The clock is ticking, just 24 hours to go before the announcement!!!!!!!!
Have you got those butterflies in your tummy? Have you Googled the latest rumours? Have you thought about all the equiptment and which bike you will need to buy to get the best result? Have you started to draw up your training schedule? Have you booked your training camps and reckies? Have you practised filling out the entry form (black or Blue pen, block capitals please)? What about that doctors note - how much is he going to need to be bribed this year - you are a year older than last time?
Most important of all - have you got permission from the wife or significant other (mum, life partner, boyfriend, girlfriend, cat/dog or blow up doll)? How did you get it, honest question "Darling, Please can I do the 2008 Etap" or through subdefuge "Shall we holiday in France in July 2008"
24 HOURS TO GO
Me, I am just a bystander but even I am getting excited
Thursday 25 October 2007
Monday 15 October 2007
Oct 2nd 2007 South Downs Challenge Results Announced - and Success
The time has come, the results have been calculated and checked - and wehave a winner.There were 70 riders who completed the 50 mile course and of those 70,the fastest rider on the South Downs Challenge 50 mile route for 2007is:
DRUM ROLL, TRUMPET FANFARE
Dynamo Duncan of the London Dynamos with a time of 2 hours 42 minutes
Clapping, champagne, good looking women to kiss the winner, groupies begging to have his children
All in all a pleasing resultI admit that the average speed of the riders on the 80 miles challenge was slightly faster completing that in 4 hours, but hey, you have to be in it to win it.
Unfortunately no prize or international recognition - but a warm glow inside.
DRUM ROLL, TRUMPET FANFARE
Dynamo Duncan of the London Dynamos with a time of 2 hours 42 minutes
Clapping, champagne, good looking women to kiss the winner, groupies begging to have his children
All in all a pleasing resultI admit that the average speed of the riders on the 80 miles challenge was slightly faster completing that in 4 hours, but hey, you have to be in it to win it.
Unfortunately no prize or international recognition - but a warm glow inside.
Sept 24th 2007 South Downs Challenge
I have been booked on the Monday morning British Airways 9:20 AM LGW - EDI flight for three weeks. The first week I missed the flight. Arrived in time to see it taxiing away from the stand. Last week I only just caught it as it was pandemonium on the roads and at Gatwick going through security. Today, despite leaving at the same time as previous weeks and getting lost around Redhill I managed to get through check in and security in time to get half an hour in the business lounge!
I was well prepared for the South Downs Challenge Sunday morning. I was at an eighteenth birthday party Saturday night in Basingstoke and did not get to bed until after midnight. I then had to get up at 5:30 AM to drive down to Waterlooville to enter and start.
The nice thing about the event was that tea, coffee and biscuits were free before the event and after the event there was hot minestrone soup, cheese and ham rolls, hot cross buns and cereal bars as well as tea coffee and biscuits, all for nowt, gratis, free! They even arranged nice weather.
There were two loops, the 50 miler and the 80 miler. As the wife wanted me back by lunchtime and I was uncertain of my fitness I sensibly opted for the 50 miler. Did well, I was home by 13:30 PM in time to watch Chitty Chitty Bang Bang on the Rald Dahl Weekend on ITV3 with my young son.
My time was 2 hours 42 minutes for 50 miles (including time stopped at feed station and 750 metres of climb) which beats the last years winning time but I have not seen the full results yet. I should be in the top 10 I hope. I was disappointed to miss Gold standard by 4 minutes but at least I was well within Silver. What will be to my advantage is that for once it was not me that got lost but a bunch of fast guys who ended up doing an extra 4 miles. Their hard luck in my view, that is usually me. Anyway will be interesting to see full results when they are published.
I was talking to two guys at the start line who were experienced cyclists with a few trips to the Alps and Pyrennees under their belt including most of the 2007 Etap (although they had never done an Etap). I did the first 12 miles with them at some speed before they peeled off to do the 80 mile route, but, by that stage we had already picked off a lot of guys who had started before us. From there to 38 miles I did on my own. No one passed me. I caught one guy who managed to pull away on the hills (caught him again in last 10 miles and took him), another who had a puncture and was fixing it by the side of the road and a third who was struggling. Otherwise I was lonely and anxious that I had missed a turn off.
