This year’s 19th May Flyer Sportive sold out quickly, and as usual was a lovely lumpy course, well signed & very well-marshalled by SWRC. Two distances are available, 90k and 153k with many initially opting for the longer tougher route. Luckily that included all the young talented ones, even if several cut short at the moment of choice (and then in classic Sportive style didn’t tell the organisers that their unbelievable time was, er well, unbelievable). I had to be back home before I started, or I would be in trouble, again. I therefore sensibly entered the 90k ‘short’ route, but it is still no easy ‘Windsor’ ride.
The May Flyer includes Staples Lane, Pitch Hill, Coombe Lane plus other Surrey climbs to separate the mountain goats from life’s fuller figured he men and she ladies. I set off with fellow Viceroy, ‘Kona’ Steve Hobson, and some other locals – ‘Kona’ Steve Drew, Andrew ‘pulls like a train’ Cain plus Guy. (Not sure of guy’s surname, as he was ghost riding). At the start I am busy wondering whether people called a Steve are in some way genetically pre disposed to qualify for Kona, as here I am with not 1 but 2 Kona Steves! Soon we are off, so better keep up as my fuller figured mates are really carving through the riders who set off in earlier groups.
Some well drilled thru & off and we were dropping the 15 or so riders who tucked in for free speed behind us by the time we peak Staples Lane. The he men in our little breakaway (who don’t forget contained two Kona legends) were doing their best to look slim and svelte on the climbs, while Guy & I did our best to look vaguely masculine on the flats. Guy (the ghost rider) clearly had some form, having done the classics this season. He was also capable of having a fight in an empty room, which he demonstrated as we happened across 3 Vervetto club mates. They were minding their own business & riding within themselves, but then tagged on the back as we came trundling past looking like 2 Kona legends, 2 small goats plus Andrew pulls like a train’ Cain. Guy took all of 30 seconds to take offence at their tagging along and not helping pull, & then ‘wisely’ set about castigating the biggest of the 3 to thoroughly reprimand him. At the point the big Vervetto rider explained: ‘in a minute I am going to lamp you’ Guy decided to honourably fall back into the Company of our Kona legends, & Andrew ‘the train’ Cain as this little skirmish was on the steeper slopes of Pitch Hill, so the Kona Steves & Andrew were, well, no longer amongst us (but somewhere out the back).
By the descent into Gomshall or whichever village it was, we were all back together & happy families & Guy apologised for overdoing his scolding. Up Coombe with about 20 minutes of riding to go, and again the group quickly splits. The young Vervetto riders plus Guy and I at the front, and then out the back the bigger fuller figured Kona legends & Andy. So here was the dilemma… Do I let these three young bucks ride off and perhaps win outright, or drop my mates and take the glory? Yep, no choice really, couldn’t let the chance of glory slide, so I buggered off up Coombe (whereas by contrast Guy politely waited for the two Kona Steves & Andy). After a fast descent of Green Dene into East Horsley, Cobham & then Oxshott the May Flyer was over, and I had won (as much as it is politically correct to say that about a Sportive) by 2 minutes. Andrew Cain & Steve Hobson were 2nd & 3rd & ensured some fully grown men made up the podium, two of us being Viceroys! (The 3 Vervetto riders had started far enough ahead that we all beat them by a few minutes). Lots of other Viceroys took part, some going short, others long, and some going long but then short on the day. In summary, a great local event that is well worth entering in 2018.
‘Leadville’ Pete Kelsey
