In the middle of a big block of Olympic training, Colin Sturgess was hoping to do a fast ‘10’ that July Saturday in 1988, but just like all those who stood open-mouthed at the results board as his 18.48 went up after the race, he couldn’t believe his eventual time.
“We knew I had a couple of fast ‘10’s in me,” he says, “and, you know, I’d ridden very low 20s [20-minute ‘10’s] on quite difficult courses. So we knew there was a ‘19’ in there. But, you know, we weren’t sure.
“I knew I was on a decent ride, because I caught a fair few people. And you just get that flow, that momentum. And you know, when you’re on top of the gears, when everything’s going smooth, you…