The course was somewhat hilly with two "out of category" climbs (so my legs told me, but I didn't get off). With 12 miles to go I was struggling. Two guys caught me. They tried to blow me away but I did my limpet act and tagged on. Once they could not get rid of me we worked together, with me having to spend time at the front (I reckoned that I was going to suffer anyway, so I might as well suffer with others and get it over with quicker).
We rode at quite a pace and picked off another 4 or five guys. They set out the tactics with us changing the man in front rapidly as we passed the other riders so they could not latch on (their tactic not mine).
With two miles to go I ended up at the front, and no one seemed to want to take over from me. I knew what was coming and at the one mile marker they shot off, I tried to go with them but I was not quick enough, anyway I knew they would only open up less than a minute on me and as they started before me (they got lost as well) they would not beat my time, so I was happy to let them go.
I was the 5th man across the line (the 80 milers had not started to arrive and everyone else was behind me). My right thigh had been trying to cramp for the last 8 miles and I was shattered. I don't think I could have done the 80 mile route. My average speed despite the hills was just under 19mph. Well pleased, wicked.
I was absolutely shattered after the ride and my son and I and I lounged on the settee in the afternoon watching Chitty Chitty Bang Bang on ITV3.
Had to go to bed early. This morning it is not my legs that are sore but my neck and head.
That is my 2008 Etap training done, roll on the race.
I was well prepared for the South Downs Challenge Sunday morning. I was at an eighteenth birthday party Saturday night in Basingstoke and did not get to bed until after midnight. I then had to get up at 5:30 AM to drive down to Waterlooville to enter and start.
The nice thing about the event was that tea, coffee and biscuits were free before the event and after the event there was hot minestrone soup, cheese and ham rolls, hot cross buns and cereal bars as well as tea coffee and biscuits, all for nowt, gratis, free! They even arranged nice weather.
There were two loops, the 50 miler and the 80 miler. As the wife wanted me back by lunchtime and I was uncertain of my fitness I sensibly opted for the 50 miler. Did well, I was home by 13:30 PM in time to watch Chitty Chitty Bang Bang on the Rald Dahl Weekend on ITV3 with my young son.
My time was 2 hours 42 minutes for 50 miles (including time stopped at feed station and 750 metres of climb) which beats the last years winning time but I have not seen the full results yet. I should be in the top 10 I hope. I was disappointed to miss Gold standard by 4 minutes but at least I was well within Silver. What will be to my advantage is that for once it was not me that got lost but a bunch of fast guys who ended up doing an extra 4 miles. Their hard luck in my view, that is usually me. Anyway will be interesting to see full results when they are published.
I was talking to two guys at the start line who were experienced cyclists with a few trips to the Alps and Pyrennees under their belt including most of the 2007 Etap (although they had never done an Etap). I did the first 12 miles with them at some speed before they peeled off to do the 80 mile route, but, by that stage we had already picked off a lot of guys who had started before us. From there to 38 miles I did on my own. No one passed me. I caught one guy who managed to pull away on the hills (caught him again in last 10 miles and took him), another who had a puncture and was fixing it by the side of the road and a third who was struggling. Otherwise I was lonely and anxious that I had missed a turn off.
The course was somewhat hilly with two "out of category" climbs (so my legs told me, but I didn't get off). With 12 miles to go I was struggling. Two guys caught me. They tried to blow me away but I did my limpet act and tagged on. Once they could not get rid of me we worked together, with me having to spend time at the front (I reckoned that I was going to suffer anyway, so I might as well suffer with others and get it over with quicker).
We rode at quite a pace and picked off another 4 or five guys. They set out the tactics with us changing the man in front rapidly as we passed the other riders so they could not latch on (their tactic not mine).
With two miles to go I ended up at the front, and no one seemed to want to take over from me. I knew what was coming and at the one mile marker they shot off, I tried to go with them but I was not quick enough, anyway I knew they would only open up less than a minute on me and as they started before me (they got lost as well) they would not beat my time, so I was happy to let them go.
I was the 5th man across the line (the 80 milers had not started to arrive and everyone else was behind me). My right thigh had been trying to cramp for the last 8 miles and I was shattered. I don't think I could have done the 80 mile route. My average speed despite the hills was just under 19mph. Well pleased, wicked.
