tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7557245409029785532024-03-05T17:23:20.653+00:00Andy 'Crasher' HowettAndrew Howett Endurance 24hr hour mountainbike xc racing world solo championship Mt Zoom bikefood european UK exposure race sleaford wheelers columbia fife ac lincolnshire mountain bike road time trial transvesubienne Andy Crasher Fife AC carbon frame mending cross country 24hrs of exposure wasing big dog torq 12hr gorrick british endurance seriesAndrew Howetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07948073074991195855noreply@blogger.comBlogger169125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-755724540902978553.post-35765473115619921302021-02-24T18:20:00.002+00:002021-02-24T18:47:30.541+00:00My First Ultra - Last One Standing, Castleward, Northern Ireland<p style="text-align: center;"> <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">My First Ultra – Last One Standing, Castleward, Northern
Ireland</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I do a little bit of fell-running and one day last November
I was out running in the Pentlands with a few guys from my old running club. We
got chatting and one of them, Alan, mentioned the Last One Standing. I was
vaguely aware of the concept, having once read something about Laz’s Back Yard
Ultra but had no idea there were other ones about. ‘It sounds fun’ I said. ‘Come
and have a go then’ he replied. Despite the little voice in my head saying
‘don’t be so #@$%ing stupid’ the words which actually came out were ‘OK’ and
then ‘How does it work again?’</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">For those who don’t know the concept is simple, if not the
practice. There is a fairly short lap, 4.2 miles in this case, which everyone
has an hour to complete. At the end of the hour you must be on the start line
ready to go again. Anyone who is not on the start line at the allotted time is
out. This is repeated every hour, on the hour, until there is just one person
left. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">As an introduction to Ultras it actually sounded quite a
sensible one. There was almost no way I could get lost, I wouldn’t have to
carry any gear, I would get fed every four miles and if I did hurt myself I
wouldn’t be stranded on my own in the middle of nowhere. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">‘How far do you reckon we’ll need to go?’ I asked. ‘Last
year’s winner did forty-one hours’ was the reply. Forty-one hours?!? That was
considerably more than I was expecting, more than I could seriously contemplate,
what on earth had I just agreed to? Maybe it wasn’t such a good idea after all.</p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy3hbJSv6M8EinFs3_or5fs2LOXtqScyDZELpH9UcdqvjXHiIsHczny8XkXBu-MU3hyphenhyphenuDR904Kf7uW6bBCZOEqzfFYuVBSrvu_PLRXeBTCrb9LoIbWmUAF83iuCmZA8eovNoupmiou8gY/s960/Alan.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="960" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy3hbJSv6M8EinFs3_or5fs2LOXtqScyDZELpH9UcdqvjXHiIsHczny8XkXBu-MU3hyphenhyphenuDR904Kf7uW6bBCZOEqzfFYuVBSrvu_PLRXeBTCrb9LoIbWmUAF83iuCmZA8eovNoupmiou8gY/w400-h266/Alan.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Alan. I should learn not to listen to him!<br /></div><div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"> In the ten weeks between this point and arriving on the
start line I decided that it would probably be a good idea to do a bit of
training. I had run the Lahrig Ghru a few years ago, coming absolutely bog last
with a knee injury, but that stood as my longest ever race. I had once run forty
miles not in a race, but that included café stops and a pub stop long enough to
watch the rugby, neither of which I was expecting to have during the event.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I therefore did a thirty-mile run, with a café stop, and
felt fine after that, that was a good start. I then did a thirty-five mile run
without a café and got myself completely lost up on the grouse moors in the
dark and the fog, there’s a long story there which I’ll save for another time
(I wasn’t actually lost, I was fifty yards from I should have been but someone
had planted a new wood since my map was printed fifteen years previously and that,
along not being able to see more than three feet, was messing with my head) I
felt surprisingly OK after this run too. I then did one final ‘long’ run (well,
it felt long to me) twenty miles back from the outskirts of Edinburgh to my
house after which I felt utterly rubbish,and then declared myself ready. What
could possibly go wrong?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Well, Storm Dennis for a start. I was working in London on
the Wednesday and Thursday before the race and the train back up to Edinburgh
was late (<i>Well obviously, it’s a train, of course it’s late – Ed</i>) not
helped by either the storms or someone putting an electric train on the non-electrified
King’s Cross to Aberdeen route, you couldn’t make it up. I was therefore also
late collecting George from Edinburgh and then even later arriving at Alan’s
house in Falkirk having taken an unnecessary detour into Fife on the way passed
the bridge. Still, who needs sleep anyway.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgopjf630sathOwSjjJl1ppfWoUGPcFOEhUgQ41-Px5YiAaCmPH-ienzB95E6dV8eJKPwx04Xatwb6igzD4JI83D3w-zf1TemdROQMSHPKMr8pCBvSvQddSz5hQlstb-NQeZXSJ6_xiro/s960/George.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="960" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgopjf630sathOwSjjJl1ppfWoUGPcFOEhUgQ41-Px5YiAaCmPH-ienzB95E6dV8eJKPwx04Xatwb6igzD4JI83D3w-zf1TemdROQMSHPKMr8pCBvSvQddSz5hQlstb-NQeZXSJ6_xiro/w400-h266/George.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> George</div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"> </p><p class="MsoNormal">Storm Dennis made the journey down to the ferry surprisingly
wobbly, a large slab-sided van isn’t great in force eight crosswinds. It also
turns out I’m not great in them either, feeling a little queasy on the ship and
having to head up on deck for a bit of fresh air. My companions, a tug-boat
caption and a chap who grew up on a very small island and appears to have spent
his entire childhood in a boat, were of course hugely sympathetic.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Oddly enough this was my first trip to the island of
Ireland. My first impressions of it were that, compared to Ayrshire just across
the water, it is less windy, less snowy and more full of roadworks. In a
dramatic break from tradition we were the first to arrive at the venue on
Friday afternoon, I’ve never been early for anything in my life. In another
break from tradition we had an early night, listening to the rain bouncing off
the roof of the van as it swayed in the wind.</p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8-YLlbvgSdJwXRroacFDqvJ6NRwFODOuSE3OggbGrFBHCdj3wAQDevxKdXgggLqj-7WhGFaeucoj0LQX-ME4ysMhbsUwW4Hnl5U6vW5Bg9-WM7cKE1rkFT1qUXG_AqI1NKQRCHoLnciQ/s960/Forecast+for+the+start.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="960" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8-YLlbvgSdJwXRroacFDqvJ6NRwFODOuSE3OggbGrFBHCdj3wAQDevxKdXgggLqj-7WhGFaeucoj0LQX-ME4ysMhbsUwW4Hnl5U6vW5Bg9-WM7cKE1rkFT1qUXG_AqI1NKQRCHoLnciQ/w400-h200/Forecast+for+the+start.jpg" width="400" /></a></div> <p></p><p class="MsoNormal">I was up early enough to be able to have two breakfasts. The
medical tent had blown down overnight but nearly everything else appeared to be
intact. Not necessarily where it had been left, but still intact. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I was actually quite nervous as I made my way to the start (a
mad last-minute rush as usual, no matter how much time I have for anything I’m
always late). We’ve all heard of Type-1 fun, things which you actually enjoy at
the time, and Type-2 fun, things which are fun with hindsight but not
necessarily enjoyable whilst you are doing them. I was wondering if the same
distinction could be drawn with fear? Type-1 for things like jumping out of
aeroplanes or being chased by a lion and Type-2 for things like this, a kind of
apprehension that this is going to hurt but I’m not sure just how much and
which gradually builds up in the weeks prior to the competition.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">As I was still busy pinning my number on (lucky 17) when the
hooter went I was the last of the one hundred and ten runners to set off. It
was a remarkably relaxed start, none of the mad sprint into the first corner
which one gets in pretty much any other race. I hadn’t done a practice lap and
so this was a bit of mystery tour for me. There had a been a practice session a
few weeks previously and the big names had used that to work out their pacing,
where they had to push and where they could back off and save their energy.
This early on I was just tagging on to the rear of the bunch, turns out it’s
quite sociable at the back. </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT5FQm84t5BcL6z1Pz0MDy0gZEUUZThXXKN-wPYvaJaAhG0UIgMvY-OuPhdCzQmgvpcjUQ9-1IO8f5Gx16G8UxoloXIeO_Qqhm49YuAmgtSVJBB4yb8EqGyrp5rT9POJB59Wrerb4WSgI/s960/Start%252C+lap+one.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="960" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT5FQm84t5BcL6z1Pz0MDy0gZEUUZThXXKN-wPYvaJaAhG0UIgMvY-OuPhdCzQmgvpcjUQ9-1IO8f5Gx16G8UxoloXIeO_Qqhm49YuAmgtSVJBB4yb8EqGyrp5rT9POJB59Wrerb4WSgI/w400-h266/Start%252C+lap+one.jpg" width="400" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Start, lap 1<br /></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">I completed my first lap in fifty-three minutes. I was
taking it easy, taking my cues from the people in front of me, none of whom
seemed to pushing very hard. This did however mean that I had much less of a
rest than I was expecting, it was a much slower lap than I had anticipated but
since everyone else was more experienced than me and that’s what they were
doing then I assumed this was the way to do it. It was still enough of a rest
to be able to get cold though, the winds of Storm Dennis not really helping in
that respect.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Everyone was back on the start line again ready for lap two.
The lap itself was a mixture of everything, some fields, some forest paths,
some Land Rover tracks and even a short stretch of tarmac. There was a lot of
standing water around, not as much as Ciara and Dennis had deposited elsewhere
but enough. This early on the mud wasn’t much of a problem but it was clearly
going to become an issue when the course got churned up as the race progressed.
Is race even the right word? I have no idea what you call this.</p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBXeHRukneJTx9ZEvZw95XGQeYA4XI-7o18jVu-0tlZU3_xTzTrNCN6zwCYcjo38pt9hMmOtiNSRabSByZPPvPmUOF84ANbgW7EDS66PHGfupS0-zX_w0BxrzdBOehr3F9nWdmxWVEDoI/s960/Me%252C+trying+not+to+look+like+I%2527m+taking+it+too+seriously.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="960" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBXeHRukneJTx9ZEvZw95XGQeYA4XI-7o18jVu-0tlZU3_xTzTrNCN6zwCYcjo38pt9hMmOtiNSRabSByZPPvPmUOF84ANbgW7EDS66PHGfupS0-zX_w0BxrzdBOehr3F9nWdmxWVEDoI/w400-h266/Me%252C+trying+not+to+look+like+I%2527m+taking+it+too+seriously.jpg" width="400" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Me, trying not to look like I'm taking it too seriously<br /></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">My first few laps were largely uneventful, just jogging
along near the back, enjoying the craic (see, learning the local lingo) and
making sure I was eating well between laps. I decided to go a for a quicker lap
just before sunset in order to buy a bit of time to change to some warmer
clothing but this didn’t really go to plan. I stopped for a quick pee-break
about half way round during which I managed to break the button on my shorts
and then completely failed to fix them by using a safety pin from my number
(They are not as safe as the name would have you believe and a little bit of
blood was lost in the process) The rest of the lap was run in a style which
would have certainly have got me a job at the Ministry of Silly Walks. </p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqDcBuhU9JZhzcEaGYbqMQ0Y4gClSwgbSO0AcdCmq6phBCvNPlWLkZixOe8chA5Y7l82PBKPXlMnVgklnF17s3WapYi1AiEJTnxsrmLvcLQZaMg0DCrRwWLqyzRx2njTQqo9Z3V1xTjUo/s960/87075970_2518685005016793_1973007679706103808_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="960" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqDcBuhU9JZhzcEaGYbqMQ0Y4gClSwgbSO0AcdCmq6phBCvNPlWLkZixOe8chA5Y7l82PBKPXlMnVgklnF17s3WapYi1AiEJTnxsrmLvcLQZaMg0DCrRwWLqyzRx2njTQqo9Z3V1xTjUo/w400-h266/87075970_2518685005016793_1973007679706103808_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div> </div><div>We lost a few people early on, including a couple of big
names driven off by the wind and rain. There were one hundred and four of us
still standing as darkness fell about six hours in but by midnight we were down
to fifty seven. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As I had expected the
mud was becoming quite something by this stage. Not especially deep, mid-calf
at worst, but just everywhere, there was no escaping it, no way around quite
significant areas of it and my shoes were full of the stuff. The grit in it was
very much like running with a piece of sandpaper between one’s shoe and ankle
and there was more and more skin coming off each lap. <p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFlnnwtxUgRwzJT-pA4soyV0_8dgq04ZqfCdVJqZ44gwJCoyPu5jXDX_beQzhtf4ZtpNKRe6t72zpKSNut9k3izGiBmZkN2uw9nzMqEbRYc8QXxYpxOhy6nfudEeOJ3215BIdGVGqEHtY/s960/87196569_2518693095015984_4743096719011479552_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="960" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFlnnwtxUgRwzJT-pA4soyV0_8dgq04ZqfCdVJqZ44gwJCoyPu5jXDX_beQzhtf4ZtpNKRe6t72zpKSNut9k3izGiBmZkN2uw9nzMqEbRYc8QXxYpxOhy6nfudEeOJ3215BIdGVGqEHtY/w400-h266/87196569_2518693095015984_4743096719011479552_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div> <p></p><p class="MsoNormal">The problem with the laps taking longer than I had expected
was that I didn’t really have much time to be able to do anything about this.
Some of the more experienced competitors were saying that this was about four
or five minutes a lap slower than they were expecting. There was the option of
simply running faster of course but I had been warned about going too quick, it
might be fine for a couple of laps but going slowly was definitely the
consensus. </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxp_m6lwcIbIhWiGj4N_TfeOCnaFldSYFZ955wkp-xSTfLn4UzQmoaqIg_jHl5Xc32-k6Y-ZGSKgkCLG1X0ZWx3q0cTkFCJ6dWidzbvyOJ6SXtQJrOEoeNKe3MliB-sb6mUTVTMhzofzQ/s960/86934491_2518694151682545_3393663508376715264_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="960" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxp_m6lwcIbIhWiGj4N_TfeOCnaFldSYFZ955wkp-xSTfLn4UzQmoaqIg_jHl5Xc32-k6Y-ZGSKgkCLG1X0ZWx3q0cTkFCJ6dWidzbvyOJ6SXtQJrOEoeNKe3MliB-sb6mUTVTMhzofzQ/w400-h266/86934491_2518694151682545_3393663508376715264_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">People having fun </div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I eventually conceded defeat about 2am and decided that I
really would have to change my shoes and went for it at the end of that lap,
right one first. The mud made it rather difficult to get the laces open but I
had passed the point of no return when the two-minute call was given. I somehow
got it off, removed the sock, hurriedly pulled a new one on and then crammed a
new shoe on over it, one trail shoe full of mud and one clean, comfy and warm
fell shoe, that would have to do. I sprinted for the start line, crossed it
just in time and then stopped to adjust my sock and tie my laces the other side
of it, a process not helped by having pretty cold fingers which wouldn’t really
bend.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I quite enjoy running in the dark, just the little pool of
light from my headtorch in front of me, one small patch of ground to focus on.
The rain was coming and going, but wasn’t as bad as the forecast had lead us to
expect. The wind was still pretty strong though and the shelter of the trees
was most welcome to warm up again after some of the exposed sections. </p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKVPqWlQ6hZKdSukXtIk_e82Cv85S154UKcnZOSNDnokJxwUw5IhqvB_n4IN7ceScu8MrsTjvxTwkshLp03sXoZFK7fl6f2zKPip6o3UZ5KcdZHuDX0vzlIT-2Xb1iFIatWsmxwbCyvKI/s960/86784952_2518693025015991_6025381268479279104_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="960" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKVPqWlQ6hZKdSukXtIk_e82Cv85S154UKcnZOSNDnokJxwUw5IhqvB_n4IN7ceScu8MrsTjvxTwkshLp03sXoZFK7fl6f2zKPip6o3UZ5KcdZHuDX0vzlIT-2Xb1iFIatWsmxwbCyvKI/w400-h266/86784952_2518693025015991_6025381268479279104_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /> I was however going quite slowly. I was concisous of how much
faff changing one shoe had been <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and
wasn’t certain I would have enough time at the end of a lap to change the other
and so I just left it, odd shoes didn’t seem<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>to matter, they were both so full of mud and grit anyway. The only
problem was with the new one on the right-hand side (is that the correct term?
The right-foot side is more accurate but just sounds wrong somehow) I could
feel something underneath the ball of the foot, every time it struck the ground,
It felt as though I had got the sock on a bit wrong in my hurry and it had
bunched up, there was definitely a lump of something there and it was
surprisingly sore. Maybe it was just fatigue making me over-sensitive.<p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I pushed on in my odd shoes for another three laps but I was
in quite a lot of pain by this stage and decided that I really would have to do
something about my foot. I paused just after crossing the start line, knelt
down and, once I got the laces apart through all the mud, pulled my shoe off
and then a blood-soaked sock. That wasn’t really what I was expecting, it
wasn’t a fold in the bottom of my sock at all but rather a flap of skin which
had come off and sort of rolled up underneath my foot, no wonder it was sore.
There was very little I could do about this apart from pull off the offending
epidermis, replace the sock and shoe and carry on. </p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGiPd04y_UlmLX3kykJnPNty2n-vX1Ze_bG7kLnYY5Kta3W404RTUtBDejweOaxbKtqTiM-ukbubRSpK4iFeNDIEST_mliTpppSaXNgYTo7wV_3OjF8fAZep94AkD2hIf_zX-VZ77RP_g/s960/87018022_2518685968350030_1685609586611978240_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="960" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGiPd04y_UlmLX3kykJnPNty2n-vX1Ze_bG7kLnYY5Kta3W404RTUtBDejweOaxbKtqTiM-ukbubRSpK4iFeNDIEST_mliTpppSaXNgYTo7wV_3OjF8fAZep94AkD2hIf_zX-VZ77RP_g/w400-h266/87018022_2518685968350030_1685609586611978240_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div> <p></p><p class="MsoNormal">This had cost me a reasonable amount of time and so I had to
push quite hard on that lap, well as hard as I could,not catching up to Amy, the
last placed runner, until the tarmac section about two thirds of the way round.
She said that she was sure she wasn’t going to make the cut-off and urged me
onwards. Wondering just how much time I had lost earlier I pressed on, thinking
that if I did one of these again I really should bring a watch. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Running at that sort of pace with that much skin missing
underneath my foot and the associated ingress of mud and grit into my flesh
took its toll. My next lap was much slower, I was really starting to struggle,
mainly the pain in my foot but my thighs were also hurting and getting stiffer
and stiffer. I kept telling myself that this would be the final lap in the
darkness, the sun would be up next time round and if it was anything like a
bike race this would be accompanied by the arrival of my second wind. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">However, unlike a bike race here one cannot afford to have a
single bad lap, the format is utterly unforgiving, one sub-standard circuit and
it’s game over, as it proved to be for me. 17 laps, 17hrs16mins31secs and I was
out. Time to sit down, eat and try to get some feeling back into my extremities.</p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQv2s08q4wcEr7gqLUXgpXwBDbGuo4-FIO5l0C5blWsWoX2dvWxZwUAx5bRz85KxgWBYqvwjDkq67lsL7JttJmvyg6LARh1vUqsqmK0d8lB7ehR7qz5BRHbq1KaIqgPj_HviTCZ1Th1PA/s960/Main+tent+by+the+start+line.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="960" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQv2s08q4wcEr7gqLUXgpXwBDbGuo4-FIO5l0C5blWsWoX2dvWxZwUAx5bRz85KxgWBYqvwjDkq67lsL7JttJmvyg6LARh1vUqsqmK0d8lB7ehR7qz5BRHbq1KaIqgPj_HviTCZ1Th1PA/w400-h266/Main+tent+by+the+start+line.jpg" width="400" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Main tent by the start/finish line</div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">This is where I would usually end a race report but of
course the race itself was still going on, after I timed out there were twenty-five
runners still circulating. Alan, George and myself had agreed that whoever was
out first would be allowed two hours sleep and would then become a helper for
the remaining runners. So, a quick shower, try to staunch the blood-flow from my
foot, a far too brief nap and then I was up again and on pasta, porridge and
potato duty. Why do runners eat so many potatoes? There was no sign of the rice
pudding us bikers use to fuel ourselves.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">It is a surprisingly good spectator sport, especially once
it gets down the last few. I was hiding from the weather in the bunkhouse with
a bunch of far more experienced runners, listening to their tales from other
races and their speculation as to how this one would pan out. We were getting
through a rather large quantity of Guinness and inventing the Bunkhouse Buster
Back-Yard Cocktail, a combination of Irish stout, Scotch whisky and ginger
beer, basically whatever we had lying around. It tastes a lot better than it
sounds.</p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRhYi-ILexYFnLIklsvbRAt1cd3B5FFYt0GMHdQEPAlxSsQnLTJAJq5bw8NEw-c_XSEHrzloxdoRFRQdpE7L9-oVgS7lzPOT53gDwb3xi0XEPLWxRM1FK0dpw1HjIAnEy9iv8wlGZILeA/s960/86969705_2518683775016916_1184911597848494080_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="960" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRhYi-ILexYFnLIklsvbRAt1cd3B5FFYt0GMHdQEPAlxSsQnLTJAJq5bw8NEw-c_XSEHrzloxdoRFRQdpE7L9-oVgS7lzPOT53gDwb3xi0XEPLWxRM1FK0dpw1HjIAnEy9iv8wlGZILeA/w400-h266/86969705_2518683775016916_1184911597848494080_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div> <p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Alan survived twenty-five hours, George made it to twenty-nine
and had become something of a celebrity in the bunkhouse by this point, an
outstanding effort for his first Back-Yard Ultra. In the closing stages of the
race everyone was mucking in to help all the remaining runners, the spectators
were keen to see it dragged out as long as possible, there was some, possibly
optimistic, talk of making it to fifty hours.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">By thirtylaps we were down to the last five and it was
getting really tense. </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPibiggyKNDfMMfZmmssALuLFLgw95tbfm-QtPCh4zyeXTep6w9C6uk4wfGjpnjWStoJ7GLOZtF6tn5-ws4ZqPcu-LVxwApOQSB0x3v772wvKuSNcTVyMafcWysf1bMuSJh2x170vuBTQ/s2048/Me+giving+a+second+opinion+on+Dan+Lawson%2527s+shoulder.+I+know+nothing+about+shoulders..jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPibiggyKNDfMMfZmmssALuLFLgw95tbfm-QtPCh4zyeXTep6w9C6uk4wfGjpnjWStoJ7GLOZtF6tn5-ws4ZqPcu-LVxwApOQSB0x3v772wvKuSNcTVyMafcWysf1bMuSJh2x170vuBTQ/w300-h400/Me+giving+a+second+opinion+on+Dan+Lawson%2527s+shoulder.+I+know+nothing+about+shoulders..jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Me giving a second opinion on Dan Lawson's shoulder.</div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">I know nothing about shoulders. </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Veteran Pat Staunton timed out at the end of lap thirty-one,
by nineteen seconds! So close, every second really does count. Four still
standing.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Clare Bannwarth was the next to break. She set out on lap thirty-two
but had to abort. She looked a wreck when she staggered back into the bunkhouse
shortly afterwards, collapsing into a chair and then vomiting rather profusely.
To be honest that was what we, the spectators, liked to see, not vomit per se,
but someone who really had given it everything they had. She was first girl and
an extremely impressive fourth overall. Three still standing.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Gwynn Stokes’ supporters had moved into the bunkhouse to
find a bit of warmth and shelter for him, he was looking strong right up until
the moment he very suddenly wasn’t. He appeareddecidedlyqueasy at the start of
lap thirty-five and almost refused to go out again before being pushed out of
the door and towards the start line by his wife. Ten minutes later he was back,
he had made it as far as the bottom of the hill before his body just gave up
completely. Two still standing.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXuUc-PuV_AGoAPMOfRtWoxJL0vtcuwGe37_xq_VVVhK4-fwnUBS1o6-x0Mrdb9qJP9xfcS8xBPdAqYVQ38mFBbvSfym61jbaivRQ7Os80xnxHonKNN3f3plTPaD1L-nw7MmLAc-FvNPE/s960/Gwynn+%2528I+think%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="960" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXuUc-PuV_AGoAPMOfRtWoxJL0vtcuwGe37_xq_VVVhK4-fwnUBS1o6-x0Mrdb9qJP9xfcS8xBPdAqYVQ38mFBbvSfym61jbaivRQ7Os80xnxHonKNN3f3plTPaD1L-nw7MmLAc-FvNPE/w400-h266/Gwynn+%2528I+think%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Gwynn (I think)<br /></div></div><div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Eoin Keith and defending champion Peter Cromiewere fighting
it out for the win. They were being very cagey, keeping themselves separate as
they returned each lap for food and encouragement and apparently fairly
separate out on the course too. We could see Peter each time he came in,
through the kitchen where we were and in to the lounge where his supporters had
set up camp to get a bite to eat and to sleep in three-minute bursts. Eoin and
his helpers were keeping themselves to themselves in the back room, the mind
games had started.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">It was passed 1am. I had been awake for forty of the last forty-two
hours and had drunk rather a lot of whisky, along with a Bunkhouse Buster Back-Yard
Cocktail which mysteriously seemed to be topping itself up as I drank. With the
speculation that this could go over fifty hours I decided to head off to bed
for a bit of sleep and then get up early to hopefully watch the finish. </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN4BiN4SbWAQ3_fxijFv27n5axdBzXk6kfvgGIG7NHxJPc44hEu9yoMAuzlGTWjKSp4t5aHuKSddxXzZ4hYNmInlew-ovph8WUFW_RXZjiegevSnT_7LctElriXVdwSalZMGnRHRuabHA/s960/Last+two%252C+lap+forty.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN4BiN4SbWAQ3_fxijFv27n5axdBzXk6kfvgGIG7NHxJPc44hEu9yoMAuzlGTWjKSp4t5aHuKSddxXzZ4hYNmInlew-ovph8WUFW_RXZjiegevSnT_7LctElriXVdwSalZMGnRHRuabHA/w400-h300/Last+two%252C+lap+forty.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Last two, lap forty<br /></div></div><div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">I was sadly disappointed in this respect. Arriving back in
the bunkhouse just after 7am I found that the race was already over. Eoin had
made it to forty hours before calling it a day. Peter had gone out for one
final solo lap to seal the victory at ten to five Monday morning, having been
running since noon on Saturday. An extremely impressive performance by both.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq18KZRfTV7uJL3aZ_uHvhnnCQ_9P6o1TIITPI7b07cyMBkaBdVNRoEsIKe-BP2g7Tt8n78FBH3TWjw8qbM_8Jr2MJvqD4b1nnZxjqGKVEF_I37zlmX6Orjft_1M9oJQcE7KWwxRd2I8A/s960/Claire+and+Peter.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq18KZRfTV7uJL3aZ_uHvhnnCQ_9P6o1TIITPI7b07cyMBkaBdVNRoEsIKe-BP2g7Tt8n78FBH3TWjw8qbM_8Jr2MJvqD4b1nnZxjqGKVEF_I37zlmX6Orjft_1M9oJQcE7KWwxRd2I8A/w300-h400/Claire+and+Peter.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Peter and Claire<br /></div></div><div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Peter had won the privailage of being able to do it all over
again, a coverted Golden Ticket entry to Laz’s Big Dog Back-Yard Ultra in
Tenessee. With forty hours completed it looks likely Eoin will get a wild-card
entry too.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">One final word about this, my first ever Ultra. I had shown
up as a complete novice, vaguely knowing only two people and with absolutely no
idea what I was doing. By the end of the weekend I had met pretty much everyone
and they were all lovely. I had been made to feel most welcome and had a great
time despite the storms, mud, and loss of significant amounts of skin. I do
feel that I underperformed somewhat, it turns out that running muscles are
indeed different to riding muscles, so I have unfinished business and will be
back again next year. I’m really looking forward to it. Thank-you to everyone
there for welcoming me so heartily into your mad little world, it wasn’t such a
bad idea after all.<a name="_GoBack"></a></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgynAef4X4XbdUtI2AD7jUI8lIXGd_xl_9zPGRbRWZE-kmmbl33e68sb3YrHF6Yw-BL03F-qA3Kq0o_0tXsMs2ULWw1wekFfByvKEiW-ycFnEPxACyKin5_igG9piRL0qqo0NpRMowlvz8/s560/Laz+is+watching.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="560" data-original-width="270" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgynAef4X4XbdUtI2AD7jUI8lIXGd_xl_9zPGRbRWZE-kmmbl33e68sb3YrHF6Yw-BL03F-qA3Kq0o_0tXsMs2ULWw1wekFfByvKEiW-ycFnEPxACyKin5_igG9piRL0qqo0NpRMowlvz8/w308-h640/Laz+is+watching.jpg" width="308" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal">Pictures by Alan Risk, Sammie Daye and Adrian Daye<br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
</div>Andrew Howetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07948073074991195855noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-755724540902978553.post-20278227998084045772020-01-04T23:54:00.001+00:002020-03-06T02:50:43.343+00:00Everything You Always Wanted To Know About Socks But Were Afraid To Ask.<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<h3 style="text-align: center;">
<u>2019 European 24 Hour - Penafiel, Portugal</u> </h3>
<br />
It is traditional for me to start any sort of race report by
moaning about how badly prepared I was, just to make sure I get my excuses in
first, so here goes: After coming back from the World Champs in Brazil I raced
at SSUK at Comrie, which was a great race by the way, and came fifth, upgraded
to joint fourth of course (that will make sense to any singlespeeders amongst
you) and then followed this up with a chest infection. After blowing a
miserable 450 on the peak flow test thingy which asthmatics use and coughing at
her a lot the doctor prescribed me some Pillsandtablets which made it better,
and also an inhaler. I never actually used the latter, but still got all the
paperwork sorted for it just in case I needed it and then got tested for
anything, it’s been a long time since I’ve been poorly and I didn’t realise the
beauacracy involved.</div>
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Flying from Edinburgh to Porto is supposed to be quite
straightforward, I’ve done it once before and it took a couple of hours on the
direct RyanAir flight. However, this time they were helpfully on strike. I
therefore had to get the penultimate train up to Waverly on the Wednesday night
in order to get the last tram out to the airport. As the check-in was closed at
that time of night I was unable to offload my bike and so had to sleep on the
concrete floor in the main foyer, only occasionally woken by the refurbishment
work going on at the desks themselves. Waking properly at 4am after over 3
hours of sleep, I was finally able to get rid of my huge box (which EasyJet
charged me more to take to Portugal than BA and LATAM had charged me to take to
the middle of Brazil) and headed upstairs. A quick stop at Gatwick and I was on
my way to Porto.</div>
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<br /></div>
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I picked up my van at the airport, hit the motorway and had
no trouble at all in finding Penafiel, but then a lot more trouble finding the
venue, passing with 50 yards of it almost as soon as I reached the town but not
recognising it and continuing to search the surrounding countryside for the
next couple of hours. I stumbled across it eventually, and spent the rest of
the evening reassembling my bike and saying hello to everyone who I hadn’t seen
since either Brazil a month earlier or last year’s Worlds way back in October.
