The Burgess Hill Springtime Classic

Another Sunday, another event.  As it was running last weekend, it was cycling this weekend to fit into my alternating plan.  I had booked this event months ago but I thought I couldn't make it but family plans changed and I was free.

I had cycled this sportive last year and really enjoyed it.  Its 72 miles around country lanes starting in Burgess Hill which is just north of Brighton.  When I did it last year, I somehow managed to come in ahead of all my mates, mainly because they stopped for a while at one of the checkpoints were as I thought I was behind them so didn't stop for more than 15 seconds.

I had no particular aims.  I had done OK 2 weeks previously in the Surrey Rumble but that was the only long cycled I'd done this year.  I set off with Ed and Simon but I think I was with Ed for about 20 seconds before he pulled away.  He was racing and we waved goodbye.

I cycled with Simon for a while.  He is quicker than me so I spent a long time pushing to stay on his wheel or within site of him on hills.  I occasionally took the lead but he'd come past me on any up or down hill.  We had some great fun on down hills.  Its great to blast past each other at over 35mph.

He eventually fell away because he has been ill for 10 days and shouldn't really have ridden.  The fact that he lasted that long was a great effort.
I had hoped to get in under 4:30 but I ended up with a time of 4:36 which seemed pretty respectable. I finished in 64th position out of 249 finishers which I'm really pleased with.  That's just outside the top quarter which is probably one of my best finishes in a sportive.