Get your diaries out...

[willyh]

Not so long ago someone wrote on this site: Now that the worst of the winter is over.....Not the oracle from Delphi then!

But a good way to visualise better days (and after the Clifton Annual Dinner I've been visualising non-stop, have n't you?) is to get your name down for the year's must-do events.

And for those aspiring to glory on the big summer continental sportives there is the perfect programme here on our doorstep, starting with with Audaxes out of Wigginton (www.auk.org) on 29Mar and 2nd May with distances starting at a mere 100kms, ideal even for EasyRiders!

Then things start getting a whole lot more serious with Richmond 3 0r 5 dale on May 16, Dales Grimpeur 140 or 189 on May 30, the White Rose Challenge 80-130-182 (www whiterosechallenge.co.uk) on June 28 and there will be more before July, but that's my lot to make sure I'll have some vertical roads under the belt before heading-off to Mt Ventoux.

In previous years there has always been a large group of Cliftonites on these rides, no doubt this year there'll be even more, with the benefit of all this visualisation of Park Rash, The Stang, Fleet Moss, Buttertubs, Cow and Calf....all true ba....rds! Can't wait!