We really should meet up more often.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Friday was lovely and sunny, much as one would expect in
Portugal and so we set off for a practice lap. The course was excellent,
although a little hard to find at this stage. It was good mix of rocky climbs,
twisty descents, large slabs and boulders and sections which still appeared to
be marked out from previous events which would lead us off into the middle of
nowhere before they just disappeared. </div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib4YE7ohr3ur_RZfxlqLf0YuxLvOVNAg1P9bSFHF1fAIe8NQ96emPV2MjDBKh-IwZ_WydhciyCXeETvetCCA2HWQi_slJasTEnMEU6g3JXetF7y7sGXrpJdspJUOySaTmspxusy2rhz6s/s1600/Briefing+Pan+small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="309" data-original-width="1255" height="156" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib4YE7ohr3ur_RZfxlqLf0YuxLvOVNAg1P9bSFHF1fAIe8NQ96emPV2MjDBKh-IwZ_WydhciyCXeETvetCCA2HWQi_slJasTEnMEU6g3JXetF7y7sGXrpJdspJUOySaTmspxusy2rhz6s/s640/Briefing+Pan+small.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
Race briefing </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I did my first practice lap on 32/20 but there was really
only one section where I was spinning like crazy without making much progress
so I decided to drop a gear for the race itself, down to 30/20. Because of
flying to the race I had no spare bike, or even any spare wheels, and changing
gear is a five or six minute process. Yes, I know you can get little buttons to
put on the handlebars which speed this up but then you have to have carry a
dozen different gears around attached to your back wheel and that’s really
heavy. Anyway, the point is, whatever gear I started on I would probably have
to commit to for the whole race, it could take even longer to change when my
hands had gone numb and I was half asleep.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I headed out for another practice lap to check that the new
gear was indeed an improvement and got completely lost up in the hills
somewhere, following marker tape again but probably not ours… There were some
interesting/sketchy/terrifying descents out there, depending on your point of
view, all good fun but not enormously helpful when trying to learn the course,
I have no idea where that was.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Most of Friday evening was again spent catching up with
people, but mostly eating. 24s are really just a competition to see who can eat
the most and it is important to get a good head start the night before. The
rain was setting in as I retired for the night, sleeping in Pedro’s tent in the
arena rather than my van as it looked a bit warmer and Pedro quite liked the
idea of having someone keep an eye on his bikes (Pedro, I can sleep through
fire alarms, a couple of bikes being lifted away is hardly going to rouse me!)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
Not quite sure what Pedro's doing</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The rain had stopped by morning though and, in other good
news, the organisers had put out over 130 extra barriers and a lot more course
tape over night in response to the queries about where the course actually went. I am not
aware of any navigation issues for anyone during the race itself, it was
certainly fine for me.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A midday start gave plenty of time for two breakfasts and
more faffing with the bike. I got changed in the back of my little hire van,
locked it and slipped the key into my jersey pocket as I walked away (detail
for later…)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There was no gridding and I started somewhere in the front
third of the pack. We were lead out around the pits and then out onto the
course, it was slightly downhill from there to the first singletrack section
and singlespeeds don’t really like downhill starts, I got absolutely swamped
heading down there, people passing me left, right and centre. Well, not centre,
but you know what I mean. Actually, that’s an odd expression, no-one ever
overtakes through the middle of someone, I wonder where it comes from.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Anyway, Hugo Neves and Roberto di Osti both came passed me
on the first lap, two other likely contenders for the win, and disappeared off
into the distance. They did appear to be working together, a bit of
slipstreaming on the faster sections, I guess the downside of being a world
champ is that it puts a big target on your back and other folks will gang up on
you.</div>
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDl317zL3DS60wnazhSu08MfZodZvYyjdZsVth-FFafVD2sRGCPAak4DyJohzjEmbvpyL6NktqINRScGnASbwSRiQlImDC9BOtGiVMW9C77_V5fFB9c930M7WCaRRQZzIEjY8bd189YZE/s1600/70414388_2626546524032258_2620795791412822016_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="639" data-original-width="960" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDl317zL3DS60wnazhSu08MfZodZvYyjdZsVth-FFafVD2sRGCPAak4DyJohzjEmbvpyL6NktqINRScGnASbwSRiQlImDC9BOtGiVMW9C77_V5fFB9c930M7WCaRRQZzIEjY8bd189YZE/s400/70414388_2626546524032258_2620795791412822016_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Roberto</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
The first few laps were excellent, the course, now we could
find it, was really good. There were a couple of rocky climbs, about on the
limit of steepness and grip for a singlespeeder, good line choice was essential
there, plenty of swoopy downhill sections too. The climb up to the highest
point of the course was also tough, doable but tough, narrow and rutted but
with just enough grip. After the final summit was a section of huge rocky
slabs, they reminded me of the ones near Mt Wondabyne in Brisbane Water
National Park, the sub-tropical vegetation also adding to the similarities.
Great fun to ride, and then a steep downhill section, interspersed with
vineyards, back to the arena. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEoHnALP1VVlekVw8TmADhDr8YPlLQRkTqjs-91-oGmszFy0Kpuvfxrs5TAT2paOGJWzgRKjIGufDAbCnK0RV8mtPAmihYhmbvS7LZPMqGaMQXADn-4-nMQTnUtyIctSrjUc9WByti2a0/s1600/71833559_1924598570976576_1225179025077436416_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEoHnALP1VVlekVw8TmADhDr8YPlLQRkTqjs-91-oGmszFy0Kpuvfxrs5TAT2paOGJWzgRKjIGufDAbCnK0RV8mtPAmihYhmbvS7LZPMqGaMQXADn-4-nMQTnUtyIctSrjUc9WByti2a0/s400/71833559_1924598570976576_1225179025077436416_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The forecast for the race was not at all good. Fortunately
the main arena for the race was under cover in a large exhibition centre in the
town. We had questioned the need for this when we had first heard about it,
surely it would be better to be out in the sunshine? Something like this would
be extremely welcome in Fort William, but unnecessary in sunny Portugal surely.
However, given the intensity of the rain, and also the wind, we were quite glad
of it. Our pits remained largely where we had left them, rather than blowing
away as soon as our backs were turned, and the food and clothing therein
remained dry. Little luxuries, but there comes a point in most races where you
firmly believe that a dry pair of socks is <i>the most</i> important thing in
the world right now, forget world peace, the answer to life and even cake, dry
socks top it all. It is therefore disappointing to find the bag of spare socks
sitting in a very large puddle at 4am.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
was good to know this couldn’t happen here.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
Warm and cosy pits.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Despite the weather the temperature remained reasonably high
and I didn’t actually feel that I had to change my socks at all. I would have
liked to of course, but that would have cost time and they remained just about tolerable
so I ignored them and carried on. A downside of flying to a race Is the limit
on the number of dry shoes one can have available and there’s not really much
point changing socks only to put wet shoes back on, and it feels really
unpleasant.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Enough about socks.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Tiago, and someone I don't recognise </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The rain came and went from late afternoon until the end of
the race the following morning, but it was fairly constant, varying only in
intensity rather than presence until it eased off quite a bit after sunrise on
Sunday, but even then there was the odd shower popping up. At some stages of
the race it was coming sideways, the wind strong enough to bring down trees on
the exposed fireroad climb. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
Why do we refer to it as a head-wind? A head is
very much a three-hundred-and-sixty-degree object, it sticks out at the top and
is exposed to wind from all directions, facewind would be a much better
term.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was a lot of facewind on the
upper parts of the track, and plenty of facerain.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIWshfFY8xSKGKPY6UTHDTfZ4JCWP2DnZ4lLsdivZ3xMUhRLfBS73yabL0kGSRRobVCoWz8o27zxGMRnnpW2d0ClmpMyJcF5K5nGF72d-Zce346e5eGnxEfcunUabUAyqxTNHimh6Xbjw/s1600/70629273_2626592877360956_5060991150081441792_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="639" data-original-width="960" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIWshfFY8xSKGKPY6UTHDTfZ4JCWP2DnZ4lLsdivZ3xMUhRLfBS73yabL0kGSRRobVCoWz8o27zxGMRnnpW2d0ClmpMyJcF5K5nGF72d-Zce346e5eGnxEfcunUabUAyqxTNHimh6Xbjw/s400/70629273_2626592877360956_5060991150081441792_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
Bieke</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It was quite funny watching some of the southern Europeans, the Portuguese,
Spanish and Italians, trying to ride in the wet, I guess they just aren’t used to
it. Back home steering on wet tree roots isn’t my strongest area, I will
usually lose quite a bit of time in those sections compared to everyone else
but here I was passing almost everyone. There was one particular section, just
after the big rock slabs and the traverse under the power lines, where the
course turned a sharp right into a steep downhill along the edge of the woods,
a tight lefthander at the bottom. I got pretty good at judging who was about to
crash in front of me and which way they were going to fall and overtook a lot
of folks here, only barrelling into a tree at full tilt myself on two occasions.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
At some point in the wee small hours I got passed Hugo and
moved up into second place behind Roberto. I saw Hugo just after sunrise, as I
reached the bottom of last descent and turned along the side of the stream he
was just heading up the first climb, the awkward corner with the step up over
the large rock. Despite very little in the way of mutual language we paused
very briefly to acknowledge each other, he managed to convey that his forearms
were hurting quite a bit and it was fairly obvious that this was in large parts
due to the fact that his forks were making a very unpleasant clunking sound
when he bounced them up and down. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
Hugo </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
He wasn’t the only one having trouble though, despite riding
a simple and reliable singlespeed Tiago Corsaro had also managed to break his
bike, the freewheel was somewhat intermittent and he was struggling to make
much progress. Gary Cooper had avoided any potential suspension fork problems
by going fully rigid. I can remember my first 24, and how daunting it was lining
up at start knowing it was going to hurt but not sure just how much, no idea
whether I could even do it. Gary had gone one better and had decided to do his
first ever on a rigid singlespeed. Top marks for ambition but…</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
Gary. Far too much energy</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Apart from shedding a rear crud catcher fairly early on and
having a wet bottom for the whole race I really only had one problem. I came
into the pits just before 4am, forced some more food down my throat, I forget
what, a quick swig of a drink, swapped bottles and headed out again. Out the
doors, through the car park, over the main road, down the hill, left through
the field, over the very narrow and surprisingly slippery bridge, up the little
kick into the beginning of the singletrack and then slammed on the brakes as I
felt an overwhelming urge to vomit. I have no idea what happened there, one
minute I was fine and the next I wasn’t. A minute or so standing astride
the bike trying not to get any sick into my shoes and I was on my way again, a
horrible taste in my mouth.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
One’s mindset in the middle of a race is a funny thing.
Having just been quite violently sick, albeit very briefly, rather than worrying
about what this indicated about my health my main concern was that I had wasted
everything I had just eaten, they were important calories that I would need to
get around this lap. I had some more food in my pocket, a couple of gels and an
emergency mars bar. Should I eat them? They would certainly be useful, but would
they make me sick again and waste even more time and calories? I didn’t eat
them and pressed on, a bit of a drink to take the taste away. Just over an hour
later I was back at the pits, not feeling at all well. I dumped the bike by the
start/finish line and sprinted for the toilets. Another advantage of the
exhibition centre, these were warm, dry, still clean even at this stage of the
race and well lit. I won’t go into too much detail as to what happened in there
(either end) but it cost a good few minutes. I retrieved my bike and re-joined
the track where I had left it, back round to my pit to see if there was
anything there I thought I could stomach.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Bizarrely enough Peter informed me that I was now leading. I
knew I was ahead of Hugo but I had somehow got ahead of Roberto too. It was not
a big lead so despite how I was feeling I had to press on. I was a little slow
for the next couple of laps but my stomach held up, I was probably eating considerably
less than I should have been though.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi10dhvrhe_vkr2hOG_lP0urhNko0hqMPP25rUPy-qQ0EXkbbAeTSWVcSUmEa5UYTjF_4rons_Iiczu8u_Uz_W1M0DgCTVr2EC88w75EL-B8TXwjpEce1D3Vm-OBp6MnvpaYe_WKUtVlFI/s1600/70654743_2630711983615712_6884300815587082240_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="959" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi10dhvrhe_vkr2hOG_lP0urhNko0hqMPP25rUPy-qQ0EXkbbAeTSWVcSUmEa5UYTjF_4rons_Iiczu8u_Uz_W1M0DgCTVr2EC88w75EL-B8TXwjpEce1D3Vm-OBp6MnvpaYe_WKUtVlFI/s400/70654743_2630711983615712_6884300815587082240_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
Donna, en route to winning the lady's singlespeeds</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Unusually for a WEMBO event this was a ‘short’ 24, whereby
laps <i>completed </i>within 24 hours count, rather than the more usual ‘long’
24, which is where laps <i>started </i>within 24 hours count. By this stage of
the race I was doing about 1h30m for a lap. I came through the pits at about
10am and Peter gave me an update.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A slight deviation for a moment, my pit crew for the weekend
were Peter Nadin and his wife Tania. How cool is that, having a former national
and age-group world champion pitting for me. They were both very good, thanks
again if you’re reading this. </div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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Peter and Tania doing better on the eating front than I was</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Anyway, Peter told me that I was still leading, fairly
comfortably now, I would have to do this last lap but really just had to
complete it and then job done. Roberto would need both his current and next lap
to be really, really quick just to get close.</div>
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There were a few others in our pit too, Gary Cooper was
there looking pretty broken, his first ever 24hr, on a rigid singlespeed, was
clearly taking its toll. Andrew Westmoorland was also there, having apparently
thrown the towel in some time previously. I probably looked as broken as Gary
as he was volunteered to get the towel out again and come round the final lap
with me. A singlespeed and a geared fatbike were surprisingly evenly
matched, he was a little quicker on the traverses and downhills, I had a slight
edge on the climbs but there wasn’t much in it. </div>
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<br /></div>
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At the summit of the final climb was a strange rock
formation, obviously man-made, some sort of standing-stone arrangement, and it
was on the climb up to this that Roberto di Osti came flying passed us going
like a bat out of hell. I said to Andrew “that’s the chap we’re racing, he’s
just unlapped himself”. I did try to stay with him, just because I thought it
would be fun, but he was really on it and dropped me as we crested the hill and
he then disappeared down the chute between the trees at the top of the last
descent.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUkXlqzT3vwb3NWoAclTlrpeULvIooFEhxOApNliAyi2em9E2Jqo66p_tmhCe5YpKjLKfunnekvRUnvHeamBvx2HphQzpdbtjUDsYWJqnF1kGl5ODd9-r-0_0xw2t1i8NQKWTr1IXV0m0/s1600/71004700_2630715640282013_5359264177678450688_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="959" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUkXlqzT3vwb3NWoAclTlrpeULvIooFEhxOApNliAyi2em9E2Jqo66p_tmhCe5YpKjLKfunnekvRUnvHeamBvx2HphQzpdbtjUDsYWJqnF1kGl5ODd9-r-0_0xw2t1i8NQKWTr1IXV0m0/s400/71004700_2630715640282013_5359264177678450688_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
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That final descent was fun, racing Andrew, playing about on
the rocks as we made our way down. Most of the standing water had cleared by
this stage too so we could see the rocks and roots, not that Andrew seemed that
bothered with his massive tyres.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0LCZimcyRDrDhyTJ9QW23E4kfIMPAt3NAY-dOEF8FaRV7J5XnMkQDFoJQft3NhSEO85yp21piyBqYSV6tkrFu9BxASbO89j30WI38dVjIr2b1wtmLllli9JiiDiCDRRw3JujXGv4PNiE/s1600/4Z8A8205.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="853" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0LCZimcyRDrDhyTJ9QW23E4kfIMPAt3NAY-dOEF8FaRV7J5XnMkQDFoJQft3NhSEO85yp21piyBqYSV6tkrFu9BxASbO89j30WI38dVjIr2b1wtmLllli9JiiDiCDRRw3JujXGv4PNiE/s400/4Z8A8205.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
Andrew</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Back up the last little climb into the arena and towards the
finish line. I even had enough energy left to do the
waving-both-arms-in-the-air-as-I-crossed-the-line thing, I have no idea where
the photographs of that ended up, they’re out there somewhere, hopefully it
looked good. The ninety degree left hander a few feet after the finish is surprisingly
tricky when you have both hands off the bars and have to grab a handful of
front brake pretty sharpish.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The commentator was talking rapidly over the PA, but in
Portuguese so I have no idea what he was saying, I caught my name and Roberto’s
in amongst the unfamiliar words but that was about it. Roberto himself was
standing next to the course just after the line talking to his pit crew, he
came over to say hello. My Italian isn’t great but considerably better than my
non-existant Portuguese. He was saying something about second place and how
close it was. I congratulated him on his race, we had a few photos together and
then Andrew carried me back to our pit, Peter pushing my bike and
congratulating me.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I removed my shoes, always a lovely feeling at the end of a
long race and lay down in our pit, curled up into a ball with a bottle of
something, people coming over to say hello and well done but I was far too
broken to be sociable, sorry everyone.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Gary spotted that my socks were on the wrong feet (no, I never
knew there were left and right specific socks either, they felt fine that way
round) I was vaguely aware of a small group of people laughing at me as a I
drifted off. </div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifLvOjGj2uh9jwUgwF728xjqlqRiRUJvHXJH3U34C5eMBVsRTfg_ZThW5gAj9kblQss_1Hg69Hdjb1R7O8VrsmlM_mrB2P5CwSuKxd9cXaqMWxTuu_kHy9v5cFaIiSMrbuYLNPFclpiQw/s1600/thumbnail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifLvOjGj2uh9jwUgwF728xjqlqRiRUJvHXJH3U34C5eMBVsRTfg_ZThW5gAj9kblQss_1Hg69Hdjb1R7O8VrsmlM_mrB2P5CwSuKxd9cXaqMWxTuu_kHy9v5cFaIiSMrbuYLNPFclpiQw/s400/thumbnail.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A half hour nap and I was woken again and pushed in the
direction of the showers, which were very much needed. It was such a relief to
get my cold wet riding kit and back into some warm clothes, especially some
clean socks and dry shoes. I returned to the arena just as the podiums were
starting, beginning with the team relays and then the age groups before the
Elites and singlespeeds. There had been a bit of confusion over whether this
was a short or long 24 and it turns out some folks had done an extra lap
somehow, I have no idea what happened there, I wasn’t really awake enough to be
able to concentrate but it all seemed to have sorted itself out. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Peter saw me heading over and took me off to one side, away
from the crowds. “I don’t know how to tell you this, it’s not good news” I
asked what had happened. He showed me an updated copy of the results on his
screen. I was second. Bugger. How had that happened? I had spent the last hour
thinking I had won, everyone I had spoken to seemed to think I had won too, I
guess a mix of language barriers and a delay in getting the results from the finish
line to the pits hadn’t helped. Bugger again. I looked at the lap times. Mine
seemed to tally pretty much with what I thought I’d done, Roberto had had a
very slow one around dawn but then two mighty laps after he had sorted himself
out and he certainly had been flying when I saw him, it looks like it might be
correct. Bugger.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFevm35h_wUd9YYxmLKunEKeGRNPu0Pa26tzTsXS1-HMJItGzCxeL7zlc4U5xhRU5D_fDdHW3FEV3jbi_aeEhrAGxts-MuXAMKA0t0dWKGNg5WYWw0flEpoluinC8wGfLzigVvBLSequ4/s1600/4Z8A8284.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="853" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFevm35h_wUd9YYxmLKunEKeGRNPu0Pa26tzTsXS1-HMJItGzCxeL7zlc4U5xhRU5D_fDdHW3FEV3jbi_aeEhrAGxts-MuXAMKA0t0dWKGNg5WYWw0flEpoluinC8wGfLzigVvBLSequ4/s400/4Z8A8284.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://andrewhowett.blogspot.com/2015/09/one-big-lap-in-one-little-gear.html"><span style="color: red;">It’s not the first time I’ve thought I’d won a race only to discover that I was in fact second</span></a>, but it is a
lot more annoying when it happens at a European championship. However, to look
on the bright side it is a sign of how much my riding has come on over the last
couple of years that I was now feeling disappointed with second in the Euros,
even so soon after another 24 and a chest infection. Having got my disappointed
face done away from everyone else I was able to properly congratulate Roberto
on his win (by six and half minutes! Bugger) on the podium, hopefully without
looking too grumpy about it, maybe if my Italian was better I would have
clocked that he had been saying well done to me for second earlier rather than,
as I had thought, saying something about his own second place. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
To be fair to him though his last two laps had been
absolutely mighty and when he did come passed me I was unable to respond. No
doubt there are areas in which I could have done better, six and a half minutes
isn’t a lot of time to make up (less time vomiting for a start…) but he can
probably say the same so I suspect that it wouldn’t have made a difference to the
result. Looking back through the Elite and Singlespeed results from previous
World, European and UK National championships I think this may have been the
closest ever battle for the win. It was great to be part of it, just a shame it
didn’t go the other way.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeUr9s4jARiIRCK-OnPtaJc00Uv75DITAB7hyphenhyphenMs-ctX1XLldh5gLrA2o8VrRPiZpexaoLzN59G0dI6PMRs-lC8qjiJHpuLKK49E2o3ObE7nL2lwLNVrbD1a4JF6DAOeu0n7i_fcsuu_XI/s1600/70779762_10217482720118104_2159161393494884352_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="696" data-original-width="960" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeUr9s4jARiIRCK-OnPtaJc00Uv75DITAB7hyphenhyphenMs-ctX1XLldh5gLrA2o8VrRPiZpexaoLzN59G0dI6PMRs-lC8qjiJHpuLKK49E2o3ObE7nL2lwLNVrbD1a4JF6DAOeu0n7i_fcsuu_XI/s400/70779762_10217482720118104_2159161393494884352_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Epilogue </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This bit is specially for Matt. He does like a good
van-incident story. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Because of flying to
this one I didn’t have my own with me, I hadn’t even driven to the airport,
that was a mix of train and tram. Instead I had a one-year old Fiat Doblo which I
hired from the airport in Porto. Despite only being a year old and having
thirty five thousand kilometres on the clock I was expecting a van-incident
almost from the outset, it really wasn’t pulling well, especially uphill, some
kind of fuel issue from the feel of it, a dodgy filter, pump or injectors
possibly. The venue wasn’t too far from the airport though and it got there in
one piece.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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Immediately prior to the race I had got changed in it, and
locked it as I walk away (fancy remote-control central locking, all the
mod-cons) and put the key in the back pocket of my race top. After the race, I
spent some time laying in a heap in the pits, then had a shower and a bite to
eat, did the whole podium thing and then stood around talking to folks for ages.
I then thought that I should begin to pack up. No sign of the key. Everywhere
was searched, all my kit, the big box, everyone else’s kit, everyone else’s
flight cases, the bin bags, the van was checked several times, all doors
locked, no sign of it inside from peering through the windows. No-one had
handed a key in. Bugger. Various theories were postulated and then ruled out,
until the only one left which seemed plausible was that I had set out on the
first lap with it still in my pocket, and it wasn’t there now. The chances of
finding it on a lap that long, with that much mud and water and so many people
riding it over and over again were, at best, slim. Now what? </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1d_xJkS2GrFmG79bzw6UsVl-XbNydPb_XRfGvtQMdK8z6QNwp_iompJ2aqDf39xupHp8o2UaIcbfInfZSgBJ88NQzTZokK7quiqjS0Oa2sw4qdoutolBWhw9sfkMDq6-rBUHGXWpE6Ns/s1600/IMG_0010-300x225.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1d_xJkS2GrFmG79bzw6UsVl-XbNydPb_XRfGvtQMdK8z6QNwp_iompJ2aqDf39xupHp8o2UaIcbfInfZSgBJ88NQzTZokK7quiqjS0Oa2sw4qdoutolBWhw9sfkMDq6-rBUHGXWpE6Ns/s1600/IMG_0010-300x225.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It came with breakdown cover, the details of which were in
the glovebox. Would the hire company have a spare key? Apparently (text message conversation with Dave, who knows these things) lease
companies tend to hang on to the spares so if they had leased it then maybe
not, the spare could be anywhere. Was my Portuguese up to giving them a call?
Probably not. I know the words for anteater and hydro-electric power station but not the words for key or lost. I needed to find someone to translate for me. Trouble is the hire
place was shut this late on a Sunday, that would have to wait for tomorrow, would anyone still be around then? Diego was trying to think of somewhere for me to sleep, the van
was not only my transport, it was my accommodation, and the venue had to be
vacated that night. With my wallet in the van I would struggle to find a hotel.
Also, if there was a spare key at the airport riding there would be
interesting, the map was also in the van, it wasn’t too far but doing it the
day after a 24 with both myself and the bike somewhat worse for wear would be
fun.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After a good few hours of trying to work out what to do and searching everywhere twenty eight times, and with the venue now almost
deserted I decided that the best thing to do would be to walk the course at daybreak
and see if I got lucky, maybe the very small black thing would stand out if<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>it hadn’t been buried or washed away. I
thought I might as well do something so began to hang my horrible wet riding
kit out to dry, the bag of really, really smelly things I had taken off in the showers.
The manky top, the shorts which were even worse, the sock which now appeared to
have solidified, the other sock with the hard thing in it. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The hard thing in it.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Key found.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I returned triumphantly into the building waving it around.
