If there’s anything really disappointing about the achievemnt of sporting pinnacles, it’s the bling that goes with it. Cycling is not alone amongst sports in having ridiculous trophies, they seem de rigeur for many sports.
Anyway, due to limited success in my life, I managed to avoid this poison chalice, until last year, when I won the North West cyclocross league. The success in itself, like most of my cycling wins, was more a case of who wasn’t there and who could be bothered to turn up for the ten counting events, but a win is a win, and someone’s got to have the bling.
I had to wave goodbye to the trophy last week, as it passed on to Adrian Dalgliesh, who was this year’s NW champion. He’s done a good consistant series, and despite not winning a race, he’s been up there all season. Congrats to him, and I hope he does more than keep it hidden away, like I did. It’s an achievement, after all, but one that I’d rather have gone un-trophied, in this case.