Winning is becoming a way of life for Richard Gorst with two wins in two weeks. The latest was achieved in the Malvern Classics Cross Country and, just a week earlier, in the South West Cross Country final race of the season.
It has been a memorable season with many more to come and many thanks to our club sponsors Filling Station Cycles at Colyford and RBS Scaffolding.
A number of club members took on the awesome route that the Tour of Britain riders would be doing on Stage 2 the next day, 185 kms (about 115 miles), which took in a big loop initially through the South Hams with many ups and downs and then on to Tavistock to face the gruelling climb up over Dartmoor through Princetown and onwards to finish in Exeter.
Robert Sanders, Clive Heard and Jimmy Richards took on the entire route, while John Hodgetts and Neil Miller did a slightly shorter version by missing out the loop around the Hams.
Meanwhile, Lawrie Poole and Clive Lewis rode the considerably easier Somerset Sportive, which took in the challenge of riding up the Cheddar Gorge. It was fog all the way and after a pretty brutal first half mile or so, the gradient eased off and became very similar to a number of the East Devon hills, which we ride frequently, but some sunshine would have made it so much better.
Another group ride went on an expedition to Somerset to explore some old sites, and after coffee at the Chedzoy Village Hall, they set off on what was referred to as "The Last of the Summer Wine ride" as there were frequent reminiscences of Compo, Cleggy, and co ---those of a certain age will know about that.
The ride took in some windmill remains at Watchfield, the lighthouse remains at Burnham and the old tin tabernacle at Edithmead, and on to the Victorian fort at the end of Brean Down.
The recent local club ride took in the scarecrows at Colyford celebrating the Monmouth Rebellion and Ketchup was seen to be making friends with a medieval drag queen who appeared to be not liking his approaches. The knight in the background of the photo looked positively unhappy about the encounter. Such a grand effort by the community.