I saw Diego over by his car and headed over, brandishing it aloft.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I spent the next half an hour helping him look for his…</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNmUKBW8qXGtbeyUIVhZXM8U3lUzyALdq2NyfqQ9UlL6sCnuzaX3FvvYQOSkO6Q2RNvHnmRc6E98GYCYcu7DdWsjGn6_pjZuQyafl9N_76Ff25FSixhlfPAis9PfT9a-DkRsrx8-VwwAk/s1600/70603233_1376058005882468_601765879272701952_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNmUKBW8qXGtbeyUIVhZXM8U3lUzyALdq2NyfqQ9UlL6sCnuzaX3FvvYQOSkO6Q2RNvHnmRc6E98GYCYcu7DdWsjGn6_pjZuQyafl9N_76Ff25FSixhlfPAis9PfT9a-DkRsrx8-VwwAk/s320/70603233_1376058005882468_601765879272701952_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
Back in my luxury accommodation at last!</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Andrew Howetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07948073074991195855noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-755724540902978553.post-53092078562763495472019-08-14T17:44:00.001+01:002020-02-03T22:53:19.421+00:00You've Got To Be In It To Win It. (And Ride A Very Long Way On A Very Silly Bike)<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-GB</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w:EnableOpenTypeKerning/> <w:DontFlipMirrorIndents/> <w:OverrideTableStyleHps/> </w:Compatibility> <m:mathPr> <m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/> <m:brkBin m:val="before"/> <m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/> <m:smallFrac m:val="off"/> <m:dispDef/> <m:lMargin m:val="0"/> <m:rMargin m:val="0"/> <m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/> <m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/> <m:intLim m:val="subSup"/> <m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="false"
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Name="header"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="footer"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index heading"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="caption"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="table of figures"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="envelope address"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="envelope return"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="footnote reference"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="annotation reference"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="line number"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="page number"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="endnote reference"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="endnote text"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="table of authorities"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="macro"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="toa heading"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Closing"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Signature"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Message Header"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Salutation"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Date"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text First Indent"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text First Indent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Note Heading"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Block Text"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Hyperlink"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="FollowedHyperlink"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Document Map"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Plain Text"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="E-mail Signature"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Top of Form"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Bottom of Form"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Normal (Web)"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Acronym"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Address"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Cite"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Code"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Definition"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Keyboard"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Preformatted"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Sample"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Typewriter"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Variable"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Normal Table"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="annotation subject"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="No List"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 7"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 8"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 7"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 8"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Contemporary"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Elegant"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Professional"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Subtle 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Subtle 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Balloon Text"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="Table Grid"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Theme"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" Name="Placeholder Text"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" Name="Revision"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" QFormat="true"
Name="List Paragraph"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Quote"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" QFormat="true"
Name="Subtle Emphasis"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Emphasis"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" QFormat="true"
Name="Subtle Reference"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Reference"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Bibliography"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="41" Name="Plain Table 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="42" Name="Plain Table 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="43" Name="Plain Table 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="44" Name="Plain Table 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="45" Name="Plain Table 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="40" Name="Grid Table Light"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46" Name="Grid Table 1 Light"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51" Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52" Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
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<u>24 Hour World Championships 2019</u> </h2>
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Where do I start with this one? Probably with the usual apologies for not having written anything for ages because of, well, life getting in the way – no time to write and I’ve been doing very few races to write about anyway. </div>
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However, I have just been to Brazil for the 24hr World Championship, won the singlespeed category (sorry, spoiler in the second paragraph) and now have a 10½ hour flight ahead of me to fill so here we go:<br />
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Wow. What an experience. I have been lucky enough to have raced all over the world in the last decade but I’ve never been to one quite like this.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij4QAaDBpF_yGDpq4N_Ld_p7jUWCk_HVvyJjQVgs3UH3MCeG7DKVZg5Yh7xRQOqYvKIUyjUtLlP6V-KWmaKe4W849a1fTNFt5RfdAuz-2UtWXQ3SneqLwBvwBA9DhIzwmo55siDGVo-IQ/s1600/301.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij4QAaDBpF_yGDpq4N_Ld_p7jUWCk_HVvyJjQVgs3UH3MCeG7DKVZg5Yh7xRQOqYvKIUyjUtLlP6V-KWmaKe4W849a1fTNFt5RfdAuz-2UtWXQ3SneqLwBvwBA9DhIzwmo55siDGVo-IQ/s400/301.jpg" width="372" /> </a></div>
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<i>I'm not entirely sure that is me in the photo but at least they've spelt my name right, no-one else does.</i></div>
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I honestly never saw that waterfall once during the race, despite passing it on every lap. I was fully aware it was there, I had seen it in practice of course, and it looks equally spectacular from the top, and I could feel the spray every time I went passed, but that bridge is very narrow and very fast as it slopes down slightly, eyes firmly ahead! The other bridge suffered a bit on the first lap, I don't know what the maximum load should have been but clearly all of us lot still bunched up was a bit much for it, it was at a funny angle when I crossed it, some of those further back had to wait briefly for it to be righted. It was a largish river and I have no idea what lives in those waters<i>...</i> </div>
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The race was a right pain to get to, an hour and a half from Edinburgh to Heathrow, eleven hours to Sao Paulo, another hour and a half to Campo Grande in the state of Mato Grosso du Sol and then six hours on a bus to Costa Rica. No, not that Costa Rica, Costa Rica the town. Even most Brazilians haven’t heard of it, the customs guys at Sao Paulo airport seemed particularly perplexed when I tried to explain where I was going and which plane I needed to get on. It was however, well worth the effort. This is of course all relative, the Paraguayans and Mexicans probably said Fort William was a bit of a nuisance. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSjPO160S79BuZ4r3ixglF-tcf-ODGRjI9VSVxU9-9qT8N7v13h27cGYZgPYir3-OwuMvrjyW26oNAd8PvUZGBFd2OYS0N7a1jE63KPH3IPckYKSjXiTwxdYAnpZ1PQc3x8To3DlIRx_w/s1600/practice.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhof3vvoBgPC0GYC5U2EDo-J_CFHhuc1yDmgxluft0NwOvs4rPxUhwdQoi-dJ5e-ygsrKMPLh-dUVIiqDEbYGAZq457zCse1IYPRfkYrNnfMPccrc9_B-mExlRW_BP4pBq2_t0U6keEg6c/s1600/Capture.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="207" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhof3vvoBgPC0GYC5U2EDo-J_CFHhuc1yDmgxluft0NwOvs4rPxUhwdQoi-dJ5e-ygsrKMPLh-dUVIiqDEbYGAZq457zCse1IYPRfkYrNnfMPccrc9_B-mExlRW_BP4pBq2_t0U6keEg6c/s400/Capture.JPG" width="400" /></a> </div>
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<i>Thursday practice, old friends and new.</i></div>
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<i>World champions, European champions, those who ride for fun, pit crews, and anyone else who wanted to come along, we all ride together, enjoy the scenery and the company (and just occasionally come over all competitive and start egging each other on)</i></div>
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Costa Rica is a small agricultural town miles away from anywhere. I think this race may have been the biggest thing ever to have happened there, it certainly felt like we part of something huge. The entire town was involved and massively enthusiastic about it. Every rider, but especially the foreigners and particularly those who did something to stand out, like having a silly bike with only one gear, were major celebrities.</div>
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We literally could not walk down the road or into a cafe without being surrounded by people wanting to take photos with us, to give us coffee, weird cold tea which you drink through a metal straw or little cheesy biscuits. I have never done so many interviews and I hadn’t even won anything then!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSEN9wUFrgbJToIoeeeOTet_kl8dOT7OjL0RSr_jQHcwg_Z_-dbOkUvqJ8IOmOxZbkP7wdkJK6s2kO6ATuio4I3CQnWcvKM9o4hLOFRMolskzYTAVEAzMWzB8Q8HDrATU33CtNjR3PHPI/s1600/67836075_723547738104449_1461758803132284928_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSEN9wUFrgbJToIoeeeOTet_kl8dOT7OjL0RSr_jQHcwg_Z_-dbOkUvqJ8IOmOxZbkP7wdkJK6s2kO6ATuio4I3CQnWcvKM9o4hLOFRMolskzYTAVEAzMWzB8Q8HDrATU33CtNjR3PHPI/s400/67836075_723547738104449_1461758803132284928_n.jpg" width="400" /> </a></div>
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<i>I did briefly wonder if I was being kidnapped as I was bundled into the back of a passing car by some people with very little English but they were just being really nice and giving me a lift from my digs to the arena. Slightly scarier was the fact that the driver had one hand on a bottle of Heineken and the other on his mobile telephone for most of the journey, at least until he finished his beer, probably quite legal in Brazil...</i> </div>
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I said to myself when I set off that I would just say yes any time anyone suggested that I do anything or go anywhere or whatever, and I stuck to that as best I could. This should probably be something I should adopt in day to day life, I met some lovely folk this way. I barely speak a word of Portuguese, left, right, thank-you, stop, cheese, (useful) happy birthday, anteater, hydro-electric power-station (less useful) and hardly anyone there spoke any English but I managed absolutely fine. I was adopted by some fellow competitors, Milos and Athos, a couple of Brazilians, and Jorge and Francesco, two Uruguayans, I think they are the first Uruguayans I have ever met, and they all looked after me very well, despite the obvious communication difficulties.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLXVlUHzIiJDJ3f2LmUO9oNRrAF7ozQ-OE9Bjkt9XN07_6053qY1qvjFibcK1Ag0XXFt5HeP06ArU5YucBQkXi68f6LUtMHSgCGX6WcTkZxOZsaqmaxTwWneNrMzAaHTBw2FK4eDm2bEg/s1600/thumbnail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLXVlUHzIiJDJ3f2LmUO9oNRrAF7ozQ-OE9Bjkt9XN07_6053qY1qvjFibcK1Ag0XXFt5HeP06ArU5YucBQkXi68f6LUtMHSgCGX6WcTkZxOZsaqmaxTwWneNrMzAaHTBw2FK4eDm2bEg/s400/thumbnail.jpg" width="225" /> </a></div>
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<i>Planting a tree with the mayor.</i></div>
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<i>This is an 'iron-tree'. No, I'd never heard of one either. It is unusual in that the wood is very dense and sinks in water. It is also bullet-proof (caveat; Mario has a very small gun, I suspect it would be a different story if one was confronted with a 50 cal sniper rifle) On the subject of guns, I know Brazil has a bit of an iffy reputation in parts for things like guns and drugs but the folks of Costa Rica don't seem to lock any doors, leave windows on houses and cars open 24 hours a day and there is no graffiti or vandalism anywhere. As a stranger in town, sometimes alone, and not speaking a word of the local language I felt completely safe at all times, no problems whatsoever.</i></div>
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I also joined in with the locals whenever the chance arose, I have had a tour of the town in the back of a pick-up, was up until far too late on the Thursday night drinking tea and being taught some (possibly quite rude) Portuguese songs in someone’s outdoor<span class="msoIns"><ins cite="mailto:Andy" datetime="2019-07-30T20:55"> </ins></span>kitchen, planted a tree with the mayor of the town, raced the local school children around the pump track, been on Brazilian telly at least twice, was shown how to make a cheesy-pastry thing and drank beer with a three-times jujitsu world champion from the home-made bar in the back of his van, all mostly without any mutual language at all. I won’t tell you about the confusion with the showers, but ele and ela are two words I can now add to the list of Portuguese words I know.</div>
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A slight deviation for a moment, I think I have some new favourite words in English, certainly right up there with ‘would you like some cake?’ Actually, talking of which the airport hotel in Campo Grande has all-you-can-eat complimentary chocolate cake in reception, although this is not replenished as often as I would have liked, all-I-can-eat is quite a lot, even 36 hours after finishing one of these races. Anyway, my new favourite words are ‘with the in-flight entertainment system’. Context is all important here, when you are thirty thousand feet over the Atlantic and they are immediately preceded by ‘we regret to inform you that we are experiencing some technical difficulties' they are most welcome.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCaV89LIgU3b5CiT4a5GbI1_NQ3qtlqW5izFoFJMh5lBrFJLiaw23Fm5idpbaq5_MbGYln5oPYhzqZ0HwVwDkDEBCMio_4cC4Fo7hjx6UidtKDQEFLP86LVs4hg181RCnRFHsKRf8WCbQ/s1600/4Z8A6085.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCaV89LIgU3b5CiT4a5GbI1_NQ3qtlqW5izFoFJMh5lBrFJLiaw23Fm5idpbaq5_MbGYln5oPYhzqZ0HwVwDkDEBCMio_4cC4Fo7hjx6UidtKDQEFLP86LVs4hg181RCnRFHsKRf8WCbQ/s400/4Z8A6085.jpg" width="400" /> </a></div>
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<i>I do like a proper running start. That chap with the yellow top and blue helmet just behind Gaia is properly fast though, I was a comfortable second for most of the run, a couple of guys passing me just as we got to the bikes, but he was miles ahead! It's the closest I got to the overall lead all weekend mind. Also, being the only Brit in that picture it is obvious how pale my legs are... </i></div>
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Back to the race. The track was nearly 30km long, big by 24hr standards, this would be a long lap, maybe an hour and a half. It was easily a three-bottle lap in those conditions, 34 degrees was pleasant but 54% humidity was making hard to drink enough. It wasn’t particularly difficult technically, there were two descents which required a couple of attempts in practice but which I successfully completed on every lap of the race. I did spend a while with Elena during Friday practice showing her how to ride the second of those but she soon had it dialed, just a confidence thing really, she's quite capable but I think just likes to see someone else go first. Unfortunately at that spot about four hours into the race someone in front of her fluffed their line, she attempted to take evasive action as they fell but she came off worse and broke her shoulder, game over.</div>
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I saw another injury first thing on Sunday morning on a very fast rocky decent, just before the ranch where the party had been going into the wee small hours. They were providing much welcome water for us as we passed during the heat of the day but this became tequila as the sun fell and their music volume rose. This, the water, not the tequila, was almost as welcome as the ice provided by the chap in the green house after the first big climb. I’m digressing again. She appeared to have broken her collar-bone, luckily not far from where an ambulance was stationed, I managed to attract their attention and stayed with her as the paramedics made their way up the hill to us. It cost me a few minutes but in a race this long it makes next to no difference.</div>
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They only other injury I am aware of was Taylor Lideen, one of the big three names expected to challenge for the overall title, he was holding a strong second place about nine hours in. He trapped a nerve or a tendon or something in his leg. He somehow did a lap using just the good leg but this took its toll and he was forced to withdraw. He seemed remarkably sanguine about it when I saw him at dinner on the Sunday night. This weekend was the first time I've spoken to him, after that brief awkward bit where you both try to work out who speaks which languages and whether you can have any sort of conversation about anything. This is a mercifully short process for two native English-speakers, it's much funnier watching a Uruguayan and an Italian go through it. Anyway, nice chap and Mary is lovely too, shame his race ended like this.<br />
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A more normal example of the language problem was on the Friday evening as I was sitting at a table outside a pizza restaurant. A couple of the Shimano mechanics, who were providing neutral support during the event, came in and one of them came over to say hello, we managed that bit OK, then as my bike was leaning against a tree next to me, conversation turned, or at least tried to, to gear ratios. I tried English, he tried Portuguese. I tried German, he tried Spanish. I tried Italian, he tried French. How much French can I remember? Twenty-five years ago at school, how hard can it be? It was my fourth choice, his third, this was not going to be a very detailed chat, but with a lot of pointing and other hand gestures we managed fine.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD9wGC3k03lSPTCjohBmp5aTeV1mJPmJk0ujssEuFclug1fmQCD1Uidm7c48cxCJy3NzAwysmile3MdPKgNVNibOvDScC48tzoGyMOOXxujboDwJM5ElJXEH6bLM_IMHt0xwfEIgSxL0k/s1600/4Z8A6089.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw60pCtVcKRWruz0U1Bf73OovYFeD4uiYSX2G-dHIFadHV_4AuzEpAXRMVaQ1mYZpQ9GsXXRRDqEe_GWs9Ut2CdtSDGoGMXWJajgW1riOZpxuEQNdRjnhxPi7aCZSIVqZACUl9wW6UyWk/s1600/4Z8A6088.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw60pCtVcKRWruz0U1Bf73OovYFeD4uiYSX2G-dHIFadHV_4AuzEpAXRMVaQ1mYZpQ9GsXXRRDqEe_GWs9Ut2CdtSDGoGMXWJajgW1riOZpxuEQNdRjnhxPi7aCZSIVqZACUl9wW6UyWk/s400/4Z8A6088.jpg" width="400" /></a> </div>
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<i>Me chasing Taylor Lideen through the arena on the first lap</i></div>
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There were two short, sharp climbs which were impossible on a singlespeed, and apart from a few of the top riders on the second one, were nearly impossible on a geared bike too. The big climbs though were fine for me. There was a long climb up from the hydro-electric plant, and a funny smell there for whatever reason, and another out of the quarry. I was geared 32/20 on a 29er and this was perfect for these. The other significant one after the river crossing was doable early on but the top section became more of a struggle as the race wore on and I did have to push the last little bit a couple of times in the night. It was however enlivened by a very large herd of peccary running around (I had to google it too) They seemed much friendlier than the goats, and a lot more friendly than the ubiquitous stray dogs!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZIaNQk9ioXujlwCodqDEXzcRLs0eaYjWtxlG-0E7Znree5KFax6rDX_uHiknBlkh__zTBZzx1qyMoGmST2gt7MeRgUeT4WXfs93Ak3HAaUo0taDgK_6wRKVicrCG4iIgGnykkMUHNpcI/s1600/2745326.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZIaNQk9ioXujlwCodqDEXzcRLs0eaYjWtxlG-0E7Znree5KFax6rDX_uHiknBlkh__zTBZzx1qyMoGmST2gt7MeRgUeT4WXfs93Ak3HAaUo0taDgK_6wRKVicrCG4iIgGnykkMUHNpcI/s400/2745326.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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<i>A few people have mentioned the beard, and the heat. </i></div>
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<i>It wasn't that warm, low-thirties during the day, down to about twelve overnight as July is the middle of winter there but of course insulation works both ways and it was fine. More importantly, it acted as a huge dust-filter for the air I was breathing in, it's not normally that red, but the dust was everywhere. </i></div>
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A fair chunk of the course wound its way around the town. The big road from the quarry back to the arena and then out to the suburbs was the only place I really felt that a singlespeed was a liability. I would get passed by a chain-gang, through and off at 30-35km/h, I would leap on the back, my little legs spinning like Scooby-Doo’s in that moment just after he has spotted a ghost but before he actually starts to move, and hold them as long as I could, which wasn’t very. Riding through the town involved dodging traffic (very compliant, much better than British traffic) but also high-fiving pretty much every child in the neighbourhood, which did slow one's progress slightly.</div>
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At the pointy end of the race Mario Verissimo Oliveira, the home favourite who had won the test event in 2018, had taken an early lead, Taylor and defending champion, Canadian Cory Wallace some way behind. He had however overcooked it, and was passed by the two big guns before Taylor had his problem and he was able to regain second place ahead of Paraguay's Ernesto Rodrigues. Italy's Gaia Ravioli utterly dominated the women’s race from the outset and her result would have given her a very strong showing in the men’s race (fourth!).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unfortunately it appears that singlespeeding isn’t really much of a thing in Brazil and the field was a little weak to say the least but it did mean that muggins here was able to hold a comfortable lead over Jose Pereira throughout.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJLkss4XBMGzNnMo4G2t5GtyvZFoasMFMS6_eQBpbtW4SIbMTvWpsnzn3izuumXxPbEcGi01Dz8i8H0bsQs7gXzGS2zMReogm4qU-BjIwtCgt0kKjPF0EELnRuFV9MgCXxiaUkdLu1_Cw/s1600/FP_190727__1893.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJLkss4XBMGzNnMo4G2t5GtyvZFoasMFMS6_eQBpbtW4SIbMTvWpsnzn3izuumXxPbEcGi01Dz8i8H0bsQs7gXzGS2zMReogm4qU-BjIwtCgt0kKjPF0EELnRuFV9MgCXxiaUkdLu1_Cw/s400/FP_190727__1893.JPG" width="400" /> </a></div>
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<i>Cory Wallace on his way to another win, three in a row now </i></div>
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I was very happy with my early laps, and was doing reasonably well in the general classification for a while but I had a major wobble about fourteen hours in. I blew up pretty badly and had a really terrible lap, which included sitting in a bush for a while wondering if I could carry on, and this was then followed by a thirty-five minute pit stop to sort myself out (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Thirty-five minutes?!? What were you playing at?!? – Ed</i>)<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>eating and eating until I felt vaguely human again and a change out of my horrible sweaty clothes into something warm and dry, the shoes and socks being by far the most welcome part.</div>
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Looking at the stars back home I can recognise and name maybe three constellations but there is a pleasing familiarity to the sky, in the southern hemisphere it is totally different, it is like looking up at the heavens on an alien world. Being over 400km from the nearest city only added to how spectacular it was, even living in one of the emptier bits of an overcrowded little island I don’t get to see anything quite like that.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi44BJuv-758CP0uUUJCI1I0KDtNwqqYFRtcdmUDxsoOopNKTVSgEnmxx_X6Wg6aU47sMoOqgHZvc1Y6GDLqVI5dvrpdKJv-5rCMg5LDLtdA4rfRUp_ZumTci-h-gDBjRuDqBHmwhFhpdQ/s1600/2745328.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi44BJuv-758CP0uUUJCI1I0KDtNwqqYFRtcdmUDxsoOopNKTVSgEnmxx_X6Wg6aU47sMoOqgHZvc1Y6GDLqVI5dvrpdKJv-5rCMg5LDLtdA4rfRUp_ZumTci-h-gDBjRuDqBHmwhFhpdQ/s400/2745328.jpg" width="400" /> </a></div>
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<i>No idea who that is chasing me.</i></div>
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Dawn was equally impressive, the whole eastern horizon glowing red as the sun crept up on us. With the sunrise usually comes my second wind but it took it’s time on this occasion, even at 9am I was still fighting to keep awake, wobbling dangerously on the long drag back towards the arena. It’s odd how I can be barely able to keep my eyes open and the bike upright on stretches like that but on the techier sections my brain seems to know that it is needed and it perks up enough to get me down in one piece.<br />
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My last two laps were at a reasonable pace once again, not as quick as I had been in the opening stages of the race but certainly a lot quicker than the two terrible laps I had suffered through in the early hours. Starting a lap not long before the cut-off also meant that I was one of the last people out on the course, the race was 25hr16m for me, not quite my longest ever but not far off. Even though the course wasn’t especially difficult technically I was still broken, these things are never easy, as Russ said he’s heard people before various races grumbling about an easy course, but very, very few saying that afterwards… </div>
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It took the best part of an hour to make my way from the finish line, via the pits to the shower, about 400 yards. There were people everywhere, everyone wanting to talk, to have a photo, to look at my bike. Actually, wanting a look at my bike was a fairly common theme the whole time I was there, as I said above I don’t think singlespeeding is very common in Brazil, which did make me stand out rather. However, it also means that despite winning my first (and hopefully not last!) World Championship I do feel that I got a bit lucky in terms of the competition, I felt that I rode much better at Finale in 2017 when I ‘only’ managed third, the competition there was properly fierce, but a win’s a win and I’m still going to count it. Looking at the times of the elite and age-group riders I was 49<sup>th</sup> out of around 300 which I am quite pleased with, especially on a course which wasn’t particularly singlespeed-friendly. Anyway, a slight grumble about the lack of depth to the SS field aside, everything else was amazing, what an experience.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoBGmxfS87YFzw5r8fMSuAA3MhyphenhyphenJop76ev_6rB-chnYk8BZdKjGvDbN2FOz-Z8RnPLOpooJl7Vi3trDtjq39sFnylIji8iZYp1nynNIivetya1TWs-ncXKLgNkzCjvTJ0cRLECaBVOCjo/s1600/67734010_10156105315770755_331708970039246848_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoBGmxfS87YFzw5r8fMSuAA3MhyphenhyphenJop76ev_6rB-chnYk8BZdKjGvDbN2FOz-Z8RnPLOpooJl7Vi3trDtjq39sFnylIji8iZYp1nynNIivetya1TWs-ncXKLgNkzCjvTJ0cRLECaBVOCjo/s400/67734010_10156105315770755_331708970039246848_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i>I really need to work on my 'posing for photos as I cross the line', I'm just not used to winning things.</i></div>
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I have lots of people to say thank-you to as always, they refer to it as a ‘24hr Solo’ but it really isn’t, it’s one person riding but there are a lot more involved. So a big thank-you to Hans for taking care of me during the race, keeping me fed, watered and up to date with what was happening, Claudia and Stuart for generally being very nice and looking after me (and Claudia’s age-group win gave Hans two world titles, not bad at all. She cut it a bit finer than me though, taking the lead a mile from the finish line just before the 24hrs ticked over...) Milos, Athos, Jorges, Francesco, Thais, Victor, Alan, Danielle, Filipe, Pedro and basically everyone else I met there, every single person was absolutely lovely.</div>
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Oh, and of course Mt Zoom for turning a fairly light bike into a very light world-championship winning bike, all parts faultless as always.</div>
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So would I go back? Oh yes. Despite how awkward it was to get to it was well worth it. There is the big BrasilRide stage race every year and it has been suggested to me by Carlos dal Pont that we should attempt to become the first people to complete it on singlespeeds. I am actually quite tempted by this. I can’t afford to do it next year as the World Champs are in Australia and that will take all of my racing budget (and some!) but the following year we are in Portugal, which is a lot cheaper, and so BrasilRide may happen for me in 2021, watch this space.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw9lY7mWI5CnGJLEuGtC1JImInzYKiv24CgN3MtHtvYdICRtFuq3CyEnhUYJggOcSAfz-gNwPRqJyHbd8dtTwSMFB9gvm3TF3A_kW3uiTbp1_VJPWOoqQMlP1e04rnq7qVEecWuUnT_NM/s1600/67524815_10156111925955755_6533261314440036352_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw9lY7mWI5CnGJLEuGtC1JImInzYKiv24CgN3MtHtvYdICRtFuq3CyEnhUYJggOcSAfz-gNwPRqJyHbd8dtTwSMFB9gvm3TF3A_kW3uiTbp1_VJPWOoqQMlP1e04rnq7qVEecWuUnT_NM/s400/67524815_10156111925955755_6533261314440036352_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Andrew Howetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07948073074991195855noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-755724540902978553.post-71874316799299141562019-07-16T17:10:00.002+01:002020-01-20T17:12:11.258+00:0024/12 - That Muddy One<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<u>24 Hour UK National Championship 2017</u></div>
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Pivot 24/12, Newnham park, Devon</div>
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<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">This race was sadly the last time I saw Mick Gudgin. A lovely chap who will be sadly missed by all those who knew him. Thanks for all your help Mick.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCHydtUSzG8K3G5LaKL_pAIHUbt9X-eXUw569jWeU-fc7ivSxkWr-hjEpoGgj5ljl8KNdAKT_DzLQTM2hBwvyfjel8LGeBGnBXjYgBllcMTCdGaGo3huE2GvDVVby9bzFbtA_qIqyWXFk/s1600/IMG_3613.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCHydtUSzG8K3G5LaKL_pAIHUbt9X-eXUw569jWeU-fc7ivSxkWr-hjEpoGgj5ljl8KNdAKT_DzLQTM2hBwvyfjel8LGeBGnBXjYgBllcMTCdGaGo3huE2GvDVVby9bzFbtA_qIqyWXFk/s400/IMG_3613.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"> </span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">It is a sign of how much my riding has come on in the last few years, to my surprise as much as anyone else's, that I found myself heading to a National Championship thinking that I would be disappointed if I didn't come back with a medal.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">It is a sign of how of how little my preparation has changed in the last few years, to no-one's great surprise, that I found myself bursting through the doors of the airport terminal eight minutes before my flight was due to take off.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">I charged up the stairs, along the endless corridors and eventually around the corner into security. I have never seen so many people in one room, the queue was enormous. I waved my boarding pass at the machine, pushed through the automatic barrier and then ducked under the tape that separates the crowds from the bit the staff use to get to the front and ran, ignoring the terribly British disapproving glances and tutting noises I would inevitably attract from my fellow passengers. I apologised briefly to the girl at the front of the queue, pushed in front of her, dumped my bag and contents of my pockets into the little plastic box and pushed it through the scanner. I grabbed it on the other side and sprinted off, three minutes to go.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">I sprinted back, grabbed my helmet from the metal detector, and ran again.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">I was flat out through duty-free trying not to scatter bottles of expensive whiskey in the same manner as the people I was pushing passed and emerged breathless into the departure lounge.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">Which gate? Which gate? Please be a close one! WHICH GATE?!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">Flight delayed.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">Bugger. And phew. Mostly phew.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">I then spent the next hour or so sitting and watching as all of the people I had just barged passed in the queue walked passed me one by one and saw me sitting calmly at the bar, rather than rushing around, or gone, as they might have expected. Was I really that desperate to get a drink?</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">Gina had been on holiday with her parents for a week and had taken the van, already packed with my bikes, and once she had put her immediate ancestors on a train home from Bristol, met me at the airport for the drive down to Plymouth. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">We had already got the obligatory<span style="color: red;"></span></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: small;"> <a href="http://andrewhowett.blogspot.com/2015/04/its-not-bike-race-without-van-incident.html"><span style="color: red;">van incident</span></a></span> </span>out of the way before Gina had set off, just a puncture this time so nothing serious, but it was quite late on Friday when we arrived at Newnham. We found Matt, Mick and Sarah, with whom we were sharing a pit, easily enough. By the time we had finished signing on, said hello to everyone we bumped into during the process, had dinner and got the bikes ready it was a bit too late to go for a lap so we decided that an early night would be best. </span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVo3Mqohfi3NwFiDpIEvPSUzJ5pXim_v_cl1s2iSLh836_U0G2i03zErNanGuaZZ80Xq602jvupiqjTa0Fdseot9aCNNj2stLZvUC-kCGqlctHeRDDpJZsaXNqPqVdYMlGvkt75EQ9v64/s1600/27356057_1778465315497976_6019763653557343299_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="900" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVo3Mqohfi3NwFiDpIEvPSUzJ5pXim_v_cl1s2iSLh836_U0G2i03zErNanGuaZZ80Xq602jvupiqjTa0Fdseot9aCNNj2stLZvUC-kCGqlctHeRDDpJZsaXNqPqVdYMlGvkt75EQ9v64/s400/27356057_1778465315497976_6019763653557343299_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">Chris and Shergie arrived on Saturday morning, having left Monmouth at silly O'clock, why they didn't come down the night before I have no idea. Chris was going to be doing the twelve hour race and Shergie was supposed to be mechanicing for us both, with Gina in charge of feeding us. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">Last time I had done a twenty-four hour race with Shergie , Mayhem 2011, he had spent most of the first half of it in bed with food poisoning. This one wasn't looking any more promising, although at least he wasn't supposed to be racing this time. Not setting off on Friday evening like any sensible people would have done instead meant that he had been able to go out and drink a lot of beer and so arrived pretty hungover.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">The forecast was grim, and I had been unable to persuade my friend Matt, who works at the Met Office in nearby Exeter, to change it. At least the start was dry though.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">Newnham is far from my favourite course, much too flat and fast for my tastes, no real technical sections, and more to the point really isn't weather-proof, unlike Newcastleton for example, which had held up surprisingly well in couple of horrifically wet twenty-fours. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">Even though I hadn't raced at Newnham for several years most of the course was familiar to me and the lack of a practice lap wasn't really an issue. I was in a respectable position overall at the end of the first lap but the singlespeed category appeared to be especially competitive and I was well down the order. I grabbed another bottle of Torq from Gina as I passed through the pits, efficient as ever. Rather less efficient was my mechanic, I just caught a glimpse of Shergie’s feet sticking out of the van as he slept off his hangover.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">The brief dry spell didn’t last and the rain soon set in, gentle at first but then more intense. Steve Day was fighting for the overall lead early on, despite only having one gear, Matt Jones and Max Suttie pushing him hard. I was struggling further back, down in about fifth or sixth in the singlespeeds. The course was fairly singlespeed-friendly, only two real climbs to speak of, both of which were fine in 32/19 for the majority of the race and there was nothing techy enough that I missed my full-suss. It was however chewing up quite badly, what had been fairly good fun to ride early on was becoming a slog now it was raining.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzbQRjb5MldzMF5Xe6pp20tEOQVZbsCW6iVRQQizQQ-T-JvGTHrWS1DRSpoavYAC_5EMbKEOX7ZlFKhK0r5ItYuWg5v5Ej9zW2cF9U6fbUspOhGlPw7KdpUk4W6jvzoQXX8Dytu-dUWhw/s1600/DHP_6828.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="665" data-original-width="1000" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzbQRjb5MldzMF5Xe6pp20tEOQVZbsCW6iVRQQizQQ-T-JvGTHrWS1DRSpoavYAC_5EMbKEOX7ZlFKhK0r5ItYuWg5v5Ej9zW2cF9U6fbUspOhGlPw7KdpUk4W6jvzoQXX8Dytu-dUWhw/s400/DHP_6828.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">Shergie made his one and only appearance to do something useful just as dusk was falling, he changed both pairs of brake pads whilst Gina sorted out my lights and I swallowed some rice pudding and put a dry top on. Two hours later he had gone, Chris had crashed and then called it a night and they had headed home.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">At about 10pm there was a rumour going around that Steve had pulled out too, I can’t remember exactly where I first heard it but word travels fast in a forest at night. The rumour turned out to be true, which at least bumped me up a place. He had got so much mud and grit in his eyes over the last few laps that he was no longer able to see where he was going.