I was absolutely shattered after the ride and my son and I and I lounged on the settee in the afternoon watching Chitty Chitty Bang Bang on ITV3.
Had to go to bed early. This morning it is not my legs that are sore but my neck and head.
That is my 2008 Etap training done, roll on the race.
Sept 17th 2007 Tour of the New Forest
Greetings from The Capital – Edinburgh, up here on business. I see the Guilford Pelaton had a successful ride in Kent, well done.
Unfortunately Brentford got thumped by the MK Don(key)s on Saturday in the League 2 head to head. We were at Griffin Park to see the shambles. It was a disgrace.
The weather was glorious in Dorset for the Tour of the New Forest. As predicted it was an undulating 28 miles through the scenic countryside dragging a whingeing 7 year old on a tag-a-long and trying to ignore the wife's asthmatic yelling "slow down, it is not the bl**dy Tour de France" as she trailed behind on her touring cycle.
We did the 28 miles in just over 3 hours including the stop after 10 miles for coffee (and to inspect a 1935 Sunbeam which was being ridden by a member of the vintage Cycle Club) and the stop after 20 miles for ice cream (and to let the wife catch up and catch her breathe).
My son threw a wobbly on the start as he wanted to do the ride on his own bike as "only babies ride tag-a-longs". Anyway, after that was dealt with and trouble with the wife's back wheel which led to two false starts we got on our way.
I only had to walk up one Col which came up after 6 miles (obviously did usual trick and went out too fast running out of glycogen). The rest we managed without too much problem. At one stage we were riding with three guys on aluminium racing bikes with my son shouting to them that we were faster than them as we had caught them. After about 3 miles I let them go and waited for his mother to catch us up. When we restarted he wanted to ride flat out again to catch them but I thought better as we had been stationary for a good five minutes. We also overtook a load of racing cyclist struggling going up a Col just after the long route rejoined the medium route we were doing. One of them was on a Look bike! Once we hit the flat they came back past us with a hearty "good on ya" as they disappeared.
Generally we were overtaking people all the way and my passenger/stoker was pedalling. We opened up 15 minutes on his mother in the last 5 miles.
When we stopped at 20 miles I got talking to another bloke who was towing his daughter on a tag-a-long that he had hired. He told me he was looking to buy one. After a conversation we left them at the stop but shouted back that if he made me an offer at the finish line I would be willing to sell. At the finish (he took an hour longer than us from that stop to the finish) he came up with £40 and a deal was done. He took the tag-a-long home with him (without my son as the wife would not let me throw him in as part of the deal). My son will have to ride his own bike next time time as we no longer have a tag-a-long.
I also enjoyed a sausage bun with loads of ketchup and mustard at the finish to replenish the fuel supplies - and very nice it was. On the way home in the car the wife slept, and once we got home my son for once asked to go to bed early.
So, is anyone up for the South Downs Challenge this weekend. I have official permission to do it.
Unfortunately Brentford got thumped by the MK Don(key)s on Saturday in the League 2 head to head. We were at Griffin Park to see the shambles. It was a disgrace.
The weather was glorious in Dorset for the Tour of the New Forest. As predicted it was an undulating 28 miles through the scenic countryside dragging a whingeing 7 year old on a tag-a-long and trying to ignore the wife's asthmatic yelling "slow down, it is not the bl**dy Tour de France" as she trailed behind on her touring cycle.
We did the 28 miles in just over 3 hours including the stop after 10 miles for coffee (and to inspect a 1935 Sunbeam which was being ridden by a member of the vintage Cycle Club) and the stop after 20 miles for ice cream (and to let the wife catch up and catch her breathe).
My son threw a wobbly on the start as he wanted to do the ride on his own bike as "only babies ride tag-a-longs". Anyway, after that was dealt with and trouble with the wife's back wheel which led to two false starts we got on our way.
I only had to walk up one Col which came up after 6 miles (obviously did usual trick and went out too fast running out of glycogen). The rest we managed without too much problem. At one stage we were riding with three guys on aluminium racing bikes with my son shouting to them that we were faster than them as we had caught them. After about 3 miles I let them go and waited for his mother to catch us up. When we restarted he wanted to ride flat out again to catch them but I thought better as we had been stationary for a good five minutes. We also overtook a load of racing cyclist struggling going up a Col just after the long route rejoined the medium route we were doing. One of them was on a Look bike! Once we hit the flat they came back past us with a hearty "good on ya" as they disappeared.
