La Vuelta a Espana is noted for seeking out steep and sometimes unnecessary hills (such as today’s stage to the Velefique, unnecessarily climbed by the Vice-Captain in the past), and this provided the inspiration for this morning’s Sports ride to Dursley. Three sets of temporary lights on Barton Street & Painswick Road meant a slow start to the day so that the ride was behind plan even before the climbing started, and what climbing it was. Upton Hill to Painswick keeps giving, Stepping Stones Lane and Yokehouse Lane to Bulls Cross are painfully steep, and Rodborough Hill can only be described as evil. The descent of the Slad valley and some fine views prevented the ride leader from being completely despised.
For an unknown reason, one rider managed to swerve off the road on Minchinhampton Common and went for a tumble in the hay. It was a perfect somersault of rider and bike, and had it been into a swimming pool in Tokyo, would have been worthy of a medal. Luckily, his landing was soft, and no damage was done.
Over thirty riders had gathered at the Square. Fortunately, the Training Ride, the Sport Ride, the B ride, and the A ride meant that no group was unmanageably large, though the ever-popular Sport Ride needed splitting. Upton Hill helped with that, and then the group shrank further when one rider dropped out to see relatives and another took off for some off-road riding. Slow though the varied surfaces that he encountered were, a shorter route with fewer climbs meant that he arrived for coffee in Dursley well ahead of the others.