Technically (for insurance reasons) the Chichester Challenge
isn’t a race, but tell that to the competitors! Everyone rides as hard as they
can, plus there is a trophy for the first rider home! The 55km course snakes
across the South Downs around Goodwood, Harting and Kingley Vale. I have ridden
the event on eight previous occasions and have many fond memories of blazing
across the sun baked chalk under clear skies. This year sun screen wasn’t
going to be a concern and numbers were definitely down after days of rain had
ensured a mud bath awaited those who gathered on Lavant green under grey
drizzly skies.
I could easily have won the event on 3 or 4 occasions in the
past, but punctures are a real feature of the flinty course and I have only
made it home unscathed on one occasion. This includes the year when I invested
in the thickest, knobbliest tyres I could find, only to puncture within sight
of the start!
This year I was totally under prepared. I had been at home
all week with my new born son so hadn’t done any training. The cranks on my
race bike had been returned under warranty so I was riding my wife’s 10 year
old, fully rigid Stumpjumper. The lack of suspension I could deal with, but the
cheap V-brakes are next to useless in the mud.
I was joined by South Downs Bikes team mates Ian
Petherbridge and Fay Cripps on the start line. We set off together up Chalk Pit
lane to the top of the Trundle at a steady pace and reduced the field to a lead
group of five by the top. I knew I was going to struggle on the descents
without suspension or effective brakes but hung onto Ians wheel as mud streamed
from his rear tyre and across my face. My glasses were quickly obliterated but
visibility between frantic blinking was little better without them.
At the bottom of the hill the five regrouped for the next
evil climb that eventually takes you to the South Downs Way above Cocking. One
of the other riders tried to make a break near the top but Fay pulled him back
and I followed her wheel as Ian and the 5th man dropped back. The
mud defied belief and I was drenched and fighting to keep the bike upright as
Ian steamed back through, making the most of his 29 inch wheels on the flatter
section along the ridgeline of the Downs.
Several of my Chi Challenge races have come to a premature
end on the decent to Hooksway. So I took it carefully, dodging the deep gulley’s
in the path formed by the recent torrential rain. Wet chalk has a friction
co-efficient similar to ice, so steering inputs are best kept to a minimum, riding
with soft hands, gingerly nursing the bike from side to side. At the bottom I
passed Ian kneeling, CO2 canister in hand, topping up a flat tyre. So now I
just had to chase down Fay – which is no easy task, she is one fit young lady!
On the climbs over Harting Down I closed in but lost ground again on the decent
and flatter sections out towards Petersfield.
However, I love the final climb out of Stoughton over
Kingley and was confident I would catch her here and make use of my fully rigid
bike on the tarmac run in to the finish. My wife had said she would bring my
son to the finish and I began to imagine crossing the line with my arms in the
air. Beck running out to congratulate me..... SNAP!
The chain had broken. That’s the trouble with a 10 year old
bike which only emerges from the shed every 3 months. With wet muddy fingers I
fumbled for the spare chain link. Before I could remount two riders went by,
with Ian chasing behind them. I was
angry and riding hard to make back time – too hard. Psssssssssssssstttttt!
The puncture dashed any remaining hopes and a third before
the finish dropped me even further back, but I had given up by then. So another
year and another defeat grabbed from the jaws of victory. If I’d had my own
bike maybe things would have been different. The chain wouldn’t have broken and
I might already have been ahead as I wouldn’t have lost time on the descents. Maybe
next year?
