The third round of this summers Dark and White evening series was a little closer to home South of Buxton near Longnor. I even managed to nav my way through some tiny lanes to avoid Ashborune’s rush hour (a sly route Julie P had suggested) and got there for a fairly early start.
There was a stiff wind blowing from the South and I had a feeling this would be an issue out on the course affecting route choice as the area is very exposed.
I decided that the valleys to the West would be fairly sheltered so headed off anticlockwise with the wind behind me. I completely cocked up my first checkpoint with a right schoolboy error. I always carry my control descriptions stuffed up my shorts, only resorting to them if I can’t see a checkpoint when I get to the centre of the circle but this time I paid for it, standing on top of an old railway bridge looking down to my first control on the cyclepath far below. Muppet! I should have known the organisers wouldn’t have put the control on a main road !
I had no choice but to leave it and cut my losses but I’d just thrown away 10 points !
I rode fairly well, and missed out a few controls not on my route, knowing there was no way anyone would clear up on this bigger than average map and finished strongly up the old railway line to the finish 4 mins late.
Those 10 points cost me 2nd place and I ended up 6th – Doh!