The UK/European 24-Hour Championship

Cycling with a stiff upper lip

This was the cycling experience of a lifetime.

by Joel Sothern

Ultracycling Cup Competition for ultra riders of the season

Let it never be said that the British lack either resourcefulness or resolve, or that they take their time trials lightly! This year's UK 24-Hour Championship race was held just days after record-breaking rains caused widespread flooding throughout the UK. In fact, a portion of the race course was flooded out, so last-minute route changes were made to avoid the need to mount flotation devices on our bicycles. Given that this race has a long tradition (this was the 65th? edition of the race), there was never any thought given to canceling or postponing the event.

The day dawned gray and dour, with the threat of rain to come. This would be one of those “times that try men's souls”, to quote a famous Brit. The air was thick with humidity (90+ percent when it wasn't raining) and the temperatures were relatively low (50's during the day, 40's at night). It sprinkled on and off all morning, leaving the roads wet and uninviting. The first rider began at 1 p.m. in relatively dry conditions (no mass starts here; instead, riders started at one-minute intervals), but by 2 p.m. the rain was “bucketing” (raining cats and dogs, for those of us on the other side of the Atlantic ). I was #84 so by the time I reached the starting line at 2:24 p.m. the roads were very wet and I was drenched. The rain continued off and on the remainder of the day, but thankfully stopped overnight before starting up again Sunday morning. The roads remained wet for virtually the entire race, which called for increased attention to avoid hidden potholes and other obstacles.

This year's field was the largest and strongest in recent memory, even without the presence of last year's champion and without Marko Baloh who canceled due to health problems. The results provide the best proof that the Brits are some of the best 24-hour time trialists in the world: 24 of the 85 entrants in this non-drafting race completed more than 400 miles in spite of the conditions. The men's winner, Eamonn Deane, completed 501.04 miles (the Brits are sticklers for accuracy) while the women's winner, Lynne Taylor, finished in fourth place overall with an astounding 459.29 miles, just two miles shy of the women's competition record.

The UMCA was represented by Chris “Hoppo” Hopkinson, resplendent in his unique multi-colored hairstyle, and myself, the first American to compete in the event. Hoppo performed very well (as always), logging 436.85 miles and earned the title of UMCA European 24-Hour Champion. In addition Hoppo's API Metrow team won the team competition based on his performance and that of his two teammates. Since this was my third 24-hour race in six weeks and my second in 14 days, I didn't expect to be among the leaders. Thankfully I was able to complete a respectable 419.98 miles; however, given the fierce competition that mileage didn't even put me in the top 15 finishers! Given my advanced age, though, I was still able to qualify as the UMCA European 24-Hour 50+ Champion.

As a “Yank in King Arthur's Court” this was a unique experience, so please allow me to share a few personal observations:

I've only been cycling for two years and racing for one, but this was without doubt the best organized and supported race I've entered. The course was well marked and volunteers were posted at every major intersection to direct the cyclists. These volunteers stood in the rain and bone-chilling cold, most of them without the benefit of umbrellas, throughout the day and night. There were more than 100 volunteers, some of whom had been helping with the race each year for decades. The race organizers brought my supplies to a central location where I could access them during the race fairly easily. They also had a nice selection of hot and cold food and drink available, which made it very tempting to sit, relax and enjoy their offerings. I had to politely decline their invitations to partake, though, because I was afraid if I sat down to eat I might not feel like getting up again!

The hospitality of the British people was amazing. Let me give just a few examples:

• I wore my California Republic cycling jersey and was greeted warmly countless times by other competitors, crew (most of the other competitors were supported by crews), and volunteers.

• One competitor told me to stop by his support van if I needed anything.

• Another rider's support crew gave me and my bike a ride back to the race headquarters at the end of the race. This act of kindness not only saved me a six-mile ride when I was very near exhaustion but also prevented me from getting soaked yet again since the rain started pouring 10 minutes after I finished. They also gave me a ham sandwich from their support stock – after 24 hours of subsisting on nothing but energy drinks, gels and the occasional banana, I thought that was the best ham sandwich I'd ever eaten! I later found out that the Good Samaritan was none other than Andy Wilkinson, who holds the all-time 24-hour record of 525.07 miles!!

Hoppo was extremely helpful, both in getting me into the event and in encouraging me throughout the race. Every time he saw me on the course he called out words of encouragement and at one point in the middle of the night he passed me but slowed down for a few miles to chat. I can say from personal experience that he is a great asset to the UMCA and am very happy that he was elected to the Board of Directors!

Riding on the other side of the road and navigating roundabouts presented extra challenges. In case you haven't been fortunate enough to visit the UK, there are very few four-way street intersections. Instead, anywhere from 3-6 or more roads intersect at seemingly random angles. A circle is used at the intersection, normally without the benefit of traffic lights. One enters the roundabout after yielding to other approaching roundabout traffic and continues around the circle until reaching the desired exit (or, in my case, continues going around and around in circles until he finally figures out which exit is the right one…hopefully). Thankfully during the race all roundabout exits were clearly marked and in most cases were manned by volunteers pointing the way. As a result, even this directionally-challenged rider stayed on course the entire race.

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