Day Three Review

The Ride to Northampton 2 team completed their 172 mile journey in the worst weather of the three day event. The wind and rain was non-stop right from the beginning of day 3 and made the final days riding the toughest. The weather coupled with a puncture and a bad fall also delayed the team’s arrival at Sixfields until around 14:00 but this meant that a bigger crowd had time to gather to give all 17 riders a rapturous welcome as they peddled in through the gates.

The group set off in drizzle, on the shortest leg of the three day ride. The conditions made it hard with numerous climbs during the early stages of the day. It had been decided that everyone would stick together as one group for the final day and the lads kept to their word, stopping often to ensure the pack formation was kept to. A welcoming downward section saw the group to Eye Brook Reservoir before the realisation that there was a climb to get back out of the valley.

Quick photo opportunity at Eye Brook Reservoir

The main stop for the day was the Waitrose cafe at Market Harborough. The occupants of the cafe looked rather bemused when 17 muddy cyclists joined the queue but many were soon passing on their best wishes as well as donating to the cause. The stop also meant there was time for part 4 of the ‘Mug-Off’. The challenge was for each rider to take it in turns to name a village/town that was listed on the route booklet. This would go on until either Waterworth or Corker got one wrong, couldn’t recall or repeated. It was over very quickly as Corker said Oakham which wasn’t cycled through, just used for its public house.

After final well wishes, the riders left Market Harborough bound for Northampton on National Cycle Route 6. A few beeps of encouragement from Cobblers fans and the riders made their way out of the town. The route for the final leg wasn’t accessible for the support vans so they made their way straight to Northampton to await the riders or to be called back if needed. With a target arrival time of 13:00, a puncture added a slight delay but it was the wind and muddy track that really slowed the group down. In addition, a bad fall left Tom Poole with a dislocated shoulder that managed to ‘pop’ back in and remarkably he was able to cycle the last five miles. A brief rendezvous with the van saw the entire group don British Heart Foundation t-shirts for the final mile to Sixfields where they were greeted with a huge welcome from a sizeable crowd gathered near the club shop.

The group on the final approach to Sixfields

The work didn’t finish there though as the riders immediately started their bucket collection which after counting was found to have raised an amazing £912.31 on its own!
A final lap around the pitch to received the plaudits of home and away supporters alike followed before the riders posed for photographs with Amanda & Alex Henderson as well as  NTFC chairman Kelvin Thomas and YCFC chairman Jason McGill.

Riders with Amanda & Alex Henderson, Kelvin Thomas and Jason McGill.

At the time of writing, the justgiving total stands at £5167, this is before the bucket collection and YCFC squad donations are added to it. A number of riders still have sponsorship and raffle ticket sales to collect in whilst a second bucket collection will be held at the return game on Tuesday 23rd February. And on March 3rd, the raffle will be drawn. With all these things to come, it is hoped that the final amount raised will go very close to topping last years total of £7233.

The justgiving page remains open https://www.justgiving.com/ridetonorthampton2/
whilst it is still possible to donate by text:
Text YCFC56 £x to 70070.

Tuesday 23rd February: Bucket Collection before York City v Northampton Town (19:45 ko)
Thursday 3rd March: Raffle draw at York Minstermen’s Quiz Night, The 1922 Bar, Bootham Crescent.

 

Day Two Review

The Ride to Northampton 2 team were given a tough test during day 2 of their three day ride. The longest route of the event featured numerous inclines including the now famous ‘Corker Hill’ following Rob Corker’s impressive feat in conquering it with ease last year.

