Marc

I reckon the legend of Arran needs rejuvenated. So I hereby declare this is the year of the WSA, winter timetable starts 22/10/18 so I will be on the lookout for a decent Saturday thereafter.
Thought a  wee trip down memory lane to halcyon days of 2011 might be in order, and the pioneering 4 up that achieved the 1st SA. 
Dr Alan McLean, Fergus O'Carroll, Davie Borland and me.

 
 
 

Thanks to Jane and Dave for their efforts tonight. It was a sufferfest but great fun! 

Times are as follows and Alan will calculate the handicaps
Gerard and Graham on tandem                        16.30 - not eligible for trophy Alan T and Charlie                                               17.40 Scott and Joseph                                                17.10 John and Ginty                                                     17.02 Paul L and Ian Couttie                                         16.13 Marc and Galeb                                                    16.06 Fees collected and paid into club account £30, Paul L to pay. Scott junior.

Splendid rapid night. Well done to new guys. But the usp of this bunch was the guest appearance of one of the best riders in the world - Katie Archibald. Fantastic to ride with such a classy, powerful rider. And,  she graciously submitted to our various requests for photos, after she wiped the floor with everyone in the sprint!

Sorry I fly out on holiday that day. 

Sorry can't make it tomorrow, babysitting! When does the JWCC creche open again? 

Sorry can't make it tomorrow, babysitting! When does the JWCC creche open again? 

How about this selfie 
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Brilliant day at track today seeing the superstars. Capped off when  Matthijs BÜCHLI of the Netherlands, just 1 hour after winning gold in the kilo, asked for a selfie with me and Laura
   
     

Ivo completely dinghied me on Mill Street yesterday. He went straight to the top of my Wednesday black list of folk who refused to return my greeting, nod or smile: commuters, mountain bikers, joggers, walkers, children in buggies... There was a golden retriever in Bridge of Weir who didn't even look up when I said hello.  Yesterday was a bad day.

Ian won the sprint 
I'm booking the first flight home.

 
(Very well done Ian - Clune and sprint takes a special kind of oldster) 

It’s embarrassing really , I am ashamed deeply ashamed 

You'll know this already if you're on Facebook, but just to keep everyone in the picture. 
Huge win for oor Lusia today, wholly justifying her selection to the GB Team for world championships next month. 
Reward for dedication: her's and Kenny's. Chuffed to bits for the whole family. 
 

So, how good was that?
full monty of Arrochar then over the rest and hells glen. All at a businesslike pace.
After the ferry, Couttie & I turned right and went up the cut. Iain turned left at the top to head home via the whynn while I went right, to Largs and up the Haylie.
126 miles for me.
Going along the track into Paisley, I thought I’d  overdone it and began hallucinating as I passed a young guy riding a Pinarello Dogma, complete with deep section carbons-and wing mirrors stuck where the bar plugs go. He was wearing trainers too. 
Appaled.

You saying Frenchman can’t hurt themselves for 15 minutes? Cedric must be able to knock out a sub 16. 
Failed today in my attempt to go under 2 hours for 50 miles. So sore it took me 5 minutes to peel me off the bike.  So sore I’m kind of proud of myself
 Yes, you are probably right about the French. They’re too smart
 

Had some fun today at Vuelta stage finish in 2015 (Dumoulin) and 2017 (Froome). The 20% slopes are an outrageous way to finish a stage
 
 

That’s a shame. Will let you know if it’s on next week 

Just clocked a 64:28, which is 45 seconds faster than my PB for this course. Well chuffed with that considering my lack of training and fitness level, not to mention last night’s pepperoni and jalapeño pizza which was making its presence felt before the start.
The course is what it is, a relatively good first and last quarter and a brutal middle half. Conditions were excellent, hardly any wind and warm without being hot.

Me.
Is this a 2 day stage race?

Great run chaps! Rides like this remind me that I'm built for going downhill rather than up hill.  
 

Another good run today though those hills not getting  any easier. Iain set a very manageable pace on Stewarton road & I rewarded him with a peroni at my gaff. So major sponsor has nothing to fear we will be back next week

Great day in excellent weather, lots of tough wee climbs, legs feeling it now.. Amaretto is getting binned, we’ve found a new pit stop 

More importantly... is it any good??

Great time Gerard. 

No cars behind any of Heggies Heroes, Iain. Perhaps they were slowing down to take my photo at the top?
when I looked at my Garmin at the finish the display read “you’re awesome” can’t argue with that.