder]

I'm planning (hoping/dreaming - maybe ought to try training) to get round the 110km in 5 hours this time but who knows - I may well be found standing by the side of the road hoping to beg a inner tube off Jeff Ellingham after trashing my only spare like last year.

It would be nice to say hello to other forumites though, I'll be the confused looking bloke in Vegetarian Cycling & Athletics Club jersey and cap (weather allowing).

Nik

About meeting up, just ask for me, I'll be around, registering etc.

I and 2 other RCC riders are riding with Ants sister Theresa, family and friends, they are not regular riders like we are.

If you are not bothered about times etc, then please come and ride with us for a while.

We are doing the short one.

Sue, Ants mum and friends, and family will be running the last station at Acorn Ridge. She'd love to meet you and say hello.

It will be about 20 miles to go from there.

Dave.

[StevieP]

Hi Dave,

Sof and I were out of our tandem today getting a few miles practice in for the Sportive. A curious old lady asked us what we were doing and we told her Anthony's story.

She's just put a small donation through our door to the support the 'charity'.

I'll hand it to you on the day do you as you see fit.

Stephen

[FatherofArdvarkboy]

Hi Steve,

Thanks,

that was so kind of her, if you see her again please give her our thanks.

We will see you both on the day. Theresa is still getting fit for it and I will be riding with her.

Some of us rode the short course last week to check it out and we are riding the long one next week.

It's a great course but as with a lot of our UK roads this year after our hard winter, there are still quite a lot of potholes that have not been fixed yet.

All we need is this good weather to last now!

Dave.

[FatherofArdvarkboy]

Thanks all for riding.

Our little group is starting with our Reading club riders then we'll settle in to our sedate pace, as 3 of us are riding shotgun on the short route, with our new, relative non cyclist riders. like my brother, friends etc and my daughter although, she is doing ok actually.

So come and join us, then once out the gate we'll say goodbye and watch your back wheels get smaller and smaller

See you on Sunday,

Dave.

[bob_summers]

hope everyone has sunshine and a tailwind on sunday!. wish i could be there, looks like a lovely route.

[Gastroplodder]

Well that was fun

I managed to keep the effort up and checkpoint stops to a minimum and got round in 4:38 which counts as fast for me. The wind, which was blowing some at times, seemed to do a subtle shift from S to SW at just the right time and was actually quite helpful at times. I was pretty shattered afterwards but that's the whole point isn't it!

Somewhere on top of the downs near East Ilsey I saw a Red Kite gliding along low and lazy not far from me. It had a dead magpie in it's talons with no doubt un-vegan intentions. One glance at my Vegetarian C & AC shirt and it had an attack of conscience, dropped it's breakfast in the field, and flew off (Well that's my version anyway.)

Thanks Dave, family and RCC!

Nik

[FatherofArdvarkboy]

Hi Nik,

Sorry we did not get to chat or ride together but I am so glad you enjoyed it.
Yes it was a great day and Anthony would have been proud.

I saw Stevie and Sof at the start and at the first station.

Thanks to you all for riding, it means a lot to us.

And we raised a lot for WSPA, all we made will go to charity, maybe this is the only sportive which does that.

We also raised for Helen & Douglas House, a children's hospice.
Thames Valley Air Ambulance, and a charity that is especially close to my heart, they helped us through difficult times: RoadPeace.

See you all sometime.

Dave.