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">The rain worsened as midnight drew near, which actually made things better for a while. There was one section in particular which had become unrideable, the mud just forming great clumps around the bottom bracket, the top of the seat stays and under the fork braces, stopping the wheels from turning. It was also adding so much weight that in our tired and weakened states the bikes were becoming difficult to carry. It reminded me very much of the 1990s, was mud worse back in the old days or was it just narrower forks and chainstays coupled with cantilever brakes that just made it seems worse? Anyway, as the rain intensified the quagmire became a river of muddy water and was again rideable, at least for a short period, the claggy mud becoming spashy mud. Once the rain eased off a bit it returned to it’s previous horrible claggy state.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcjynriygpgHMW-8rfnPMj0g30yYRU4B_gL7A_iBIcyBhjYWToauVeRTMshiAQtI3tMloq6xt5IJXEGMqs6cZbUlqBIvscFt4pnGZVbbdPlyidQ_wlE0S2CPmvGpx5ERgd09WGTFrT8Mc/s1600/IMG_1116.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="852" data-original-width="1136" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcjynriygpgHMW-8rfnPMj0g30yYRU4B_gL7A_iBIcyBhjYWToauVeRTMshiAQtI3tMloq6xt5IJXEGMqs6cZbUlqBIvscFt4pnGZVbbdPlyidQ_wlE0S2CPmvGpx5ERgd09WGTFrT8Mc/s400/IMG_1116.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">With my mechanic now sound asleep in a warm cosy bed in Monmouth, a couple of hundred miles from the race, I did the next brake pad change myself. Gina and Mick were very good at keeping me fed and watered but neither were familiar with my brakes. This only took twelve minutes, and that included quite a bit of eating too, and drinking some very welcome hot sweet tea. Well, more of a mug of damp sugar really, but I needed the energy. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">The night wore on. Despite the weather and general miserableness of the conditions I remined cheerful, although a problem was becoming apparent in my left wrist. I’ve had it before on the other side and recognised the symptoms, the sheaths which house the tendons which control my hand were becoming inflamed, making braking rather difficult and quite painful. I took a leaf out of Steve Kelly’s book, overdosed on ibruprofen (thanks Carole) and then ignored it for the rest of the race.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">I don’t think I had any visits from the Sleepmonsters, although I did spot a flock of green sheep. I was mocked by Max Suttie as I pointed them out to him and he questioned both my eye-sight and my sanity but the next time I saw him, at the LDLR in June the following year, he did apologise for doubting me and confirmed that the sheep were indeed green.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaRTyNVCanfc6hqe8jw2tn4BzwPvyl2SzEahAmPUNoyTxWdO2zpjgEX48KcL_Fh1OzC_HGamai_n9ANn-0SuaxQibxzveWODQvScQ0c-E0UcmrxiubTVVMqxbWziuv7MN3wC6ol7A3-hg/s1600/72576064-DHP_1421.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1200" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaRTyNVCanfc6hqe8jw2tn4BzwPvyl2SzEahAmPUNoyTxWdO2zpjgEX48KcL_Fh1OzC_HGamai_n9ANn-0SuaxQibxzveWODQvScQ0c-E0UcmrxiubTVVMqxbWziuv7MN3wC6ol7A3-hg/s400/72576064-DHP_1421.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">I made a bit of a mistake as dawn approached, I was coming down the ‘Cottage Descent’, one of the few parts of the track which hadn’t been badly chewed up and was therefore still fairly fast, when I lost control of my front wheel.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">I slid off the track, my rear wheel locked as I braked hard, ignoring the pain in my wrist. I was brought to a very abrupt halt by a branch which hit me square in the right side of chest, winding me quite badly. I remember thinking that I was lucky that it was pretty blunt branch, the end about the size and shape of a fist, a pointy branch could have been really nasty. I got my breath back and then continued a little more cautiously, my chest still quite sore, but only when I breathed.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">I acquired a new mechanic shortly after sunrise, Steve K. who had made the journey over from the Isle of Man just to watch (yes, really) was volunteered for the next brake pad change whilst Gina removed the lights and I ate as much as I could in the couple of minutes this gave me. Somehow just plugging away in the quagmire all night had got me up to third place. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Even the pits were becoming quite horrific, several inches of thick churned up mud, bound together with grass, choking the wheels, brakes and drivetrains, even for the singlespeeders it was quicker to get off and push, or more often drag, since the wheels wouldn’t turn properly, and most of the rest of the course wasn’t much better. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm3d48_c7qX_dQ1Y92q6d4c9KwsTOiIaSB5LGdR2nDNlLzOyOE9rYINat3G4MQnolLEsG1DrDqtp68xjgnUuOeQa07qHpJ5ys3l7c2Qz6qQUaNcxWaCuVeHQDqGrI2cESKwLjuXv0L0Q8/s1600/piv4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="639" data-original-width="960" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm3d48_c7qX_dQ1Y92q6d4c9KwsTOiIaSB5LGdR2nDNlLzOyOE9rYINat3G4MQnolLEsG1DrDqtp68xjgnUuOeQa07qHpJ5ys3l7c2Qz6qQUaNcxWaCuVeHQDqGrI2cESKwLjuXv0L0Q8/s400/piv4.jpg" width="400" /></a> </div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">So there I was, dragging the bike along, trudging through the muddy field, twenty-two hours worth of tired, cold, soaked through, my wrist and chest both still hurting like hell, when I heard a familiar voice shouting to me from the arena. Martin had said that there was someone looking for me but had been a little vague as to who it was. It turned out to be James, who I had not seen for about fifteen years, but who along with another friend, Chris, who I have not seen for equally as long, had first got me into this daft sport of racing bikes and was therefore entirely responsible for my current cold, wet, broken and generally miserable state. Being in the middle of a race isn’t really conducive to having a good catch-up and so we shouted a few words to each other and arranged to meet up afterwards if I was still alive. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">I crossed the line again at 1140. By that stage of the race most positions had been settled and the field was starting to thin out even more. I was in a safe third in the singlespeeds, too far behind second to catch him and too far ahead of fourth to be caught, but I could still make up a position or two in the overall standings.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">A half-dead singlespeeder setting off for one final lap just as most people are finishing is never going to be the quickest. I was passed by a couple of people, not people I was racing against, they were either team racers or in the 12hr race (Chris had been in the midday to midnight one, there was a second midnight to midday one going on now). I could hear the quad bike behind me for most of the lap, indicating that I was indeed dead last. It was one of my slowest laps of the weekend (I think one of the slowest laps full stop) although the rain had finally stopped and I was beginning to warm up a little.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsIOFgn8ncwikVuDsq56QArfHFKwmX0o-jZaxN5VVyFpcT8O1rwC21AVSNFtrxiYY1BXjpphqVQjTOHlle7tKPxrOaib0ddCyRSe_d7xmElUh5BvWKGr2SQBix3M1AeTCqDEO27ddWQ8c/s1600/20525329_10155038388731429_2846611723185005876_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="959" data-original-width="721" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsIOFgn8ncwikVuDsq56QArfHFKwmX0o-jZaxN5VVyFpcT8O1rwC21AVSNFtrxiYY1BXjpphqVQjTOHlle7tKPxrOaib0ddCyRSe_d7xmElUh5BvWKGr2SQBix3M1AeTCqDEO27ddWQ8c/s400/20525329_10155038388731429_2846611723185005876_n.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">It was nearly half past two as I approached the arena for the last time, 25hr24min making it the longest race I have ever done, by about ten minutes. It also appeared that there were about four hundred people waiting for me, waiting for the last man to cross the line before the podiums and suchlike could take place, I hadn’t intended to keep everyone standing around quite so long, sorry.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Rory Hitchens was there on the microphone giving me a big cheer as I came in, Judy McNeil was also there with a pint of beer for me. Steve Day came over to help me off the bike and into a heap on the ground as Gina fought her way through the crowds.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3cLKuAsfJnI1ZeUiEOQFYppO-62N3K0aNBi9JkY7maaWV1kknSkuTJe2jG41Hpm6KTkgGZk76C_UrZJa7dQfXtSjb41VGrW7OKOcHYZTwh-sLJEwWnX0CpD9dy8pyLkd0P6-Iuh_89Qo/s1600/DITlTITVoAQBP0i.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3cLKuAsfJnI1ZeUiEOQFYppO-62N3K0aNBi9JkY7maaWV1kknSkuTJe2jG41Hpm6KTkgGZk76C_UrZJa7dQfXtSjb41VGrW7OKOcHYZTwh-sLJEwWnX0CpD9dy8pyLkd0P6-Iuh_89Qo/s400/DITlTITVoAQBP0i.jpg" width="400" /> </a></div>
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Commentators e<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%;">xtraordinaire</span>, Rory Hitchens and Matt Carr</div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Although I was the last to finish, something which James would have been very familiar with (I was last at pretty much everything back in the day) my 18 laps had earned me that third spot in the singlespeeds (fifteenth overall) Three National Championship podiums in a row, that would have been unthinkable way back when, it just goes to show what a difference twenty years of practicing can make!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;">I was in a bit of a sorry state after the race. Is it just me? Everyone else seems to look normal. Matt Jones seemed fine, as did Max Suttie, and they had ridden further than anyone else. I could barely lift a water bottle – the tendons in my left wrist really hurt and the bit on the right side of chest the name of which I have forgotten (just underneath the muscle which seems to run from the shoulder to down towards the nipple and which moves if I raise my arm, that bit) wasn’t much better. It got me out of helping to pack up but it was quite irritating during the following week’s holiday as we toured around Cornwall. In all the excitement of the race I had completely forgotten about my crash, it wasn’t until the end of the holiday when Gina asked me what the funny coloured bruise was that I remembered and put two and two together. She decided that it was probably a cracked rib, I’m not so certain but sounds better than a bruised chest so I’m going to say it was.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;">I recall at the previous race, the <a href="http://andrewhowett.blogspot.com/2017/06/probabilmente-la-gara-piu-difficile-che.html"><span style="color: red;">24hrWorld Champs at Finale</span></a>, that I had been very impressed with Steve Kelly finishing the race with cracked ribs and had wondered how he had managed. Well, now I know – a combination will-power and far more than the recommended dose of ibruprofen. Brian Preece of course had to go one better the following year, finishing Longest Day/Longest Ride with three broken ribs and a punctured lung. There’s always one…</span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><u><span style="line-height: 107%;">Results</span></u></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 107%;">Elite Men.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 107%;">1. Max Suttie</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 107%;">2. Matt Jones</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 107%;">3. Michael McCutcheon</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 107%;">4. Chris Nobel</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;">5. Nick Glassey</span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;">Elite Women.</span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">1. Naomi Freireich </span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">2. Donna Waring</span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">3. Vic Mayes</span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">4. Sally Hall</span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">5. Carole Welch</span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Singlespeed Men.</span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">1. Steve Chapman (5th overall)</span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">2. Rob Burns (7<sup>th</sup> overall)</span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">3. Andrew Howett (15<sup>th</sup> overall)</span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">4. Sim Dagger (21<sup>st</sup> overall)</span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">5. Paul Aengenheister (22<sup>nd</sup> overall)</span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Singlespeed Women</span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">1. Isla Rowntree (2<sup>nd</sup> overall) </span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">2. Sophie David (10<sup>th</sup> overall)</span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span> <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />Andrew Howetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07948073074991195855noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-755724540902978553.post-15068749482882533552018-11-28T13:22:00.000+00:002021-02-26T14:37:06.723+00:00Relentless - That Really Cold One<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:OfficeDocumentSettings> <o:RelyOnVML/> <o:AllowPNG/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-GB</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w:EnableOpenTypeKerning/> <w:DontFlipMirrorIndents/> <w:OverrideTableStyleHps/> </w:Compatibility> <m:mathPr> <m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/> <m:brkBin m:val="before"/> <m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/> <m:smallFrac m:val="off"/> <m:dispDef/> <m:lMargin m:val="0"/> <m:rMargin m:val="0"/> <m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/> <m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/> <m:intLim m:val="subSup"/> <m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="false"
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<u>2018 - 24hr World Championship, Fort William, Scotland </u></h4>
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Many years ago I headed out to Australia to compete in my first ever <a href="https://www.xcracer.com/24hr-World-Champs-Australia-2010.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">World Championships, 2010 at Mt Stromlo</span></a>. My pit crew for that race was a young lad called Ben Forsyth. He had a short but successful time as a cyclist himself in later years, winning the Strathpuffer and national track cycling championships before his ambition was curtailed by the diagnosis of a heart condition. Eight years after that first World Championship, almost to the day, I found myself on the start line of my sixth, but without Ben in his usual position cheering me on as I raced against his dad. He passed away in the summer, far too young. This race is for you Ben, shame I didn’t really do it justice.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOYg_Rg6hOEkkv7ESIWl-UZ7imcYftxsFjj3kX6DwmWxhTO7gOghmhfrjyFgGG888iSMg9PB68RNpLjImCC3lHZrbl-_2F1KN8TYMcwoZRmtyTBYUG_v0Kire6_a75ZhVVOFk4HNXlzR4/s1600/4747_20181020_160453_141154719_socialmedia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="683" data-original-width="1024" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOYg_Rg6hOEkkv7ESIWl-UZ7imcYftxsFjj3kX6DwmWxhTO7gOghmhfrjyFgGG888iSMg9PB68RNpLjImCC3lHZrbl-_2F1KN8TYMcwoZRmtyTBYUG_v0Kire6_a75ZhVVOFk4HNXlzR4/s400/4747_20181020_160453_141154719_socialmedia.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I often wonder if anyone comes away from a 24hr race with any coherent idea of what actually happened. This may just be me of course but I usually struggle to put together any sort of story, even in my own head. What I am usually left with is a collection of little snippets, a series of small events and incidents from the weekend in my memory which I usually try to build into some sort of narrative to write here. Just to be different this time I'm not even going to attempt to write a proper story so instead here’s a list of things which happened, more or less in chronological order. No rhyme or reason to them, these are just the things which stuck in my mind.</div>
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I have two bikes. Both have been completely stripped and rebuilt. There are new chains, new tyres, new brake pads. Everything is spotless and working perfectly. On the workstand anyway…<br />
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I no longer have a pit crew. My friend Carole was intending to do it but her father decided to move house that weekend and so she was called away. I was therefore ‘Super Solo’ (Always solo, sometimes alone, as Peter might say…)</div>
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Dalkeith Tescos are running out of bananas. I ate eleven at last year’s<span style="color: red;"> </span><a href="http://andrewhowett.blogspot.com/2017/06/probabilmente-la-gara-piu-difficile-che.html"><span style="color: red;">World Championship at Finale</span></a><span style="color: red;"> </span>before I ran out and seventeen at Longest Day Longest Ride (story of that coming up when I get around to it, it was really good) I have bought twenty-two for this race and as much other food as I can carry.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUx1bsaFFXnkjn-v_KriH5T-ChMC0J-9VsvMBsIQJA7HGyb3nQqKniIM2eeeR8xUBg7D7IapV7rRwKNzB4biF4TxQWEQO3Nt04ljM3OyNFD_-eTk0-Kijim7G-p07kv18WpLokZxsNgKw/s1600/4747_20181020_153342_141147211_socialmedia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="683" data-original-width="1024" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUx1bsaFFXnkjn-v_KriH5T-ChMC0J-9VsvMBsIQJA7HGyb3nQqKniIM2eeeR8xUBg7D7IapV7rRwKNzB4biF4TxQWEQO3Nt04ljM3OyNFD_-eTk0-Kijim7G-p07kv18WpLokZxsNgKw/s400/4747_20181020_153342_141147211_socialmedia.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I picked up some hitchhikers at Laggan and took them to the Nevis Range. I was surprised how excited someone from Switzerland appeared to be about mountains and little castles, surely they have them at home? They wanted to see a Red Deer and were hugely impressed when I told them of the ones which had eaten out of our hands outside the Kingshouse. They did ask where I was going but I don’t think they quite understood the idea of riding around in big circles for 24hrs.</div>
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The first people I found when I arrived were Carolina and Marcel. I had been on the site for about twenty seconds and was already meeting old friends. This is why we come.</div>
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I parked up, had a look to see who else I could find and quite a long time later got the race bike out of the van to go for a lap. The simple and reliable singlespeed didn’t work. Everything seemed fine until I put any sort of power down when the gear would just slip like crazy, it wouldn’t even go around the car park, never mind up a hill. There followed two hours of faffing with a few people offering some helpful suggestions and a lot more people offering less helpful ones. Alex did suggest putting an old chain back on and I found that combining this with reversing the sprocket worked (I really had tried every possible combination of everything!) I did half a practice lap in the dark and then went to bed.</div>
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It was raining hard in the morning. I had a lie-in until it eased off.<br />
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Donna </div>
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The bike shop was full of Portuguese and Aussies buying gloves. I had six pairs of winter gloves and wanted more. Most of them only had one or two. Twelve hours per pair, that could get chilly. Steve was also there looking for a chain tensioner.</div>
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I went to sign on and met Jed. He’s from my old road club but I had never met him before, he joined after I moved up north. He has never done a 24hr before. A World Champs for a first attempt? Why not?</div>
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I went for another lap. The bike worked but I felt badly overgeared (or more likely, understrong) 32/18 was way too big, 32/20 was also way too big. I took the 30 off the spare bike. 30/20 was still way too big. Back to the bike shop. I was clearly not the only one with this problem, they had just sold out of 23s and had nothing else. 30/20 it is then.</div>
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Ben Houldsworth arrived. I had offered him my pit crew so he was now also super-solo although he could at least share my pit tent.</div>
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Also super-solo was the chap camping across from us. He had a fourteen year old bike (nothing wrong with that) but it didn’t appear to have had any maintenance for at least twelve of them, apart from the brand new cassette, which may or may not work with the old chain, and some new brake pads which were not bedded in. He had a very tiny tent which would not peg into the car park and no idea about feeding himself for the race. Had had done the Red Bull 24 over a decade ago and had barely ridden since. I love it that people like this can turn up to a World Championship and have a go, this is what sets us apart from Formula 1. </div>
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I put my numbers on my bikes and filled sixteen bottles. At a bottle an hour this should keep me going until 4am. </div>
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The first people I found on the morning of the race were Jed and Carl, his dad, who had come up to pit for him. He adopted me and Ben too and apparently also found himself helping our badly-prepared new friend across the way at several points during the race.</div>
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Ben was also singlespeed. He was using his 23 but had a spare 21. I gratefully took it, it would make my life 5% easier. So an hour before the start when everyone else was warming up I was swapping sprockets around and seeing if it would mate properly with my chain.</div>
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It wasn’t raining as we gathered on the startline. I was a little late but also coming at it from the ‘wrong’ side, which meant that I found myself on the second row.</div>
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We set off behind the piper, very slowly, trying not to topple over, and then were lead out by the motorbikes and up the main hill.</div>
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It was a good five or ten minutes before Steve Day overtook me. I passed him again, just so that I could say I had overtaken the defending champion, and then let him go. Wim Verheyren also came passed me, said hello and then disappeared off into the distance.<br />
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Me chasing Gary </div>
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This is where my recollection of events starts to fade, I must have been concentrating so hard that I was barely committing any of it to memory. </div>
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The big fire road climb unsurprisingly got harder every lap, but I did manage to ride it every time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Through the tunnel the first time with a helmet light on I caught it on the roof but no damage done, and I ducked every time after that. In the wee small hours the brief few seconds of tunnel became a very welcome respite from the wind, rain and mind-numbing cold.</div>
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The race had started damp but warm, I even took my windproof off half way around the first lap. This didn’t last and the rain got heavier and heavier and the wind stronger and stronger as the race wore on. By 3am it was properly cold on the exposed sections at the top, but any attempt to wrap up for it would then lead to overheating problems lower down as we got back into the trees and the shelter they offered.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieRF5ij4f0y4R7YsxblxYnq5_fg7LgsE3SHL8uiA1AMJHQntWh3S7_vLNb-iWa_KtDLOd5kS3WXmB9Gy7a8N46gmqeWYGPEp4Cc2-6iukDYBnSlSiMdaHcQAaSWl_j7PsyZxyuuJhL48E/s1600/4747_20181020_124529_141155338_socialmedia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="683" data-original-width="1024" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieRF5ij4f0y4R7YsxblxYnq5_fg7LgsE3SHL8uiA1AMJHQntWh3S7_vLNb-iWa_KtDLOd5kS3WXmB9Gy7a8N46gmqeWYGPEp4Cc2-6iukDYBnSlSiMdaHcQAaSWl_j7PsyZxyuuJhL48E/s400/4747_20181020_124529_141155338_socialmedia.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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The top section itself was fun, a few big bermed corners, some little drops on the fast section and back over the top of the tunnel. I passed Steve again on the first lap as he was having problems on the funny corner with the three line choices (the little wooden bit in the middle was probably quickest) He passed me again soon after and stayed ahead after that.</div>
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From the tunnel down into the longest descent, a couple of tricky corners, watch the small but surprisingly slippery rock which was just on the perfect line on the outside of the first left hander, then stay wide on the corner by the tree, a fast bit at the bottom leading to the fireroad. Brake hard, and turn right into the trees. This corner became a bit of an ‘after you, no after you’ turn on several occasions. There was some terribly polite overtaking going on all through the night, especially by the Brits and the Canadians. I don’t know if this was just both living up to their stereotypes or if a common language just made it much easier to shout some encouragement and other niceties rather than just ‘Left Please’ which may well have been some people’s only words of English.<br />
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Richie, and someone else I can't make out</div>
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Good teamwork from JMC </div>
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Having said that the politest overtake of the day was Kevin Skidmore, on the first climb out of the pits, the only climb for which I was perfectly geared. I heard someone coming up behind me and ran wide on a corner to let him through. An Aussie accent behind called ‘No, there are rules! Never overtake a singlespeeder on climb.’ We kept up a decent pace and had a wee chat as we climbed and then I let him passed on the fireroad at the top when his bigger gearing really kicked in.</div>
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Climbing on a singlespeed can be a bit odd. We can’t spin and have to just grind on the steep stuff, which makes line choice pretty important, we need the grip! Most people who were off and pushing were very helpful and would be walking off the obvious line and we could get passed easily enough, the others leapt out of the way if I made enough noise as I approached. On some short, sharp climbs we just have to go at it like a bovine in a ceramic emporium and hope for the best. Sometimes hanging back from the person in front to give ourselves room to do this, as I had to on the nasty little one from the back of the pits to the steep fireroad, does leave a tempting gap for the person behind to jump into, spoiling the run-up, I guess this is what Kevin was trying to avoid. </div>
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Kevin. An Aussie not feeling the cold </div>
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I was riding along the fireroad at the top of the narrow climb with the kick up at the end, it was pitch dark, blowing a hooley, really, really cold. The heavy rain then did that thing where it just goes whoosh and becomes a very intense, albeit thankfully very brief, deluge before returning to being just bog standard heavy rain again. As it was doing it’s intense-deluge-which-you-can’t-really-see-through bit there was another Aussie voice shouting behind me “I live in a ****ing desert! What is this ****?!” Not impressed with the British weather.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPxkKi4VWRLBUTo-weB02R6pzJwJDsEkTIfW7dplBGXZcN6qiPI-nXQgah8A8KPdRDp8N-3cy88Dr_FMtoizgLgiWhaRN5vZ6BOD5uk9jtQeVEzBhrSNPQzJzRXwV19KXtJ6AXEINwr5E/s1600/4747_20181020_200302_141154624_socialmedia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="683" data-original-width="1024" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPxkKi4VWRLBUTo-weB02R6pzJwJDsEkTIfW7dplBGXZcN6qiPI-nXQgah8A8KPdRDp8N-3cy88Dr_FMtoizgLgiWhaRN5vZ6BOD5uk9jtQeVEzBhrSNPQzJzRXwV19KXtJ6AXEINwr5E/s400/4747_20181020_200302_141154624_socialmedia.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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The weather didn’t seem to bother Cory Wallace though, the leader was riding around all night in short sleeves. Most odd. Someone did say that he regularly works in -25C though so maybe this wasn’t too bad for him.</div>
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Tayler Lideen probably wasn’t used to it though, I don’t know much about Arizona but I’m guessing -25C is unusual there. This didn’t stop him taking up the chase when Josh Toscado started feeling the effects of hypothermia and dropped back from second.</div>
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This left a chasing bunch of seven-times world champion Jason English and, rather impressively, two singlespeeders, defending champ Steve Day and British champ Paul Renshaw. I was talking to Russ Baker before the race and he had tipped Tayler (and Kaitlyn Boyle) for the win, I had predicted a surprise victory for Rennie. Plenty of time left though, maybe we would both be right.</div>
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Rennie. Absolutely flying (but wimping out of the skinnies...)</div>
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Anyway, back to my race. From the very polite corner into the singletrack, over the hump, a nice little jump over a tree stump, I was quite chuffed to get this spot on every single time.</div>
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Some nice fast corners, and then one which chewed up more and more as the rain continued to fall, each lap more and more slippery rocks were exposed, again I got this spot on every time. I was generally very pleased with how rode I technically. This was followed by a couple of rocky sections, a tight turn over a rock bridge, again no major issues, if I’d had more speed on the fast sections and long climbs it could have been a good result!</div>
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I did have one crash, about 3am, through the tunnel at the top of the first climb. I tried to ride up the side a little to avoid some standing water, my front wheel slipped on the metal sides, I went down but continued forwards, my arm, shoulder and handlebar bouncing along the corrugations before I emerged at the end and fell properly. Some skin lost and pride hurt but no other damage.</div>
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Every now and again someone would come up behind me shouting encouragement. The trouble with this is that I had absolutely no idea who most of them were, at least whilst they were still behind and invisible to me. If you are reading this please don't let the fact that I can't recognise you from a voice shouted over the wind from 10 feet behind put you off, all encouragement is good! There were some equally baffled people in front of me whom I was attempting to greet </div>
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It was much easier to recognise the people cheering in the pits, mainly because I could at least see their faces, up until nightfall when it became more of a problem. Not so much because it got dark, the pit row was well lit, but because it got really cold and they all retreated into enormous coats with hoods pulled up over their faces or took to shouting from tent doorways as they hid from the cold and rain. <br />
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Nope, still raining.</div>
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Cold and rain. Oh dear. It wasn’t too bad to start with, the very start of the race was just a bit of light drizzle but later on it was so bad that I just couldn’t eat enough to stay warm. At<a href="http://andrewhowett.blogspot.com/2017/06/probabilmente-la-gara-piu-difficile-che.html"> <span style="color: red;">Finale last year</span></a> I had been unable to drink enough fluid to cope with the heat, sweating out more than I could consume, but here I was burning so much energy just keeping my body temperature up and the bike moving that I was really struggling to get enough food down me.</div>
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I got through a lot of clothes, seven pairs of gloves. Nothing like a nice warm, dry pair of gloves at 4am. Also nothing like a cold wet pair that isn’t quite as bad as the others at 7am when it’s all you have left. Or a pair which are marginally too small and which you can’t actually get onto your hands because they are so cold the fingers have stopped bending. That’s another advantage of singlespeeds that no-one really mentions - not being stuck in the wrong gear because your thumb has stopped working. (Instead we are stuck in the wrong gear because we’ve chosen a silly bike)</div>
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I saw Jed in the pits a couple of times. He had the opposite approach to me. I was trying to just keep plodding, moving as much as I could, however slowly. He would go very, very quickly for a lap and then stop to regroup and refuel and then repeat. We passed each other several times, him passing me out on track and then me passing him in the pits as he was eating soup. Hare and tortoise.<br />
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Jed</div>
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It seemed like a very, very long night. Maybe the dense cloud cover and the rain contributed to it, delaying the moment when we could finally cast off our lights. Sunrise didn’t make it any warmer though.</div>
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The leaders were flying. Cory Wallace was still out front, chased by Russ’s hot tip, Tayler Lideen. Rather impressively the group behind still consisted of seven-times World Champion Jason English, defending singlespeed World Champion Steve Day and new boy and fellow singlespeeder Paul Renshaw.</div>
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Bizarrely enough the one to falter was Jason. To be fair he was recovering from surgery, but we just aren’t used to seeing him struggle (relatively, he still finished fifth!)<br />
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I was still plodding around, and by this stage there was a lot of actual plodding. Being overgeared had taken it’s toll and I was struggling on the climbs, mainly the shorter, steeper ones, and was having to resort to the old ‘twenty-four inch bottom gear’ to get to the top. Actually, a twenty-four inch gear would have been better!</div>
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Jed had called it a day just after 9am, his ride was good enough for 16<sup>th</sup> in the Elite race, 22<sup>nd</sup> overall with 19 laps, I went out for one more lap. By the time I got back it was nearly 11 and it was unlikely that I would make it around again before the cut-off and so I finished too. My 20 laps had given me 6<sup>th</sup> in the singlespeeds, 19<sup>th</sup> overall.<br />
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By this stage my waterproofs were waterproof in name only</div>
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This wasn’t the result that I had been hoping for but it was probably the hardest race I have ever done (Yes, I know I keep saying that, but this one really was hard) The conditions made it especially tough, the cold, the rain and the wind, the course was brutal and the level of competition was fantastic. Physically it was hard, these things always are, but mentally it was really tough, trying to keep going in those conditions when I could feel my body shutting down as it teetered on the edge of hypothermia.</div>
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Finishing was a huge relief, at last I could try to get warm again, finally get out of my freezing wet kit. Due to the fact that my fingers would no longer bend becuase of the cold I had to be helped out of my trousers by a very obliging young lady who just happened to be passing and insisted on giving me a hand with them. Also due to the cold there was little requirement to protect my modesty during this process. Finally, dry clothes, hot food and sleep.<br />
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<div class="MsoNormal">
Results – Top 10 Elite and Top 10 Singlespeed</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 18.0pt;">
1. Corry Wallace<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Canada</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 18.0pt;">
2. Taylor Lideen<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>USA</div>
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3. Steve Day<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>UK<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span>Singlespeed</div>
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4. Paul Renshaw<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Isle of Man<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Singlsepeed</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 18.0pt;">
5. Jason English<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Australia</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 18.0pt;">
6. Elijus Civilis<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Lithuania<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 18.0pt;">
7. Max Suttie<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>UK</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 18.0pt;">
8. Matthew Jones<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>UK</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 18.0pt;">
9. Jason Miles <span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>UK</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 18.0pt;">
10. Josh Toscado USA</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 18.0pt;">
11. Carwyn Davies UK<br />
12. Neil Dingle UK Singlespeed<br />
13. Mike McAuley USA </div>
</div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 18.0pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;">
15. Wim Verhayen<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Belgium<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Singlespeed</div>
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17. <span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Andrew Beaver<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>UK<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span>Singlepeeed</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 18.0pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;">
19. Andrew Howett<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>UK <span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span>Singlespeed</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 18.0pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;">
23. Nick Wilson<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Uk<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span>Singlsepeed</div>
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27. Steve Leighton <span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>UK<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span>Singlespeed</div>
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32. Ben Houldsworth<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>UK<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span>Singlespeed</div>
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33. Steve Chapman<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span>UK<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span>Singlespeed</div>
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<br /></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHOk2A8ZF5m-4o6pckMIiEwOcagpEt_cLq4AXmn0zAnttTxmrYohzQ4ngIXovPcfFR4uR7xHmH_JAPpO_gFOdkW5fvovLfi8Pbl0eUttKMJB1ZeoTbuQ4xdT5OYthO3OcuW8QSNvAJmuw/s1600/SS+podium.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="495" data-original-width="464" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHOk2A8ZF5m-4o6pckMIiEwOcagpEt_cLq4AXmn0zAnttTxmrYohzQ4ngIXovPcfFR4uR7xHmH_JAPpO_gFOdkW5fvovLfi8Pbl0eUttKMJB1ZeoTbuQ4xdT5OYthO3OcuW8QSNvAJmuw/s400/SS+podium.jpg" width="373" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirtvDEpm6VpVtX7HChVtQcgbYEgvuq2GimUpReTnl-rT2rpeKFB98DPbxEsdIHElictEX5wyUG-AWg-EeVaGRCkUUxQijfVElqZkHYIK5As0MTDUzN7PdXKIBTtQiAXRC_FCPnvz-IF0A/s1600/SS+podium.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> </a>Steve, Paul and Neil.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Three in a row for Steve now, and a 100% podium record for Paul</div>
<br /></div>
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Cory and Kaitlin</div>
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Epilogue – Just for Matt.</div>
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<br /></div>
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There was no
van incident this time, the old Transit was faultless throughout, I got there
with no problems whatsoever, and all the way back again without missing a beat.
