A sad day

This whole day has been overshadowed by the desperately sad news that Cacophony had a bad crash this morning. Out on the regular Earlybird run to Cavendish and back, on the road all of us here in Ilkley have ridden many hundreds of times, he had the terrible bad luck to choose his moment to round that one blind bend just as a car was doing the same in the opposite direction. I've always been aware of a risk there, especially in the summer when all the greenery obscures the limited visibility that you get in the winter, and you weigh up the odds and take what seems like the very slightest of chances. I know that I always feel a very tiny but palpable sense of relief when I'm through that bend without mishap.

There's no doubt that we all play this numbers game. The more miles you put in the more likely it is that you will have a prang. So, Fate decided that it was Cacophony's turn this morning. El Cid's description on the forum sounded horrendous, so I guess the big man could consider himself fortunate to get away with just a broken wrist. It could have been very much worse. He's some tough nut. And I know he'll be back soon with more determination than ever. I know the kind of resolve I had myself when I smashed my knee in a collision a few years back, completely determined to return fitter than ever. You can't keep a good man down. And they don't come any better than this guy. Get that turbo out Cacophony! Keep those legs spinning and go stick one on Fate!!