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Double Arran


P McDonald
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Iain, we are getting 0700 ferry. By the way my 18 year old daughter beat me by 2 seconds on a 6km mountain time trial in Spain last week !? And other daughter was 12 secs back. A very very humbling moment in my life.

 

Robbie, that would be fantastic. You could be like an extra terrestrial mirage appearing to help us.

 

:)

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It gets worse! He mentioned population goes from 5000 to 25000 on Saturday and Brodick will be mobbed. I thought if its just Brodick we may be fine and said as long as we can get through at 25ish mph we should be fine. He just laughed and said no chance, there are pipe bands marching through Brodick this weekend.

 

Think a serious reconsider is needed!

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Conundrum indeed. We have all booked the slot so we could either

 

1) Just go for it and have a good day out on Arran anyway, whether the DA is feasible or not. Whats not to like on a nice day. We should be passing through Brodick before 11am which is hopefully before the conjestion gets too bad, and if we get to the Main St and stopped on the second lap then I think there is a good chance the jury will award the double.

2) Plan B - something like ride round to Sheila's diner via Hells Glen

 

Preferences?  - think my bet would be Arran but you knew that anyway.

 

:)

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If buts and maybes 😕... two laps will be achieved and if we get held up on the 2nd lap and don't make it, well that's just the way the cookie crumbles.. I'm sure paul already has another date pencilled in incase the unthinkable happens. If you believe it it will happen lol the only option is two completed laps. We can think about the excuses after we fail...not before 😉

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On Tuesday volume of cars produced delays. This works against us but also for us. I vote we follow through our commitment. If we fail we learn if we are successful then....

 

Forever more Ross wasn't there

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Firstly, my legs are sore, very sore! But nothing compared to Paul and Alans.

 

My intentions today were to meet the men on the second lap and kill myself for the team, I think I achieved that.

 

Paul and Alan, simply an incredible effort! To sustain that speed, over those hills for 112 miles is ridiculous! Well done to both of you, enjoy your celebratory beers.

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So DA is done. Sigh of relief, you don't have to read all my DA punctuation mince any more. Until we do it again.

 

Alan McB and me were the lucky ones who achieved immortality but it was most certainly the result of tremendous teamwork, the likes of which only happens on very special days. I was a particularly lucky recipient of the teamwork, as was Alan but he just did not need it as much as I did !

 

So me, Alan, Jan and Andy did a brilliantly smooth first lap. Very even workload and very smooth changes. Alan was doing longer pulls but very importantly not faster just longer. Thanks to my gals who planked our stash to save us a few seconds. Iain Carvill also joined us on ferry to do a single on his own.

 

First lap was a fast one with the excellent teamwork and perfect conditions. Just as well as Alan had a front wheel puncture which we changed toot sweet as we were not for losing his horsepower.

 

End of lap 1 we were getting into the stash and just about ready to leave when Robbie came floating up to the bench. This was the first Angel I saw today. His fresh legs were very welcome and even though we were pretty gubbed by this point, I have to say he was flying. And I guess that was after a nightshift which was likely the reason he did not make 7am ferry.

 

So in the early part of the second lap Jan was over extending so shouted us to go on. He then did the ultimate team duty, more of which later. About 15 miles into second lap Andy had a bad spell and tailed off, but it was temporary, more later. Myself Robbie and Alan then horsed it up the east coast, well Robbie and Alan did and I dabbled with the notion of spells.

 

Turned round into the long climb at Lochranza into headwind and Robbie, somewhat understandably after doing a power of work on the second lap, tailed off a bit. Alan cantered up the climb with the bit between his teeth and soloed on for the last 12 miles to achieve immortality. I plugged my way up then then down the descent and was going up the rise before the last 8 miles or so which by this time was a strong headwind and honestly I was at point of stopping and getting a bus. I was cooked in every way. Then I saw another angel, Jan had rode round in reverse and proceeded to drag me in a state of delirium for the last 8 miles and give me jellies and generally ride at the only pace I could manage. Made it back to ferry and thought to myself if I was to stop cycling tomorrow then I would be happy with my cycling life. Relief beyond words to stop the pain.

 

Robbie then rode in and caught the ferry to complete a very impressive single as he spent a lot more than 1/2 the lap on the front, and we had to ask him to scale it back a lot of times.

 

Meantime Andy had rallied and also rode the full double, which means he rode about 40 miles on his tod. What a trooper. He rode into Brodick as the ferry was floating out !

 

Speaking for myself, there is no way I could have done that without every one of the guys contributions today. Thank you all immensely for making a dream come true.

 

Need to spend some time now thinking up a new challenge Ohyadancer!

 

:)

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