Cheltenham New Flyer 200

Ride Details

• Date Ridden - Saturday 11 May 2024
• Event Type - Calendar Event
• Points Distance - 200

Ride Stats

• Distance - 201.2 km
• Time - 8h36m42s
• Elapsed time - 9h31m23s
• Avg Speed - 23.3 km/h
• Elevation - 2099 metres
• Bike - Sabbath September AR-1

Ride Notes

Another calendar event this month - and a new one for me. Another early start required as the départ was at 8:00 in Andoversford (just outside Cheltenham) - 01:20 away. Arrived in good time (I was the first), checked in and grabbed a quick coffee to go with my banana.

Once on the road we all sorted into a few groups and I rode along with a small bunch via the info control and onto the first control. The scenery was lovely, the route and the weather really showed it at its best - wonderful. Coffee and cake at control #1!! Why not, even though there was only 48km done.

On to the second control at 88km in Burbage - a few hills on this section including Ramsbury Spring’s Hill, which I remembered from previous White Horse Challenge Sportives. It’s still a brute and I’m sure the 17% sign at the bottom underestimates the middle ramp. At #2 I I had a quick cuppa and went on my way.

From there it was lovely and rolling and I was I was pretty much solo until caught by one of the original group, Gordon from Cheltenham, at the third control in Laycock at the NT café. I was hungry now so had some food in a shady spot outside while thinking about an ice cream - no dice as the queue was quite long.

The run to the finish was okay, but I was getting a little hot (no, mustn’t complain) and probably should’ve stopped for a break in Tetbury to get a #fullvalue day. I didn’t and was regretting it a little in the last 15km or so.

The arriveé was a welcome site, with a quintissentially English scene - village cricket in the spring evening sun.

Stats - good. Moving time was up there with some of my best 200s, and elapsed was the best I’ve done in this RRtY series. The latter was because I didn’t really stop for long at each control and, as I said, I probably should’ve had another short stop after control #3.

Chappeau to the organiser, Stephen Poulton, for a great event and to the volunteers manning controls #1 and #2.