After a quick start winding through the countryside from the overnight stop in Corringham, the group began to hit the first of many slight inclines as they cycled on towards Lincoln and beyond. With the support vans unable to follow on some of the route, the cyclists were left to their own devices. It didn’t prove to be an issue thought and in fact, it was the support vans who came unstuck as they were interrupted during an alternative tourist trip to Lincoln and requested to rendezvous with the riders at the base of Corker Hill. Typical to how the morning had gone, the riders reached the agreed point first and saw the vans coming towards them – from the top of the hill…

Corker Hill was the venue for the third challenge in the mug-off series, a simple who can get to the top first or if neither could, who would get the furthest without getting off. Corker ultimately failed to conquer the hill named after himself – the fact he was wearing a pair of ‘Gods Gift’ knickers from Ann Summers, had nothing to do with it- and Waterworth took a 2-1 lead into the final day after the rescheduling of the evening task.

Gods Gift himself – @keithcurleis – cycled up one of the biggest climbs of the journey in his own way this morning pic.twitter.com/h8YGMlhxVe

— Ride 2 Northampton 2 (@ycfc_2_ntfc) February 5, 2016

Lunch was an absolute disaster – at least from Tom Poole’s point of view – the Railway pub at Ancaster which serves Chinese food was closed as it’s owners had returned to their home country to celebrate Chinese New Year. Fortunately, the locals who appeared to be stealing metal from a shed, suggested an alternative venue that went down very well with all the riders.

The second half of the ride proved to be tough for a large number of the group with the light drawing in and the winding roads featuring a number of inclines and downhill parts on much busier roads. Of course, Rob Corker managed to get himself into a spot of trouble with a local resident – who took a dislike to his decision to water her plants.

But the darkening night, aching limbs and a herd of deer running out in front of the main pack of riders would not stop the group from sticking together to ensure that everyone was keeping up. And at around 17:00, the first riders reached our second overnight stop at the Redwings Lodge in Uppingham to complete a gruelling challenge but one that every single rider should be proud of.

Newbie this year, Jim Calverley fell asleep when asked about his day 2 experience so instead we have gone with this motivational quote:
“Coming together is a beginning, staying together is progress, working together is success”

After eating in Oakham, the return to Redwings was livened up by Russ Leeming working his way through his back catalogue of impressions, ranging from Akon to Colin Walker, the former YCFC manager.

Tomorrow, sees the final leg of the journey, with a shorter distance from Uppingham and into Northampton itself via Market Harborough before moving onto Sixfields Stadium where the riders will be presented to the crowd ahead of the game. The weather looks a challenge with rain and strong winds forecast for late morning so a 7:45am set off has been declared to keep everyone on track to be at Sixfields sometime around or before 13:00.

The weather forecast for tomorrow is rubbish for the cyclists from York. Let's dig deep and make their efforts worthwhile @ntfc @ycfc_2_ntfc

— Russell Bott (@RussellBott) February 5, 2016

The total raised so far has reached £4423 and it’s hoped that a bucket collection ahead of kick-off tomorrow can push us on towards the £5000 mark.
Please keep spreading the word, text donations are the quickest and easiest;
Text YCFC56 £x to 70070.

Day Two– Corringham to Uppingham Stats
Distance covered: 73.6 miles
Hours spent in the saddle: 6+ hours
Falls: 3
Punctures: 0

The Waterworth v Corker ‘Mug-Off’ Challenge
– Challenge 1: ‘3 Doughnuts Challenge’ – Waterworth Wins
– Challenge 2: ‘Upside down YCFC Quiz’ – Corker 5/5, Waterworth 1/5
End of Day 1 Score: Corker 1-1 Waterworth
– Challenge 3: ‘Corker Hill’ – Waterworth Wins.
End of Day 2 Score: Corker 1-2 Waterworth

The group are due at Sixfields on Saturday around 12:45 and will be presented to the crowd before kick-off at around 14:45.
To follow their progress tomorrow and on Saturday, visit the twitter @ycfc_2_ntfc.

Day One Review

Our 17 riders set off on the first day of Ride to Northampton 2 this morning from Bootham Crescent. Raising money for the British Heart Foundation, the Minstermen supporters left at 8am to embark on the first leg of a 170 mile journey to Northampton Town’s Sixfields Stadium. All 17 had reached our first stopover in Corringham near Gainsborough by 15:30 after a great day with the weather staying kind. The day saw the fundraising total hit the £4000 mark.

