Autumn Epic - Cor Blimey

[Marek]

I spent a long weekend in Ludlow, the Michelin star capital of the UK outside of London. What is it they say, the lull before the storm, a beautiful couple of meals with the family was just the right warm up for a 130km ride in the beautiful countryside of Wales.

The AUTUMN EPIC, and I have to admit that Epic was an understatement, this was HYEREPIC if there is such a word. Max and I had entered a few weeks prior to the event and although I had spent a week in the Algarve and moved house prior to the event I thought that two weeks off the bike could not do too much damage considering it was a mere 130km, which was nothing to a seasoned racer such as myself.

I arrived at Knighton to get my timing chip and number attached to my bike, number 150, I was hoping at least to finish slightly higher in the results than my start number was anticipating.

I met up with Huw and Max at the start and we got going just after 8am. The pace was being set by myself and Max at the outset, and then after 20km or so a few others started to pull there weight. The going was tough, there was nowhere to hide the terrain was either up or down and nothing inbetween.

At 50km the group of about 15 of us stopped for a fill up of water bottles and then it was back to the job in hand. A few km later and we hit the first long steady climb of the day (after the initial so called warm up bumps). Max and a couple of other guys seemed to fade away into the distance at this point so I stuck to Huws wheel, the experiend cyclo sportif rider of the day. After this hill we hit another drag of a hill. That was the last I saw of Huw except for his yellow top disappearing into the valleys as I struggled up the next hill.

My legs had truly given up and as the next 20km of rolling terrain went by I was graduallly being worn down.

At 80km I was remembering Huws earlier words that a feed station was at 90km. What Huw did not mention was the 20% climb up to the feed station. Pain is an understatement and the language I used to describe Huw at this point was less than pleasant, and that is also an understatement. At the top of this hill were a couple of very pleasant welshman giving out crackers, bananas, fig rolls, caramel slices and water fill ups. I went for more than one of each, and the chief food giver indicated to the others that he had his best customer of the day, pretty embarrassing considering it was for free.

Anyway, a nice downhill after the feed station was just what I needed and then the really pleasant organisers put in another 18 to 20%er. I stopped at the bottom to finish up all the food I was given, firstly I needed the salt as I was crampiing and secondly I wanted to reduce the weight load I was carrying. I looked up the hill and saw lots of riders walking. It reminded me of Pas de Payrol in the Pyrenees a couple of years earlier on the Etape, I was determined not to walk.

I took it steady and as I zig zagged toward the top I decided to power over the last 20 yards, as I put the foot to the pedal I cramped in my thighs. I ended up walking the final part of the hill, the first time I have ever walked up any hill, eeeeekkk, I was mentally and physically broken.

I spent the next 40km going up and down wishing I was back at home with a warm cup of cocoa. When I reached the 10 miles to go mark I thought they could not throw anything more at me, but it stilll went up and down.

With 4 miles to go I thought, this is it, I am home. Over the next brow, which was a false brow, ok, over the next one, another false brow. After at least 4 false brows I was swearing at this sodding hill. Eventually came to the 2 miles to go mark and the sign saying, 'its all downhill', and thank god.

Finished in 5.29hrs. I was blown to pieces and I think this was harder than the etape. Difficult for me to compare as I was not in the best shape when I started due to hols etc. Next year I intend to do more of the UK cyclo sportifs, number one because the misses likes coming along to see the scenary and secondly because I am mad for pain.

Well done to all the ACCers who did much better times than me, next year I will have ya.

Cheers

Marek......

[Mike Runner]

Hi Marek.......sounds painful.
How do you go about entering this event for next year?
Do they have a web site?

[John Cochrane]

Thanks Marek...great report. Youv'e summed up the flavour of this particular ride of torture so well. It was just one tough climb after another. I lost count of the number of climbs. Like you, on Clascwm Pitch, cramp hit and it was off the bike and resorting to pushing. First time in a cyclosportive I've had to do this. Mind you it was a great opportunity to meet and chat to other riders (to be more accurate walkers pushing bikes.)

On one of the climbs a rider some 100yds up the road came to one of those blind summits and even at the distance I was from him there was no mistaking the torrid of expletives he was uttering. When I got to the same point I understood why....the climb just got steeper and went on for ever.

It was certainly hard and an experianced Old Portlians rider said it was the toughest ride he'd ever done and I wasn't about to disagree.

[Brian Nolan]

Wow - that does sound like a tough ride - makes the (quite windy )75 miler for ' The Ride of the Falling Leaves ' seem like a walk in the park.. Well done to all who finished !

[Maria David]

Sounds like a great ride - must put that one in my diary for next year, along with the Fred Whitton Challenge, and L'Etape du Dales.

Well done to Tamar - she was the first lady home.

Marek, good job you didn't walk for too much longer - Tamar almost overtook you !

[Tamar Collis]

I employed a tortoise and hare approach. And the verdict from the tortoise is "Get a triple". It really saved my legs. I overtook quite a few guys in the final 20 miles or so who I'm sure would have shot past me on the earlier climbs.