Generally we were overtaking people all the way and my passenger/stoker was pedalling. We opened up 15 minutes on his mother in the last 5 miles.
When we stopped at 20 miles I got talking to another bloke who was towing his daughter on a tag-a-long that he had hired. He told me he was looking to buy one. After a conversation we left them at the stop but shouted back that if he made me an offer at the finish line I would be willing to sell. At the finish (he took an hour longer than us from that stop to the finish) he came up with £40 and a deal was done. He took the tag-a-long home with him (without my son as the wife would not let me throw him in as part of the deal). My son will have to ride his own bike next time time as we no longer have a tag-a-long.
I also enjoyed a sausage bun with loads of ketchup and mustard at the finish to replenish the fuel supplies - and very nice it was. On the way home in the car the wife slept, and once we got home my son for once asked to go to bed early.
So, is anyone up for the South Downs Challenge this weekend. I have official permission to do it.
Sept 14th 2007 Preparation for the Tour of Kent and the Tour of the New Forest
Any body out there?
No doubt you Guilford Peloton members will have at this point have finished your preparation on the road for the Tour of Kent with just a gentle ride today and tomorrow to keep the legs moving. You will have polished and oiled the bike, torque'd all the bolts and washed and ironed your chosen kit ready to lay it out Saturday night ready for Sunday. Your bodies are no doubt honed and ready to peak on Sunday. Just don't forget your shoes, gloves and helmets on Sunday.
I will be reading the press on Monday expecting headlines along the lines of "New cycling team emerges to take to prize in Tour of Kent"
Myself, I have done 90 miles (ridden to work three times, however, spoiled it this morning with big fry up in the canteen) in the last 8 days with an extra half hour in the gym to top it up in preparation for the Tour of the New Forest on Sunday. An undulating 28 miles through the scenic countryside dragging a whingeing 7 year old on a tag-a-long and trying to ignore the wife's asthmatic yelling "slow down, it is not the bl**dy Tour de France" as she trails behind on her touring cycle.
One spanner in the works is that the bike I will be using Sunday (a hybrid) has a buckled front wheel where, whilst on holiday in France in August, I drove into a height restriction in a car park entrance whilst the bike was on the roof of the car. Not only did it buckle the wheel but I ruined my roof bars, my cycle carriers and dented the roof of the car. Fortunately there was also a hired bike on the roof and the seat post of that bike took the brunt of the damage away from my bike and my wife's touring bike. As I went through the entrance there was a massive bang followed by three bikes falling off the back of my car. Good job the cycle carries were flimsy and I had not tightened them up much as it was only a short journey.
News from my mate Big G who has bought himself a Look 595 (jealous me? no way, Green with envy maybe, but I will be rewarding myself with a new Look cycle in March if I have managed to convince the wife that I can do the Etap in 2008). He is really enjoying riding it and is using his holiday this week and next training in the Surrey hills getting ready to join us on our Etap quest 2008. A prospective new member for the Guilford Pelaton (what is the status of those shirts at the moment?).
Any body up for the South Downs Challenge next Sunday? http://www.southdowns-challenge.co.uk/ I quite fancy the 50 mile route. Let me know.
No doubt you Guilford Peloton members will have at this point have finished your preparation on the road for the Tour of Kent with just a gentle ride today and tomorrow to keep the legs moving. You will have polished and oiled the bike, torque'd all the bolts and washed and ironed your chosen kit ready to lay it out Saturday night ready for Sunday. Your bodies are no doubt honed and ready to peak on Sunday. Just don't forget your shoes, gloves and helmets on Sunday.
I will be reading the press on Monday expecting headlines along the lines of "New cycling team emerges to take to prize in Tour of Kent"
Myself, I have done 90 miles (ridden to work three times, however, spoiled it this morning with big fry up in the canteen) in the last 8 days with an extra half hour in the gym to top it up in preparation for the Tour of the New Forest on Sunday. An undulating 28 miles through the scenic countryside dragging a whingeing 7 year old on a tag-a-long and trying to ignore the wife's asthmatic yelling "slow down, it is not the bl**dy Tour de France" as she trails behind on her touring cycle.
