PGT day 2 - Bridgnorth and the Div Champs

Finn's People's Grand Tour nearly stalled before stage 2 having woken up this morning with a cough and a sniffly nose. At 7.30 Mom and I decided that he shouldn't ride today, but he perked up and was quite insistent that he wanted to give it a go so Dad eventually relented.

The air was cold, although not bitingly so, when we set out at about 9.30am and headed up to Halfpenny Green Vineyards to hook up with Tom, Finn's cousin/ my nephew. He used to ride as a teenager but lapsed until recently so was glad of the opportunity to ride with company at a gentle pace. Finn being a sociable beast was quite excited about riding with his cousin, and so we wound happily along the Shropshire lanes and on into Bridgnorth. W H Smith was shut to our surprise, so the second Batman Lego model, available in today's Sun, would have to be gained by other means. Fortunately Costa recently opened a branch just a few metres from Smiths giving us a perfect place to which to repair and plan that alternative method of Lego acquisition.

Suitably refreshed we headed up the infamous Hermitage climb to take in a lap or two of the West Midlands Divisional Road Race organised by Wolverhampton Wheelers. One of their promising young riders, Adam Lewis, took the junior race but the main event was taken by Kieren Frend of the Node 4 Giordana team after Rapha Condor Sharp's (and Fred's) Andy Tennant had driven an unsuccesful breakaway for a lap and a half (or a quarter of the race). Thanks to my mate and fellow Fred's rider Andy Whitehouse for this photo of Frend at the moment of victory.

With the still air warming but the chill factor when cycling still noticeable we headed home, reversing our outward route with one or two minor deviations. Apart from being buzzed by a Transit sized van - I felt the wind movement created by his wing mirror on my ear - the return trip was uneventful, if a little slower. Ring rustiness, plus the effects of his cough and cold, took their toll on the young 'un, but he kept going, kept smiling and enjoyed himself before eating us out of house and home!

Work and school tomorrow for the Trice boys, followed by a Fred's Racing Team photo shoot at Himley Park in the evening. Full report to follow.

Finn's data
Steve's data