La Fuga/Sigma Sport Club Run

Today I rode in the Sigma Sport/ La Fuga Club run.  This ride was organised to commemorate the opening of the new Sigma Sport Cycling shop in Hampton Wick and the relocation the La Fuga Tour operators to offices within the shop.  (I will be participating in the Etape through a La Fuga package.)

The New Sigma Sport Store

The new store is fantastic, spread over 3 floors and everything you could possibly need and plenty of stuff you probably don't!  The store is not surprisingly very bike/cyclist friendly with an internal bike racking system where you can securely leave your bike whilst you browse.

The Cube on the rack.

The ride was 'supported'  (more on that later) and started with a briefing outside before the departure.  There were 60 riders in total split into 3 groups and the groups were guided by members of the Sigma Sport Pro Cycling Team.

The route I took was slightly different to the scheduled route and you can see it here  http://www.mapmyride.com/ride/united-kingdom/west-molesey/132128966620373130
I seem to have developed an allergy to inclines!  I staid with the group all the way up to Hungry Hill and then started to go backwards.  I was last up Hungry Hill.  As I mentioned earlier this was a supported ride, meaning that there was a support vehicle as well as the ride guides.  The support vehicle came past me on the hill and said they would be waiting at the top.  The Car was the group was long gone!
I rode alone through East Clandon and was then was caught and dropped by the next group!  It was a good job I knew roughly where I was.

I caught up with the group when we got to the T stop at Peaselake.


Another Hill out of Peasleake up the Radnor Road, my pace picked up on this Hill and was more to do with the Sigma Pro riding alongside with his hand on my back.  Oh well it wasn't my day today.  A good thing though was that I made it up White Down Hill un aided, although I was hacking like a 20 Cigar a day man by the time i reached the top and my Heart rate was topping out at 176 bpm....not good.

Unsurprisingly despite a short rest at the top I was quickly dropped again for the 3rd time.  Again a good job I knew where I was as I spent the next 40 or so minutes riding back by myself no surprise I missed the turn everyone else had taken.  I stayed on the route I knew back through Cobham and was caught up by the group again on the Portsmouth Road towards Esher.

When we got to the finish back at the store we were given a goody bag full of energy gels and drinks and lots of other bits and pieces and I also got a Team Sky cycling cap.

In Summary, I finished the ride and didn't need to stop on the White Down hill, so I'm happy about that. I was a bit disappointed with the lack of route guidance, for the moments when I was riding alone.

I feel rough now with a real hacking cough, so I'll be taking a few days off the bike.