Friday 13th dawned bright, if a little "brisk" as riders gathered at Cranleigh Golf and Country Club, which welcomed the BDOVELO peloton for the first time. Tucked away at the foot of the fearsome Barhatch Lane, riders may have felt the sweeping driveway up to the club house was the warm-up for something more challenging. But, in the spirit of making rides as accessible as possible, our route took us south, away from the Surrey Hills towards the Arun Valley and onto Petworth. The real challenge was how many layers to wear, with some riders having encountered the first frosts of the season. Worry not, by Petworth the temperature was up in the 20's. As expected, the Surrey roads threw up a few challenges and some of the lanes would not have been out of place in Roubaix. Despite a couple of punctures, and with the benefit of a slight tail wind, riders flew back to the Clubhouse for a late lunch and the highlight of the day, an audience with Maurice Burton.
Maurice shared his cycling journey and details of his new biography, The Maurice Burton Way. The challenges he faced riding on the continent in the 70's and early 80's, about competing with and beating Eddy Merckx. And the reality of having to win in order to feed oneself...truly old school cycling...and absolutely fascinating!
With the road season drawing to a close, we look forward to more convivial chatter and networking at the Season Finale on 28th November at the Pinarello Store on Regent Street when Matt Dickinson, former Sports Writer of the Year, will share his insights into the world of cycling. Click here to Register. We hope to see you there...