Fondo, Deepest Darkest Kent,and Vittoria's agan..

Get down at about 7ish and we will ride at least to the first feed, then relieve Sandy and then man the stop until the end of the day. What could possibly go wrong?"Julian Wall 2010

The weekend started poorly when I snapped the chain on the C59 I was due to ride on the Fondo as I rode through Acton on Friday night. Brand new Super-Record 11sp as well. But no worries as I have dutifully carried a chain-tool around for 20 years to meet such an eventuality head-on. 11sp is so daft that you need a 50kg Campag tool to split or re-join a bloody chain. Puts me off Campag and I am a Campag Man!
So I have to load the bike into a cab and pay £30 to go to my car in Uxbridge, only there is a traffic-jam so me and the driver sit in silence reflecting upon the futility of modern life.
The Fondo weekend has not started well...

Sunday - Fondo Day!
So in all innocence and full of optimism I wake up at 4.00am and drive to Sandy's house. Still dark and high on his flask of dubious coffee we hit the M20 at about 6.15am.

We get there at 7am and Jules tels me to get changed 'cos I am riding with him. Tired but elated I climb in the back of the van. It strikes me when I only have one leg in my shorts that this will never happen. Why am I bothering to get changed - there is no way I will ride. As I clatter out the back of the van Jules hits me with the expected - 'err, get your jeans one over your kit and lets drive out to the 1st feed - we will probably ride later though so keep yer kit on.'

Yeah right...

By the time the first riders came through our feed (top pic) me and Jules had eaten our own body-weight in fig-rolls and peanuts. But everyone was raving about the course and how good the signing was that we could not help but be lifted by their enthusiasm. I can report that the 1st fed stop had a great party atmosphere! My cycle shorts were starting to chaff a bit under my jeans.

As the last riders drifted through our feed stop Sandy's doleful tones came down the radio from the 2nd feed sounding like Neil from The Young Ones:

"err guys I am in a really really lonely place. Really bleak and nobody here but me..."

So me and Jules bowled over Romney Marsh to relieve Sandy to ride the hilly part of the course. I love Romney Marsh and can see why Jules wants to run a Fondo there. I also wish we had been able to ride a bit of the course. Chaffing getting a bit worse.

By the time we finish the 2nd feed it is getting late and the last folk are running over the line. The biggest buzz was hearing everyone's stories - the course was harder than everyone first assumed - especially if you did the longer 150kms route!

Next year me and Jules are definitely riding.

Barna just put some Vittoria Roubaix tyres on my bike. Now I have had a natural antipathy to Vittoria since 2002 when on my 40th birthday I crashed badly on a borrowed bike that was fitted with said tyres. I instantly blamed the tyres as I was convinced my lean angles were reasonable. On reflection maybe I was stronging it slightly (pic below). I was so angry I got back on and finished the race. After riding home my left arm blew up like Popeye. My GP thought I had broken my wrist and sent me for-xrays. My friend and GP James Cavanagh popped in for coffee a few days later and looked at my arm which by this time was hot, stiff and bloated. He instantly diagnosed celulitis - an infection.
Lots of drugs later and I recovered with an anti-Vittoria fixation which has lasted to this day.

But I have to say the 24mm Roubaix feel very comfortable and grippy. And lets be honest I dont ever go round corners like that anymore. Even in my dreams. Vittoria you are on the way to being forgiven. Thanks James for saving my left arm for my 40th birthday present...!

I crashed on the very next lap at this precise point.

and ended up looking like this.

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