2 Weeks, 3 Sportives, Much Rain

My summer holidays finished with 3 sportives in 3 succesive Sundays over 2 weeks. The first was the tour of the shire starting in Crossford and heading down to the Lead Hills. I was meant to do the longer route but got cycling with a good group doing the medium and just stayed with them. The road was diabolical as was the wind and rain and by the end the so called medium route was only 15km shorter than the long one.

The next week I blagged a free entry into the Obree Sportive which coincidentally was on roads that surround where I live. It was the hardest sportive I have ever done. Firstly, because Ayrshire is lumpy and any 80 mile ride in it is hard and the organisers had chosen every lump they could find and added them together. Secondly because the wind and rain were horrendous. They were so bad that my Garmin packed in and had to be replaced.

The last of the 3 was the Tour of the Borders which I had experienced in the worst rain ever last year. I did this with my mate Tony and the weather held off for some dry(ish) roads and only light winds. Any sportive with macaroni pies at food stops and closed roads is good and this was the best fun of the 3.