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Rats in London

Rob Howard / 06.10.2008

With the aches from the previous evening’s Prologue still in their legs and A-Z maps clutched in their hands, teams arrived bright and early at Potters Field for the pre-race briefing. Some were ailing more than others, particularly Aberdeen Asset Management who had considered withdrawing when Paul Currant was violently ill during the prologue. (So much so they considered going to hospital ... but he lined up for the start next day instead!)

Just to ease out the kinks there was more street running to start the day, with a race along the South Bank to collect a Google map of nearby checkpoints, all with different values. Teams had to get 100 points before returning to collect their bikes but for slower teams there was the option of missing this stage and heading off directly – giving them a head start on a long day of racing.

Many chose to do this but the race immediately hit a snag - the route over Tower Bridge was closed. It wasn’t open for shipping but closed for the filming of a Hollywood movie! While the bridge was shut and the police by the barriers nervously watched a few hundred waiting black-shirted and twitchy mountain bikers the heroine (best known for CSI Miami I’m told) ran across the empty bridge into the arms of the lead man. It was a tender moment – somewhat spoilt by the loud and ironic cheers from the waiting racers!

After 5 minutes the barriers were lifted and the first group of racers were on their way, but by the time the main pack completed their street orienteering and arrived to cross the bridge – it was closed again! This time there was a ship going through and the wait was longer – too long for some teams who turned and took a different route. Others chose to wait and one way or another all the teams began to make their way past many of the city’s iconic landmarks on the other side of the Thames. Down steps below Saint Paul’s, along the embankment, round Parliament Square, down The Mall, past Buckingham Palace and into Hyde Park – it was the route taken last year but well worth repeating.

After all that splendour and the undignified spectacle of tow ropes entangling and bikes crashing on The Mall (Aberdeen Asset were involved again), the next destination was ... under the A40 flyover! More specifically it was the Westway indoor Climbing Centre where there was a large queue to get into the climbing walls, but everyone was timed out and it was a chance for an early rest.

Next up was another nearby landmark, which gets many visitors, but none of them tourists – it was time of a Prison Break at Wormwood Scrubs. This was a three-legged course through the woods at the back of the prison (outside of the walls), which some accomplished more smoothly than others before moving on to the Grand Union Canal Towpath, which they were to follow for the next 40km.

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