Tour O' The Borders 'Race Village'

I had a good ride today. I'd gone down with workmate, and he had a few friends, so 5 of us were in the group.

I was in Wave 1 for the 120km course. These being the keenest riders, they set off at a cracking pace. Before long we were storming through Cademuir. As we head south through Stobo and Dreva, it gets a bit dull weather wise.

On the Talla Linn climb, the air is moist. This, and the road surface, add to the challenge of a 20% climb. Not bounced up a hill before. On the descent I spot a rider off the road, he is walking. The guy next to me shouts is he OK, and the response is Yes. He might be OK, but his the wheels on the bike are some distance apart, so he may be getting the sweeper vehicle back to Peebles.

There's the long descent to the Gordon Arms, currently being re-built after a fire, where we turn right up Berrybush. This is difficult as we're in to the wind. There someone I work with for a while, but I, unexpectedly, drop him. Once at the top, its a sharp left to Ettrickbridge, and the only time climb Witchyknowe. I get up this ok, quite fast as well.

The descent is fun and twisty. Unfortunately someone has come off at the bottom, so we are all signalled to slow down. I join a group of four riders, and we work together in to the wind back to the Gordon Arms and up Paddy Slacks. I let them go for the descent to Traquair. I think I will achieve my sub 4 hour without a mad descent on a bumpy road. The back road to Peebles is one I know well, and it is sheltered from the wind.  In no time at all, I've finished the ride. Definitely a sub 4 hour time.

When I get to the race village, there's hardly anyone around,  That means no queue for coffee, a nice large flat white and a nice fruit bun thing to. It was quite cloudy. I'm going to have a long wait.

No one turns up at the finish for ages. Then a large number of riders all seem to appear at once. A couple of incidents on the descent of Talla Linn have resulted in many people waiting on the Talla Linn climb for an hour or so. Apparently two other riders came off, one requiring air ambulance, this guy will survive, unlike his bike. That information makes me worried for my companions. I do phone my workmate, but there's no response.

They do all turn up eventually, and we all get something to eat before heading home.

My final time was 3:50:01, 76th. And my climb time was 08:29, 70th.