One spanner in the works is that the bike I will be using Sunday (a hybrid) has a buckled front wheel where, whilst on holiday in France in August, I drove into a height restriction in a car park entrance whilst the bike was on the roof of the car. Not only did it buckle the wheel but I ruined my roof bars, my cycle carriers and dented the roof of the car. Fortunately there was also a hired bike on the roof and the seat post of that bike took the brunt of the damage away from my bike and my wife's touring bike. As I went through the entrance there was a massive bang followed by three bikes falling off the back of my car. Good job the cycle carries were flimsy and I had not tightened them up much as it was only a short journey.
News from my mate Big G who has bought himself a Look 595 (jealous me? no way, Green with envy maybe, but I will be rewarding myself with a new Look cycle in March if I have managed to convince the wife that I can do the Etap in 2008). He is really enjoying riding it and is using his holiday this week and next training in the Surrey hills getting ready to join us on our Etap quest 2008. A prospective new member for the Guilford Pelaton (what is the status of those shirts at the moment?).
Any body up for the South Downs Challenge next Sunday? http://www.southdowns-challenge.co.uk/ I quite fancy the 50 mile route. Let me know.
New York August 6th 2007
Weekend report:
Well, there was no cycling this weekend but lots of visits to bike shops and diners -but more about that later.
I checked my weight this morning - total gain now 4.5 lbs in one week but at least the rate of climb seems to be slowing. Only 5 more days to go.
Went to the gym Friday night and did 30 minutes running and weights. Went again Saturday morning and did an hour on the bike cadence 90average heart rate 148. I nearly had a seizure!!! My fitness has gonedown severely since the Etap. I suffered badly.
I made up for the exercise by walking the 40 blocks to the bike shop stopping on the way to refuel on steak and eggs, toast and coffee. A good traditional American breakfast.
The bike shop was fantastic (Bicycle Renaisance 81st and Columbus). They run their own team using Pinarello frames and just started stocking Look frames in the last couple of months. They had the Look 595 frame in bothblack and white (loads of other Look frames as well). The 595 is very impressive. The seatpost is part of the frame. They also had the Pinnarello Paris Carbon (used by one of the teams in the Tour) and theOrbea used by Euskatel (?). They knew what they were talking about and I went round the back to the very impressive workshops where they werebuilding one of the Look 595s into a bike for delivery to a customer.
Went to a couple of other bike shops including a Bianchi dealer, but they were not as impressive in their presentation. More regular bikeshops rather than the professional shop I first went to.
Then went to the Apple shop and bought a selection of IPods (a shuffle,a nano and an 30 gb video model) and the Harley Davidson shop for some souvenir T shirts for my son and nephew (they like to havethe same shirts).
On Saturday night myself and a colleague went to the new Transformers movie. I had very low expectations but it was really good. I think it is aimed at teenagers (like myself) and was certainly not for kids as it had adult humour and content. Worth going to see if you are at a loose end.
Sunday got up late, decided not to do the NY Half marathon. Didn't wantto show up the Etheopian fella Haille Gabrisomething who won in 59minutes or the other 10,000 runners. Besides, my knee is sore after running Friday night. Went to an American diner for pancakes, eggs and bacon, then Macy's for the wife's cosmetics. Wandered down to Union Square (20th Street) then back to the hotel. Day gone.
The Americans have not heard of F1 so I did not get the result until this morning at work (no coverage in the papers either.
So no frame purchase, but the Look was a bargain, Pinarello was lovely and I wouldn't have minded the Orbea.
Well, there was no cycling this weekend but lots of visits to bike shops and diners -but more about that later.
I checked my weight this morning - total gain now 4.5 lbs in one week but at least the rate of climb seems to be slowing. Only 5 more days to go.
Went to the gym Friday night and did 30 minutes running and weights. Went again Saturday morning and did an hour on the bike cadence 90average heart rate 148. I nearly had a seizure!!! My fitness has gonedown severely since the Etap. I suffered badly.
I made up for the exercise by walking the 40 blocks to the bike shop stopping on the way to refuel on steak and eggs, toast and coffee. A good traditional American breakfast.
