Thursday's Ardennes training

Our week in the Belgium Ardennes had been a cycle of long rides followed by not so long ride the following day. Thursday was our last change for a long ride before the main course on Saturday, the Liege-Bastogne-Liege (LBL) sportive. Our host for the week, Phil Deeker had planned a 200km hilly route based on the Criquelion sportive so we had an early breakfast and were ready to leave at 8:30am.

Phil briefing the troops

Lovely quiet lanes through the woods

This was a really steep climb!

Farmer Chris & Jez

Bob and Nick

We road at our own pace, especially if you had the route on the Garmin.

It wasn't long before the group split with Nick and myself being sensible and keeping our powder dry so to speak staying with the second group. I broke my front gear cable at the lever but as this was a day of hills I wasn't too bothered and Phil had said we would pass a bike shop later in the day so I could get a spare. Claire, Phil's wife, drove the van and met us for our mid morning coffee stop. With there being 30 in the group there was no chance of a quick stop in a cafe, but Claire did a great job setting out some camping tables with cakes and flasks of hot water to make teas and coffees.

Lunch in the sunshine

  Lunch was half way through the ride and scarily only a few kilometres from the hotel. By now we had stopped for some impact punctures (by both groups) on a fast decent but Claire wasn't too far away if we had been in serious trouble. We all tucked into big bowls of spaghetti under the shade of the canopy, yes it was warm enough to be sitting outside for a change. The afternoon was a loop north of the hotel but still plenty of climbing. Yet another coffee stop about 4:30pm and this was bebinning to feel more like an audax event than real training. Luckily I spotted the bike shop soon afterwards and dived in as everone else thought it looked closed. The guy couldn't speak much English and my grip of another language is non existant. Luckily I had my bike with the flapping gear cable. I bought 2 just in case. I knew what I'd be doing on Friday.

Claire and the van with more coffee and cakes

How many slices can I have?

  Nick and I back at the hotel by 7:30 after the best day's cycling of the week. Yes I will be taking things easy on Friday after 200km and 4000m+ of climbing.

What Belgians like

Belgians like;

Chocolate

Chips

Cycling 

and they really ,really like Beer.

And if they can combine all of the above on a wednesday afternoon on the Mur de Huy ….

Nick A

The Fleche Wallonne pro races

We had a easy day today after the efforts of yesterdays sportive and it was just a gentle ride out for us to Huy, to watch the pros climb the "Wall", the "Mur de Huy". I arrived just as the womens race was starting and I stopped to see the massive buch of about 200 rides set off. I have never seen so many riders in RR apart from the Olympics or World championship which shows how important this event is in the calendar of womens road events. Wiggle who have some of the British girls were there. Arriving in town it wasn't long before I spotted another club jersey belonging to Dave Ellis who was over with Roger Jackaman and Clive Wilkins. We had time for a little walk into town for a coffee and look around and found the square packed out even though this was a Wednesday in spring, probably the first warm day of the year. After that Nick & myself headed to the climb to watch the women and mens races. There was plenty of places to watch either up on a grassy bank as Roger and Co. or at the barriers apart from right at the finish line where it was rammed. Mind you could watch the whole race there on the big screen and fill up with beer and fries. First to finish were the women and as soon as I saw that Dutch rider Vos was near the front with 500m to the top I knew who would be on the top step of the podium. That's Vos in the middle of the picture. Next up were the men but they climb the wall a few times and with a lap to go they were mostly together. When they came up the final time the first 20 were racing while the other were spent and just managing to turn the pedals.

The Flèche Wallonne Sportive

The day before the pros race around Huy and up the famous Mur climb (Think Lincoln GP) guys and girls like us get to do a similar type of event, the Flèche Wallonne Sportive. We doing 130km while the pros 250km in about the same time.
Here are a few photos from the day out. First we had to drive one hour from our hotel to the start. Our trip organiser collected our cards and gave our group of 30 last minute instructions and then we were off. No queuing as the 5 euro entry didn't allow for timing riders. We sped off like it was a full on race. This lasted a few climbs until I eventually blew and got dropped (1hr). I rode on by myself till the first feed station which was outside an isolated barn. Here were all the other lot who had dropped me and I left with them for some more punishment. I was soon dropped again with Stuart & Bob and we arrived back in Huy, half distance, ready to attack the climb of the Mur. We split temporarily but regrouped at the second feed. Just before leaving the fast boys arrived having missed a turn and gone of course. There must be a lesson in there somewhere. Then some more riding on my own and finally finishing into a headwind sitting behind a big bloke called Mark who likes time trialling. I can see why now.
All in all a good day out in the bike managing a PB on the Mur climb via Strava but no KOM. I also caught up with the Spainish Euscatel team on one climb who were out for a little warm up ride.
This event is within all SWRC members ability to ride if the choose to do so next year.

More from the Amstel Gold

This top photo shows british rider Russell Downing from the NetApp team, I think. When you see the speed these riders ride at you wonder how on earth our domestic riders manage to survive in this type of racing. They were  climbing fast and really tanking along on a decent when we saw them a second time. One of the riders dropped his food so we spent time analysing the contents. It was a ham salad roll about one bite big! It wouldn't be enough for some of the B group!  

