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Found 3 results

  1. Hi, I have entered this. It is a relatively short (43m )but hilly (3000ft total) and scenic route with views out to Islay, Jura and Gigha. John the organiser has asked me to publicise it within the club. The start is about a 2 hr 15 min drive from Johnstone. https://www.britishcycling.org.uk/events/details/256985/Kilberry-Loop-Sportive Alan
  2. Great ride around the familiar roads (to myself anyway) of a forgotten corner of the country on sunday, only 30 or so entries for longest route of 73 miles & over 3K feet of up, wind minimal, some rain only when the Glenkens were reached. Decent avg speed of 16.6mph for solo effort. Catering by relatives in Dalbeattie was much appreciated!
  3. Hi everyone, Thought I would let you know how the sportives have been going. I did the Wiggle Dragon Ride on june 8th with winter clothes on my folding bike and got completely cooked and dehydrated (who would have thought there could be hot weather in Wales!!). Was better prepared for the Quebrantehuesos in the Pyrenees on june 22nd, taking lots of isotonic drinks (had my own salt tabs with me). Then onto the French alpes, for the beautiful week of cycling that surrounds Bourg and Vaujany called La Trophy d'Oisans. Trophy d’Oisans June 28th La Vaujany (176km) July 03rd Prix des Rousses (40km tt, Alpe d’Huez and Vaujany climb) July 06th La Marmotte (176km) July 07th Grimpee des Alpes (14km tt, Alpe d’Huez) I completed La Vaujany a few days ago, and I’m sitting here in Annecy typing this buzzing on coffee and chamois cream while my girlfriend and son are sleeping. Had a rest day yesterday, and a ride round Annecy lake today, and it’s the Prix des Rousses tomorrow. La Vaujany http://www.routeyou....e-la-vaujany.en Profile http://www.sportcomm...fil/profil2.gif This is one of the less well known sportives, probably because it comes close in the calendar to l’etape and la Marmotte, so is often overlooked by tourists in favour of the more famous rides. I drove to Vaujany the day before to register and get my number and timing chip. I arrived at the village just before 2pm and wandered around in the rain holding my umbrella waiting for registration to start. The weather was miserable, the rain constant, and cloud level was around 800-1000m. Temperature at 1000m was 10 degrees, not counting wind chill. The grinning salesman in the merchandise shop was selling Santini plastic bag jackets for €85 and business was steady. I was not looking forward to the ride tomorrow. A detour before heading back to Annecy brought me to Decathlon for a cheap plastic waterproof (€15) to add an extra layer for tomorrow against the rain. Then I dropped the family in Annecy, had some dinner, and sat around reading the weather reports. All the reports said rain, and I thought about the ride tomorrow, while my girlfriend told me to stay in Annecy. You know that moment when you don’t want to do something but you need to do it? Its not bravery or stupidity, just stubbornness. I arrived at the Ibis cheap hotel in Grenoble at midnight, leaving my family in Annecy for the night to have a decent sleep. The drive to Grenoble was awful, through driving rain, my sat nav taking me on detours due to road works. I got in the sterile hotel room, and laid all my clothes by the bedside, and got my head down for a sleep. At 515am the alarm clock went off, and breakfast was some muesli with UHT milk, a banana, a chunk of cheese, and some energy drink. Then it was an hour’s drive to the hydro-electric barrage of Le Verney (near Vaugany). By the time I got parked and cycled to the start it was 0705, with my start at 0715. My number, 344, meant I was in the third pen near the middle to the back by the time I arrived. There were approximately 2000 entrants in 2013, although a few hundred would have been doing the shorter route. It was not raining, although cloud level was still low. The ride to Sechilienne was undulating, generally downhill, until the first climb at 25km. I concentrated on hanging onto wheels at 50-60kmph, trying to avoid the nutters, keep my average speed up, and saving energy for later. The climb to Col du Grand Seare was 14km long, and I was quickly being passed by loads of riders. I was trying to keep my pulse below 85% MHR to ensure I had something left for later. Picking up water at the summit, eating my own gels and bars, and swiftly down the other side. The road undulated before the first proper feed station. The descents were treacherous, I stuffed sunglasses in my back pocket due to the mist on the lenses, and took the corners carefully. Then the climb Col d’Ornon began. Sunshine had arrived, and temperatures were approaching 17 degrees (yippee.. off with waterproof jacket and rolled down the arm warmers). Again I was passed by lots of riders on the ascent, and soon I was riding by myself. I consoled myself that I was past the half-way point, but without going above 90% MHR (threshold) I was unable to keep up with the climbers. By this time all the fast riders were already up the road: one of the disadvantages of the smaller sportives is the need to be properly fit to keep up with le peleton. With the popular mass participation rides (involving 8k-12k riders), if you get dropped by one bunch there will usually be another along in a minute. So despite la Vaujany being easier due to less climbing than La Marmotte, the need to maintain a high pace to keep up with the smaller bunches or ride around by yourself can make it just as painful. From the Bourg valley there was now a climb up the back of Alpe d’Huez (east side), bringing me out at hairpin 5 from the top (about 6km). On summiting my GPS was reading a temperature of 24 degrees, and the clouds had burned away leaving a clear blue sky. Quickly refilling bottles, grabbing a chunk of brie, a slice of orange, and some jelly babies, then it was back in the saddle for a short climb to the top of Col de Sarenne before a descent down the other side back to Bourg. The road surface was pretty awful and I was holding onto the handlebars as the wheels bounced on the uneven surface. (Some time later when I got off the bike and removed the gloves, I discovered my palms were black from gripping the gloves against the handlebars!) The speedometer passed 70kmph and my fingers were feeling numb from the road vibration. I covered the descent and approach to Vaujany alone, and felt cooked on the final 6km climb up to the village, the temperature ticking over 27 degrees, the gradient averaging 10%, I grovelled to the top using my 34x27. Arriving around 7:45 with a gold medal time, then the complimentary pasta, cola, and energy juice, before a 8km cycle back to the barrage of La Verney to pick up the car and drive back to Annecy. More news tomorrow after Prix des Rousses. Hope you find the reports interesting. Scott
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