TT race report 7….007… “Now put your clothes back on, and I’ll buy you an ice cream.”…….

Film: For your eyes only (1981)

Pam:  no comment

Does anyone else feel like they are in a James Bond film?  In and out of this hot and cold weather in the torture chamber that is Scawby Brook.  Bond’s destinations are all very exotic, so I researched how Scawby Brook compares.  Dating back to the 16^th century, the village of Scawby Brook blends traditional values with modern, the King William IV pub being a refurbished village local with a strong emphasis on food.  Tasty home cooked food is available 7 days a week in the King Billy.   Cosy open fires.  2 real ales, generally available including beers from Jennings, Green King, Everards, Charles Wells and Timothy Taylor plus a cider.  Bond surely would not be out of place drinking his dry martini at the fireside.   An ice cream parlour exists in the carpark of the pub,  42 TTers  and TT crew enjoyed cones following the TT tonight and they were delicious. Similar to the Holy Land of Israel, the King Billy pub has become a Mecca for TTers. Thinking about pre and post-race nutrition, my thoughts turned to steak.  I couldn’t find any information regarding how Bond prefers his steak served, however I did find this gem regarding steaks and Tour de France riders.  In bygone years of the Tour, the riders would slip a beef steak down their cycling shorts, to cushion their bums on the saddle.  Then, after riding the race, they’d get off their bikes, take the steak out from their shorts, all soaked in salty sweat and hand it over to the chef to fry up for their tea.  What do you think to that Bond?…I will leave that there….literally…… Enough of my musings, here is the TT report for 04/07/18.

Road conditions were speedy under wheel, no potholes.  Wind was 7mph average and the sun stole all the oxygen from the atmosphere as only a great ball of fire can.  42 TT racers completed the course safely.

Claiming King of the road, R Robinson won overall tonight in a time of 21:44. Choosing all the best lines, and what a script she was writing tonight, with a PB F Fisk  led the ladies home in a time of 26:00.  He’s fastest loser, but with a PB, S Quirke 21:56 romped across the finish line in second.  Mental arithmetic on the calculator shows second place for the women went to J Taylor.  The TT course was so fast, it must have had bikini wax on it because taking third for the men, B Creasy and J Skelton equalled each other’s times, storming across the finish line in 22:09. V Howden in a time of 26:41, also a PB, completed the ladies podium in third.  On the injury bench and missing from the podium this week was V Wilson, Lincsquad hope you recover soon.

Winners who didn’t win today but put in sterling efforts were C Orr, she claimed the biggest PB of the night, a whopping 2 minute PB. Letting the bicycle do the talking, first timer A Wright also charted a fantastic PB on her debut race.  Deciding this was not the time to order pizza, as they had PBs to record were  K Wilson (could the new speed suit have helped him crack 23 mins by 1 sec?); M Jackson; C Ware; A Porte; P Wilson; M Marshall; J Moss; R Bowen; L Hort; S Hall; A Wright and C Orr.  Floating like a butterfly, stinging like a bee, Smart and Smart on their tandem claimed their time of 24:27.  Powerhouse Stuart Grocock edged out C Ware tonight,   however, just 4 seconds later, M Austin came flying across the line.   Similarly V Howden got the better of S Cannings by 1 second.  We had a runner on the course!  Steve Grocock swapped wheels for legs and stole Pam’s Froomey crown from last year, bounce back strong for the next round Steve!

I am certain that all the TT racers tonight, like solo polar explorers in human company for the first time in 6 months (the TT ball park equivalent of equal to or more than 20 mins on the TT course) have many stories to keep their audiences enthralled.  These lads and lasses have seen things on the TT route. They’ve wrestled metaphorical bears and vanquished them.  Although racing opponents, they were racing themselves and their own highest standards.  Speaking on behalf of the TT crew, recording and seeing these racers reach their individual goals, is where a real joy of TTing can be found.

Some people believe that TT is a matter of life and death. I am disappointed with that attitude, I can assure you it’s much, much more important than that, it’s all about the raffle and ice-cream in the King Billy pub after the TT. The raffle prize donated by J’s Cycle Shack was won by Katie (sometimes I’m known as Valerie) Scutt.  TTers watched on as Katie collected her winnings.  The atmosphere couldn’t have been tenser  had Elvis himself appeared with ice cream in hand as all racers turned their raffle tickets upside down, sideways trying to make their ticket the winner. Well done Katie!

Thanks as always to the whole TT crew for slotting into your posts, helping to ensure the smooth running of the TT, as well as the riders for making it such an epic night.  Thanks to the King Billy pub for being awesome hosts as always.

Holy sweet home Alabama, hang on Grandma, put the Horlicks away, get the rye crackers, mustard and ham ready!  Round 8 will see TTers grind their way up the notorious Col de Burton Stather!  Who will be crowned King and Queen of the mountain?  “ Country road take me home!  To the place, where I belong……..Burton Stather……Mountain mamma……Take me home……Country road……”  Onward, to the hill climb “legs of steel.”   Meeting point, bottom of Burton Stather hill, July 18^th, same time as all other TTs in this series.  See all you mountain climbing Billy Goats then.

As always if you’ve enjoyed reading the TT report, give it a thumbs up or leave a comment.  I’d love to hear from you. In the words of Kenneth Wostenholme commentating the 1966 World Cup…”They think it’s all over, it is now”

Ciao Adios I’m done

Pam

TT sec.