Cloudy, but warm. I was able to leave work early (albeit I knew I’d have to apply my nose to the grindstone for a bit when I got back, for a while) and I wanted to do at least 40. I could even have done a fondo; perhaps I should have, given the scarcity of this sort of weather over the cycling year as a whole. But I didn’t.
I decided on another Twycross Bypasser. The wind was coming from the west again but I just didn’t fancy doing either of the longer westbound routes. I’d decided that, to avoid the badly-resurfaced bit of Ashby Road, I’d go west to Packington via the road through Normanton le Heath, a route I very rarely take. However I ignored that turn on auto-pilot, so went west through Swepstone instead.
As I pedalled along Shelford Lane, I noticed a helicopter approaching. It seemed to be losing height. Furthermore it seemed to have seen me. It hovered for a moment about a hundred metres away, then turned toward me, still descending. I actually felt threatened! Then I noticed the words AIR AMBULANCE on the side. It came down to land in the grounds of Twycross Zoo. Then a minute later, I saw a second air ambulance coming down. Seconds later as I approached the entrance to the zoo I noticed an ambulance barrelling towards me, sirens going, lights flashing.
What the? Had an exotic animal escaped from its enclosure and mauled half a dozen paying customers? I put my foot down so I’d pass the entrance to the zoo before the ambulance turned in, but I mistimed it slightly. I think I did slow the ambulance down for half a second. Oops.
I’ve only ever been past the entrance to the zoo twice, on both occasions this week, due to a brief diversion to avoid road works.
Anyway .. I continued down to Warton then east to Ratcliffe Culey, down Burton Road into a headwind then a sharp left along Fenn Lanes. Very nice to get out of that headwind. I extended the ride by going east as far as Kirkby Mallory, then back the usual way from there.
Still haven’t found out what happened at the zoo, but there doesn’t seem to have been an atrocity.
42.76 miles.