Fred Whitton 2008
Thames Velo sent a ten-man team to this year's Fred Whitton Challenge - held annually in May at Coniston. The event is possibly one of the most famous of all the UK homegrown one-day cyclosportives.
Starting & finishing at Coniston, the 114 mile circular route includes Ambleside, Kirkstone Pass, Patterdale, Troutbeck (north), Keswick, Borrowdale, Honister Pass, Buttermere, Newlands Pass, Braithwaite, Whinlatter Pass, Loweswater, Ennerdale Bridge, Gosforth, Eskdale & finishes with the brutal Hardknott & Wrynose Passes, which have gradients of 30%.
The team comprised: Tim Brass, Harry Bulstrode, Graham Giggs, Paul Redman, Ian Lowe, Derwent Jeffery, Mike Mills, John Nicholls, Mark Nathan and Martin Porter.Of these, seven have ridden the event before - with Harry Bulstrode beating Mike Inder's club record of 6hrs 52mins with an admirable 6hrs 42mins.
The Thames Velo base for 2008 was the ever popular Hawkshead Youth Hostel, which requires a nice warm-up hill to negotiate prior to the start proper in Coniston.
For more information, have a look at the official website fredwhittonchallenge.org.uk. Here are the team times:
| Harry Bulstrode | 6:42:26 |
| Ian Lowe | 7:08:27 |
| Tim Brass | 8:03:57 |
| Martin Porter | 8:16:19 |
| Michael Mills | 8:19:29 |
| Paul Redman | 8:38:26 |
| Mark Nathan | 8:46:59 |
| Derwent Jeffery | 9:14:01 |
| Graham Giggs | 9:29:55 |
| John Nicholls | 9:47:08 |