The journey from Bootham Crescent took the riders out towards Selby before passing through Camblesforth, Carlton, Snaith and onto a lunchtime stop at The White Hart in Thorne. The difference in experience between our first time riders and the veteran second timers was clear, with the majority of the former opting for the fry-up offered in the pub and the returnees sticking to their pre-prepared pasta meals.
The pub offered the opportunity to stage the first challenge of the Dan Waterworth v Rob Corker ‘Mug Off’ series. Featuring 5 different challenges, it is hoped that it will encourage further donations as people choose their likely winner.

Waterworth proved to be the victor in the aptly named ‘Doughnut Challenge’ – destroying three jam doughnuts in just over a minute before having time to clear his throat and announcing that “Robert Corker, you are a mug”.

Over half way there on day 1. Stopped for a healthy dinner. @ycfc_2_ntfc pic.twitter.com/ed3m4AaSQR

— Shaun Wathey (@Wathey) February 4, 2016

The second half of the journey featured a 10km straight route from Sandtoft through to Misterton and Beckingham. There was enough time to hold round two of the ‘Mug-off’ on a country road. The ‘Upside Down YCFC Quiz’ making it’s first appearance, quite possibly a worldwide first. Whilst assisted by other riders, each contestant had to perform a hand stand whilst answering YCFC related questions. Corker redeemed himself for a shocking performance in the ‘doughnut challenge’ by getting all of his 5 questions correct including the 13/14 top goalscorer. Waterworth however struggled and could only recall Josh Carson as the man who scored the winning penalty v Bradford in this seasons League Cup.  We go in to tomorrow’s two challenges level pegging.

The final segment of the journey into the hotel in Corringham passed without any incident as all 17 riders completed the day, all be it a bit spread out.

Ride to Northampton 2 Day 1 is complete. We have well untruly smashed today. Only 100 miles to go #ridetontfc2 pic.twitter.com/aaVUeEIrXa

— Adam Livingston (@adamlivvo) February 4, 2016

Whilst recovering from the days exploits, main organiser Ian Jones gave his thoughts on how the day had gone:
“To my surprise, the opening day has gone a lot better than expected with all of the new lads settling in well to the group and no major incidents, especially for myself, as I didn’t fall off this time!”

Seasoned ‘mug’ Rob Corker said:
“I really enjoyed today’s ride. The highlight of my day was of course destroying Waterworth in the YCFC Upside down quiz. Tomorrow, I look forward to conquering Corker Hill once again.”

Day Two will see the riders travel from Gainsborough to Uppingham, Rutland with the group heading south from Gainsborough at 8am. They will pass to the east of Newark and Grantham before turning south west in the Stamford area and finishing at their second hotel. The distance will be in the region of 70 miles after today’s trip of just over 60.

To donate to the great charity cause; visit https://www.justgiving.com/ridetonorthampton2/

or text ‘YCFC56 £(amount)’ to 70070

**********************************************************************

Day One – York to Corringham Stats
Distance covered: 61.2 miles
Hours spent in the saddle: 6 hours
Falls: 1
Punctures: 1

The Waterworth v Corker ‘Mug-Off’ Challenge
– Challenge 1: ‘3 Doughnuts Challenge’ – Waterworth Wins
– Challenge 2: ‘Upside down YCFC Quiz’ – Corker 5/5, Waterworth 1/5
End of Day Score: Corker 1-1 Waterworth

The group are due at Sixfields on Saturday around 12:45 and will be presented to the crowd before kick-off at around 14:45.
To follow their progress tomorrow and on Saturday, visit the twitter @ycfc_2_ntfc.

