2 years ago I did this Sportive with Barry and Rob as we were staying down in the Area. It was a great local sportive with a pretty route around the South Downs. The event ran smoothly and we had a marvellous day.
Oh how things have changed. Jez, Emma, Barry, Caroline, Geraldine and Marek Glowinski , Nick Hougham and Gym turned up at various times to begin with Emma being the only one attempting the longer route of 108 miles whilst the rest of us were doing teh 65 miles route. Barry and I arrived at a feed that was off the beaten track where we were quickly joined first by Jez then Emma. The signage was so poor that at that point we had done 25 miles, Jez 43 and Emma 76 km. It turned out that Jez was the only one in correct place. We returned with emma to the correct route where it turned out the split for the long route was not marked properly and the feed was hidden in a pub garden with no sign outside. jez conitnued back but followed signs quite correctly but not in the right place and ended up going back over the route all over again. Geraldine ,Marek and Gym managed to climb the hardest climb twice whilst Nick, Barry and Caroline Seemed to find there way. A new sportive called the little Grumpy will appear next year we think!
Oh dear, what a mess up, such a shame when much effort has gone into getting there, but I guess the Clarencourt spirit shone thro’ and you all made the best of a bad day, and had a small glass to drown the memory. better luck next year, will you go again ???
Baz
Ouch. That’s the one where I first came across the Clarencourt – seem to remember tearing (ahem) my way round the 100 mile route & bumping into Caroline at some point. Signage must have gone downhill then – pity, it was a good route I seem to recall (and some lovely cakes at the feeds).
I felt so dead at the end of the sportive I put my name down at the local embalmers