iain couttie

Thanks for the tow down and back, was chuffed I even managed that.

Thanks for the tow down and back, was chuffed I even managed that.

Well done

1st club run in a while, should start training,can't annoy George if I can't talk.

.

Billy & El Bison are riding this.
 
Plan is to fly Glasgow to Carcassone on the Saturday (Ryanair approx £180 with bike)
 
Hire car (price to be established) drive to start town of Argeles Gazost.
 
I’ve looked on Airbnb and am ready to book a house that’ll sleep 6. £393 between 6 of us. About £65 each.
 
Alex, I’m perfectly willing to let you pay more 😉
 
Fly back on Wednesday.
 
Entry to event also to be paid. Registration opens November. Demand won’t be as high as Marmotte Alps so should get a place ok.
 
So there is space for the first 4 people who confirm. Plenty of accommodation for late comers.
 
Rules are
 
1) pay any money you owe me for digs before we go or you are sleeping in a field
2) if someone buys you a drink you buy one back
3) I decide.
 
Please confirm ASAP so I can book.

I just made it up... 😂😂

A wee birds told me I was the only V40 to finish and that riding Cycling Weakly's bike of the year.
 
Cheers Paul it was certainly an experience and saved a DNS. Reckon would have been OK with just front brake on my own bike as you probably only dabbed the brakes a couple of times a lap.

Great turn out by the Wheelers and Jets. V50s looked strong as usual. I managed a good start for a change and went out hard and lost my legs on last 2 laps I finished somewhere in the top 40 but mylaps shows a DNF! always something 😂 Well done to George on first outing and for Davie for finishing on the legendary Chinacross bike. Has to be the best CX course in Scotland!

Fell off twice and snapped my chain in warm up.
 
Then fell off twice, while going uphill, during race.
 
Great fun tho.

The Bison & Paul the Power were awesome this morning. Reminiscent of Hinault/Moser in the Barrachi Trophy.
 
We even slowed to let Marc catch us and "cheer him on" 😉

Slept in. Absolute diddy.

Cheers for wheels guys. See I have not lost knack of hiding in bunch. Ta for waiting for me on pipe track both ways & ta to Al Thomson for giving me a wheel to follow. Who is that skinny guy that looks like my old pal Billy Mac

That Bunch Ian??? Luckily no-one landed on top of me they were laughing so hard! To be fair when Couttie crashed at same corner I barely stayed upright with laughter so no complaints there.
 
All ok. Parts already ordered for bike. See about getting wheel fixed this week.
 
Left knee very sore, bruising around left foot, right leg cut to bits (including under shoe???), left side of face looks well slapped and a couple of wee cuts, ass scraped, and left arm and shoulder scraped. Felt okish afterwards but steadily stiffening up. Nothing broken, and no clothing torn! Result!!!
 
Red wine helping!

Times
Allan t. 25.08
Scott 23.36. Pub ()
Gerrard 23.46

Times
Allan t. 25.08
Scott 23.36. Pub ()
Gerrard 23.46

My Turn at last.... Im away in the sun!

Evening all.
 
Well, here's the report from one of the 'also rans'
 
I had been keen for Roubaix this year until Geo talked me into the Marmotte.
 
"11 months to go" I thought....what could go wrong!
 
A combination of work and a 2yr old meant I didn't get as many miles in as I would've liked...I had ridden a couple of 75 milers in the previous couple of months but my last century was at Flanders last April.... but before I knew it, we were flying out to Geneva!
 
As George said, a bit of delay getting to the Alpe but a nice wee ride down the Alpe on Sat, along to Allemont and then a climb up to Villard Reculas and into Huez village. It did made me think about the day to come!
 
The descent to the start wasn't as bad as I feared and we were soon off and blasting through the valley. I was with my friend from Dumfries and we were staying together as he has been on the bike less than me.
Up and over the looooonnnnnnggg drag of the Glandon into the cold and mist. Not much hanging about before the neutralised descent.
Neutralised because it's dangerous.....it also didn't help that visibility must've been down to 50ft! Interesting!!
 
I had lost sight of my mate and found myself on a wee train along the valley. Hanging on a bit as I didn't fancy being stuck on my own into the headwind.
We collected Greg, who was doing exactly that, just before the feed stop and we were joined by my mate before tackling the Telegraphe.
The Telegraphe itself isn't too bad a climb but then we were onto the Galibier. At this point my mate said he was chucking it and as Greg and I spoke to Ramsay and Elaine....who had caught us for about an hour!!...I lost of sight of him and we eventually thought he must've turned round.
 
The Galibier was ok to start with but the last 8 or 9km is a pretty hard slog. Think it was about 4 or 5mph all the way up!
 
