BUSA Hillclimb 1997

Another weekend, another long drive up North to do a very small (but quite intensive) bit of racing. Stuart, Craig, Richard, Dan and myself assembled on Saturday morning, and loaded up the cars before heading off. Dan had chosen a new experimental preparation programme of going out and getting completely pissed the night before, so was a tad hungover! Along the A14, and Stu passed us in the hired Golf, signalling the international gesture for 'need a drink'. Unfortunately we didn't realise they were talking about the car..... When we eventually stopped at the Leicester services on the M1, the needle was on totally empty, but the car just about made it to the petrol pump. We had wondered why the road was so quiet - it was because all the people were at the services - it was heaving. Anyway, Dan bought some breakfast and we trundled on. Then things started to go a bit pearshaped. A crash on the m'way brought everything to a halt, and we decided to divert thru Derby. On a Saturday morning. Having planned to get to the race about 1.5 hours before the start, we eventually arrived about 20 minutes before. So it was a case of quickly throw the bikes together and get a practise run in before the racing started. The hill was pretty long, with a course record of 4.58, and some variation in gradient. Now earlier in the year, I had been hoping to get in the medals here, after coming fifth last year, but when I saw the quality of the field, I new it would be very difficult. But it was a good day, with the expected winner, Jim Henderson from Hoxford taking his third consecutive title in fine form, and CUCC riders getting a taste of proper hills!

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