Perfect.</div>
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It was however
the last race I would go to in that van, a massive MOT failure in the spring
was one too much for it and it had to go. Seven years of memories, all over
Europe on many occasions, and innumerable races in this country, two house
moves, surfing trips, climbing trips, it will be missed.</div>
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<br /></div>
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The new one
is much bigger, newer, faster and shinier. At the time of writing it has just
failed it’s first MOT (rear brake calliper, rear brake pads both sides, brake
pipe, handbrake cable, the usual)</div>
</div>
<span id="goog_1394184614"></span><span id="goog_1394184615"></span><br />Andrew Howetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07948073074991195855noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-755724540902978553.post-19280134689941613572017-06-27T18:37:00.002+01:002019-08-14T22:22:57.541+01:00Probabilmente La Gara Più Difficile Che Abbia Mai Fatto!<div style="text-align: center;">
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I am not a quitter. However, on lap five, sitting in a hedge bleeding quietly to myself I thought that it might be time to change this. It would be a short hobble from my bush back to the pits, a comfy chair and a beer to cry into.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkUC_Ixpe3sXP5WZhMJe6OpaGNq_rq6qtGIs30xSGfGhOf8nRNdT5ZQt8I1J9iCKEbFplPZFSHGC-s-3gtCk0xwz8M0uCgbdLgfyn3haK5pcggV7uI32N8bLpwnqm1DbGK4hPTHt7QwpE/s1600/sportograf-98778159_lowres.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="683" data-original-width="1024" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkUC_Ixpe3sXP5WZhMJe6OpaGNq_rq6qtGIs30xSGfGhOf8nRNdT5ZQt8I1J9iCKEbFplPZFSHGC-s-3gtCk0xwz8M0uCgbdLgfyn3haK5pcggV7uI32N8bLpwnqm1DbGK4hPTHt7QwpE/s400/sportograf-98778159_lowres.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Everything which could have gone wrong prior to the race had. I usually make excuses about being unprepared but I had excelled myself this time. Having not even ridden a mountain bike since the<a href="http://andrewhowett.blogspot.co.uk/2016/12/exposure-lightsno-fuss-events.html"> <span style="color: red;">British Championships at Relentless </span></a>back in October was the least of my worries and the whole saga with the tyres didn’t even feature. I was supposed to have set off on the long drive from Edinburgh to Finale on Friday but<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>after spending much of the preceding Wednesday at a hospital bedside in Melrose I then spent most of Friday, all of Friday night and much of Saturday there again. I won’t go into details but all concerned are now fine.</div>
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I hung around until the last possible moment, late on Wednesday evening, just in case before jumping on a last minute flight to Nice with a bike, no pit crew and no real idea what I was doing.</div>
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I had put out a slightly panicky appeal for help the day before and was overwhelmed by the kindness of my fellow riders and their helpers. Rivalries to one side they are a fantastic bunch when the chips are down, it really is the people that keep me coming back for more in this daft sport of ours. Sarah Jones stepped in as my pit crew and volunteered Jon Fearne to help her out. Steve Day, the defending singlespeed World Champion, brought me a spare bike since I could only get one on the plane and his brother Mark somehow got roped in as my mechanic. Ant White from<a href="http://mtzoom.com/"> <span style="color: red;">Mt Zoom</span></a> brought me a sleeping bag and was just generally lovely all weekend, even offering me another spare bike. Julian Prathitis, who I don’t think I had even met before, dragged a load of supplies all the way from Surrey for me. I had so many offers of help that I was turning people down, a massive, massive thank-you to you all.</div>
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I landed at the airport in Nice late on Wednesday and said hello to Naomi, Gill and Graham at the oversize baggage reclaim, it seems I wasn’t the only one cutting it fine, and then went to find my hire car.</div>
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Nearly two hours later I finally hit the road, missed the motorway entrance and drove several laps of the city before spotting a sign for Monaco and finally getting on the right route. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh85mmpu4_mL8xqepjhTo9QBLcR32pvnOM-WD0vVlkcV5y7RVof6AfTvXq69NBr7vyYQsJIE_Odz-EVmZr00Bgsg64NMCAtX1LeCSWkO_x1OM9-QOGC7OAO5J7ZgejVjRB2ac9c9JyREuk/s1600/sportograf-98774391_lowres.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="683" data-original-width="1024" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh85mmpu4_mL8xqepjhTo9QBLcR32pvnOM-WD0vVlkcV5y7RVof6AfTvXq69NBr7vyYQsJIE_Odz-EVmZr00Bgsg64NMCAtX1LeCSWkO_x1OM9-QOGC7OAO5J7ZgejVjRB2ac9c9JyREuk/s400/sportograf-98774391_lowres.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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It was 2:30am when I wound my way up the twisty little road from Finale Ligure towards the race track, mercifully devoid of the usual suicidal moped riders at that time of night. I pulled up under some trees, put the passenger seat as flat as it would go, which wasn’t very with a large bike box behind it, and tried to get some sleep, waking again at 5:30am as a cat danced on the roof and then thought that it would be fun to play with the rear wiper. I got another couple of hours sleep before deciding that that traffic coming up the hill to the venue would not let me get any more.</div>
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I spent the morning in town, stocking up on as much food and drink as I could reasonably carry, before returning to the track.</div>
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Signing-on takes forever, as well as the usual Italian admin to overcome there were a lot of familiar faces to say hello to; Carolina and Marcel, Rachel, Pedro, Tina, Ricardo, Russ, Paul, Ben, it’s a shame we can’t all meet up more often.</div>
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I then put my bike together, something else which is needlessly complicated. Most people can just pop the seatpost out to get theirs into a box but mine has an ISP and so I have to take the forks out instead. Finally, at about 5pm I could go out for a lap. There had been some discussion in the pits as to where the lap actually went, everyone who had been out for a practice was talking about a slightly different course and the differing GPS readouts backed this up. This was my fourth trip to Finale so I am familiar with the area, but which bits they would or wouldn’t use for the race were a complete mystery to me. I did what I thought was the right lap, but I guess everyone had done that, made sure the bike was working and called it a day.</div>
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I made myself some dinner and then set about the last minute preparations for the race, mixing the innumerable bottles of <a href="http://www.torqfitness.co.uk/" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">Torq</span></a>, attaching the numbers to the bikes, that sort of thing, realising a little too late that in amongst the hard boiled eggs I had just prepared were the ones I was intending to scramble for the all-important pre-race breakfast.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRk5LuOUeXmTqc6K_GNlzHPZAgHbJEayknQB5pfGXiOyHA1oY3i6K3Y2x_eBrVpBMpJHlbnbLLw-aVEJmM4E4XL1vgmvM5rT6i8dNf76R55lrayANCuluL5liu5xqyKk8nuAdMdQGKwuA/s1600/sportograf-98784308_lowres.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="433" data-original-width="1024" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRk5LuOUeXmTqc6K_GNlzHPZAgHbJEayknQB5pfGXiOyHA1oY3i6K3Y2x_eBrVpBMpJHlbnbLLw-aVEJmM4E4XL1vgmvM5rT6i8dNf76R55lrayANCuluL5liu5xqyKk8nuAdMdQGKwuA/s400/sportograf-98784308_lowres.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Steve and Jon set their alarms for 6am, I have no idea why. The race didn’t start until 10. Given my lack of sleep in the run up to the event I needed every minute I could get and set mine for 8, all I really had to do was get dressed and have some breakfast. Remarkably, considering how uncomfortable the front seat of a small Nissan hatchback is compared to the lovely big bed in the back of my van, and the fact that there was a Black Sabbath cover being played at full chat 100 yards away as I tried to nod off, I slept right through until Matt and Sarah arrived at 7:50.</div>
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The race briefing began at 8am but I could hear it from our pit over the sound system. The only change of note was that us singlespeeders had been upgraded to the Elite start, we would begin at 10am, with a ten minute head-start over the age-group racers.</div>
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At 9:40 Jon was going round wishing Matt, Steve, the other Steve, Naomi, Iwona and anyone else he could find good luck for the race and me good luck for getting changed and to the start line in time.</div>
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He does fuss so, I made it with well over three minutes to spare, and somehow managed to get a spot on the front row, former European Champion Elena Novikova to my right and defending (and seven times!) World Champion Jason English to my left. In the best tradition of 24hr racing this was a Le Mans style running start, the bikes all racked up in the paddock off to the side of the arena, this bit should suit me nicely.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKQDYPEXAa4UE2phx0W-6IukJw33HveQD2Zu6DPr2-J7H0c-Vm2F1TZ-iB2C2NbIyE-k9YxyS0szGaqq_FRUXonmkVPZk1rg1-eiBf2uDk58wuuIBc5IjNHYzmDKQs2WWNC-qx8zoV7iQ/s1600/35070287495_65b4e398ef_o.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKQDYPEXAa4UE2phx0W-6IukJw33HveQD2Zu6DPr2-J7H0c-Vm2F1TZ-iB2C2NbIyE-k9YxyS0szGaqq_FRUXonmkVPZk1rg1-eiBf2uDk58wuuIBc5IjNHYzmDKQs2WWNC-qx8zoV7iQ/s400/35070287495_65b4e398ef_o.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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The crowds were quite unlike those one sees at races in the UK, both in terms of size and enthusiasm. As the countdown began they parted, not so much like Moses parting the Red Sea, which I always imagine as a grand and stately affair, but more like the spectators at a 1980s Group B rally, diving for cover at the last possible minute.</div>
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…..two, one, Vai, Vai, Vai! The race was on. Someone over to my left launched himself off the line and sprinted for the first corner, I took off after him around the arena and up the wooden ramp by the stage. It turns out that wooden ramps are surprisingly tricky to run up in carbon-soled bike shoes with small metal plates screwed on to the bottom… Actually, running in riding shoes makes everyone look quite camp, someone once described it as moving like a duck with a full nappy. Around the pits I lost a place, and then one more as we came out of the pits on to the bottom of the famous toboggan section, down to fourth. I could hear an Aussie accent behind me, turns out I was ahead of Jason English. I took a place back as we sped along the field passed our pits, Sarah cheering me on and looking quite surprised to see me holding third place. The run was longer than I had expected but the longer the better for me. Up through the vineyard and then back into the arena passed the crowds to where the bikes were waiting, grab mine, up the ramp by the stage, much easier with rubber tyres than silly shoes, and into a huge crowd of people. Bugger.</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Y6vikUnOgz4/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Y6vikUnOgz4?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe> </div>
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Jason English very kindly filmed my entire run for me</div>
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and then went on to film the rest of the first lap. It's got</div>
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his power and heart rate info there </div>
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I had checked the clock as we had left the arena, 5m17s. I had thought that we would have a ten minute head start over the age group riders but this clearly hadn’t been the case and now here I was trying to fight my way through them, Josh Toscado and Jason English right behind me. We eventually branched off and on to the race track proper where it turned out that although I could beat the big names on foot I was no match for them on a bike, especially one with only one gear, and I yielded my place to two of the favourites in consecutive corners. </div>
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I spent the rest of the first lap slowly working my way backwards down the field of geared riders. Steve Day then caught me on the fast fire-road section and just disappeared off into the distance, Wim Verheyen came passed me on the big climb before the toboggan. This put me down to third in the singlespeed category. I lost two more places to singlespeeders on the next lap. Fifth. This was not going well.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKQcRY86wxcu2t5cDJua1p-8OJfhZjt5irT9PkRIbHFeWXCurCP7OuWJHYJHR2pQz75MlTYelB_tHQ7yqlKUk_D6fetxzCqKx2ENBBIHpbdPXoJKfpQheA-UT06gypnMnGvtcnrWtGSNk/s1600/sportograf-98764940_lowres.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKQcRY86wxcu2t5cDJua1p-8OJfhZjt5irT9PkRIbHFeWXCurCP7OuWJHYJHR2pQz75MlTYelB_tHQ7yqlKUk_D6fetxzCqKx2ENBBIHpbdPXoJKfpQheA-UT06gypnMnGvtcnrWtGSNk/s400/sportograf-98764940_lowres.jpg" width="400" /> </a></div>
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No idea who the three riders in front of me are but it's good close racing </div>
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I was however enjoying the course, it’s great fun to ride fast and the support from the locals is brilliant. After three or four laps I was starting to suffer though, not good this early into a race. Normally the heat doesn’t really bother me but here it did for some reason. My feet had swollen in my shoes as a result and were agony, putting any sort of pressure on the pedals hurt like hell and the vibrations on the downhills where I could stop pedalling were even worse. My head was aching like crazy, the first sign of dehydration. I was drinking a bottle a lap and swigging more in the pits every time I passed through but it wasn’t enough, I was losing fluids faster than I could replenish them.</div>
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Across the line to start lap five, up the wooden ramp by the stage, passed Mike and Keith’s pit, passed Rachel’s pit, a little left-right flick, down through the roots, drop down to the left, a quick burst of speed then brake for the right hander, the back tyre was feeling a bit squirmy, up into the top field to loop passed the pits again, there is definitely something wrong with that rear wheel. I stopped and squeezed the tyre, it was way too soft. Bugger.</div>
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I leapt off, lifted the bike over the tape and off the course and flipped it over. I was 40 yards from Rachel’s pit, I was shouting for Ant as I pulled the wheel out but he wouldn’t hear me over the noise of the party in the main arena. I pulled the tyre from the rim, removed the offending thorn, stuffed a new tube in and attached my gas canister. The blast of compressed air blew the tyre bead clean off the rim. Oh, for $%£@'s sake!</div>
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I snatched up the wheel and ran across the field towards Rachel’s pit shouting for Ant again. Oliver appeared looking slightly bemused, took one look at me running towards him and ducked back into their pit emerging again seconds later with a large track pump, sprinting towards me and asking what tyre pressures I was using. He was pumping as I shoved my tyre levers and the dead tube back into my pocket. I put the newly inflated wheel back into the bike, righted it, lifted it over the tape back onto the track and set off again, Oliver shouting encouragement behind me. This little episode had cost me over seven minutes, I had time to make up.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnhtkK_grDi3qnMq0nz48yWFHw9EPLAEandPzJvJ3NOVh4cMPr8oF0kSskTrma96f0OLgD95DcCVFkkymm01wGuWIvmnxllxHNmrwqWmr_rXZNJnGwAXk_VMrRpjUdf2JAlofBV1-OJpE/s1600/sportograf-98761792_lowres.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="684" data-original-width="1024" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnhtkK_grDi3qnMq0nz48yWFHw9EPLAEandPzJvJ3NOVh4cMPr8oF0kSskTrma96f0OLgD95DcCVFkkymm01wGuWIvmnxllxHNmrwqWmr_rXZNJnGwAXk_VMrRpjUdf2JAlofBV1-OJpE/s400/sportograf-98761792_lowres.jpg" width="400" /> </a></div>
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So fast I've gone all blurry</div>
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It had at least afforded me the opportunity to catch my breath and so I was able to take the next section pretty fast, twisting through the tress, back out onto the fireroad, taking the opportunity of a smoother section to get a <a href="http://www.torqfitness.co.uk/nutrition/torq-gel" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">Torq gel</span></a> and half a bottle down, right at the other vineyard, watch the pointy rocks on the drops, carry the speed along the cliff-top path, sharp left at the end, give it full beans to get up the hill, right at the top into the woods, swooping down between the trees, right, left, down the little drop, a quick burst of speed towards the left hander and aaarrrgh!!! </div>
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I hit the ground, hard, sliding sideways on the loose stones, removing all the skin from my left knee, hip and elbow. The end of my brand-spanking new<a href="http://mtzoom.com/handlebars/ultralight-flat-bar-710mm-only-118g/" target="_blank"> <span style="color: red;">Mt Zoom Ultralight</span></a> handlebar dug deep into the ground, flipping the bike over, off the trail and into the undergrowth. I looked up to see two riders bearing down on me, braking hard to avoid me, their rear wheels kicking up huge clouds of dust. They both shouted to ask if I was OK. Having not really had time to assess this I guessed and replied that I was so they left me to it. </div>
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As the pain in my knee subsided slightly I pulled myself to my feet and got off the course. I sat down in the hedge next my bike and waited to get my breath back, looking at the blood coming out of my knee and running down my shin, I could feel some more on my forearm and elbow but didn’t really want to look. My bike on the other hand had come out of it pretty well, a sub-120gram carbon bar had taken the brunt of the impact and was still absolutely fine. Maybe the old adage is wrong, light, strong and reasonably-priced as they nearly say. </div>
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The emotional stress of everything which had happened prior to leaving the UK, the days of manic rushing around, the recent lack of sleep thanks to hospital chairs, car seats and cats, the dehydration, and now the pain and bleeding. I should just call it a day before I really do myself some harm. I eventually got back on the bike and set off, a nice, safe, steady pace, just finish this lap and it will all be over, I can go home.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixnF_GE3gs6ymF0d-2K1BL_jM_K0pPdsVO4dOB3sV7LAWAu5AcQX5J9QSwWi9IPI_llHQ9fVFFno-8LaaX5pMpiL41ttsvVChC4IuZ44ATUxU3HaoQqoYKRPfqbfHsFlFLiOVWzF12bd0/s1600/34682804090_38e1c81a25_o.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixnF_GE3gs6ymF0d-2K1BL_jM_K0pPdsVO4dOB3sV7LAWAu5AcQX5J9QSwWi9IPI_llHQ9fVFFno-8LaaX5pMpiL41ttsvVChC4IuZ44ATUxU3HaoQqoYKRPfqbfHsFlFLiOVWzF12bd0/s400/34682804090_38e1c81a25_o.JPG" width="400" /> </a></div>
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Gaia Ravaloli going much more quickly than me </div>
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I arrived back at the pits covered in dust and a little blood. “I’ve punctured and crashed” I said, more as an explanation of my lateness and dishevelled state than a request for sympathy, although some would have been nice. Jon and Sarah could see that all of my limbs were still firmly attached and that the bleeding had pretty much stopped so they attached a new tube to my stem with the handy<a href="http://mtzoom.com/clamps/handy-strap/" target="_blank"> <span style="color: red;">Mt Zoom strap thingy </span></a>, put a new gas in my pocket, a new bottle of <a href="http://www.torqfitness.co.uk/" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">Torq</span></a> on my bike, a banana down my throat and pushed me out again. </div>
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This was probably the best thing they could have done. Whilst a sit down with a cuppa and some words of commiseration would have been very nice it wouldn’t have been helpful and the more I was riding the better I was feeling, keeping my knee moving was definitely a good thing and the pain there was taking my mind off my feet. In fact by the time I got back to the spot where I had crashed I was going so well that I didn’t even notice it, some time later I thought to myself that I really should be careful on that corner before realising that I had already passed it (16:07 in Jason's video)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEuNZG6i6L_yqfMX2MwjiJYBF9j6vKIVAFkd6tr9zQTlgkaCtzX5v9UC4TKO1gNz7__-Aud7_qDANoFWq2QWqtxyU3QgD1VDp7z56n1pC2bAiOSdmW5hnzk_39D4X4dJV6spp-wSTamX0/s1600/35030139496_3530eb433f_o.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEuNZG6i6L_yqfMX2MwjiJYBF9j6vKIVAFkd6tr9zQTlgkaCtzX5v9UC4TKO1gNz7__-Aud7_qDANoFWq2QWqtxyU3QgD1VDp7z56n1pC2bAiOSdmW5hnzk_39D4X4dJV6spp-wSTamX0/s400/35030139496_3530eb433f_o.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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I had no idea how much time this little episode had cost me though. I knew I had lost seven minutes with the puncture but the crash could have cost one minute or ten minutes, it’s amazing how one’s perception of time can change in situations like that <i>(The results say that the puncture and the crash together cost twelve minutes - Ed)</i> I also had no idea how this loss of time translated into loss of places. The timing system which we were using consisted of little chips we all wore on our ankles and mats with sensors in dotted around the racetrack. These were brilliant at keeping track of our progress, taking our times to within a fraction of a second several times a lap. It was however much less good at displaying this information to anyone who was interested in seeing it.</div>
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Never mind the live results going out on the internet for the dot-watchers back home, the riders and pit crews were equally baffled. Some had prepared for this, Ant and Oliver had a very sophisticated cardboard and marker-pen system which meant that they knew exactly where Rachel was in relation to all of her competitors, but since I was not racing in the Elite Women’s category they were unable to help me. After several hours of frustration with the company running the timing system Russ Baker, the president of WEMBO, went and shut himself in a little room in the restaurant in the wee small hours with a load of data and a laptop and somehow managed to produce some information for us all which continued to appear at sporadic intervals throughout the night. I am struggling to picture Bernie Eccleston doing the same thing...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGZB8iF47ZLn4-i0va8S0K56o4Xqlk2tY1z893sgpELuElXStpMhYVS7OvYDtP0Xcv884Ya4ksYhV8TRnGpUuUCGGS-uQzEIh_9mcvPe8ViJDBSkfBZoO49vEqpkJD0b2F_QDgKbH_BEc/s1600/34939018731_6c2a6decb6_o.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGZB8iF47ZLn4-i0va8S0K56o4Xqlk2tY1z893sgpELuElXStpMhYVS7OvYDtP0Xcv884Ya4ksYhV8TRnGpUuUCGGS-uQzEIh_9mcvPe8ViJDBSkfBZoO49vEqpkJD0b2F_QDgKbH_BEc/s400/34939018731_6c2a6decb6_o.JPG" width="400" /> </a></div>
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Pedro Maia. He may now have a rival for the title of</div>
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'Most Cheerful Person at 3am When Absolutely Knackered'</div>
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Stefano Ferrando pushes him quite close in this respect, both </div>
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lovely chaps and always a welcome sight out on the course</div>
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I have just stopped and read back what I have written so far and it does sound awfully negative doesn’t it? This really isn’t intentional, whatever personal issues I may have been having Finale remains one of my favourite races – the course is fantastic, if somewhat brutal on a singlespeed, the atmosphere is like nothing else and the people are all lovely. Yes it’s a bit chaotic at times, most of the time in fact, but I can live with that, I love it.</div>
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Anyway, back to my race and things were starting to improve, After about 3pm the temperature fell a little, down below 30c, I was finally able to combat the dehydration and my feet were returning to a normal size. After a couple more laps even my knee was functioning properly again and I was able to pick the pace up somewhat. This is a course which just gets more and more fun the faster you ride it. I was going fairly quickly but not taking any risks, just putting in surprisingly consistent lap times and having some fun. I hadn’t seen any singlespeeders for a while but I was enjoying racing the geared riders, I could keep up in the techy sections and was even passing a few of them on the climbs but was loosing out on the long fireroad where top speed was more of an issue.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUA7rbILKp7-qv2FGRLuQ7ncvIDKW26gzvLN-CAaB0kHwWECA-RmK4R2GBpwUOByqoML54jKbzU2GthnFRStLwx77xd0potKuIKwqd5NJYh-KFgf0txyC31zpIfbficZ2Te9eg-29E15Q/s1600/34686379180_c0c8f84054_o.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUA7rbILKp7-qv2FGRLuQ7ncvIDKW26gzvLN-CAaB0kHwWECA-RmK4R2GBpwUOByqoML54jKbzU2GthnFRStLwx77xd0potKuIKwqd5NJYh-KFgf0txyC31zpIfbficZ2Te9eg-29E15Q/s400/34686379180_c0c8f84054_o.JPG" width="400" /> </a></div>
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Cory Wallace. Was he winning? Nobody knows... </div>
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I finished one lap at about 11pm, Mark was on banana duty in the pits, but he had also managed to track down some elusive results and asked me if I wanted to know where I was. I did. “These are from nine O’clock so I don’t know how accurate they are any more. You were fifth, twenty minutes behind third.”</div>
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Really? After all that had happened I was only twenty minutes off a potential World Championship podium. Right, I’m having this! I described the guy I thought was third so that they could keep an eye out for him, a yellowy orange singlespeed with a lefty, black shorts and a white top with Finale Borgo written on it. I didn’t describe fourth, it was third I was interested in. </div>
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With a renewed sense of purpose I kept my speed up and my lap times down during the night. Unusually I was trying not to use any caffeine, just the one caffeinated gel in the whole race. Whilst I think using it may have been a short-term benefit during the night it wouldn’t help with the dehydration issue once the temperatures started to pick up again. </div>
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I pitted again at about 1am, needing to swap my <a href="http://www.exposurelights.com/cycle-lights/front-lights/exposure-maxx-d-mk9" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">Exposure MaxxD</span></a> out for the <a href="http://www.exposurelights.com/cycle-lights/front-lights/exposure-toro-mk8" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">Toro</span></a>, just the two lights easily had sufficient power and battery life to see me through the whole race, although I was carrying the little <a href="http://www.exposurelights.com/cycle-lights/front-lights/exposure-joystick-mk11" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">Joystick</span></a> on my helmet just in case. It was reported to me that the guy who had been in third four hours previously was now almost exactly half a lap away from me. </div>
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“Who’s in front?” I asked, wondering if he was half a lap ahead or half a lap behind.</div>
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“No idea” was the answer “we haven’t seen any results for ages, Jon’s still looking for some.”</div>
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Not sure whether I was chasing or being chased I ate yet another banana and headed out again. I got through eleven bananas in the first sixteen hours of the race, along with a bottle and a <a href="http://www.torqfitness.co.uk/nutrition/torq-gel" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">Torq gel </span></a>every lap and the occasional <a href="http://www.torqfitness.co.uk/nutrition/torq-bar" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">Torq bar</span></a>, Mars bar, rice pudding and hard-boiled egg, and only stopped eating bananas when we ran out. I had brought nine, which really wasn’t enough. Long after I had eaten the last one Mark managed to acquire two more from somewhere in the middle of the night and made my favourite race treat of a Nutella-covered tortilla wrapped around a banana, which was a very welcome surprise.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7PhzvyOuthBC31iY8mE08O-gDixQdaGK0Vd-M_nTMSjb9JgGB9atdtx9H3PzTr7pRMsbAISb432KmrO03hfULmnGiVz3c_pdCDKog3zjd0je_iZEmJUDZ8IVQR4hIkLCQO52TNqbojo8/s1600/sportograf-98766746_lowres.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7PhzvyOuthBC31iY8mE08O-gDixQdaGK0Vd-M_nTMSjb9JgGB9atdtx9H3PzTr7pRMsbAISb432KmrO03hfULmnGiVz3c_pdCDKog3zjd0je_iZEmJUDZ8IVQR4hIkLCQO52TNqbojo8/s400/sportograf-98766746_lowres.jpg" width="400" /> </a></div>
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Although I didn't even notice at the time who I was racing against </div>
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this is the fight for third and fourth. This is at the top of the big </div>
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climb and was taken just after 7pm, so nine hours into the race. </div>
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Usually in a 24hr race the course goes very quiet over night, all the casual spectators get cold and drift off back to their beds, it’s just the racers and a few hardy marshals out on the hillsides. Finale is a bit different. When the bands stop playing on the main stage in the arena the attention moves to the bottom of the toboggan section where a DJ and a set of disco lights appear, along with a rather raucous crowd, cheering anyone who rides up the banking towards them or even hints at lifting a wheel off the ground but who have also been known to boo anyone taking the fast line along the bottom and not making any effort at showboating. The only crowd I have ever seen like it in the UK was at the Cheese Rolling, probably the scariest sport I have partaken in, with the possible exception of hockey.</div>
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Anyway, back to the race. It was an excitingly close contest for first place between Canadian Cory Wallace and the defending champion, Australian Jason English, the lead appeared to have changed hands several times and I had no idea who was holding it at any given moment. Steve Day was going very well, dominating the singlespeeds and not far off the overall lead despite only having one gear and fellow Brits Carwyn Davies, Peter Nadin, Max Suttie and Nigel Smith were also up at the front playing with the big boys. The Brits were mostly going well, although Naomi Friereich who was camped next to me was out, a combination of a foot injury, punctures, crashes and a general loss of the will to live. Matt Jones was also suffering but seemed determined to make it to the end. </div>
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I had seen Rachel Sokal out on the course a couple of times and she was going very rapidly, chasing down Iwona Szmyd (who is Polish but as she is both very fast and a British resident we are going to claim her) for the position of Top Brit and maybe even a podium in the women’s race, Gillian Stewart was not far behind and looking strong and was having a good scrap with Donna Waring.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ8CYujtGs9arJGGj7TelQ-ns9xahqu25ZmC2IBJCp96azGRxVvv5LRjZAt18_Ir_IrogQiX2xCg5nIYNFj3FuB1IoLYgTjXlxmrmiLRzPZgMm67-42ZPGsygzKQFGPHUzv-htJb6c6co/s1600/gill+and+donna.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="683" data-original-width="1024" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ8CYujtGs9arJGGj7TelQ-ns9xahqu25ZmC2IBJCp96azGRxVvv5LRjZAt18_Ir_IrogQiX2xCg5nIYNFj3FuB1IoLYgTjXlxmrmiLRzPZgMm67-42ZPGsygzKQFGPHUzv-htJb6c6co/s400/gill+and+donna.jpg" width="400" /> </a></div>
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Gill chasing Donna </div>
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I had no idea what Keith Forsyth was up to, I saw him by the side of the track at about 4pm suffering from dehydration and maybe a bit of heatstroke and then a short while later in the pits having thrown in the towel. However, he then appeared to get the towel out again, as I next saw him a few hours later as he charged passed me up the tricky loose climb, putting in a few quick laps before retiring from the race once more. Actually, I think he may have retired from it twice more, I was losing track of who was where.</div>
