Miles Back received a call from Mark Brooking and Ray Kelly as they awaited for the last riders to pass through the top Scottish LEL control. It seems a group of five Italian riders were away and had built up a day’s lead over the nearest riders. Mama mia, those boys are shifting.
So far four bikes have been stolen on the event, all of them at or near the London start. Mark Brooking has proved to be a hero and has lent one of the riders his pride-and-joy Condor for the event. Also one Greek rider wrote-off his bike within audax-spitting distance of the start. So the Lee Valley bicycle industry should be comfortably defy the recession with replacements.
The modern Audaxer when not obsessing about lights and GPS downloads now manages to find time to keep a running commentary on Twitter. It seems the weather has been bad and a number of riders have packed it in.
No news on how the Willesden riders are doing as yet, but they are made of strong stuff
Miles Back 29 July 09
