So, I did this Ride of the Falling Leaves thing yesterday

[Dec66]

It's quite a hilly sportive, especially the 110km route, which has some real barsteward climbs on it.

I read the results today, and it appears that the person who did it in the shortest time clocked... 2:24:57.

That's over 28mph, AVERAGE, on roads not closed to traffic. And there are hills on that ride where you see people blowing chunks at the side of the road.

If that was you, who managed that time; what sized engine was on the motorbike?

 

[Markymark]

Thank you. My victory lap was even faster.

 

[andytheflyer]

Must have been on a recumbent.

 

[Dec66]

Must have been on a recumbent.

They're banned, I think...

 

[zizou]

They will have missd out part of the route - same thing happened on the Etape Caledonian this year, the guy who had the fastest time (and unlike most uk sportives the times are ranked and there is a podium at the finish for the top 3) also uploaded his ride to strava presumably thinking noone would notice. He took a short cut and missed out about 30 miles including the KOM section!

 

[Dec66]

They will have missd out part of the route - same thing happened on the Etape Caledonian this year, the guy who had the fastest time (and unlike most uk sportives the times are ranked and there is a podium at the finish for the top 3) also uploaded his ride to strava presumably thinking noone would notice. He took a short cut and missed out about 30 miles including the KOM section!

I'm thinking that; there's two routes, one of 80km and one of 110km, and you decide at the last minute which to take as the routes split just after Woldingham. At the end of the ride, when the chip is taken off your helmet, you're asked which one you did as the timing setup defaults to the 80km.

So, either he's told them the wrong route, he's on a motorbike, or he's got the keys to Lance Armstrong's medicine chest. He was over 17 mins ahead of anyone else. If I'd have done the 80km in a shade under 2:25 I'd have been like a dog with two dicks.

The real "Falling Leaves" ride, the Giro de Lombardie, took place on the same day, and at that pace matey would have been in with a good shout of winning it.

 

[Elybazza61]

So,is it at all competitive?ie prizes and such because apparently doping is pretty rife in Italian(and other continental)sportives and gran fondos and there are a few ex-pros(ie a few banned ones) who target some of these;probably not likely but it might explain that speed.

 

[Dec66]

So,is it at all competitive?ie prizes and such because apparently doping is pretty rife in Italian(and other continental)sportives and gran fondos and there are a few ex-pros(ie a few banned ones) who target some of these;probably not likely but it might explain that speed.

Nope, not in the slightest (well, the Dulwich lads and lasses treat it as such... Joking!!)

The only "prize" on offer is a free pint and a dish of pasta at the end, which every rider gets (well, if you can queue up for that long, the pasta queue was out of the door, down the stairs and across the fields). So, other that the kudos of topping a spreadsheet sorted by time, nothing.

There is, of course, the very real possibility that the fella did the 110km, in 2:24:57, just by being a bloody good cyclist. In which case, he gets the biggest "chapeau" I've ever doffed.