To surprise and delight, my mate was at the feed station at the top! It was blowing a gale so we headed off down the descent which wasn't too nice in the wind.
The Galibier soon turned into the Col du Lautaret and it's fast, majestic sweeping bends that went on for km after km.
Good for the morale and the sun had came out by now!
We realised we weren't as far ahead of schedule as we had imagined so it was a race on to make the time cut off of 6.15pm at the foot of the Alpe.
We dug in and made it with 10 mins to spare. We had dug in because we had decided we weren't going to ride the Alpe after all.
 
Then we decided that that would be daft......so off we went!
 
It was in the 20's by now so off came as many clothes as was decent and we agreed it was every man for himself so I continued on my 4mph slog upwards and got closer and closer....seeing a lot of folk looking in a worse state than yourself is a strange morale boost!!
 
I eventually got to hairpin 1 and had some new found energy so had a good run in to the finish line.
 
Total time from start to finish was 12hrs and 20 mins so a long day in the saddle.
I was delighted to have finished because I had my doubts. It was a tough mental battle at times.
 
I was less than delighted to be told that they didn't have any medals left!!!
I'll see how the organisers reply to my e-mail!
 
What Ramsay didn't tell you was that he still managed to climb the Alpe in 1hr 10 after everything that came before!! Chapeau
 
As the others have said about the Fred, not sure if I'd do it again but glad to have ticked it off!
 
Thanks for reading....and goodnight

By far the toughest thing I've done on the bike.
 
Very cool in the morning, thankfully, as would have struggled in the heat.
 
Fast start from Bourg but the group thinned out as soon as we hit the glandon. Really hard at the start but we got into a rhythm of sorts. Misty & cold at top & mental descent.
 
Got in a fast bunch on way to Telegraphe, this was long but not too bad (avg 7.5%) but then the Galibier- never ending. Truly horrible. Got cramp in left hamstring so so had to stop for a stretch.
 
This is when my stomach problems started. More later....
 
Descent from Galibier was super fast with very wide roads so great fun.
 
Got in a group and got to the Alpe in no time.
 
First 4K were horrendous & my hamstring cramped again. Stomach still playing up.
 
Counting down the corners now but moving at a snails pace then my right hamstring went-had to get off for a stretch.
 
Corner 13. Had to get off & scurry into the trees to make a deposit. Nasty.
 
Then just limped on and on and on while being baked in the heat.
 
Picked up in last few K as the gradient eased and rolled to a stop. Utterly spent.
 
Hardest day I've had on a bike but glad I did it. If only I'd trained for it although I'd likely had suffered as much but just gone faster.
 
Box tickedðŸ‘

The day 0500! Up breakfast 5:30 Ride down the Alp 06:00Then in pen eventually over the line 07:15 the ride to the glandon is fast and fun but over too quickly then the 24 k of the Glandon me Grieg and George rode up most of it together soon enough it was me and George 2 plus hours latter the decent which was damp and cold and scary lost George as he was well in front
Next year valley to Telegraph spent most of that on my own eventually reaching the col but spent a couple of matches caught up with George and rode the 12 k or so together nice short decent and the Galibier 20 k this was sole destroying eventually I left George and rode to the top and waited for a short time as it was freezing
Next a fantastic descent to the Alp again sort of on my own dragged a bunch to the btm of the Alp
The Alp 22 hair pins of total torture everything hurts close to chucking it many times hung in finished had a few beers and George rolled in
The rest can add but George's Alp storey is good

Quite a brutal morning with a huge headwind on the out leg, averaging just under 20mph out, then 25+ on the way back, but of, course, already gubbed by then so couldn't take full advantage.
 
Alan T. 68.05
Mike Ferguson. 70.26
Robert Shennan 73.02

Another total mediocre day on the bike , got confused with where the start was went to 25 start , noticed nobody there then rode down to the real star . Wish I never brutal head wind , nearly came off the bike in an extremely rough section, minute man caught me before the kippen roundabout
One of those days that you just never really work hard enough into the wind , flew back finished 23:10 dissapointed as usual , but mighty impressive ride by Richard 3rd
Mike was there after riding the night before which was probably even windier that today some effort
 
Now no more TT until the 4 lumps are done , then big training block for TT need to get quicker

FYI
 
THE Old Largs Road between Greenock and Largs is to be closed for much of the summer.
 
The route is shutting for around six weeks starting on Monday (19 June).
 
The closure is in place while Rottenburn Bridge, on the Inverclyde/North Ayrshire border is strengthened.
 
The expected date of re-opening is towards the end of July.
 
Traffic will still be able to travel on the Old Largs Road from Greenock and then turn on to Dunrod Road towards the Greenock Cut Visitor Centre at Loch Thom.

The Chubby Challenge Climb https://www.strava.com/segments/1657555
 
Dates should be 12 to 18 not what the thread topic says (can't edit it)

the tow was an introductory offer, we offer for rehabilitation of the elderly. nice to miss the rain.