I was looking through the Brampton Control footage, and Heather Swift checked in Jasmijn Muller at 2.20 am on the Monday morning. The current interest in women in endurance cycling is commendable, But Heather DNF'd PBP in 1999, finished in 2003, and rode multiple Mersey Roads 24s from 1999, albeit a lot slower than Jasmijn. Later on, another woman who completed the 24 the week before, was checking in riders on the Brampton desk.
Whilst standing outside Kings College in Cambridge, it occurred to me that I'd encountered the endurance cycling equivalent of the dons walking past me. Out on the road and in the controls.
Ivo once said to me that Arrivee was more like a learned journal than a club magazine. I've often compared the PBP registration to a freshers week, with riders comparing qualifiers, as if they were A levels.
Familiarity with graduates of LEL, PBP, the 24, and other 1200+ rides, meant that I was able concentrate attention on those who hadn't participated in such events before, which injected some variety.