The bike shop was fantastic (Bicycle Renaisance 81st and Columbus). They run their own team using Pinarello frames and just started stocking Look frames in the last couple of months. They had the Look 595 frame in bothblack and white (loads of other Look frames as well). The 595 is very impressive. The seatpost is part of the frame. They also had the Pinnarello Paris Carbon (used by one of the teams in the Tour) and theOrbea used by Euskatel (?). They knew what they were talking about and I went round the back to the very impressive workshops where they werebuilding one of the Look 595s into a bike for delivery to a customer.
Went to a couple of other bike shops including a Bianchi dealer, but they were not as impressive in their presentation. More regular bikeshops rather than the professional shop I first went to.
Then went to the Apple shop and bought a selection of IPods (a shuffle,a nano and an 30 gb video model) and the Harley Davidson shop for some souvenir T shirts for my son and nephew (they like to havethe same shirts).
On Saturday night myself and a colleague went to the new Transformers movie. I had very low expectations but it was really good. I think it is aimed at teenagers (like myself) and was certainly not for kids as it had adult humour and content. Worth going to see if you are at a loose end.
Sunday got up late, decided not to do the NY Half marathon. Didn't wantto show up the Etheopian fella Haille Gabrisomething who won in 59minutes or the other 10,000 runners. Besides, my knee is sore after running Friday night. Went to an American diner for pancakes, eggs and bacon, then Macy's for the wife's cosmetics. Wandered down to Union Square (20th Street) then back to the hotel. Day gone.
The Americans have not heard of F1 so I did not get the result until this morning at work (no coverage in the papers either.
So no frame purchase, but the Look was a bargain, Pinarello was lovely and I wouldn't have minded the Orbea.
Wednesday 3 October 2007
Etap 2007
~~~~~~~~ Challenge Completed ~~~~~~~~~
It was hell out there, the heat, the 4500 metres of climb up the mountains, the altitude, the distance.My result was position 3206 out of 4357 finishers. Consider this in the context that 7000 were entered and many were swept up for not being able to stay ahead of the broom wagon. In my class (40 to 50 years) I was 1213th out of 1644 that finished.
I managed the 120 miles, 5 mountains in 43 degrees of heat (the tarmac was melting and tyres were sticking to it) in 10 hours 43 minutes. Myself, my brother (10 hours 4 seconds) and my mate (10 hours 47 minutes) all finished, but there were many who didn't and got a lift to the finish in the broom wagons.
I went very well for the first 115 kilometres (first three mountains). I was awesome on the downhills and across the flat between the first two climbs but began to suffer at the top of the third where my brother (who over the winter has been consistently fitter and stronger on the bike than me) caught me. At that point I we were two and a half hours ahead of the broom wagon (the broom wagon travels at a consistent 17 Kph over the course, I finished one and a quarter hours ahead of the wagon at the finish).
My brother and I carried on together down the third mountain but he pulled away climbing the fourth. Over a course like this you consume between 6000 and 8000 calories so you need to be taking on food and drink. I obviously messed up on this as I bonked going up the fourth mountain (the body ran out of energy stores and shuts down). I even fell off when I touched wheels with another competitor but as my speed was so slow I simply bruised my knee as I hit the melting tarmac.
I can't remember much about the race for the last two mountains. I do remember pain and suffering and I walked a few Kilometers. The walking wore out the cleats on my shoes so only one shoe locked into the pedal over the last part of the fifth mountain which gave me a problem when I tried to ride uphill, but I had such a margin over the broom wagon that it didn't matter.
Even Greg Lemond, a recent Tour De France overall winner, only managed 8 hours 41 minutes. The winner, a 29-year-old Frenchman managed 6 hours 29 minutes!!! It will be interesting to see what time the Tour riders do the course in when they ride it next Monday.
I will post updated reports on this website (www.justgiving.com/duncansetap) over the next few days as I recover.
Pictures of me suffering during the race can be viewed (my race number is 4394) at:http://www.maindruphoto.com/product_info.php?products_id=2075560&cPath=1116_1117&language=en
As well as the money raised through the charity site I have other sponsorship and am hoping the HBOS Foundation will match the first £500 raised. Overall this should benefit the charity by over £2000.00. A fantastic figure I think, far exceeding my expectations.
