LIVERPOOL CENTURY RACE REPORTS: Royal wedding by Hannah Summut

Well I am sure you all needed a plan how to avoid The Wedding, and this was ours. A joint effort which took us to deepest, steepest, sunniest Wales! Formulated initially by Ms Witzig and Mr Davies collaboration who sensibly looked to advice on routes from Miss Sammut! Of course you are all aware of how much Paul loves to be grumpy and Miss Sammut is an expert in finding routes which can make Paul very grumpy!
So a plan was formulated and the route advertised and it would start at nine from the Mills (the best cycling café in the world). Hannah and Duff finalised the fine details on the train, so keen were they the gates were still locked when they reached the Mills(the best cycling café in the world!). But the ever hospitable Anne and Keith immediately opened up and served coffee and cake! Claudi and Paul duly arrived, so who else partake in this Wales wackiness, on such a glorious day? Only one other crazy guy?!! (Well I thought there were more of you than that!) But WHAT a GUY, FANTASTIC PHIL to complete the fantastic five!!!!

Please note when attempting madness in Wales it is essential you eat enough cake! Cakes are the very most important part of the day and forgetting them is a fatal, fatal mistake. So we were very, very fortunate to have our own Cake maker none other than the fair Claudia!!!! So the day started perfectly with our tummies full of delicious muffins.

So off we set, not a wisp of apprehension, not a flicker doubt just the open road ahead of us and the unbridled joy at the prospect of all those hills!!! The route heads out over the white bridge into Flintshire and the first climb takes you over the Halkyn. It has its steep moments and a chance for the legs to note the pain of going uphill on your bike, knowing there are many more to come. The top opens out into moor lands a great views across to Liverpool and over to Moel Famau hills. After the fast decent you immediately climb Moel Arthur, which we proceeded up gently. On the decent we could tell Duff had been before us by the terrified pedestrians pressed against hedges and petrified drivers frozen to the spot.
But we all got down without injury.

The next climb is the Old Sportsmans who’s name is deceptive as many a young sportsman will find it a challenge. Then over by the Lakes and down to Cerrig.

Of course during the day all the ‘signs’ were fiercely contested. As a warm up for the Bala sign Hannah majestically ‘got’ the Cerrig sign, after a fine lead out from Duff. (got in the cycling sense of the word not in the Hannah Mac sense of the word) So we carried on to Bala, and everyone was getting twitchy for the sign. Duff led out again and at hair-raising speed we turned the corner for the last incline before the sign. Hannah went but too early and made the fatal mistake of looking left and was pipped to the sign by Devilish Speedy Gonzalez Davies!

After a big lunch in Bala, we climbed the beautiful Hirnant Pass, which meanders its way up the valley with trepidation growing as the hills seem to get bigger and bigger, but then it opens out and you can see the road stretching ahead of you …… to the top!

Round sunny Lake Vyenwy and on towards Glyn Cerriog. By this time our legs were feeling the climbs but the lovely little roads and glorious sunshine eased the pain.

Now a mention should be made for Paul’s legendary moaning. He tried and tried to get very grumpy, he even managed a f**k off at one point at the bottom of a hill. But as he was having so much fun and in such good company even he struggled to grumble! An achievement indeed!!!

As well as the sunshine and the roads we were of course entertained by Hannah’s singing. It is great when people know the words to songs, makes all the difference.

So the sprint was on for the Glen Cerriog sign, Duff easily got that one. But now the Spar! The wonderful spar before oohh Church Hill! ……….

Claudia had been a little quiet all day. It should be noted that everyone else on the day had cycled on these roads before, knew what to expect and had years of experience behind them. Claudia showed her ability, strength and stamina, her climbing got better over the day rather than worse, but the prospect ooohh Church Hill (daunting to the most experience cyclists) was weighing on her mind. With almost 90 miles in her legs she started up it. But she didn’t just cycle up it, she flew up it! Well Done Claudi, fantastic climb!

So now down into Llangollen and up the aptly named Worlds End, and the crossing of the ford. Oh it seemed an awful long way to that ford! It was at that point in the day when the good friends we had spent the day with were becoming objects on which to wish bodily harm. It is a surprise Hannah and Duff did not end up thrown over the steep valley sides of Worlds End!

However we got to the ford eventually and this allowed excellent opportunity for photo shots. Paul duly obliged and did his break dancing routine with bike, quite a spectacle to behold!