The Final Countdown with Craig Atkin

In less than 36 hours, Ride to Northampton 2 will be under way with the riders (hopefully) well on their way out of York in their journey south. The fundraising total at the time of writing has surpassed the £3250 mark which is amazing. We caught up with route planner Craig Atkin to hear how the final preparations have been going.

What has been going on since we last spoke?
In a word – lots!  Personally I have been out on four good training rides and felt better each time, both during the ride and in recovery.  Six of us cycled 101km back from Darlington after taking the train up there.  The following two weekends were 69km and 111km rides, both as a threesome. Lastly, four of us went for a ride on Thursday, one week before the off, covering 65km.  I know others have been going out riding too.  That said I know some haven’t, and I received a text just a few days ago from one rider who wanted to know which bike to get (he has one now) so some have done very little prep it would seem.

I’ve had a plethora of friend requests and Strava followers too, since finalising the route on there.  Monies have been collected from a couple that had to pull out but have still contributed, big thanks to those lads.

A huge Thank You to ‘Go Outdoors’ York, especially Ben Garwood for all their help and support. A fair few of the riders have had their bikes serviced and five have attended a bike maintenance training course, all provided free of charge. Everyone involved has reported back that is was very useful and a worthwhile exercise, lets hope no-one needs to use too many of their newly found skills!

Any dirt on your fellow riders?
There was some on Darren Skillbeck when he fell off the other day!

Ability wise I’ve cycled with eight different participants.  Five from last year’s ride, and three new lads.  Of the new lads both Ryan Brigham (one ride) and Jim Calverley (two) both seemed to be very capable riders indeed. I’d imagine them to be up with the quick lads from last year.  Darren Skillbeck also surprised me.  I’ve known Daz for many years, but every time I see him he’s got a pint in his hand!  He came out on the last ride the other day and while not quite up with the pace of Nath and I he wasn’t far off at all.  He’ll be fine if he has the stamina to cope with the hills we’ll hit.

From last year Ash Taylor and in particular Oli Stone both look to have improved.  Neither really struggled last year, but neither were they leading any mad charges.  Ash rode really well on the way back from Darlo and Oli in particular rode unbelievably when he lead Jim and myself for a good eight or nine miles at about 32km an hour on the long 111km ride.  By the time we’d hit a hill at the end of it Jim (a very capable rider) was beginning to tail off and my legs were burning too. I didn’t think he had that in him, so fair play to Oli.  Day one this year includes a 10km straight, flat road and I can see myself positioned on Oli’s back wheel if he can recreate that form!  Of the others Corker is his usual self, nothing phases him and he ploughs on fantastically well. He’ll be fine.  Tom Poole has done a couple of rides too and looks better than last year also.  Whilst he still moans about the cold just at much he’s not had a Chinese or a sit in a van.  He’s had a lot of digs aimed his way to do with that van, so I expect him to finish the ride this year without the aid of the internal combustion engine. Nathan is the other rider I’ve yet to mention.  He was right up there last year and I’m sure he will be again.  His sprinting is very good indeed and he likes to lead out, so will be useful for other riders to sit in behind and get a nice tow along.

And the final prep?
 
Nearly there now.  There’s a couple of fundraising ideas going on which will involve a couple of the riders, but that’ll be kept a secret for now.  Hotels are all confirmed as are support vans.  Wetherspoons have offered us reserved areas on an evening and discounted food and drinks, so that’ll be handy too. All that’s left to do is relax, pack a bag, final check on the bike and for people to help us raise as much money as possible for a very worthy cause. All the boys seem to be very much looking forward to it, the weather forecast (3 days before departure) isn’t too bad at all and everyone is in high spirits. Should be a great experience once again.

To donate:

Visit https://www.justgiving.com/ridetonorthampton2/

OR

Text YCFC56 £(and your amount) to 70070

OR

Pop some money in one of our collection buckets at Sixfields on Saturday 6th February or Bootham Crescent on Tuesday 23rd February.

£10,000 Raised!