My wifes' reaction "Now we can sell the bike and get on with our lives"
Overall, a once in a lifetime experience, but beware if this has prompted you to think about doing the Etap next year, your life will not be your own between the entry going in and the race.
It was hell out there, the heat, the 4500 metres of climb up the mountains, the altitude, the distance.My result was position 3206 out of 4357 finishers. Consider this in the context that 7000 were entered and many were swept up for not being able to stay ahead of the broom wagon. In my class (40 to 50 years) I was 1213th out of 1644 that finished.
I managed the 120 miles, 5 mountains in 43 degrees of heat (the tarmac was melting and tyres were sticking to it) in 10 hours 43 minutes. Myself, my brother (10 hours 4 seconds) and my mate (10 hours 47 minutes) all finished, but there were many who didn't and got a lift to the finish in the broom wagons.
I went very well for the first 115 kilometres (first three mountains). I was awesome on the downhills and across the flat between the first two climbs but began to suffer at the top of the third where my brother (who over the winter has been consistently fitter and stronger on the bike than me) caught me. At that point I we were two and a half hours ahead of the broom wagon (the broom wagon travels at a consistent 17 Kph over the course, I finished one and a quarter hours ahead of the wagon at the finish).
My brother and I carried on together down the third mountain but he pulled away climbing the fourth. Over a course like this you consume between 6000 and 8000 calories so you need to be taking on food and drink. I obviously messed up on this as I bonked going up the fourth mountain (the body ran out of energy stores and shuts down). I even fell off when I touched wheels with another competitor but as my speed was so slow I simply bruised my knee as I hit the melting tarmac.
I can't remember much about the race for the last two mountains. I do remember pain and suffering and I walked a few Kilometers. The walking wore out the cleats on my shoes so only one shoe locked into the pedal over the last part of the fifth mountain which gave me a problem when I tried to ride uphill, but I had such a margin over the broom wagon that it didn't matter.
Even Greg Lemond, a recent Tour De France overall winner, only managed 8 hours 41 minutes. The winner, a 29-year-old Frenchman managed 6 hours 29 minutes!!! It will be interesting to see what time the Tour riders do the course in when they ride it next Monday.
I will post updated reports on this website (www.justgiving.com/duncansetap) over the next few days as I recover.
Pictures of me suffering during the race can be viewed (my race number is 4394) at:http://www.maindruphoto.com/product_info.php?products_id=2075560&cPath=1116_1117&language=en
As well as the money raised through the charity site I have other sponsorship and am hoping the HBOS Foundation will match the first £500 raised. Overall this should benefit the charity by over £2000.00. A fantastic figure I think, far exceeding my expectations.
My wifes' reaction "Now we can sell the bike and get on with our lives"
Overall, a once in a lifetime experience, but beware if this has prompted you to think about doing the Etap next year, your life will not be your own between the entry going in and the race.
Whitsun Bank Holiday
I trust you all managed to get a few long rides in this weekend in preparation for the upcoming Etap.
On Friday my brother, my mate and I rode from London to the New Forest, some 95 miles through some beautiful countryside in glorious weather. We went tyhrough Surrey, West Sussex, Hampshire and into Dorset. Yes we did get lost a number of times and no it was not a hilly ride, more distance. Despite an average speed of 17 mph it still took all day and we stopped for leisurely teas and lunches. I can definitely recommend the route. Very little traffic and good roads.
Once we got to the New Forest we had to cycle across the top towards Ringwood. I was staying the Bank Holiday Weekend in a caravan site near Fordingbridge called "Sandy Balls" with my family. Thoroughly recommended the site. Anyway, I drove the other two to Salisbury to get a train home only for them to discover that the mainline was undergoing repairs over the Bank Holiday weekend and that they had to catch a slow train to Portsmouth for a long slow journey home (along the same route they had come down i.e. Liphook, Petersfield, Hazlemere etc). Very late night for them getting home after 10 PM.
That was the only real ride I did over the weekend, however, I did manage scenic rides of 20 miles each with the family Sat, Sun, & Mon in the New Forest. On Monday my 6 year old was tired and refused to pedal his tag-a-long so I had to tow him 20 miles whilst he did a running commentary of his observation from behind me. This is good training which I willingly accepted except for a couple of big hills where I used motivational speaking and coaching techniques to get his help and demanded he helped under threats of taking away his Easter eggs if he didn't.