More detail should be in this week's feedback.

Was great event. And there was a beer festival in Clun where we were staying. Next year I might just go for the beer fest.

[Joanna]

Well done Tamar.

Even with the many gears on my bike i dont think i would of managed that hill.

A very fast tortoise if you were first lady.

[Tamar Collis]

In response to Mike Runner's earlier query...yes there is a website:

[url]http://www.cyclosportives.co.uk/[/url]

[huw williams]

Excellent and very honest reportage Marek. I hate to see a grown man cry but I had to leave you because it looked like that was about to happen!

All summer I've been telling anyone who'll listen that these events are harder than racing if you try and get back with the fastest time and it's good to have a proper racer back that up.

After every event I talk to several riders to get a measure of their opinions and the general consensus amongst Brits who've done Golden Bikes, Etapes and Gran Fondos is that the UK sportives are the hardest of all because of the inconsistancy in length and gradient of the hills.

All the reports we've run in CW this year have been well received and the rapidly growing number of entrants in each event is causing great excitement amongst organisers and even the BCF. The UK sportive scene is a fast developing area of cycling. To that end we're putting together a feature which covers the overal picture of the summer just gone (I did 10 in total) which will include contacts and entry details for all of next year's UK and European events. It'll be run in CW within the next few weeks.

It'd be great if a lot more ACCers could join us more often next year and be part of the burgeoning domestic sportive scene

Huw

[Mike Runner]

[quote="Tamar Collis"]In response to Mike Runner's earlier query...yes there is a website:

[url]http://www.cyclosportives.co.uk/[/url]

[John Cochrane]

I think that's a good point, Hugh, about the hills. A cycled along with Dave, from GB cycles, for a mile or two and he made the comment to me.."You just can't train for ride like this"

[Snoop Doug]

In days gone by I rode my bike from Wallington up onto The Wirral. Amongst other stunning market towns, I passed through Ludlow - yum yum! Just to the north of Ludlow is a small village called Church Stretton, and out the back of the village is a hill called Long Mynd. I had been told of this hill, a mighty beast they said. And so, it came to pass that my naiveté got the better of me and off I toodled to give it a go like, t'was after all, almost en route. I don't know how high it is (I have not the tecknolodjee of Mr Munnery), nor how steep (felt like riding a bike up the Tour Eiffel) but some eejits glide off the top. I damn near fell off when I eventually got to the summit. After getting my breath back I retired to the local library for a cup of tea and a read about this mighty climb. Usually the Welsh language takes small English words and turns them into great big long wobbly Welsh ones. Not always so for in this case, I found out that Mynd translates as Muscletearingstaircase, which is nice. These days, I am mostly sitting down.

Snoop

[Simon C Izoard]

It hurt so much, I'm glad it was desolate and devoid of people to hear my pain.
Absolutely amazing time had, and one of the most gruelling efforts I've done to date (worse than the giro climbs of San Brigida). You are right, it was training within in itself, I learnt how to swallow apple pies whole!

Just like to say well done to Matt, great time (only ten minutes of the winner), who came down with myself on the Saturday afternoon (thankfully traffic free on the M4/M5) except the two hours it took to get out of Fulham!!
Luckily I had a more than capable co-pilot and we descended upon Knighton by dusk to an awaiting and very friendly guest house lady in Llanfairwaterdine. highly recommended.
Straight for beer and food, then more beer, brilliant, the locals may look a bit ... well you know... local..but were genuinely interested in the whole event and keen to blag about there part of the world (and rightly so!). Just remember one saying, next time come back with an engine stuck to the back, and may enjoy it a bit more!
The pain was inevitable, as always. except 100 times worse. I don't remember the names of the climbs or when they came, but just kept fixed on the raw beauty of the landscape to see me through. One climb, I think it was the waterfall one felt like I was riding to the end of the earth or climbing to the moon, can't remember which.

Everyone was amazing friendly on the ride, all levels. Matt shot off after half an hour of listening to me struggling to warm up!! and then everything just seemed so natural, with the pace and who I rode with and how to tackle the corners and descents, mud and poo.
I actually had time to enjoy most of it. well as Huw et al confirmed, except the last 20k, that really was truly evil.

So in the long and short, don't wait next for next year, download the route, grab a cycling buddy, book a room (I'll give you the number) and get on the case. you really will not regret it!!

Only problem is, I need to go and buy lots of Muck off for Saturdays ride!

S

[John Cochrane]

I think that climb with the waterfall was the Elan Valley Mountain Road. Possibly a bit steeper than some continental cols but shorter. The Mountain Road is app. 3 miles long. I think it was the severity, length and number of climbs which made each climb so hard and the accumlative effect wore one down. At least they certainly wore me down.

[Tamar Collis]

If Matt had gone flat out from the start instead of chatting to Simon and later to myself he'd probably have won the damn thing. He rode with me for a few mins, chatting merrily before scampering off up the hillside. I glimpsed him a few moments later, a long, long, long way ahead and climbing effortlessly.