The late arrival of spring was highlighted by daffodils forlornly poking wilted heads through snowdrifts as a bleak backdrop to the ESCA 15.6 mile “Hardriders “ event, splendidly organised by Eastbourne Rovers Peter Moon.
The technical hilly course pushes riders to their limits with its heady mixture of lung bursting climbs interlaced with twisty technical hair-raising downhill sections.
After a fast start riders reach the five-mile point with a mixture of fear and apprehension as they near the first tough climb of the day up the cruelly, but appropriately named “Agony Hill”.
What follows in a tortuous grovel up to Woods Corner; hereafter the agony of climbing is replaced by more toil as riders inch their way up some deceptively tough inclines to Three Cups corner before heading towards Rushlake Green. After this section riders are rewarded for their investment of pain as they push on at incredible speeds over the final stretch to reach the welcome sanctuary of the finishing line, all but spent from the severe examination that the course has inflicted.
Lewes Wanderers had a strong contingent of eighteen riders on the eighty rider start sheet, though they knew it would be a tough battle for honours in the face of the strong In Gear Team and the fast improving Eastbourne squad. Top Lewes man on the day was Pete Morris whose fast time of 37:41earned him second spot overall. Pete also finished second in the hill prime recording a rapid 2:52 to cover the timed section of the climb up Agony Hill. Tom Glandfield had a splendid outing to cross the line in a time of 39:02. Other Wanderers times were Rob Pelham 40:23, the fast improving Neil Midgley 41:44, Callum Middleton 44:18, Michael Valks 44:23, Michael Turner 44:57, Peter Baker 46:00, Richard Frost 46:49, Charlie Middleton 48:46, David Beale 49:49 (a time fast enough to win the over sixty five age category), John Mankelow 50:07, Doug Gardner 51:45, and a game Simon Yates 1:06:04.
In-Gear’s Pete Tadros, who broke his own course record, won the event with an incredible time of 35:40.
On a wet muddy Saturday two Lewes teams each consisting of five riders entered a fun Charity ride in aid of Cystic Fibrosis organised by the Wanderers Clint Allen.
A hard fought second place was earned by one of the two teams over the twenty-mile off-road ride which started at Ditchling Beacon, followed the South Downs Way over Black Cap, Kingston and Firle, to finish in Seaford. Nineteen teams of five or more riders completed the course, rising in excess of £2,000 for this very worthy cause.
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