Later was sat in the village square and eat at the St. George pub. 

https://www.strava.com/activities/48898835

Sent from Parky's iPhone

Amstel Gold race Holland

Nick Allen and myself are in Belgium for the Ardennes week. Sunday was a 180km ride up to the Dutch border to see the pros riding the Amstel Gold classic. We(30) left our hotel at 7:30am and after a mid morning coffee break out the back of our accompanying van.
The pros flew past a couple of times in either direction after which we headed home. The afternoon stop was in a lovely old cobbled street village. We had more food here and the temperature was unbelievable warm. Everyone has changed into shorts and removed their lag warmers. It was incredible and we rode through some lovely quiet lanes.

Showdown in the New Forest Spring Sportive

Another opportunity to ride with my fellow Marmotteers for 2013 was the New Forest Spring Sportive starting in the new HQ of the Showground just outside Brockenhurst. With the Sunday event FULL, I booked for the Saturday event, same route and distance as Andy Evans (you will remember him from the Spring Onion DNF) and my Bro Steve would ride on the Sunday. This time the build up was intense, Strava was being used as a weapon for the mind game players (me included).  We were riding on different days, in different conditions, but comparisons would be drawn.

I was alerted on my way to my parents house (7 miles from Brockenhurst) of the following:
New Forest Sportive Protestors

Saturday morning I rode to the start, and lucky I did, the traffic was terrible getting to the showground, and the surface was a bit 'paris-roubaix' inside the showground.  I collected my number and made my way to the start.  We were given a stern warning, Highway code or you're banned, don't litter or you're banned.  Clearly UKCYCLINGEVENTS was doing their best to make everyone happy.  I didn't have to wait and was soon out on the 86 mile course.  Having seen someone crash on a cattlegrid before they had made it out onto the road I was a little cautious heading out.  Out onto a main road and the the traffic chaos still present, I wasn't able to get into my usual pace.  Into the first set of climbs and I was well below my expected average speed, but I gave Phil O'Connor a quick nod.

I only managed a dry hour of riding before the rain started, and then I turned south an into the headwind.  For those of you that have ridden in the New Forest, it can be very open with not much forest which on a windy day can be difficult.  Wet roads in the New Forest means cattlegrids can be a nightmare, so caution was the name of the game.

I was riding quite well, but had not managed to get into a pack at all, having not been overtaken and nor really picking up any wheel suckers.  I chose to take the second foodstation at 57 miles, and headed into the last 30 miles of the ride.  That's where the trouble started, firstly a diversion that wasn't on my gpx, and then a systematic change to the signage of the course at multiple junctions.  I stopped to change some signs back round for others, but figured half of sportive riding is making your own way (isn't that right Andy Evans?).  Inspired by the join witht he 'standard' route towards the end of the ride and what seemed to be a quick pace incomparison to them, I picked up the final few kms to bring my average to around 19.0 mph.

Heading back into the showground, I was reminded (once again) of how vulnerable you are on a bike when I saw a rider down at the same cattlegrid, but this time they were not getting up and an Ambulance was on the scene.

For me, a safe ride (no injuries), at the pace I expected in some fairly nasty conditions.  And what of the comparison and protestors?  Despite the rain causing the Sunday event to be cancelled, the boys went a rode it anyway.  It would have been close on the day, and in the same conditions, but I think I might have just got it.  As for the protestors, when was the last time a cyclist killed an animal in the New Forest? 

Ride Time: 4h 35m 51s - Gold Standard - about 44th of the 875 Epic riders.

Is cycling a mugs game?

From tonight's Evening Standard newspaper.

Cotswold Spring Classic

I was in the car by 0600 to make my way to Cirencester for the Santini Cotswold Spring Classic.  Imagine my delight when I realised there was a light flurry of snow as I arrived in the car park and the temperature was just above freezing:

Sign-on was simple, and all that remained was to get ready for the start.  It went something like this:



I didn't have to wait around too much at the start, as the groups were quite big but I may have cursed as we stood there and I might have even muttered "Bradley Wiggins doesn't have to put up with this sh!t".  We were off, and I soon found out the damage the previous few days of riding had done.  This was going to be a long ride for me, but like Bradley Wiggins, I was on a different plan this year.  I am teaching my legs to tolerate multi-day events in prep for the Tour of Wessex.  Being forced not to go off like a steam train meant I was able to sit in a pack for the flatter sections between miles 25 and 35 which I badly needed.  I rode straight past the food station (meaning I would have to go 67 miles before a stop) and this worked in my favour.  The road conditions were difficult, and so was the wind.  The temp on my Garmin didn't read above 0 degrees all day.  Things started to pick up around the 50 mile mark and I felt I was able to just continue riding, I was catching people that had overtaken me, and then refuelled at the food station.  I tackled the backend of the route which, as the profile suggests, was climb after relentless climb which was really beginning to tire my legs out.  At 94 miles I passed the photographer who said I was probably only the 3rd person through.  The effect was renewed focus, and I dug deep for 7 miles, constantly looking over my shoulder!  Over the line and straight back to the car and a heated seat.  No punctures this time, but I was on a new front tyre just to be sure!

Result:  6h 12m 45s - for which I am going to claim 2nd.