I'm not one to grumble, but this year's mayhem wasn't a patch on recent editions. OK, so the weather was pretty damn good and everyone went home with a smile on their faces. And the course was a nice balance between technical bits and more open cruising sections. And the catering and shopping opportunities made for a great event village atmosphere. That's all fine with me, as were the thousands of friendly riders out on the course - and I had a good few chats mid lap - and the beautiful scenery. But where, oh where was the rain? And the deep, adhesive mud. And the endless foot slogging hoping for a brief bit of riding. And the ripped-off mechs, clogged gears and all the other things I'd been promised? I'm going to inspect the fine print on the entry form, because I'm sure it mentioned a bottom line of misery. Everyone I've ever spoken to about the event said it was certain to bucket down. But what did we get? Half an hour of night drizzle? Not good enough. I want my money back!