I had hoped that my road racing days were behind me, replaced by a less strenuous regime of occasional club runs and time trials, plus the daily commute on my trusty Dahon folding bike. But suddenly, aged 50, I’m in with a shot – admittedly a very, very long shot – of winning a world champion’s rainbow jersey. How did that happen?
It’s all because of the World Cycling Tour (UWCT), a series of races around the globe for amateur and age group riders, organised by the sport’s governing body, the UCI. It culminates in September with the UWCT final in Aalborg, Denmark.
Entry to the final comes via a series of qualification events in locations as diverse as Saint Tropez, Dubai, Botucatu in Brazil ... and Peterborough. The latter, officially titled the Enervit Tour of Cambridgeshire, was what lured me back to the start line.
Held this month on 82 miles of gloriously traffic-free, closed roads. It adopted the format of a continental Gran Fondo, similar to an urban marathon, in which the field is headed by faster competitors, with race licenses, followed by riders enjoying the opportunity of a mass-participation competition.
More than 5,000 men and women, in age categories ranging from 19 to 65-plus, took the chance to test themselves against their fellows, the clock, and a nagging flatland wind. While entry into road races is usually determined by ability, the Gran Fondo allows all-comers to have a go.
Could a desk-bound 50-year-old hang on to the wheels of the younger racing snakes, for example? The answer was, ahem, no. Once over the start line, I recalled one reason why I’d stopped racing – it hurts.
What I hadn’t anticipated was the contagiously enthusiastic support of local residents who lined much of the route and crowded the junctions, cheering on riders drawn from all corners of the country. The club jerseys presented a national atlas – the Macclesfield Wheelers, Plymouth Corinthians and Burton Mercia raced alongside Ilkley CC, Brighton Mitre and the Spalding Spinners. Not forgetting the ubiquitous Dulwich Paragon, of course.
The £1,500 top prize was won in 3 hours 9 minutes by Andrew Williams of Cwmcam Paragon, with local rider Laura Massey the first woman home two minutes later.
Three and a half hours after the start I rolled over the line, 40th in my age group. With no real grasp of the numbers of riders involved, I’d assumed that I was a non-qualifier and that I could safely return to the laboured grind of time-trialling.
But I was within the necessary top 25% of age group finishers. So, last week I received my formal invitation from the UCI to race in Denmark. While logistics and resources are against it, the chance to race as a British rider – for the final we abandon our club jerseys for national colours – has undoubted appeal. And, let’s face it, we’re none of us getting any younger ...
While Denmark is as famously flat as Cambridgeshire, and similarly exposed to North Sea winds, the Aalborg course will take the riders through some of the lumpiest parts of North Jutland. In particular, the Rebild hills, tackled halfway through the 100-mile race, will offer a challenge, or an opportunity, unlike anything encountered in the British event. With an extra 1,000m of climbing ahead of them, ambitious contenders should take note.
The UWCT Road Race Final starts in Aalborg, Denmark, 6 September 2015
The Tour of Cambridgeshire returns on 4-5 June 2016