We are delighted to announce that this years fundraising total has now surpassed £2750 which means that Ride To Northampton has now raised over £10,000 for The British Heart Foundation during the founding 2015 event and the current ‘Ride to Northampton 2’.

We cannot thank enough, everyone who has donated for all your support during the last two years. Without your amazing generosity, we could never have reached such amounts.

And of course, to all those who have taken part, are about to take part or have helped at some point along the way – we salute you.

The 2016 ride departs Bootham Crescent at 8am, this coming Thursday, 4th February with 17 riders taking on the 172mile journey.

The justgiving page remains open and we hope to continue raising more money for such a fantastic charity in memory of David Henderson.

Preparation Spotlight: Craig Atkin

With under a month remaining until departure from Bootham Crescent, we caught up with Craig Atkin to see how his preparation for his second Ride To Northampton is going. As Craig is the resident route planner and hotel booker, we hoped to hear that at least those aspects were confirmed…

How is the preparation going for this year’s ride?

Well, I have bought a new bike and all the kit I need, so that’s a start!
Last year I only completed one 30 mile practice ride, but I’d completed the Yorkshire marathon in October and was in pretty good shape (for me anyway).  This time I’ve done a lot less, but completed a half marathon in October.  I rather “over indulged” through the Christmas break though, and I’m about a stone heavier than this time last year.

We all thought Corker’s helmet couldn’t get any better than last year!

Six of us went out this weekend, getting the train to Darlington before cycling the 60 odd miles back to York.  We all did it without too much hassle (no more than expected anyway).  One of the new lads, Ryan, had an issue with a snapped chain that was replaced at Thirsk and then fixed again at Easingwold, but other than that it was drama free.  It served to prove that we should all be ok for Day 1.

Seemingly happy riders during Saturday’s training route between Darlington and York – this may be due to the Greggs though!

The other prep done is to complete all the logistical bits; hotel bookings and to finalise the route.  We all learnt a fair bit last year and that has led to some revision to the route we will take. Day 1 is a slightly shorter but busier route, with a big climb at the end whilst also avoiding a canal path that cost us about an hour last year.

How are you feeling with less than a month to go?

Not too bad, but not as good as last year in terms of confidence in my physical ability.  I had no idea how I’d fare a year ago as I’d not done much cycling for a couple of years (I used to do lots) and I didn’t know any of the others taking part further than a passing courtesy before, during or following another YCFC defeat.

It turned out I was fine, and a cycling trio of myself, Ben Nicholson and Nath Brigham headed the group each day and really enjoyed it.  Having gone out this weekend I’m safe in the knowledge I can at least still match Nath, and his brother Ryan whilst Ash Taylor also cycled very well at a similar pace so I’m feeling ok.  I do need to keep up with the training though!

Any regrets about agreeing to participate again?
Not yet!  I do wonder whether it’ll be as good as last year.  Being an unknown to us all I think we were pleasantly surprised at how we all performed throughout the three days, and we had a bloody good laugh too.  In some sense it does seem a bit like going back to a great ex after a year, and whilst walking to her house to meet her worrying she’s got a bit fat and boring!  Although I’m sure it’ll be fine, she may even have got better with time!

What plans do you have for the final few weeks before departure?
I plan on a ride between 50 and 70 miles on the next two weekends, and then a 40 miler on the weekend prior to the event. Given the extra timber I’ve started to eat healthily and cut out the beer (not completely) too.

The week leading up to the ride will consist mainly of loads of chicken and pasta, getting the bike serviced and then doing my bit as route planner by printing off all the packs, hotel confirmations and such like.  And REST.  People seem to remember to train and try to get fitter, but recovery and being fully rested the 48 hours before you set off is very important too.

Probably most importantly of all though is hoping on the weather.  We were lucky last year in that it rained for about 40 minutes on the first morning, and after that it was dry with some clear skies thrown in for good measure.  Rain or wind would make things more difficult, and if it snows in the days leading up to the ride then I’m not sure we’d even be able to do it! Fingers crossed.