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At the end of the next lap I noticed that Jon had some chips, he saw me looking at them and offered me one. What I really wanted was salt, Sarah produced some out of thin air, covered his chips with them and passed them to me. I ate almost all of them, apologised briefly and headed out again.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW5zx4BzfjqRnAGzFR0iu0COLE9KbJ3ouC3zNDRALD8tgGiFA1uovmpPgAYZNRJuwkop9jj03nrYjgavf-XZ7YhPgr7wvz-pPtblSSRkxDe_tugCJxmv95DP9KplnLr7JRMbx9Fumxojo/s1600/35070371285_86dba0f9a6_o.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW5zx4BzfjqRnAGzFR0iu0COLE9KbJ3ouC3zNDRALD8tgGiFA1uovmpPgAYZNRJuwkop9jj03nrYjgavf-XZ7YhPgr7wvz-pPtblSSRkxDe_tugCJxmv95DP9KplnLr7JRMbx9Fumxojo/s400/35070371285_86dba0f9a6_o.JPG" width="400" /> </a></div>
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Matt Jones </div>
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I was surprising myself with how well I was going throughout the night. 24hr racers are a strange bunch of people. Every single person taking part in the race was doing something which most ‘normal’ people would not even contemplate and yet they all seem to regard us singlespeeders as a bit weird, I don’t know why. This was my fourteenth 24hr race, my third on a singlespeed and I can honestly say that they are nowhere near as bad as those who haven’t tried them appear to perceive them to be, having just the one gear really forces me to pace myself and this consistency appeared to be paying off, I still felt fast even this far into the race. Fourteen 24hr races might seem a lot, it feels like it anyway, eighteen if you count two team events and two 24hr time-trials, but there was an Italian guy camped near us who was doing his one hundredth! This included every race there had ever been at Finale, all eighteen of them, and up to nine in one year, I once did three in a year and that was plenty, doing nine must have left him in an almost perpetual state of jet-lag! I can’t remember his name but it was a very impressive tally.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXyG1lPgrVHHCqQa7b4IVMVjtImkPzzZn-FAIpZlrn-weryqXqV_JmaWjBPa2eDhyJijl0DEEyz8LcxCpg5GQKC4qTf07GNbj0VSrLo4Kg-q2RkzIyuYzGs9B9WnDvLqlWBmmfZ74Pmkc/s1600/sportograf-98780391_lowres.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="683" data-original-width="1024" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXyG1lPgrVHHCqQa7b4IVMVjtImkPzzZn-FAIpZlrn-weryqXqV_JmaWjBPa2eDhyJijl0DEEyz8LcxCpg5GQKC4qTf07GNbj0VSrLo4Kg-q2RkzIyuYzGs9B9WnDvLqlWBmmfZ74Pmkc/s400/sportograf-98780391_lowres.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I’m digressing again aren’t I? I’ll get back to the race. I forget exactly what time it was but it was still dark, 4am at a guess, I was in the pits eating some tinned peaches, a poor substitute for a banana but it was all we had, when someone came bounding in with news that Steve had crashed pretty badly and was on his way in. I finished my food as quickly as I possibly could and then did the most helpful thing I could do, which was just to go, I was practically pushed out to make way for him. I just saw him arriving as I left, he was covered in dust and riding looked painful. His helmet light was hanging off, flapping around by his shoulder, not a good sign, he had obviously hit his head quite hard on something. I found out later that it had been hard enough to break his helmet (In Jason's video above it was at the spot at 19:05).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi73KJUEDQLF6dFPV4Qzw-O5AYBHkY-u5Dm8F1my-eycS7H986PgWZ0i_0-FYbARJZRsJVck4n5vddSchc6fDXGtSHEnSYDKvWKZ_nCR9sKUNWEXOs8H38bA0BHJJS4iWmVwuiht0POSEI/s1600/steve.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="640" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi73KJUEDQLF6dFPV4Qzw-O5AYBHkY-u5Dm8F1my-eycS7H986PgWZ0i_0-FYbARJZRsJVck4n5vddSchc6fDXGtSHEnSYDKvWKZ_nCR9sKUNWEXOs8H38bA0BHJJS4iWmVwuiht0POSEI/s400/steve.jpg" width="266" /> </a></div>
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Steve at the end of a subsequent lap </div>
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I thought it would be race over for him so I was quite surprised when I next came through the pits that he wasn’t there but had instead gone out for another lap. His race plan had changed from going for an overall position to just trying to keep the lead in the singlespeed category, he was quite a way ahead of Wim Verheyn but there were still a good few hours left so he had to keep putting in as many laps as he could.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8Wkvx-Uw3egCkhRKWAcnID1XSLdt6c-0aZa50auVJQLjwsRJRKEMeAMzvx-LZoTr5cImILYzlQc5ALJqp4873mNk-TRtaT0vRX4FSAOVkkptcHRBITzD8qoPAbf4RaltxUp9yaCg66Pg/s1600/t.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8Wkvx-Uw3egCkhRKWAcnID1XSLdt6c-0aZa50auVJQLjwsRJRKEMeAMzvx-LZoTr5cImILYzlQc5ALJqp4873mNk-TRtaT0vRX4FSAOVkkptcHRBITzD8qoPAbf4RaltxUp9yaCg66Pg/s400/t.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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By the end of that lap it was starting to get light, at least out on the cliff tops, it was still dark in the trees. I never seem to actually see a sunrise in these things, I remember riding along the cliff looking at the sky and trying to work out how much darkness there was left, was that the glow of dawn on the horizon or just the glow of the street lights in Savona? It had been fairly bright when that cat had woken me at 5:30am and it wasn’t far off that now, it must be nearly daylight. The next time I thought about it it was light, sunrise seemed to have been and gone without me even noticing, it must have looked lovely over the Mediterranean </div>
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Some more up to date results had been found and these confirmed that I was now in third. They gave no indication of the timings through, we had no idea if I was a safe third, nearly second or about to be fourth. This must have been worse for Steve, he was still leading the singlespeeds by doing a lap, stopping, stretching, recovering a little, and then doing another lap, but no-one was quite sure how long he had to keep this up for to be able to stay ahead or when he could just sit down in the pits and wait for the 24hrs to tick over before crossing the line again.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2NX2-_vxF4rWeFBfJDw6cm71o989KEql5O2SrpFqYwVnQHHjyD3AXuwhwBS_A8dItp3zxGFQZm4gdyYn4MwILD-VX1jMqvsyOzARIFpXGUz23ZZ2Z7Auct2G4SttjLJinzB0FoD9UA6I/s1600/34226651224_96fbc00f7e_o.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2NX2-_vxF4rWeFBfJDw6cm71o989KEql5O2SrpFqYwVnQHHjyD3AXuwhwBS_A8dItp3zxGFQZm4gdyYn4MwILD-VX1jMqvsyOzARIFpXGUz23ZZ2Z7Auct2G4SttjLJinzB0FoD9UA6I/s400/34226651224_96fbc00f7e_o.JPG" width="400" /> </a></div>
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I think this may have been the moment that sealed the third</div>
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place for me. Apart from my disastrous fifth lap I didn't sit</div>
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down once. To be fair though, I felt just as broken as he looks!</div>
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The fact that the race had started early, 10am, meant that the time between it getting light and the finish was unusually short, which was actually rather pleasant, I think I preferred it this way round. The 10am start was presumably introduced to give a much bigger gap between the World Championship and the 24hrs of Finale team race, which would start at 3pm on the Saturday. It appeared however that no-one had told Josh Toscado about the start time, he arrived at the venue at 9:30 expecting a more normal midday start and was surprised to find everyone ready to go (Yes Jon, everyone apart from me, I know) He somehow got himself on the start line in time and then had a pit ready and waiting for him by the end of the first lap, where he had to stop to collect his timing chip.</div>
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The final few laps all passed in a bit of blur for me. I recall a brief chat with Peter Nadin as he came passed me en route to winning the ‘Old Enough to Know Better’ age group, he was still looking very strong even that far into the race. Everyone is really friendly in these races and always has time to say hello and a few words of encouragement.</div>
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At 22hrs56min I crossed the line again, heading out for what I was sure would be my penultimate lap. As far as we knew I was still third but I wasn’t going to assess the quantity of any poultry just yet.</div>
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I was passed at the top of the big climb by a rider in a blue top. This was nothing unusual, the geared riders often passed me here. The rocky part at the bottom of this climb was the only bit where the singlespeed felt like it was a liability, where I had to get off and push. On occasion I also had to push the final section at the top of the climb and sometimes also the loose climb earlier in the lap, but this was mainly in the wee small hours. Even when I could ride the top section of the big climb the effort would mean that I would have to back off and recover at the top, riding slowly for a short while to get my breath back and this was where I was passed on this occasion.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjy_X7bE-kVrLNMUnLhMdDRHgemEc1PMydym-VSppYfVD3E12otEdPMNascfMqWS-ZgbwfOWkz0KuIfcVu-j4fkOMBOfDsSB7t4-tEsAbtrhPBihzc1aPJgzzqChehnRkxrBvOZ6_8-So/s1600/sportograf-98773712_lowres.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="683" data-original-width="1024" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjy_X7bE-kVrLNMUnLhMdDRHgemEc1PMydym-VSppYfVD3E12otEdPMNascfMqWS-ZgbwfOWkz0KuIfcVu-j4fkOMBOfDsSB7t4-tEsAbtrhPBihzc1aPJgzzqChehnRkxrBvOZ6_8-So/s400/sportograf-98773712_lowres.jpg" width="400" /> </a></div>
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Looking like I felt. Don't stop, just keep moving. </div>
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I didn’t recognise the rider in the blue. I looked down at his bike as he came by. He had only one gear. This was not good news.</div>
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The number on the back of his bike was 224. This was odd, the singlespeeders all had numbers over 440, this was an age-group number. He was remarkably clean and fresh-looking, which was also odd. What was going on? I didn’t recognise him as either of the two guys I thought I was racing. Was he an age-gouper out on a spare bike? If he had done any laps on a geared bike earlier in the race he would not count as a singlespeeder and this wouldn’t be a problem.</div>
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Had he changed categories after the numbers were allocated? If this was the case then had I just lost a place or was he merely unlapping himself? The fact that he looked relatively unscathed by twenty-three hours of racing indicated that he may have stopped at some point and probably was just unlapping himself, making up some of the ground he had lost earlier. </div>
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The most likely scenario however was that I was over twenty-three hours worth of tired and that this was playing havoc with my thinking abilities, I was putting far to much effort into trying to work out what was going on, and was not doing very well at it. Chances are it was just a bad case of paranoia but maybe I had just lost a World Championship podium. With the results appearing so sporadically there was no way of knowing.</div>
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I had to stay with 224. </div>
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More than that, I had to beat him.</div>
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I followed him down the narrow cliff-top track, as fast as I dare, the track was rough at first but then smoother, it wasn’t too difficult but there was one hell of a drop down the cliff to my right. A rocky gully crossed the track just as it turned slightly uphill, I crossed this, still on his tail. I had never got this section wrong but the precipice to the side made it look rather intimidating and I breathed a sigh of relief every time I crossed it successfully. He started to pull away from me as the track climbed up, it widened after the hairpin and he opened up a bit of a gap as we climbed towards the top of the toboggan. Swooping down through the trees I closed the gap again and got myself back onto his wheel. I made a mental note of this. He could climb quicker than me but I had the edge on this final descent, if it came down to a sprint finish at the end of the next lap I had to get into this section ahead of him.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiCt8erbYboSIRCx9kVC1hGmw3QLfLgQx5CBfENzWmoBM2X-GpROiZlpz9epg5K8MjXtOT6f-d8P4xvUWTA3l5uLWJzMPjkn8NfciuM0qngl_9AZtCqvr9i2BxXtSizlWgF6VXoGYhgBA/s1600/35030139496_3530eb433f_o.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiCt8erbYboSIRCx9kVC1hGmw3QLfLgQx5CBfENzWmoBM2X-GpROiZlpz9epg5K8MjXtOT6f-d8P4xvUWTA3l5uLWJzMPjkn8NfciuM0qngl_9AZtCqvr9i2BxXtSizlWgF6VXoGYhgBA/s400/35030139496_3530eb433f_o.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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The crowd at the bottom had started to melt away, heading over to the arena ready to watch the finish. Charging through the pits I saw 224 stop at his tent to refuel. </div>
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I decided to roll the dice.</div>
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I had a spare bottle on the bike and one gel left in my pocket. Would this be enough to get around the final lap? If I didn’t stop for any anything else to eat I would gain probably a minute on him but I could easily loose much more than that if I ran out of energy, was it worth the risk? Sarah was waiting for me in the pits, more food and another bottle ready for me. I sailed straight passed her, shouting that I would explain later.</div>
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I crossed the line again at 23hrs52min. I had no way of knowing how long 224 would stop for but I had to assume that it would be a short stop just to grab some food. If he was an age-grouper on his spare bike it was possible that he could be taking the opportunity to swap back to a now-repaired geared bike but I wasn’t going to rely on this. </div>
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The lack of any live timing was working for me now. 224 was out of sight behind me as I headed out of the arena onto the track, he wouldn’t know if I had pitted or not, and the lack of live results would mean that when he crossed the line he would have no idea if I was ahead of or behind him. </div>
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Since this would be my last lap there would be no point in pacing myself, there was nothing to save myself for. I was flat out, pushing as hard as I dare, but with my earlier crash in the back of my mind, don’t overdo it.</div>
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Through the pits, around the woods, along the short fireroad to the vineyard, turn right and along the narrow path, still absolutely flat out, left at the end, along the lovely swoopy section. Up the loose climb, through the trees at the top and out on to the main fireroad. I was going as quickly as I could here although with only one gear my legs were spinning like crazy but I wasn’t really making much progress, I would be a sitting duck if my pursuer had a higher gear, in my sleep-deprived and paranoid state I spent more time looking behind me than I did looking forwards, I have never been so relieved to see a big climb looming at me. Up it one last time, along the cliff-top track, loop round back up to the top of the toboggan, and down into the trees, don’t crash, don’t crash, don’t crash, don’t throw it away now.<br />
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I could hear Jason English being interviewed on the PA system but I couldn’t make out if he had won or not, whether he made it eight in a row or if Cory Wallace had finally achieved his goal and broken the Aussie’s dominance.</div>
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Through the pits at the bottom, around the field passed our campsite, up into the arena and across the line. I thought I had done it, would the results back this up?</div>
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There were actually two finish lines – the first was were the timing system was located, in a little holding pen off to the side of the main arena. I forget the name of the guy standing at line itself, one of Ricardo’s many helpers, he was a lovely chap and had a word of congratulations for everyone who had made it to the end. There were a couple of other riders sprawled on the ground in various states of dishevelment and that was it, no-one else. Quiet. Peace. Calm.</div>
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I took my helmet off, loosened my shoes, which I had been desperate to do for so long, and joined them, collapsing in heap. Ricardo appeared out of nowhere, said well done to everyone and gave us all a hug and then vanished again. </div>
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This first finishing line was a great idea, it gave everyone time to compose themselves before facing the crowds. I had a few minutes to get my breath back, drain my bottle and wonder where I had finished before staggering back to my feet and limping towards the second finish line. </div>
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The crowds were out in force here, lining both sides of the barriers, cheering and clapping everyone. Someone shoved a cold drink into my hand and I staggered out into the main arena, the whole place was stuffed full of people and a massive party appeared to be in full swing, I just needed somewhere to sit, preferably in the shade, but could see no empty space anywhere. Somehow Jon, Sarah and Mark spotted me in this throng and pushed their way through to me. They had results.</div>
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Third.</div>
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We had done it!</div>
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Wow.</div>
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We were all back in the arena a couple of hours later, fed and showered but still broken, the pit crews looking just as tired as the racers, only the funny walks of the riders setting them apart. </div>
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The British contingent were the second largest national group after our Italian hosts and it reminded me very much of the Olympics, every time I looked up there was a Brit getting a medal for something! There is a full list of everyone from the British isles below. The biggest surprise for me was Mike Hancock, I had thought that he was here as Keith’s pit crew right up until the moment that he was announced as third in his age-group and appeared on the stage waving a large saltire.</div>
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Being up on the stage was an amazing experience. It’s huge and the crowd down below was also huge. I was joined by Wim Verheyen and Steve Day, who had just managed to do enough to hold on and take the win despite his crash. Russ from WEMBO and Ricardo from the race organisers were presenting the medals and shaking hands, Ricardo somehow appeared to be the least tired looking person there, despite having been awake for about three days straight and with at least two more still to go. <br />
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Elite Women's Podium</div>
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It was excitingly close in the Elite women’s race, Gaia Ravaloli won, the first Italian to do so and I think the first non-antipodean, it really was a home race for her too, not just her home country but only about 30 miles from her house. She beat the defending champion by a mere sixteen minutes! Cory Wallace finally won the men’s race just ahead of Jason English, I’ve lost count how many attempts he’s had but his persistence has finally paid off.</div>
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There are a few contenders for my ‘ride of the race’, a lot of very strong performances, but I’m going to pick Steve Kelly. I didn’t see much of him during the race itself, although Claire was lovely, even helping out in our pit when she wasn’t looking after him and cheering everyone on. The first time I spoke to him was after the race as I was heading off for a shower and he was heading back to his pit from the finish. We had a brief chat and compared notes, he had finished seventh in his age-group and seemed pretty happy with that. Some time later I was heading down to the town for dinner with most of the other Brits and Jon was sending a text message. He mentioned that he was asking Steve how he was, I asked what had happened. He had broken a toe and cracked several ribs and maybe an elbow. I don’t know exactly when this happened but continuing to the finish with cracked ribs is pretty impressive, that must have hurt, and that’s what gets him my vote. He had apparently dealt with the problem by taking more than the recommended dose of painkillers and then just ignoring it. When I spoke to him after the race he hadn’t even mentioned it!</div>
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Results:</div>
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Elite Men</div>
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1 Cory Wallace – Canada</div>
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2 Jason English – Australia</div>
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3 Josh Toscado – USA</div>
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4 Marco Martins - Portugal</div>
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5 Simon Depomeroy - Australia</div>
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Elite Women:</div>
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1 Gaia Ravaloli – Italy</div>
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2 Liz Smith – Australia </div>
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3 Iwona Szmyd – Poland, (UK resident)</div>
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4 Kate Penglase – Australia</div>
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5 Rachel Sokal – UK</div>
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Singlespeed Men:</div>
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1 Steve Day – UK</div>
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2 Wim Verheyn – Belgium</div>
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3 Andrew Howett – UK</div>
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4 Enrico Morvillo – Italy</div>
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5 Francesco Cerchio – Italy</div>
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Italy’s Ausilia Vistarini won the women’s singlespeed race from Cataluña’s Carolina Casacuberta.</div>
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Left to right: Wim, Steve and myself </div>
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The Brits came away with quite a haul of medals. Carwyn Davies took the spot of Top-Brit in twelfth overall and the title for the Under-23 age group. Peter Nadin, Max Suttie and Gillian Stewart all won their respective age-groups, which with Steve’s gold in the Singlespeeds made it five world champions!</div>
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There was a silver for Nigel Smith in his age-group, only two places behind Carwyn in the overall standings, bronze for Mike Hancock in his and, as I may have mentioned previously, a bronze for me too in the Daft Bikes With One Gear category.</div>
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Other British, Irish and IOM results in their respective categories:</div>
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4 Donna Waring UK</div>
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5 Alex Watts UK</div>
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7 Steve Kelly IOM</div>
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8 Michael McCutcheon (Elite) Ireland</div>
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8 Gary Kirby IOM</div>
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9 Matt Jones (Elite) UK</div>
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12 Adrian Beale IOM</div>
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14 Carl Salisbury UK</div>
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22 Ger Jackson (Elite) Ireland</div>
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DNF Keith Forsyth UK</div>
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DNF Julian Paphitis UK</div>
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DNF David Bowkett UK</div>
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DNF Naomi Freireich UK</div>
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Champions - Cory and Gaia. </div>
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Finally, one last word from me. It is now fifteen years since I first said that I would like to race in a World Championship one day, seven years since I first did it and now I have a medal from one, I never expected that all those years ago. </div>
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There are a lot of people I would like to say a huge thank-you to for all their help in getting here, people I really couldn’t have done it without. It’s much too long a list to mention everyone but you all know who you are. Thank-you all so, so much.</div>
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Epilogue.</div>
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It has become a bit of a running joke that Matt Jones will take the mickey out of whatever<a href="http://andrewhowett.blogspot.co.uk/2015/04/its-not-bike-race-without-van-incident.html"> <span style="color: red;"><span style="color: #ff6600;">van incident</span></span></a> has befallen me at these races, everything from alternator or fuel pump failure to smashing the sump on a tree stump or the roof rack coming lose. On this occasion, I suspect mainly due to having a hire car with only 1,300km on the clock rather than my own neglected and rusty Transit, my vehicle was flawless. However, I don’t like to disappoint him. When I got home I was in no fit state to race the usual Gala CC Wednesday night time-trial and so volunteered to marshal. I arrived at the start and pulled up onto the verge whereupon my left front wheel fell into a very large hole, the wishbone of the front suspension hit the tarmac and dug in. It took a dozen guys to push me out again...</div>
Andrew Howetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07948073074991195855noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-755724540902978553.post-28312830825359992182016-12-14T13:57:00.000+00:002017-04-29T11:34:29.211+01:00National 24(ish) Hour Championship<br />
Exposure Lights/No-Fuss Events – Relentless 24 – British 24hr Mountainbike
Championships 2016<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
What would happen if you were to attempt to compile a ‘Who’s Who’ of British
24hr mountainbike racers? Well, you would probably end up with a big list of
names, none of whom anyone outside the endurance racing scene has ever heard
of. This is a shame because there are some phenomenal athletes amongst them.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
What would happen if you then took this hypothetical list of British riding
talent up to the World Championships course at the Nevis Range near Fort
William and told them that because the clocks were changing on the weekend in
question they would have 25 hours to fight it out for the national title? This
is not merely a hypothetical question, here’s what happened:<o:p></o:p><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgft3UQY2pB_g8vOU8IKye-43vCf2eHX9eacVH8O0STjpx2c7u3JnQzDHYYoqHbUBo5nNO0IfTyA4R1p0FwnvEfbIRKNivNl5hDillPQaCEJz2o8QbxxaXh2yfrOOJOx1qcKzIOX5i_SaA/s1600/sportograf-89529037.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgft3UQY2pB_g8vOU8IKye-43vCf2eHX9eacVH8O0STjpx2c7u3JnQzDHYYoqHbUBo5nNO0IfTyA4R1p0FwnvEfbIRKNivNl5hDillPQaCEJz2o8QbxxaXh2yfrOOJOx1qcKzIOX5i_SaA/s400/sportograf-89529037.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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The start was at noon on the track below the gondolas, the riders
disappearing up the first climb and into the fog. The format of the race was
that whoever could complete the most laps within the allotted 25hrs would be
the winner. One may assume that with 25 hours of racing ahead of them that most
would be taking it easy early on and pacing themselves. Don’t assume anything.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
After 7 miles and 1,100ft of climbing and an equal amount of descending
through the tight, twisting tracks with their innumerable rocks and roots the
leaders blasted back into the arena to finish the first lap. The top seven were
separated by less than a minute, leader Phil Roberts (Welsh Enduro winner)
heading Steve Day (singlespeed World Champion) by 24 seconds. No-one even
paused; simply grab a bottle on the move and head straight into the second lap,
24 hours and 20 minutes to go…<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
I have just mentioned singlespeeds. For some people racing for 24 hours, or
25 in this case, isn’t quite hard enough and so they opt to do it on bikes with
just the one gear. Some cite weight-saving, others reliability, everyone else
suspects masochism. As well as fighting for the overall title the
singlespeeders would be having their own race within a race.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<o:p>Steve Day, pursued by Keith Forsyth and Jason Miles</o:p></div>
<br />
By lap 3 the two leaders had opened up a gap of around a minute on the
chasing pack headed by defending champion Peter Nadin but just 10 seconds
covered the next five riders. Two hours in and the pace was intense, this was
the kind of thing we would expect to see in a short Olympic-distance race, not
here, not in a 24hr. The spectators and pit crews were all watching intently,
surely they couldn’t keep this up, surely someone had to crack soon?<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
Nope, Day attacked and took the lead from Roberts on lap 6. The two of them
had a bit of gap over the chasing pack but there was a battle royal raging
behind them – Jason Miles (former World Championship silver medallist and one
half of the duo who hold the 24hr tandem world record, 565 miles) was leading
Matt Jones (newly crowned European Champion) and Irishman Michael McCutcheon
(former European silver medallist) by less than forty seconds with Keith
Forsyth (former age-group World Champion) hanging on to the back of their group
as best he could. <br />
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<o:p>Matt Jones</o:p></div>
<br />
You know what I had said about there being some really outstanding athletes
whom no-one else has ever heard of? Hopefully just a couple of words after each
name is giving you a little flavour of the level of competition at this event.
However, this by no means implies that the race was exclusively for super-human
elite competitors – the front end of the field may be but this is an event
which absolutely anyone can turn up and have a go at, there aren’t many sports
where one can do that at the National Championships. There were people there
who had never even ridden a 24hr race before, just keen to see if they could,
simply finishing it would be a huge achievement for them. There were pairs and
teams doing the race as a relay, it really is something which anyone can, and
should, try.<o:p></o:p><br />
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The pace at the front remained just as intense as the fog eventually lifted
and darkness fell, Day had opened up quite a lead over his pursuers into who’s
clutches Roberts had now fallen. The fact that a singlespeeder was leading the
overall race was causing a quite a stir back in pit row, we all knew he was
quick but this was something else. <o:p></o:p><br />
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<br />
It is however the night-time where most people say that the real racing
takes place. It doesn’t matter how fit a rider is, racing through the fourteen
hours of darkness is not a just a test of physical ability, the real test is in
the mind. How hard can you continue to push when your body is telling you that
it has already reached it’s limits? How fast dare you go when the effort and
lack of sleep is affecting your belief in yourself, your control of the bike,
and sometimes even your perception of reality itself? There are always riders
hallucinating in the wee small hours, racing for 24hrs is so much harder than
merely being awake for that length of time that the SleepMonsters are an
ever-present danger, ready to entice the unwary into their world, and of course
it was Halloween…<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
It was a much more mundane puncture which brought Day’s charge to an abrupt
halt on lap 11. Jones seized the lead, Day fought back and led the next two
laps, pushing, pushing, pushing and then pushing just that little bit too hard.
Although he survived his crash unhurt the same could not be said for his bike,
a bent chainring rendered it almost unrideable. Down but not out, he ran the
rest of the lap, dropping down to fifth place, then with his bike fixed it was
back on the attack. It was the running which unfortunately proved his undoing,
aggravating an old knee injury. He survived two more laps before this forced
him out of the race, leaving Jones and McCutcheon comfortably ahead of the Forsyth/Nadin/Roberts
battle<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6vSKS6ZzCwtrq1t5pwpSLBLLmIAcnBAzt2RAcRS5KnLj34srA4LAChl_yMUR4gAHe4tnnZE4mq-OFnJz1nEX3Q31ep5-c_gjKqvcxh4f-7zcxUP8u7_1JLVcqKTED_iLTi49GgIhsZIA/s1600/Untitled.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6vSKS6ZzCwtrq1t5pwpSLBLLmIAcnBAzt2RAcRS5KnLj34srA4LAChl_yMUR4gAHe4tnnZE4mq-OFnJz1nEX3Q31ep5-c_gjKqvcxh4f-7zcxUP8u7_1JLVcqKTED_iLTi49GgIhsZIA/s400/Untitled.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
The next man behind them was twice national singlespeed champion and former
World number two Saul Muldoon. Having taken the lead in the singlespeed
category with Day’s demise he was distinctly heard coming down the descent back
into the pits singing to himself, quite loudly, ‘I’m still standing’.
