Chiltern 100 ... a ranch rider was there... (click on the title...)

The start wasn't great with rain pouring down... We started at 08:30 and for the first half hour the rain didn't stop... then it finally stopped and it didn't rain till the end... This course is challenging and I know the Chilterns are not the Alps but the number of hills that you need to climb really kill you... I didn't count them but i guess you are talking of at least 15/20... most of them similar to "la subida de la muerte...." I missed the first food station (it sems like everyone else did as well) and we all arrived at the second (and final station) starving and w/o water... Stopped for five/ten minutes to get some food on and drink some water and move on.... then the disaster happens... near Turville in a tiny little country road I had two cars in front of me and another care coming on the opposite direction... The two idiots decided to stop and I was flying down ... tried to stop but the gravel didn't help and I crashed.... It took a bit to recover then got myself together again and rode till the end... It has never happen to me before ... it was painful and I still had 30 miles to go ... so I joined another peleton and I even managed to chip in a sprint in the final 3miles of the course and pulled the peleton to the end... All in all a good course but I think more challenging than the Prosecco race.. I think the ranch should be there next year in full... See you in Nauders...........