For the second year running Tiptree Velo sent a 4 man (well 3 men and a Trix) squad to take part in the Tour of Cambridgeshire.

The difference this year was a plan…to get Trixie Mish Mosh a place in the Masters World Championships in Perth later this year.

So with the team car loaded with bikes, luggage and riders, we headed off to Peterborough on Saturday afternoon, a 2 hour drive, riders registered, a quick browse around the cycling goodies for sale and it was off to the hotel to get ready for the pre-ride meal.

We ate out in Topo Gigio’s in Peterborough, service was good, food was good and an enjoyable team building evening was spent. 2 members of the team then crept out under the cover of darkness to increase their intake of alcohol for performance enhancing reasons, possibly a disco was involved but those who were involved are keeping their lips tightly sealed!!

We made arrangements to meet at the Little Chef at 7.45am the following morning only to find it doesn’t open until 8. It was decided to load the car and then eat there instead of taking a chance of getting breakfast in the arena, a good choice as there were huge queues like the previous year at most of the refreshment stalls.

The day started a little misty with the promise of sunshine. Once in the Arena, there was 3 hours to kill before the start, so we had another walk around, more coffee then back to the team car to prepare ourselves. Bikes were unloaded, tyres inflated, race numbers on bikes and jersies, kit on, suncream on, pockets filled with bars, gels, inner tubes, lippy and eye liner and soon it was time to head off to the starting pen.

The plan was to ride the 84 miles without stopping to clock a good time, hence the loading with food, but with one of the team a little under the weather (possibly from the dancing the previous evening) we ended up stopping at the 45 mile stop to stock up on food and drink for the last 40 miles. The last 40 miles was ridden at over 21 mph, in the last 5 miles we joined with another group of riders and with each team having a female member you could see they were both working hard to get their one over the line first. Trix battled away in her normal stubborn way and managed to take victory over her enemy and the team finished with aching legs, toes and backs and suffering with cramp which was an amusing sight and sound!

Finishing times were text to everyone and and very pleasing 19.3 mph was clocked but we didn’t receive the one saying ‘you’ve qualified’! We had worked so hard in the latter stages and so were a little disappointed not to get our Team Leader through.

However, the following Tuesday, the official results were published and there against Trix’s name was the ‘Q’ meaning that she HAD qualified and will be the first member of Tiptree Velo to don a GB jersey and represent us in the Masters Gran Fondo World Championships to be held in Perth, Australia in September!!

Well done to Trix and Team Trix, a great ride, a great day and we’re now looking forward to September, no pressure!!

Here’s to next year and more qualifiers.