The Wife was complaining that she was not in training for the Tour de France and that all weekend I was going to fast for her to enjoy the experience. She rides a Peugeot touring bike (racer style) and was pedalling furiously to keep up with me. She also complained that as soon as she got to the top of a hill where we (my son and I) were waiting for her we went dashing off without giving her time to recover. I don't know what she was complaining about, I was on a hybrid, carrying the rucksack, and towing a 6 year old (he is a strong pedaller when he wants to be and enjoyed Sat and Sun but Mon was a day to far for him).
All in all we had three punctures over the weekend so I spent Monday PM fixing punctures. My brother decided Sunday that after his Sunday morning club run he would test the strength of his carbon frames and forks. The car in front of him stopped sharply when someone opened a car door into the traffic and he was unable to stop the bike in time and took out the rear lights and went for a short flight landing heavily on the tarmac. The ambulance and Police were called and the guy was booked. My brother was fortunate to have not broken anything but is feeling bruised and grazed and his bike needs to go back to the shop for testing. My mate managed some shorter rides. His training has paid off and he has now overtaken me thanks to his new Look bike.
The wife will not let me do a reckie weekend in France but has booked us to spend a week in Sicily at Club Med over Whitsun Bank Holiday. Lets hope Etna dopes not decide to erupt whilst I am training on her slopes.
On Friday my brother, my mate and I rode from London to the New Forest, some 95 miles through some beautiful countryside in glorious weather. We went tyhrough Surrey, West Sussex, Hampshire and into Dorset. Yes we did get lost a number of times and no it was not a hilly ride, more distance. Despite an average speed of 17 mph it still took all day and we stopped for leisurely teas and lunches. I can definitely recommend the route. Very little traffic and good roads.
Once we got to the New Forest we had to cycle across the top towards Ringwood. I was staying the Bank Holiday Weekend in a caravan site near Fordingbridge called "Sandy Balls" with my family. Thoroughly recommended the site. Anyway, I drove the other two to Salisbury to get a train home only for them to discover that the mainline was undergoing repairs over the Bank Holiday weekend and that they had to catch a slow train to Portsmouth for a long slow journey home (along the same route they had come down i.e. Liphook, Petersfield, Hazlemere etc). Very late night for them getting home after 10 PM.
That was the only real ride I did over the weekend, however, I did manage scenic rides of 20 miles each with the family Sat, Sun, & Mon in the New Forest. On Monday my 6 year old was tired and refused to pedal his tag-a-long so I had to tow him 20 miles whilst he did a running commentary of his observation from behind me. This is good training which I willingly accepted except for a couple of big hills where I used motivational speaking and coaching techniques to get his help and demanded he helped under threats of taking away his Easter eggs if he didn't.
The Wife was complaining that she was not in training for the Tour de France and that all weekend I was going to fast for her to enjoy the experience. She rides a Peugeot touring bike (racer style) and was pedalling furiously to keep up with me. She also complained that as soon as she got to the top of a hill where we (my son and I) were waiting for her we went dashing off without giving her time to recover. I don't know what she was complaining about, I was on a hybrid, carrying the rucksack, and towing a 6 year old (he is a strong pedaller when he wants to be and enjoyed Sat and Sun but Mon was a day to far for him).
All in all we had three punctures over the weekend so I spent Monday PM fixing punctures. My brother decided Sunday that after his Sunday morning club run he would test the strength of his carbon frames and forks. The car in front of him stopped sharply when someone opened a car door into the traffic and he was unable to stop the bike in time and took out the rear lights and went for a short flight landing heavily on the tarmac. The ambulance and Police were called and the guy was booked. My brother was fortunate to have not broken anything but is feeling bruised and grazed and his bike needs to go back to the shop for testing. My mate managed some shorter rides. His training has paid off and he has now overtaken me thanks to his new Look bike.
The wife will not let me do a reckie weekend in France but has booked us to spend a week in Sicily at Club Med over Whitsun Bank Holiday. Lets hope Etna dopes not decide to erupt whilst I am training on her slopes.
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