Does What it Says on the Tin

The CTC Hilly 50K does what it says on the tin. It is 50km if you start at Ryka's Cafe car park, finish at Box Hill car park - and it is hilly. Even some of the roads leading to the hills are hilly. The 'tin' doesn't say hilly and windy, but as anyone who ventured out into the Surrey lanes on Saturday knows, it was very windy.

So there I was on Friday afternoon thinking about Saturday's club run when an email pops up from my team mate, Neil, asking if I fancy doing the CTC hilly 50K route on Saturday. As hills are now my friends after getting back from Mallorca and as there were a couple of hills on the CTC route that I had yet to do, I thought it would be ideal Flanders training. Especially as I have now officially entered De Ronde, the full 260km route that it. Oh yes! Even the hotel and ferry are booked.



So we set off to Box Hill into a head wind on Saturday morning and clocked up 100km by the end. I was determind to get up over all the climbs but I was very apprehensive about White Down Hill, an 18% climb with a nasty reputation. I've done Ranmore Hill a few times now and Leith Hill and Holmbury Hill. As well as being a White Down 'virgin' I've had problems with Friday Street in the past but not on Saturday. White Down isn't nice I have to say but it didn't kill me.

All hills were completed and we finished with the ZigZag at Box Hill in the sunshine. The most interesting stretch was Logmore Lane which had a few stretches where the road surface had been completely removed with no warning. A whole new off road section, in fact. Well, it was Flanders training after all.

Now Sunday's ride, that was a different story all together!