Control

Yesterday and today were one and the same.  Being in text message contact with the previous control we knew we had a few hours of sleep potential, and while I led down for a while I wasn't tired enough so got up and fiddled with my airbed system for cyclist sleeping.  Wobbly, my colleague, grabbed a few minutes of shut-eye on the job.  He had completed a 600 km last weekend and was a great source of knowledge and inspiration (when awake, obviously), and one of these eccentrics for whom long rides are not enough of a challenge in themselves and so decide to ride them on unusual machines (a Pashley at the moment).

We had a smallish collection of fast riders who got to us early enough to sleep, but the majority slept at the previous control and so arrived in a fairly constant stream from 6 am or so.  Most had been caught in the rain at some point, and I saw a couple of innovative uses of plastic bags. Some arrived full of enthusiasm, others clearly absolutely knackered, but all friendly and in good spirits.  I ended up stamping brevet cards including those of a few audax legends.

By closing time we had four unaccounted-for riders, two of whom proceeded to appear while we were clearing up, so we found the stamp for their cards and a bit of food to keep them going.

I left to drive home about 2 pm, which took forever.  After stopping for a couple of power naps it was clear that they weren't working and so I pulled up in a lay-by next to a dual carriageway and got the sleeping bag out in the back of the van, which shook dramatically every time a car went by, but I managed to sleep nonetheless.