Didn't realise they'd finished it earlier. Made it in just after 7 I think, and I reckon my last lap still counted, since we were 76th on the board.
Fantasy lap: Found my second wind, blew past everybody, stopped to help gorgeous mud covered single lady with puncture, went for a quick tumble in the bushes AND got her phone number. Cleaned all the tricky stuff and finally wheelied over the line to camera flashes, rapturous applause and adulation from lycra clad lovelies. Also set lap record.
Reality lap: Granny gear, fatigue induced mistakes including stem in groin, walked anything that looked like it could remotely damage me. Just made it over the line with rapidly deflating front tyre, no fuss staff grabbed timing chip of me and asked how many people were in my team - too befuddled to reply 4, so only got two bottles of whiskey.
Fantasy lap: Found my second wind, blew past everybody, stopped to help gorgeous mud covered single lady with puncture, went for a quick tumble in the bushes AND got her phone number. Cleaned all the tricky stuff and finally wheelied over the line to camera flashes, rapturous applause and adulation from lycra clad lovelies. Also set lap record.
Reality lap: Granny gear, fatigue induced mistakes including stem in groin, walked anything that looked like it could remotely damage me. Just made it over the line with rapidly deflating front tyre, no fuss staff grabbed timing chip of me and asked how many people were in my team - too befuddled to reply 4, so only got two bottles of whiskey.
In retrospect I enjoyed it course an all and pulling when we did I think was the right decision. It was a good 6-7hrs cycling time and a real slog at bits though the top class singletrack more than made up for it.
