Col Du Honingham Report

Shrouded in clouds, the air thin with oxygen levels depleted, the sky impossibly close. The Col Du Hongingham: witness to heroic battles, closely guarded tactics honed over the years and the only place where a years worth of bragging rights can be claimed.

A small field gathered, marking the 2 minutes silence on Remembrance Sunday, before Don Saunders set the early standard - freewheeling in spectacular fashion - glasses a must to protect the eyes from the blistering speeds reached at the bottom. Adam Cross followed, but fell short of Don’s mark, next down the hill came David Collier - tucked in close to his handlebars for maximum aerodynamic fashion - his yoga practice paying off as he glided past Don’s chalk mark. But it was Mark Fairhead who claimed the ultimate prize, nearly taking off as he hurtled down the hill and over the small bridge, flying back up the other side - setting a distance that was out of reach Dan Blackburn who’s cyclocross tyres severely hampered his effort.

It was then time for the hill climb. Don graciously bowed out, opting to hold the riders up, so it was Adam who was off first - tearing away from the line, the lactic acid quickly sets in, lungs set to burst and legs on fire, the urge to ease off is fierce as the summit nears, the false summit before the final sprint quickly turns the legs turn to jelly. David Collier was next to take on the climb, cresting the summit, every ounce of energy spent - his time of 56seconds saw him take joint second place with Dan Blackburn, with Mark opting for a more leisurely climb - clearly soaking in his victory on the descent!

Freewheel:

Mark Fairhead, Don Saunders, David Collier

Hillclimb:

Adam Cross - 52seconds
David Collier - 56seconds
Dan Blackburn - 56seconds
Mark Fairhead - 1min 35seconds