Behind him was Manx champion Steve Kelly then second placed singlespeeder and
Strathpuffer winner Dave Glover who was having his own fight with the leading
lady, former Scottish cross-country champion Lee Craigie. Glover had survived an
earlier scare when his handlebar snapped in one of the rocky sections, pitching
him off the bike and into the dirt, luckily unscathed and able to nurse his
damaged bike back to the pits. <o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
Behind Glover it was just as close in the singlespeeds as in the overall
race, Gavin Baxter, Andrew Howett (last year’s silver medal winner) and Jon
Hobson (European 12 and 24hr champion) were line astern, a mere 40 seconds
covering the three of them. 12 hours in and still flat out.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF0kDaf7BaiJXFogWsx9k0cFM2ejWQU54x3vBjVZjgDr3nea3lPOW-ciO6bceTFyPHAJ-gr7erV4xkEk74yxNk4ERjQfsfvwJSbmI69lY80e6pXZvaGbkVI82ktRdEvbBtVyfWvr8tLhU/s1600/Third+placed+singlespeeder%252C+Andrew+Howett.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF0kDaf7BaiJXFogWsx9k0cFM2ejWQU54x3vBjVZjgDr3nea3lPOW-ciO6bceTFyPHAJ-gr7erV4xkEk74yxNk4ERjQfsfvwJSbmI69lY80e6pXZvaGbkVI82ktRdEvbBtVyfWvr8tLhU/s400/Third+placed+singlespeeder%252C+Andrew+Howett.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Me!</div>
<br />
There was no moon and the stars were hidden behind the clouds. Out on the
open moors it was pitch black, just the marshal’s camp fires piercing the
darkness and the rider’s headlights visible as they zigzagged their way up and
down the mountainsides. In the forests it was even darker, the lights of the
bikes casting all sorts of strange patterns in the trees. Some were shadows,
some were the SleepMonsters, tall dark figures extending their tentacles out to
entrap the passing riders, drawing them away from the race track and into their
world, <i>just close your eyes, you know you want to, just for minute… </i>Most
were photographers though.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
The pit crews really earn their keep during the night, the majority of<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>riders will have two bikes, one being ridden,
one being serviced. They also need a constant supply of food, drinks and, more
often than not encouragement at 3am when they are already 15 hours worth of
tired and it occurs to them that are <i>still</i> 10 hours to go. And it’s
getting pretty cold. And it’s starting to rain…<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDrY2zNA3bsUTn32RJECokKm8mmpg7R6l_GnoE9s2T2K0sByBaQ_d7QHK1ugQyput-VErOZH8nejPbvKmpWTtO6CHmu2bhgrxjepDm4JiPsgsnR2Kq0dHEO2B_s_vDNy0JdDY8ABL1e5E/s1600/lights.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDrY2zNA3bsUTn32RJECokKm8mmpg7R6l_GnoE9s2T2K0sByBaQ_d7QHK1ugQyput-VErOZH8nejPbvKmpWTtO6CHmu2bhgrxjepDm4JiPsgsnR2Kq0dHEO2B_s_vDNy0JdDY8ABL1e5E/s400/lights.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
It was also busy over at Exposure Lights. The event sponsors had brought
along a wide selection of their lights to help out anyone who felt that their
own might not quite be up to the job and were also providing charging
facilities to anyone who needed them. Light technology has come on in leaps and
bounds in recent years - fancy lithium-polymer batteries and super-bright LEDs
giving in excess of 4,000 lumens coupled with the light’s ability to adjust the
brightness itself according to the speed and terrain to maximise burn times
means that we are now seeing a full 24 hours of flat-out racing. Back in the
good old days it would have been more like 6hrs of racing, 12hrs of trying to
survive as best one could and then another 6hrs of racing once the riders could
see again but, as was being demonstrated here, there is now no respite, no
chance to recover, no chance to back off and catch your breath, nowhere to
hide, just pushing, pushing, pushing all night long. Great. As if it wasn’t
tough enough already. Thanks Exposure….<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
The sun eventually began to reappear over the mountains and those who had
survived the night’s battles pressed on. Forsyth had succumbed, Miles, Kelly,
Day and many, many others. Out in front though Jones and MCutcheon continued in
their own little world, the gap between them was just 12 minutes but they had
been pushing each other so hard that they were now a full lap ahead of Nadin.
Muldoon and Roberts. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSv0lg1wml2R_QOhKNiJxjTUCatkw-sz4RY9cjtTXsWhZF4vgsyOQBpsRYnkB9p8Zf7aCgtX5wo0Csv9mKrNkFMrcTvgqAAYcldR-Hhj3vXeq4dhl1ZzkD2Hx1ZqTs6IxGVSduSCMrS8g/s1600/michael.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSv0lg1wml2R_QOhKNiJxjTUCatkw-sz4RY9cjtTXsWhZF4vgsyOQBpsRYnkB9p8Zf7aCgtX5wo0Csv9mKrNkFMrcTvgqAAYcldR-Hhj3vXeq4dhl1ZzkD2Hx1ZqTs6IxGVSduSCMrS8g/s400/michael.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Michael McCutcheon</div>
<br />
Matching each other second for second over the next 6 laps Jones’ lead was
still 12 minutes heading into the second to last lap. 12 minutes is not a
comfortable gap in a race like this, especially if, for example, the leader
were to suffer a mechanical problem on the penultimate lap. With Jones in the
undergrowth to the side of the first big descent McCutcheon was already at the
top of the hill from where he would head down to where Jones was frantically
trying to coax some life back into his bike. He eventually achieved some sort
of success and set off again, McCutcheon could sense blood and was hot his
tail, he had taken 6 minutes out Jones’ lead but it was not enough for the
Irishman.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
Through the pits for the final time, Jones grabbed his spare bike and gave
it everything he had. The rules stated that no new laps could be started after
24hrs and that all laps had to be completed within 25. Jones crossed the line
again at 24hrs10min25sec to take the win and add the National title to his
European Championship. McCutcheon followed 15 minutes later to take the silver
medal, defending champion Nadin taking the bronze this time.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjomk2rMVzCSB-eJOIEqQUyMqZMwgc-3w-RtqjvzdijLNKaOZwE4doPQYRyCv6m9t3P_u4g3_cE0M9AmIif3Vgz8gkfcq6vlmU6YxtIQhNFixk0Gp4XayhGh2bOCIoiFC6Gx6CorVRL1aY/s1600/Saul+Muldoon+-+The+Thousand+Yard+Stare+of+Victory.+Or+just+trying+to+keep+his+eyes+open....+-+Picture+Stephen+Smith.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjomk2rMVzCSB-eJOIEqQUyMqZMwgc-3w-RtqjvzdijLNKaOZwE4doPQYRyCv6m9t3P_u4g3_cE0M9AmIif3Vgz8gkfcq6vlmU6YxtIQhNFixk0Gp4XayhGh2bOCIoiFC6Gx6CorVRL1aY/s320/Saul+Muldoon+-+The+Thousand+Yard+Stare+of+Victory.+Or+just+trying+to+keep+his+eyes+open....+-+Picture+Stephen+Smith.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Saul Muldoon. The Thousand Yard Stare of Victory.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Photo by Stephen Smith </div>
<br />
Saul Muldoon took the win in the singlespeeds with an extremely impressive fourth overall, followed by Dave Glover and Andy Howett with Jon Hobson not quite making the cut off to do the extra lap and continue his pursuit of the final podium spot.<br />
<br />
Relentless takes a step back next year, the race will return to it’s usual
low-key self as the National Championships heads off to Newnham on the edge of
Dartmoor for 2017.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
In 2018 Relentless is back with a bang though, it will again host the WEMBO
World Championships. You thought this year was exciting? (Well, we did) Add
another couple of hundred riders from several dozen countries and see what
happens.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY8RMcsT0JzPeCvD-67n_Qs1zBlr9d3saXgDaCXZ91eElIkXcRjuf-Lp96Yu9zzZBrVUoYj5iSfl2Sch8OzinvaU6TBsW_zPimZh_APvK8Zby_PCvuEs_nTMLJUt7wKFuFFL7Uuru2DOE/s1600/Singlespeed+podium%252C+left+to+right+Glover%252C+Muldoon+and+Howett.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY8RMcsT0JzPeCvD-67n_Qs1zBlr9d3saXgDaCXZ91eElIkXcRjuf-Lp96Yu9zzZBrVUoYj5iSfl2Sch8OzinvaU6TBsW_zPimZh_APvK8Zby_PCvuEs_nTMLJUt7wKFuFFL7Uuru2DOE/s400/Singlespeed+podium%252C+left+to+right+Glover%252C+Muldoon+and+Howett.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Singlespeed Podium. </div>
<br />
<br />
Results<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<div style="text-indent: -18pt;">
1.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span>Matt Jones
<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span> M-Steel/Exposure Lights<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div style="text-indent: -18pt;">
2.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span>Michael McCutcheon
The Bike
Rack<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div style="text-indent: -18pt;">
3.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span>Peter Nadin
<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span>Swinnerton Cycles<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
Ladies<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<div style="text-indent: -18pt;">
1.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span>(10<sup>th</sup> overall) Lee Cragie The
Adventure Syndicate<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div style="text-indent: -18pt;">
2.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span>(17<sup>th</sup> overall) Sally Buckworth Pink Heifers<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div style="text-indent: -18pt;">
3.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span>(26<sup>th</sup> overall) Beate Kubitz
Singletrack <o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
Singlespeeds<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<div style="text-indent: -18pt;">
1.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span>(4<sup>th</sup> overall) Saul
Muldoon Stadium Runners<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div style="text-indent: -18pt;">
2.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span>(8<sup>th</sup> overall) Dave
Glover Mukyriderz<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div style="text-indent: -18pt;">
3.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span>(11<sup>th</sup> overall) Andrew
Howett Torq/Exposure/Mt Zoom</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCwbLZ7g2QNC5qzkylurv1H_7N7GVYK27sglgXAEmTtRprV-8reuTUuLgNQyjlWwK_NybHGR5crLBB-bbiaXz0BMxVcPFyGtHtfaorRRh0gVo7atmN7XLbm0PF5XVd4mFpyBzz4wRODVI/s1600/Champions+-+Matt+Jones+%2526+Lee+Cragie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCwbLZ7g2QNC5qzkylurv1H_7N7GVYK27sglgXAEmTtRprV-8reuTUuLgNQyjlWwK_NybHGR5crLBB-bbiaXz0BMxVcPFyGtHtfaorRRh0gVo7atmN7XLbm0PF5XVd4mFpyBzz4wRODVI/s400/Champions+-+Matt+Jones+%2526+Lee+Cragie.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Champions! </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Matt Jones and Lee Cragie</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
There were little victories all the way down the field, people beating their
mates, beating the team camped next door, beating their target, but just
finishing a 24hr is enough of a victory for most, we should give a huge cheer
to everyone who made it to the end. We should also give an even bigger cheer to
all the marshals who camped out on the mountainsides all day and all night,
often huddled around their braziers trying desperately to get some feeling back
into their fingers, keeping us all safe and picking up those who had overdone it
and hurt themselves, thanks guys and girls.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
And one final mention – there was a pit crew who managed to not only win the
National Championships but also another medal, Jones and Howett were supported
by Sarah, Richard, Ingrid, Harriet and Jon (who not only coaches Jones but also
Steve Day and so now has the full set – National, European and World titles in
one year). We call it a 24hr Solo but it is a real team effort.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<br />
Pictures - Sportograph<o:p></o:p> and Stephen SmithAndrew Howetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07948073074991195855noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-755724540902978553.post-69272860901841287972016-11-29T22:10:00.000+00:002016-11-29T22:22:29.011+00:00It’s Nearly The Shortest Day. So Let’s Talk About The Longest.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">The Isle of Man. Chances are that if you like engines in your bikes you know the place pretty well. It’s all sort of blurry with scary bits now and again where you have to brake quite hard. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">What you may not be aware of is that the island’s residents are also quite keen on bikes without engines. Until recently they had kept this fact to themselves, just inviting the rest of us over once a year for the <a href="http://www.end2end.im/" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">End to End</span></a>, several hundred riders in a mad charge from the Point of Ayre at the top right of the island to Port Erin at the bottom left.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrratZ5RMGZu4d3RhDOw6kQaUZNZZJUDgGq746YAnrklsQvDNUcCY15pHUXk2inN8mz5YeCCh02BtqbafYBLPVxMFHUxLE6eVK4aPl7x8PRQnDWvDXVqA1iV-v8YOgfW8VNult7JZULcE/s1600/changeover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="76" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrratZ5RMGZu4d3RhDOw6kQaUZNZZJUDgGq746YAnrklsQvDNUcCY15pHUXk2inN8mz5YeCCh02BtqbafYBLPVxMFHUxLE6eVK4aPl7x8PRQnDWvDXVqA1iV-v8YOgfW8VNult7JZULcE/s400/changeover.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">In recent years though they have begun to expand their repertoire of slightly crazy events. You have by now probably all heard of the <a href="http://andrewhowett.blogspot.co.uk/2015/08/that-was-harder-than-i-thought.html"><span style="color: red;">Manx 100</span></a>, this began as very small event in 2012 when a bunch of locals decided to basically do the End to End by taking the scenic route, 104 miles with 16,000ft of climbing, a lot for such a small island. This has since grown to quite a big event, a lap of the island’s best bits starting and finishing at the TT Grandstand in Douglas, and will be the UK National Marathon Championships in 2017.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">One other event which has been quietly going on under the radar for a number of years is the <a href="http://www.ldlr.im/" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">Longest Day - Longest Ride.</span></a> The clue might be in the name with this one. It’s a 24hr race on the weekend closest to the summer solstice, the 1<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">st</span></sup> and 2<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">nd</span></sup> of July in 2017. Yes, I know it's not quite the longest day but it's close enough that they didn't feel the need to change the name. The race takes place at Conrhenny Plantation near the famous Creg Ny Baa and has grown from a mere 16 nutters in the inaugural event in 2010 to 272 last year so they must be doing something right.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/cw9tiG9gtHU/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/cw9tiG9gtHU?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Nutters? Well, 24hrs on a 5km lap. That’s a <u>lot</u> of laps. 77 for Steve Kelly, the winner last year, to be precise. There is a certain degree of mental toughness required on that one I think. I suppose the short lap is relative though, the Isle of Man is quite small, albeit surprisingly hilly. On a 5km lap of Conrhenny you will see almost exactly 100 times the proportion of the island as you would of the British mainland by doing a lap of the <a href="http://andrewhowett.blogspot.co.uk/2015/11/relentless-living-up-to-its-name.html"><span style="color: red;">Relentless</span></a> course. And nearly 2,000 times as much as the proportion of Australia as you would see by doing a lap of <a href="http://andrewhowett.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/i-need-other-rear-wheel-and-piece-of.html"><span style="color: red;">Stromlo</span></a>.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><br />
</span> <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwnbNoY5T6Bozv5Op1d5UuiWhNo7WI1zktF2qLkWfkDxwH_DVwKt9Mz5puWsSykkJWyb-C-6XHBDzAnc29FUdQHiWTNGpduF22YER2LOk8uloHuDj21f3WkU4fjPWg50qK_8t8ZKG2jlw/s1600/13511949_10154176163641597_8005238282700776857_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwnbNoY5T6Bozv5Op1d5UuiWhNo7WI1zktF2qLkWfkDxwH_DVwKt9Mz5puWsSykkJWyb-C-6XHBDzAnc29FUdQHiWTNGpduF22YER2LOk8uloHuDj21f3WkU4fjPWg50qK_8t8ZKG2jlw/s400/13511949_10154176163641597_8005238282700776857_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Steve Kelly, en route to winning the 2016 race.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">It seems that a ’standard’ 24hr is no longer enough for some people and a number of daft ones have taken off in recent years, think of the Strathpuffer for example, and the </span><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><a href="http://www.ldlr.im/" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">LDLR</span></a> </span>is certainly daft. Won’t a 5km laps get a bit dull after the 77<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup> time around? Well, no. Aside from the fact that the lap itself is pretty decent, a mix of fast fireroads for overtaking, or being overtaken, and some lovely twisty stuff with a fair amount of boardwalk sections the short lap means that you will always have company, you won’t be out in the middle of nowhere on your own for hours at a time, there will always be someone to race, someone to cheer you on, someone to pass you a bottle, someone to encourage you, just how a race should be<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Anyway, </span><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><a href="http://www.ldlr.im/" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">Longest Day - Longest Ride.</span></a></span></span> Entries are open </span><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><a href="http://www.ldlr.im/registration-2/" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">here</span></a></span></span> for 2017. Get yours in now. Teams, pairs, solos, everyone is welcome.</span></div>
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Andrew Howetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07948073074991195855noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-755724540902978553.post-14631557907751184762016-11-13T21:07:00.003+00:002020-04-08T23:17:07.301+01:00Turns out I Am Just As Daft As Everyone Else.<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Like
ninety nine percent of people I like to think of myself as of above average
intelligence. Obviously forty nine percent of those are wrong but that can’t
possibly include me. For instance, I am far brighter than the people who have
taken part in the Asch Conformity Experiment.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">So
anyway, changing the subject entirely, I was doing the Two Breweries fell race recently. This an 18 mile hill run from Traquair to Broughton,
starting and finishing in breweries. The weather that year was terrible, strong
winds and a lot of rain, but it was still oddly enjoyable, especially charging
down Trahenna unable to run in a straight line due to the gales sending me
three feet to my left every time both feet came off the ground (Beware
Trahenna...)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">As the
route approached Stobo Castle I found myself following a man in a white top, I
have no idea who he was so I shall call him A. He was about 30 yards ahead of
me. A similar distance behind were two other runners, whom I shall call B and
C. Please don’t laugh at my naming, I once spent seven months living with a cat
called Cat and two sheep called Sheep and Sheep. The owl is still called Owl.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Anyway,
there I was running along a farm track following A when B (or maybe C, I forget
which) shouted to ask me if I knew where I was going. I shouted back that I
didn’t but that I was just following him, pointing at A. A obviously heard us
as he stopped and looked back at us and made the shrugging gesture which
indicates that someone is completely clueless as to where they are and that
they had simply assumed they were going the right way because everyone else behind
them was going that way too.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">I had stopped
just by a junction in the tracks, I knew we were supposed to turn somewhere
around here. The track we were on came from my six o’clock position where B and
C were and carried straight on at my twelve o’clock, where A was. There were
two tracks off to my left, at my eight o’clock and, over a gate, to my nine
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">B and C
ran up and joined me as I was getting my map out but B already had his to hand.
We were all stood there looking at it as A ran back down the hill and joined
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">I decided
that the correct route was the track at our nine o’clock, over the gate and
then along the left-hand side of the woods we could see in the distance. B
decided that the correct route was the track at our eight o’clock, down towards
the other woods. I insisted that I was right but A and C both agreed with B.</span></div>
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bearing, I had just lost two places to B and C and had time to make up. I set
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">I have
absolutely no idea why I did that. I again refer you to the Asch Conformity
Experiment, google it if you haven’t heard of it, it’s quite interesting. .</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGq-XgdbF7eZR0YWTfZkxL4Aegle8JdDuayUVho6UkMaJIbQhgiLdYDG2yvoCPirjfFBuDDVYh0g32xmAj2rkgJnE6POd6OhoacApwKUUQHI2PfRs95nFNcpzF7oniliNIrEUNonD-GHo/s1600/lines.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGq-XgdbF7eZR0YWTfZkxL4Aegle8JdDuayUVho6UkMaJIbQhgiLdYDG2yvoCPirjfFBuDDVYh0g32xmAj2rkgJnE6POd6OhoacApwKUUQHI2PfRs95nFNcpzF7oniliNIrEUNonD-GHo/s400/lines.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">After
about five minutes we came to a small loch. B stopped and looked quizzically at
his map. There shouldn’t be a loch. He pointed at some trees up the hill to our
right, the woods I had indicated initially. “We should be over there” and then to me “You were right mate.”</span></div>
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off towards the forest. He had sounded confident so I just followed…</span></div>
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<![endif]-->Andrew Howetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07948073074991195855noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-755724540902978553.post-54386974674180826332016-10-12T13:34:00.001+01:002016-10-12T21:01:27.788+01:0024hr Races Are Getting Longer.<br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">There has always been the distinction between a ‘Long 24’ where laps <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">started </i>within the time limit count and a ‘Short 24’ where laps <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">completed </i>within the time limit count. This is a small but very important difference. The 24hrs of Finale are a law unto themselves and seem to have invented the ‘Very Long 24’ format, where the race finishes after the winner crosses the line after 24 hours, which lead to me having to do a surprise extra lap after I thought that I had finished the <a href="http://andrewhowett.blogspot.co.uk/2014/06/sun-sea-scorpions-and-smashed-sumps.html"><span style="color: red;">2014 European Championships.</span></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">My longest 24hr race to date has been the <span style="color: red;"><a href="http://andrewhowett.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/2010-24hr-world-championships.html"><span style="color: red;">2010 World Championships</span></a> </span>at 25h16m, this was a Long format race and I started my last lap at 23h49m. My shortest 24hr has been the <a href="http://andrewhowett.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/The-Hare-And-The-Imaginary-Tortoise..html"><span style="color: red;">2013 European Championships</span></a> at 23h15m, which was a Short format event, with only 45 minutes to go I could not complete another lap. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxqB1v_v35ferC7EDWoCHRSWd3AUIHkRUVnxoRtQOxJyWKvaiPvC_RJvxEl4qbufwT4WQAHnEXZNywLdzY_B8chxk84xYsSgiTI0c3aTWDJwdabGtLRcn7F4rp0CTCpOOtGr2rf26zf8U/s1600/sportograf-72778919_lowres.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxqB1v_v35ferC7EDWoCHRSWd3AUIHkRUVnxoRtQOxJyWKvaiPvC_RJvxEl4qbufwT4WQAHnEXZNywLdzY_B8chxk84xYsSgiTI0c3aTWDJwdabGtLRcn7F4rp0CTCpOOtGr2rf26zf8U/s400/sportograf-72778919_lowres.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">This year’s National Championships, Relentless at Fort William, will be held on the final weekend of October, the 29<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup> and 30<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup>. The final weekend of October is of course the day when the clocks go back an hour. Rather than make us race for 24 hours, as is traditional at a 24hr race, <span style="color: red;"><span style="color: white;">No Fuss</span> </span>have decided that we should instead stick with racing from midday on Saturday to midday on Sunday, which is 25 hours.</span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">But of course 25 hours simply isn’t enough, this race will also be in the ‘Long’ format. This does mean that anyone who is a bit tired and slow when they start a new lap after 24 hours and 59 minutes could well find themselves doing a 27 hour race… <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Who could possibly be daft enough to do such a thing?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">I got my entry in yesterday. The entry list for the solo category reads like a who’s who of British endurance racing. It’s a big list, full of current and former British and European Champions and a fair few age-group World Champions and Elite World Championship medalists.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">I have therefore entered the Singlespeed category. This should get me away from all of the fast guys and then I can just ride to…....bugger, there’s the <a href="http://andrewhowett.blogspot.co.uk/2016/06/when-crasher-met-dorris.html"><span style="color: red;">World Champ.</span></a></span> I wonder how may times he can lap me in 27 hours?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqv4fWSuyDMSVZrzOkAKKYjgsSF0TK2s_eYfXK3XHDa2p9PV_IBZa9OqvabLnDbIJTxypwaymm6GJajT-y-ezQ3rCatTLJj1S-6xTK1JfCB939enxJsJZFxhyMo3IxIP9Hl13Qr3Hs4iU/s1600/sportograf-72774312_lowres.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqv4fWSuyDMSVZrzOkAKKYjgsSF0TK2s_eYfXK3XHDa2p9PV_IBZa9OqvabLnDbIJTxypwaymm6GJajT-y-ezQ3rCatTLJj1S-6xTK1JfCB939enxJsJZFxhyMo3IxIP9Hl13Qr3Hs4iU/s400/sportograf-72774312_lowres.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
</div>
Andrew Howetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07948073074991195855noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-755724540902978553.post-60648424198145526402016-10-04T13:47:00.001+01:002016-10-04T13:52:11.734+01:00A 'Brave' Choice Of Wheels<br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">I have lived in Scotland for a while now but am still
surprised by just how big the place is, or more precisely, just how long it
takes to get anywhere. From Edinburgh, about a quarter of the way up on the right,
to Applecross, just over half way up on the left, is about 5½ hours.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">This is a stunning drive though, the scenery is absolutely
amazing. However, we missed most of it as it was getting dark from Perth
onwards, it was around midnight when we arrived and parked the van on the beach
(well above the high-water mark, we’ve had enough <a href="http://andrewhowett.blogspot.co.uk/2015/04/its-not-bike-race-without-van-incident.html"><span style="color: red;">van incidents</span></a> at races thank
you very much!)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">The Applecross Duathlon is a pain to get to but well worth
the effort. As well as the stunning location on Applecross bay with views over
the sea to Raasay and Skye to the west and Torridon to the north everyone is
really friendly, it’s a lovely race to do. It is limited to 150 competitors
though and is always full so get your entry in early next year.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid1Qy6q6ZC8NhVKklR-VaDAJQvKPU-awWOVSP8mxGjLeMQCn9Mq6UZYm2M-KtV5htDt1LYQe8T18t52LWmRRUsJBoxOrnjG6s_QThVDKQ5mGn6HxN2PJIofA_WsQ8B6XGIzhmbRH02Ox8/s1600/P9173104.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid1Qy6q6ZC8NhVKklR-VaDAJQvKPU-awWOVSP8mxGjLeMQCn9Mq6UZYm2M-KtV5htDt1LYQe8T18t52LWmRRUsJBoxOrnjG6s_QThVDKQ5mGn6HxN2PJIofA_WsQ8B6XGIzhmbRH02Ox8/s400/P9173104.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
View from the camper van in the morning. That's Skye across the water</div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">After breakfasting on the seafront on the Saturday morning we
headed over to the village hall to sign in and get our numbers. There we met a
couple of people who had been having a van incident all of their own. They had
flown up from Portsmouth to Inverness the night before where upon arrival they
discovered that their hire-car had been ‘upgraded’ from a sensible hatchback to
a silly Mercedes saloon. The trouble with this, as they discovered when they arrived
at the bike shop who had stayed open extra late especially for them, is that
the bikes they had hired would not fit in it since the rear seats would not
fold. They headed over to Applecross regardless, hoping for the best.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">As I said, everyone at the race is really friendly and two
bikes were found for them in pretty short order, a flat-bar hybrid of some sort, and a
Marin cruiser-type bike. The funny handlebars and step-through frame don’t
exactly shout ‘Racer’ but it would do. Anyway, having a much more sensible van which
would fit many bikes we volunteered to take them round to the transition at
Arinacrinachd and this gave us yet more opportunity to admire some views, and
also to get up close with some highland cattle and their huge horns. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1OAnJU-bgkRL9hVlqDFcVShdgBtt42Wl8Z5VOjfnD_5B72yZvS_mRfHsDioaedtk_cr74OgJnaehsJ74OTIMYMeO1NEMg36GzdjUtfngapMkgkVk8JcPNjdsfaX4aUSmL_ZJJ0O-wctQ/s1600/P9173109.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1OAnJU-bgkRL9hVlqDFcVShdgBtt42Wl8Z5VOjfnD_5B72yZvS_mRfHsDioaedtk_cr74OgJnaehsJ74OTIMYMeO1NEMg36GzdjUtfngapMkgkVk8JcPNjdsfaX4aUSmL_ZJJ0O-wctQ/s400/P9173109.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
<div align="center">
Turns out they were equally unsuitable...</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">I spent a while there debating which bike I would use, I was
lucky enough to have the choice of two, a standard drop-bar road bike and a
proper time-trial bike with tri-bars, disc wheels and everything. The
transition area was quite sheltered and this lulled me into a false sense of
security and so I opted for the TT bike, which is very, very fast in the right
conditions. Not so quick in the wrong ones it turns out.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">The start, just outside Applecross village, is at a very
civilised 1:30pm, with a 12:30 option for those who view it as more of a
challenge than a race. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkZZdYnXV4SCaWn2VgRWLuk043RWgnG2Kg_xYwYuc9nJDhS5wKkFCPZWmwF4lbpFdqe7Oge9muOwfjRMl8vvjLd9cQlrbobdu2s69lt-CEWEgqoTaXlkW5sy8sCyMvuhbTVlMCI1VECzw/s1600/15227040578_1873afa4ce_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkZZdYnXV4SCaWn2VgRWLuk043RWgnG2Kg_xYwYuc9nJDhS5wKkFCPZWmwF4lbpFdqe7Oge9muOwfjRMl8vvjLd9cQlrbobdu2s69lt-CEWEgqoTaXlkW5sy8sCyMvuhbTVlMCI1VECzw/s400/15227040578_1873afa4ce_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">The nine mile run is mostly on marked trails, a mixture of
rock, gravel and grass with a couple of little stream crossings and a few other
interesting features, no navigation skill is required to be able to follow it.
