Road biking 6:14:36 [5] 161.8 km (2:19 / km) +2525m 2:09 / km
Etape Royale, 100 mile closed road sportive, fantastically organised with great marshals as well as superb signage of bends/descents/etc (and plenty of hay bales!). Beautifully clear weather too, bringing great views once it got light.
A bit of a disappointing effort physically for me, targeting under six hours but from early on I never really felt as powerful as expected and was never pushing on as I would have liked. But that did mean that after the first 25miles or so I rode largely on my own rather than at the pace of others, so could look around a lot and appreciate the surroundings. Which was nice :)
Started in the same wave as Fraser and could see him for the first 20k or so but my legs were very clear I should not try and stick with his group! Rosco started three mins behind and from garmin track I see we must have been pretty much together on the road at 30k and then he pulled away on the long descent that followed. Never saw one another!
Lots of possible reasons for struggling, logged here to remember for next time. Although I logged similar to the first one for RideLondon last year, the only difference this year was that I had read that and so knew it would be a problem…
- Not as bike fit as hoped (probable, got sore in the hamstrings far too early, almost like I hadn’t trained riding at the right pace…)
- very early start (6.03am when still very dark) with no warmup at all and straight into 20mph pace
- probably not wearing enough (shortsleeve top and arm warmers) and other than a couple of climbs spent the first four hours the cold side of comfortable, hands were freezing for the first hour and a half.
- stopped for a pee at 29 miles, perhaps never started riding hard enough again after that and instead just rode defensively on the Suie climb and climb out of Rhynie (frightened of the later climbs) and cautiously on the descents (frightened of my lack of cornering skills). Not sure about that though, I was still finding it tough enough up the Lecht and up the Old Military Road over to Gairnshiel, and on anything even slightly ascending through the last 12miles home from there.
Or - maybe just one of those days....
Had a grand day out anyway and still seem to have been faster than most, maybe I expect too much!
89th fastest of 594 starters (one man under 5 hours with 4hrs55, Ross 25th 5hrs40, Fraser 30th 5hrs44, Jase 166th 6hrs34).
Also not as quick back to Ballater from Rhynie (the 100km + route) as 11 of the 137 people starting there (including Gary who was 3rd fastest of those starting there).
Great stuff from him and Dave C and Team Elle/MC who all started there and lashed it – kudos to Gary for being faster back from there than all us 100mile types…
Sunshine and coffee and warm doughnuts (thanks Fi) lounging on the grass afterwards, then the pub. A very good day!