as it has lost Hawkshead Hill at the beginning
First year I did the Fred I’d read up about all the hills, however Hawkshead didn’t even get a mention. Halfway up I remember thinking to myself “This is tough but it doesn’t even merit a mention in the list of hills, so what the hell is the rest of the course like”.
More than nine hours later I’d found out., including having to walk bits of Hardknott and Wrynose. Wore out one of my cleats walking up Wrynose and couldn’t clip in one foot for the last 12 miles. If the climbs were tough, some of the descents were bloody terrifying. And then there was the wind and rain.
Swore at the end I was never doing it ever again. So did the guys I was doing it with. By the second pint that night we were already working out how we’d be quicker the next time. And we were.
Great event run by great people. I still firmly believe they should use it as a Tour of Britain stage.