Thanks to Craig for his time.
The fundraising pot has crept up over £1300 so far with raffle tickets starting to sell pretty well. If you’re interested in purchasing raffle tickets then get in contact through twitter @ycfc_2_ntfc

Raffle Entries Now Available!

We are delighted to announce that we are now taking orders for entries to our raffle.

The raffle draw will take place on Thursday 3rd March as part of York Minstermen’s monthly quiz night at the 1922 Bar at Bootham Crescent. We thank York Minstermen for their generosity in agreeing to host this event.

We raised around £1000 through ticket sales last year so hope to match this or even beat it this year!

There are over 30 Prizes to be won in this years raffle including:

• Signed Bayern Munich Shirt.
• Signed Ronaldo Real Madrid Shirt.
• Family passes for The Deep, Castle Howard, Beningbrough Hall and more!
• A month’s Gym membership.
• Meal Vouchers for Jamie’s Italian and Napoleon’s Casino.
• York Racecourse Tickets.

plus many more!

Tickets are priced at:

£5 a strip
OR
£10 for 3 strips

To order yours now, please contact any of the 21 riders who will gladly take your details and add them to the list for the draw.
You can also contact us through our twitter page here

Contact details will be taken at the time of payment and be added to strips of tickets ready for the draw.

Boxing Day Bucket Collection

We will be holding a bucket collection ahead of Saturday’s Boxing Day fixture against Northampton Town. All money raised will go into this season’s pot for the British Heart Foundation in memory of Cobblers fan David Henderson.

Cyclists will be present in car the park at Bootham Crescent from 13:30 through until kick-off whilst some of them will also do a sweep of the 1922 bar.

If you find yourself with any spare change after a few pre-match beverages then please drop it in one of the buckets as we look to build on last season’s total of over £7000.

Our total this season has already topped the £1000 mark.

Have a wonderful Christmas and hope to see many of you on Saturday!

Missed A Rider Profile?

12 of this year’s Ride To Northampton team now have a profile up on this website. If you have missed one, then click here to catch up.

Common themes so far seem to be Tom Poole’s love of Chinese, the tough task of facing ‘Corker Hill’ and from the new lads – a regret for what they have let themselves in for!

A reminder that the justgiving page is open and can be found at https://www.justgiving.com/ridetonorthampton2/

We would love to hit the £1000 mark by Christmas, so if you’re thinking about donating, why not let that Christmas spirit encourage you to do so.

Target 800 Beaten – Time for Jones To Get A Wax

RideToNorthampton organiser Ian Jones is facing a body wax in time for Christmas after our fundraising total hit the £800 mark this morning.

Following Nathan ‘Nath’ Brigham’s Target 600 challenge in which he promised to shave his head if £600 was reached before Christmas Day, Ian decided to set his own challenge of Target 800 and now thanks to rider Shaun Wathey’s declaration of £200 sponsorship collected from work colleagues and football teammates, we (everyone minus Ian that is) are delighted that the £800 mark has now been topped as well.

Ian is currently carrying out ‘research’ into where he will trust to carry out the wax but it is possible that by our Boxing Day bucket collection at York City v Northampton Town that he will be feeling rather sore.

With Nath already having shaved his head – see the pictures on our twitter page – and now Ian ‘looking forward’ to his own beauty treatment, we have more than doubled our fundraising total in the last month.

Thank you to all those people including a number of Northampton Town fans who have donated to the cause so far.

The justgiving page remains the easiest way of donating, visit: https://www.justgiving.com/ridetonorthampton2/ to add your donation.

Alternatively, save up that spare change from all your Christmas shopping and come and drop it in one of our buckets on Boxing Day. We will be in the car park outside the General/Ticket Office at Bootham Crescent.

And finally, raffle tickets will soon be on sale, keep an eye on the twitter page and right here on the website for news regarding their sale.

Thank you for all the continued support.

RideToNorthampton