Last Sunday we were joined on the club run by Matt_Brammeier, the current Road Race and Timetrial champion of Ireland (and HTC Pro) for a swift, moderately lumpy 50 miles. DSC provides a description of the ride

Dave R. Mark, Sven, J-P and me met Matt Bremmeier.. HTC Pro who was in the area on some time off between the Tour of Austria and a one day race in San Sebastian in Spain.

It was raining but we had said we would be there so there we were. (his girfriend is a top mountainbike rider who was racing at Aske)

Out to Masts, Marske, Grinton, Fleak, Buttertubs then a decision to ride back down the Dale instead of doing a couple of more hills. Poor Dave had gear trouble and was seriously overgeared for the crazy, big and briskly ridden climbs. Last we saw was him chewing the bars up the steep early slopes of the Fleak. Sorry Dave!
Stopped in at Bike Centre Fremington on way back, for nice coffee and cake. (yes Colomba we do do coffee!) then a very brisk 10 down the Dale.

It was brisk all the way and Matt made it look so easy. There was a bit of re-grouping on th steeper climbs. (Thanks lads!) Mark and Sven tried to keep with Matt on the Buttertubs- but failed! Me and Jp had a bit of a battle. I think he won the climbs!

Matt was interesting company. Hearing how the pro's do it was great. Matt is a really nice bloke. Seriously talented cyclist who rode with us chatted and made conversation enjoying the roads. Watching him remove his rain jacket as we whizzed down from Gunnerside was something to see. We dodged vehicles and overtook a couple of mountainbikers as he sat up riding along smoothly (no hands obviously) at 23mph on roughish roads, moved stuff around his poockets, took off his coat, rolled it up neatly, tied it up and neatly stowed it away in his pocket. "poetry in motion" JP said? Agreed!
One to remember.

Thanks Matt.

We will be watching out how you do in the future.

DSC