It is a proper fast run for the guys and girls at the front, there is nothing
too technical there so it is pretty rapid, climbing as quickly as you can,
descending as quickly as you dare. Apart from my fellow racers and the odd
marshal dotted around the hillsides to make sure we didn’t go wandering off
into the middle of nowhere I didn’t see a soul, very large birds of prey
outnumbered tourists by lots to none.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIae7zcbYR0PvRSxpGIgrrKZFKicU_7fYNqr6lC3HLbqxMdhSONKr1WJPzUQ0_05WaVR0CHr4iMxtNi8XzZCOPvVu_kn3vwDBWh8T0nSsFeBqYljDtffIq9Z5lUBxAa53c4FLNC3MTMzo/s1600/route.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIae7zcbYR0PvRSxpGIgrrKZFKicU_7fYNqr6lC3HLbqxMdhSONKr1WJPzUQ0_05WaVR0CHr4iMxtNi8XzZCOPvVu_kn3vwDBWh8T0nSsFeBqYljDtffIq9Z5lUBxAa53c4FLNC3MTMzo/s400/route.JPG" width="368" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">The sea comes into view as you crest the final hill and head down
towards Loch Torridon giving the false impression that you have nearly made it,
before the route turns to the left and follows the coast for another couple of
miles, Loch Torridon to your right and the hills rising up to your left. The
leaders were out of sight by this stage but I was trying as best I could to
keep the chasing pack in view, somewhere at the back of the top-20. The sting
in the tail of the run is the final mile or so of tarmac, completely unexpected
if you haven’t done the race before and a place where the fast guys can stretch
their legs and just stroll passed us climbers on the final approach to the
transition.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixuZqeCPOq92bI-awlGJz4oiAL9s8nT3Zy1E7e3uUaWDasP-48cWCFjL5d7Om-uQbkGMfpZjVFASGxIA2aNeiZtA4w9XTjzSS64gp8PCkwGHe8wP_RaVpV1sJxAHvwmkpfxdKyMbnADI4/s1600/11293434914_ae98058465_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixuZqeCPOq92bI-awlGJz4oiAL9s8nT3Zy1E7e3uUaWDasP-48cWCFjL5d7Om-uQbkGMfpZjVFASGxIA2aNeiZtA4w9XTjzSS64gp8PCkwGHe8wP_RaVpV1sJxAHvwmkpfxdKyMbnADI4/s400/11293434914_ae98058465_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">I spotted my bike easily enough, grabbed a <span style="color: red;"><a href="http://www.torqfitness.co.uk/nutrition/torq-gel" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">Torq gel</span></a></span> from the bag I had left with it and got that
down my throat while I sat in a cow pat and changed my shoes. The process took
about half a minute, thanks to the elasticated laces on my running shoes and
the Velcro on my riding shoes, prior to this I had just assumed that the
triathletes who used such things were merely the kind of people who couldn’t
tie their own laces but I now see why they do it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRDpqcrdxCFMi0GIlQKDMYRoSaor6LWTVL2qAIDx4rKu2xO6wWM7J3Z2OXCGFuvz3xV3Mb1mnzdZRGyAVNniwYQMKaME7jjexwaTHOd-oIkoJezJlPYd3nve3bZUa6TmkAWZqJbgZKnNY/s1600/11293468364_c7eb9e699f_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRDpqcrdxCFMi0GIlQKDMYRoSaor6LWTVL2qAIDx4rKu2xO6wWM7J3Z2OXCGFuvz3xV3Mb1mnzdZRGyAVNniwYQMKaME7jjexwaTHOd-oIkoJezJlPYd3nve3bZUa6TmkAWZqJbgZKnNY/s400/11293468364_c7eb9e699f_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">The TT bike with it’s fancy wheels was indeed as quick as I
had hoped, for about the first two miles. Then we turned the corner at the top
of the peninsula and the wind hit and it became less quick. Much less quick. A
howling side wind is not at all fun on a disc wheel and a four-spoke and that’s
without counting the fact that your arms are about 3 inches apart and you are
really just steering with your elbows. This state of affairs didn’t last long
before I admitted defeat and began riding sitting much more upright, holding
the bars at their (not very!) wide point out by the brake levers. This did
unfortunately mean that the shifters were nearly a foot away from where my
hands were and there were times when the wind was just so strong that I daren’t
take one off to move it to be able to change gear.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">At one point I managed to hit 38mph but then at several
others also managed to go below 6mph, my average for the 15 miles was 15.5mph,
I have averaged a lot more than that in 24hr races, and that includes eating
and toilet stops!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">The bike section follows the coast road around the peninsula and has a reasonable amount of climbing, I could certainly feel it in my legs after the run! There was a great sense of camaraderie as we all battled into the wind together, the 'no drafting' rule mostly being observed but everyone saying hello as they passed, or were passed by, someone else. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">There were a few spectators cheering us on along this more accessible part of the race cheering, a mix of tourists and locals by the look of it, plus the cows and sheep which against all expectations kept well off the racing line.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">I had a good race with Peter Gardner from HBT, I had been
chasing him in the run but had caught and passed him once we were on our bikes.
We swapped places a few times before he <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>came passed me for good as I was struggling
down a hill, trying to keep the bike pointing more or less straight ahead, and
I heard him shouting something about a ‘brave choice of wheels’. It’s a bloody
daft choice of wheels! <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was one
other numpty on tri-spokes but no-one else seemed, erm… is brave the right
word? enough to try it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">It’s my own fault though and despite the poor wheel choice I
really enjoyed the event. The route really is spectacular, a lovely mixture of
hills and coastline. It is long enough to challenge the newbies but short
enough that the fast guys can push hard all the way. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS8vgHGkB-uBofByWwJy-fR4Qth1hz4jOG4_cxPR4iJU9ByHDweeEkhQdOzD6W00za2CPTsBRxMKqQ3eByhtDqp6AUej8B4mXGnG9LsEdvzGdVo9MuOI9pG-VFnmdWXNMMjMuHSA15oZg/s1600/claire-gordon-21.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS8vgHGkB-uBofByWwJy-fR4Qth1hz4jOG4_cxPR4iJU9ByHDweeEkhQdOzD6W00za2CPTsBRxMKqQ3eByhtDqp6AUej8B4mXGnG9LsEdvzGdVo9MuOI9pG-VFnmdWXNMMjMuHSA15oZg/s400/claire-gordon-21.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div align="center">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><o:p>Claire Gordon, HBT</o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">The top three had opened up quite a lead over everyone else,
Graham Scobie taking the win from Stephen Burns and Drew Sharkey. I was ninth, with
which I was pleasantly surprised, one second ahead of David Hurst who I had
seen closing inexorably for the last two or three miles. Clair Gordon won the
women’s race in fifteenth overall with Megan Mowbray and Natalie Stevenson
behind her.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">I’ll be back again next year, same time, same place,
different bike!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNZ4_aQMo31xEkLyNL23fnBEczXWLoJbcihjKhD5bXiutphk_u7jhNSv4xfTmV-05SzmbEcV9fz8wp3wGcmJkfEOkodVAWjR5TwHWytemBVZmaIPD5H-9KUkS0ifx47BrhwH9S8UIL81Q/s1600/22961613401_bd72e188b0_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNZ4_aQMo31xEkLyNL23fnBEczXWLoJbcihjKhD5bXiutphk_u7jhNSv4xfTmV-05SzmbEcV9fz8wp3wGcmJkfEOkodVAWjR5TwHWytemBVZmaIPD5H-9KUkS0ifx47BrhwH9S8UIL81Q/s400/22961613401_bd72e188b0_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Most pictures shamelessly 'borrowed' from race-organiser Jerry</div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
I would like to say a big thank-you to<a href="http://www.torqfitness.co.uk/" target="_blank"> <span style="color: red;">Torq</span></a> and <a href="http://mtzoom.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">Mt Zoom</span></a> for their help in the race and to<span style="color: red;"> </span><a href="http://www.exposurelights.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">Exposure Lights</span></a> for theirs at the following campfire and whiskey session.Andrew Howetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07948073074991195855noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-755724540902978553.post-34767418288759200942016-09-28T20:34:00.002+01:002016-09-30T13:57:17.933+01:00Sometimes Racing In The Rain Is Fun<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:DoNotOptimizeForBrowser/> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--> <br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
You can tell who isn’t local. Waiting near the start line in Keilder Castle for the second running of the Keilder 101 there were a number of people wearing midge nets. Honestly, if you think that’s a lot of midges you ain’t seen nothin’ yet, as our American friends would say. Do they have midges in America? I know the Norwegians have them but they would of course say Du har ikke sett noe ennå!<br />
<br />
The best way to avoid a midge is to ride away from it, they really struggle with a moving target. Luckily we had 101km of racing ahead of us, perfect for evading them.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://andrewhowett.blogspot.co.uk/2015/09/one-big-lap-in-one-little-gear.html"><span style="color: red;">Last year</span></a><span style="color: #222222;"> <span style="color: white;">I had taken second place in the Singlespeeds, a race within a race, which was a little disappointing as I thought I had won and was quite excited about that until someone pointed out that Saul Muldoon had already finished. This did however earn me a place on the front row of the start line for this year’s race. The start itself was neutralised behind a truck for a couple of miles and, since no overtaking was allowed there, I was able to keep up with the fast boys for a while - last year’s overall winner Tom Wragg, European 24hr Champion</span> <a href="https://mattjonesmtb.wordpress.com/"><span style="color: red;">Matt Jones<u> </u></span></a><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="color: white;">and</span> <a href="http://www.richyroth.com/"><span style="color: red;">Ritchie Rothwell<u> </u></span></a><span style="color: #222222;"> <span style="color: white;">who had just ridden from Newcastle to Skye. Skye, nå det er mye mygg!</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitc8fwV9uFMt7LBAuw9_ZzucVqgLWr5Fxr9bKb3t5NboxiTb9dd1xZMmY_VKYYz6HvQqJbQ-oeerO1c08ii7XvWsqKK1ELxA3zKv_d1YLM0neuBc8rfHKqL0df8GeHPARU_2Vr7JjMPc0/s1600/keilder+start.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitc8fwV9uFMt7LBAuw9_ZzucVqgLWr5Fxr9bKb3t5NboxiTb9dd1xZMmY_VKYYz6HvQqJbQ-oeerO1c08ii7XvWsqKK1ELxA3zKv_d1YLM0neuBc8rfHKqL0df8GeHPARU_2Vr7JjMPc0/s400/keilder+start.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div align="center">
The calm before the storm<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
Once the race proper began the quick riders on their geared bikes shot passed me and disappeared off into the distance, much the same as last year really. My little legs were spinning like crazy but I was topping out at about 18mph and just couldn’t match them.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I settled in with the chasing pack, enjoying the riding as the rain eased up. Despite the overnight rain the trails were in pretty good shape, I had been dreading a repeat of the infamous<a href="http://andrewhowett.blogspot.co.uk/2011/12/killer-kielder.html"><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: white;"> </span>100 miles race of 2011</span></a><span style="color: #222222;">, <span style="color: white;">the only DNF I have ever had, but the route this time appeared to have been much more carefully chosen. Despite all the water around it wasn’t the bike killer it had been previously.<br />
<br />
About 7 miles into the race Matt Livesey came passed me, which was annoying as he was also on a singlespeed and this meant that he had now taken the lead from me. He was followed a very short time later by Dave Glover, not only a singlespeeder but also on a MonsterCross bike, two niches in one for him.<br />
<br />
Dave proved fairly simple to get back passed. About ten minutes later at the bottom of a lovely swoopy, rocky descent I saw a group of four or five riders just setting off again. It turns out that they had stopped to pick someone up - Dave’s rigid forks and tiny tyres had left him at the mercy of Lady Luck and he had performed a frontal dismount and then applied his helmet-brake. He looked a little dazed but was otherwise unhurt so we left him to it.<br />
<br />
</span></span></div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="color: white;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim6HhDSB324zLHxKoFORDD6VtsbMGV7XoVbobL2a9NX1RB7iJnoOguCfMvNqWblU6jHIZjIknIwDKA2MCeGImUup1GCdghBvRXhyphenhyphendvQOUPC4fgI8UwJLmVFak1ZwRy8DniC3rkD1MDwH4/s1600/profile.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="127" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim6HhDSB324zLHxKoFORDD6VtsbMGV7XoVbobL2a9NX1RB7iJnoOguCfMvNqWblU6jHIZjIknIwDKA2MCeGImUup1GCdghBvRXhyphenhyphendvQOUPC4fgI8UwJLmVFak1ZwRy8DniC3rkD1MDwH4/s400/profile.JPG" width="400" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="color: white;">Perfect for a singlespeed...</span></span></div>
<br />
The other riders seem to be quite a friendly bunch at Keilder, I don’t know why they should be more chatty here than elsewhere but they are and it’s quite nice. I was struggling a wee bit in the first half of the race and it was nice to have people to talk to. I had been riding with the two leading ladies for quite a while, Marie Meldrum (who eventually finished third, but still won her age-group, after puncturing) and Helen Jackson (who took the win just ahead of Sally Hall), but lost them when I got too hot and stopped to faff with my jacket. Actually, I had to stop and faff with it twice, once to take it off and once to run back and fetch it when it bounced out of my pocket. I could explain why it did that but it’s not terribly interesting, it’s all to do with how I locked the van earlier in the morning and a spoke key.<br />
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I was then joined by Ritchie Scott, who was also quite chatty. He told me a little about his trip to the 24hr World Champs in Weaverville and seemed impressed that I was a riding a singlespeed. Actually, a lot of people seemed impressed with the singlespeed. I don’t know why, I guess it’s just a question of perceptions. Us singlespeeders really aren’t the superhumans we seem to be viewed as (apart from Brett Belchambers and Steve Day obviously but they are in a different league to me) it really isn’t as bad as you think. There you go, “not as bad as you think”, that’s a ringing endorsement. I would encourage everyone to try one, they really are a lot of fun.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had a lot of people asking me after the race how my knees were, they were fine, no problems there at all, although my case of ‘Singlespeed-hand’ seemed to have spread up both lower arms to my elbows…<br />
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="color: white;">Anyway, Ritchie and I crossed the border together having survived the incredibly slippery boardwalk section intact and headed off towards Newcastleton. I was familiar with a lot of this part of the route from when it used to host the UK and European 24hr championships. They guys from Rock UK had set up the second feed stop there which also included the bag drop, to which I had sent a supply of</span> </span><a href="http://www.torqfitness.co.uk/nutrition/torq-bar" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">Torq bars</span></a><span style="color: #222222;"> <span style="color: white;">and</span> </span><a href="http://www.torqfitness.co.uk/nutrition/torq-gel" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">gels</span></a><span style="color: #222222;"> <span style="color: white;">and a dry base layer and pair of gloves. The latter weren’t actually required, the former were crammed into my pocket while the marshal refilled my bottle and I swallowed a banana. </span></span></div>
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As we left the feed stop I could see that the trailfairies at Newcastleton have been busy, this part of the trail was all new and there were many others branching off from the lines were taking, I will have to come back and explore properly on day. We rejoined the 24hr route, up the old logging road, over the river, up the hill and along the fireroad to the lovely singletrack section by the Trail-Head, winding our way down through the trees to the Hidden Valley. Three hours into the race I was finally up to speed and starting to pass people, it always takes me a while to get warmed up, and this was one of those races where I just felt better and better as I went along, I felt quicker after 3hrs than I did at the start! <br />
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Having left Ritchey behind at the feed stop I was without anyone to chat to for quite a while, just a brief exchange as I passed people, but I got company again as we crossed the border and headed back into England. It’s always fun racing across a border, I don’t know why but it just feels special. A bit like riding through the night until dawn but a little easier to do… I had a brief chat with Jim, the guy I had been racing last year. He had wimped out of riding a singlespeed this year and was on a half-fat geared hardtail. Actually, that only had gears at the back, there was a single ring at the front; half-fat, half geared, best to work up to these things gradually.<br />
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The only part which wasn't rideable on a singlespeed</div>
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Looks a like most of the geared riders struggled too...</div>
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The long, slightly downhill fireroad section was the only place where I felt that a singlespeed was a bit of a liability, I was spinning like crazy but not really making much progress and was losing a lot of the places I had just won back. I wasn’t losing as many as I expected to though, the current fashion for single rings seemed to be limiting a few of the geared riders’ top speeds as well. 34/10 may well be quicker than the 32/17 I was using but it’s no match for a good old fashioned 3x9 with 44/11. Still, that’s progress for you.</div>
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We eventually cleared the fireroads and returned to the lovely undulating singletrack where the singlespeed felt surprisingly at home. I was really enjoying myself, the course was really enjoyable to ride and in the latter stages of the race I was overtaking people again, which is always fun. </div>
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I was having so much fun in fact that I didn’t even realise that the race was nearly finished. I was chasing two riders down through a lovely set of switchbacks, then out of the trees onto a fireroad, sprinting like crazy as I tried to keep up. There was a marshal with a timing device ahead of us, we all barrelled up to him, dibbed as quickly as we could and shot off again as the other marshal leapt in front of us, this is the finish, race over.</div>
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This year I knew that I was second in the singlespeeds, this wasn’t a surprise like it was <a href="http://andrewhowett.blogspot.co.uk/2015/09/one-big-lap-in-one-little-gear.html"><span style="color: red;">last year</span> </a>when I thought I had won until I was told otherwise. I had however gone seven minutes faster than last time despite the weather. That’s odd in itself, I am normally terrible in the rain, I generally don’t enjoy it and struggle to steer on wet roots and end up crashing into trees as a result but this race had been really good. The course was great, and the fact that it was one very big lap meant that it didn’t have the volume of traffic passing over it to chew it all up so it remained pretty weather-proof throughout</div>
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I headed back up to the Castle to check in, where I swapped my timing chip for food and drink, which was very welcome. I also, finally, got to stand on the podium here. In 2012 I had finished third in the British Endurance Series, of which the<a href="http://andrewhowett.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/the-championship-decider-kielder-100.html"> <span style="color: red;">Keilder 100 race</span></a> was the last, but was in the shower when they did podiums and last year it was only the winner of the singlespeeds who go to stand on it. It is surprisingly satisfying for such a small block of wood.</div>
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Matt Liversy, singlespeed winner on the top step, Rob Haworth,</div>
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Fatbike winner on the second and me on the third</div>
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Tom Wragg had retained his title, ahead of Adam Nolan and Ed Shoot with <span style="color: #222222;"><a href="https://mattjonesmtb.wordpress.com/"><span style="color: red;">Matt Jones </span></a></span>in fourth. Mat Liveseyhad won the singlespeeds, in 12<sup>th</sup> overall with me second and 23<sup>rd</sup> overall. Robert Haworth took the win in the fatbike class, and won… a fatbike. Very nice of Genesis to be giving them away, it looks a lot of fun (it was actually a spot-prize but just by sheer coincidence ended up going to someone who already had one!)</div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: small;">And finally, being a bike race, I couldn’t leave without having a minor <a href="http://andrewhowett.blogspot.co.uk/2015/04/its-not-bike-race-without-van-incident.html"><span style="color: red;">van incident</span></a>. It pales into insignificance compared to the fuel pump which died in northern France on the way back from the <a href="http://andrewhowett.blogspot.co.uk/2016/07/twenty-three-and-bit-hours-in-field.html"><span style="color: red;">European 24hr</span></a> earlier this year. I had managed to get stuck in the campsite at both the <a href="http://andrewhowett.blogspot.co.uk/2011/12/killer-kielder.html"><span style="color: red;">2011</span></a> and <a href="http://andrewhowett.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/the-championship-decider-kielder-100.html"><span style="color: red;">2012</span></a> races, in exactly the same spot, so this year I parked elsewhere. This didn’t help and I got the van stuck yet again. I had to be rescued by a very helpful chap called Dave who had a lot of hair and a Volvo which wasn’t stuck.</span></div>
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I would like to say a huge thank-you to <a href="http://www.torqfitness.co.uk/" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">Torq</span></a>, <a href="http://mtzoom.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">Mt Zoom</span></a> and <a href="http://www.exposurelights.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">Exposure Lights</span></a>. Yes, I know it wasn't dark during the race but when you arrive at the venue well after dark and have to do all your faffing in the pitch black a <a href="http://www.exposurelights.com/marine-lights/head-torches/exposure-verso-head-torch" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">Verso</span></a> head torch is rather useful.</div>
Andrew Howetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07948073074991195855noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-755724540902978553.post-39475535151363000102016-09-07T13:01:00.000+01:002016-09-07T13:11:00.980+01:00New Team For The World Champ<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: white;"><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Fo</span></span><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">r reasons which I really don’t understand the decision by the reigning 24hr Singlespeed World Champion, Steve Day, to move from his long-term home at Singular to a new team at TraversBikes seems to have generated much less media attention than Sebastian Vettel’s move from Red Bull to Ferrari did a couple of years ago. So, just in case any of you have missed it, here’s his press statement:</span></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: white; font-family: "calibri";">After an amazing couple of years flying the </span><a data-hovercard="/ajax/hovercard/page.php?id=113995139446" href="https://www.facebook.com/SingularCycles/"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: white; font-family: "calibri";">Singular Cycles</span></span></a><span style="color: white; font-family: "calibri";"> flag while racing and having fun, and achieving some massive goals along the way, I have picked up a new frame sponsor by the name of </span><a data-hovercard="/ajax/hovercard/group.php?id=495018467216731" href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/495018467216731/"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: white; font-family: "calibri";">TraversBikes.com</span></span></a><span style="color: white; font-family: "calibri";">. I am so excited about the new kit that has arrived and photo's will start appearing as the build gets underway... hopefully in time for Tide2Tide.<br /> A BIG thanks has to go to </span><a data-hovercard="/ajax/hovercard/user.php?id=557890833" href="https://www.facebook.com/sam.alison"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: white; font-family: "calibri";">Sam Alison</span></span></a><span style="color: white; font-family: "calibri";"> for his support over the last couple of years, and especially his assistance with getting me sorted with local help and extra kit for my WEMBO-16 trip to New Zealand. Without this the whole trip would have been a lot more stressful.<br /> The Travers RussTi will be shod with a pair of </span><a data-hovercard="/ajax/hovercard/page.php?id=348043985298206" href="https://www.facebook.com/LaufForks/"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: white; font-family: "calibri";">Lauf Forks</span></span></a><span style="color: white; font-family: "calibri";"> for the long distance races. Coming highly recommended by Mr </span><a data-hovercard="/ajax/hovercard/user.php?id=832892172" href="https://www.facebook.com/michael.travers.50"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: white; font-family: "calibri";">Travers</span></span></a><span style="color: white; font-family: "calibri";">, and weighing almost nothing. Again, something I am really looking forward to putting through their paces over the next couple of months. A huge thanks to the nice men in Iceland for getting these to me so quickly.<br /> Finally, I am also proud to now be supported by </span><a data-hovercard="/ajax/hovercard/page.php?id=1415166922094861" href="https://www.facebook.com/jerseypocket/"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: white; font-family: "calibri";">Jersey Pocket Nutrition</span></span></a><span style="color: white; font-family: "calibri";"> who will be helping me with my energy products. A great UK company who make some awesome products down in Devon. Thanks to </span><a data-hovercard="/ajax/hovercard/user.php?id=745780699" href="https://www.facebook.com/marc.baker.750331"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: white; font-family: "calibri";">Marc Baker</span></span></a><span style="color: white; font-family: "calibri";"> for putting me in touch with these guys.</span></span></div>
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Andrew Howetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07948073074991195855noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-755724540902978553.post-46678061855528762282016-08-01T14:14:00.000+01:002016-08-01T14:14:03.091+01:00Soća Valley MTB MarathonWe had been in Slovenia for five days, all of them sunny and pleasantly warm at just over 30˚. These had mostly consisted of ridding around the Triglavski National Park in the north west of the country, admiring the views and eating ice-cream wherever we could find it.<o:p></o:p><br />
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Riding into Slovenia from Austria, via Italy, a couple of days </div>
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after a 24hr probably wasn't great race preparation but was still</div>
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There had also been, on the Saturday morning, a running race as part of the Soća Valley Outdoors Festival. We hadn’t planned to do it, we just arrived in Tolmin and saw a sign, so turned up and joined in and they seemed more than happy to have us along. Being unplanned we had no running shoes with us and those which we had borrowed at very short notice from the lovely helpful people of Adidas Austria weren’t quite the right size and had given me a blister, about which Gina was enormously sympathetic, despite how stoic I was about it. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Even worse than that, I had fallen down the stone steps cut into the gorge down to the river and had hit my knee on the rocks and, worse still, my other knee but I was very brave and still managed to hobble around the rest of the route.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I rode from the finish of that race in Tolmin to the venue for the Soća Valley MTB Marathon at Kobarid, ignoring the pain and making no fuss at all, barely even mentioning it in fact. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I had a terrible night’s sleep thanks to my toe, my knee and of course my other knee. When I awoke, far too early, the weather had turned and it was chucking it down, the only wet day of what would be ten days in the country, and I tend not to go well in the wet.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I think that’s all the pre-race excuses covered. Oh, go on then, just one more. It was exactly a week since the <a _blank="" href="http://andrewhowett.blogspot.co.uk/2016/07/twenty-three-and-bit-hours-in-field.html"><span style="color: red;">European 24hr Championship</span></a> at Davos, not nearly enough time to recover.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Anyway, excuses over, unless I can think of another one. Actually, I had the wrong tyres on, we were touring after all and not expecting to race. <o:p></o:p></div>
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We left the arena at Kamp Koren on the banks of the Isonzo river and made our way up to the centre of Kobarid for the start, quite a few locals had come to see us off despite the weather.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVukvOj7nDyy0iQ4bKNpo8TLE34yJtguGMGUzNeGRz5f8MCox6oW3UZ7WscON1ciirKEG3xXp1rt4VVK5ZhCgR3m9fj0cnCJs_H1yqPkDd_Xfwv1-jQcr26s46j3sOajgbeVNxeCbdVxU/s1600/13534594_1073104322755236_739235257_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVukvOj7nDyy0iQ4bKNpo8TLE34yJtguGMGUzNeGRz5f8MCox6oW3UZ7WscON1ciirKEG3xXp1rt4VVK5ZhCgR3m9fj0cnCJs_H1yqPkDd_Xfwv1-jQcr26s46j3sOajgbeVNxeCbdVxU/s400/13534594_1073104322755236_739235257_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Front row spot. I didn't stay there long once we started!</div>
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There were a couple of miles of tarmac behind the local fire-truck and then a lot of very fast and surprisingly entertaining fireroads. I knew that the total climbing would be around 4,800ft but what no-one had mentioned was that the vast bulk of this would be in one single, brutal, hill.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRRxEqYoQ49Pws9_QfEf_8lsQWL0RpUXF3Yummg1OMut0AC7sMi6A15qMRtn_oW8Q6OIVkC3OlRS8vJazS4fRg3w7b39yj2EiKHuVqAw8Gs7BEQM1LO0EZQuP9VInhP2brsvI_c_Ro6mw/s1600/_profil_mtb_2016_ODSEKI_1920px_thumb-500x313.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRRxEqYoQ49Pws9_QfEf_8lsQWL0RpUXF3Yummg1OMut0AC7sMi6A15qMRtn_oW8Q6OIVkC3OlRS8vJazS4fRg3w7b39yj2EiKHuVqAw8Gs7BEQM1LO0EZQuP9VInhP2brsvI_c_Ro6mw/s400/_profil_mtb_2016_ODSEKI_1920px_thumb-500x313.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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The scale on the left is meters by the way, not feet!</div>
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It also appears that the Slovenian word for 'Gravel' is 'Makadam'</div>
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In a bizarre sort of way I actually quite enjoyed the climbing. It began gently enough, a little gradient in the farm tracks, gradually getting steeper. There was even a tarmac section for a couple of miles about a third of the way up, the main road up and out of the valley had been closed off especially for us. There was a sharp right at the top of that into a singletrack climb which lead us straight up the face of the hill and then out of the woods onto another LandRover track.<o:p></o:p></div>
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This zigzagged it’s way up the side of the mountain for what seemed like hours, just on and on, up and up, back and forth into the rain and fog, the top of our hill hidden in the mist, but the summits of neighbouring ones across the valley occasionally peeking through the tops of their clouds.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQjsUvrJjaJcQL1Juj_WtPjcSKGgqP7UkZBXPA_YEMj7bpmXXFJ4X3CjQKk6-oc_DGKaaDxQ_3dmE8zxdbUjCY5ewpvU2eyD_as95nK3TYeoZ5O_nuDvRYUED7zoKB80_4ekY91BttsbU/s1600/Cmcu7LJWcAAljo3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="221" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQjsUvrJjaJcQL1Juj_WtPjcSKGgqP7UkZBXPA_YEMj7bpmXXFJ4X3CjQKk6-oc_DGKaaDxQ_3dmE8zxdbUjCY5ewpvU2eyD_as95nK3TYeoZ5O_nuDvRYUED7zoKB80_4ekY91BttsbU/s400/Cmcu7LJWcAAljo3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Eventually it relented and we found ourselves on a plateau, 3,967ft in one continuous climb, there’s not many places in the UK where one could do that! We had also passed the 25km mark, halfway, the return trip was looking promising.<o:p></o:p></div>
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There was a feed stop just over the peak, I refilled my bottle, grabbed a banana and headed off into the woods. <o:p></o:p></div>
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This was a wake-up call. After nearly two hours of really tough climbing with my brain fine but my legs screaming for mercy the positions instantly flipped. We plunged down into the trees, really, really steep, a chute lined closely on both sides with trees, wet roots all over the place making the steering extremely difficult and braking all but impossible. My legs got a well-earned rest but my head seems to be the bit which takes the longest to recover from a 24hr and it was struggling to take everything quickly enough, my reaction times just weren’t up to the job. This is a shame because it was a fabulous piece of trail and it would have been a lot of fun to have been able to ride it at speed but I just daren’t. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA3pb740BQYsQgT5Rgzn9a9ru0NhkOTGjNVvsGJWl3VafmkQwnNMAGEnNMQGNry6Zp-9EEHGZ083rNHghyIKVAAoZrcFodhLhKg1f2FwzSq18K_sCRJTo2zM42MUGzM-2r_7oiRrM4Xc8/s1600/bridge.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="363" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA3pb740BQYsQgT5Rgzn9a9ru0NhkOTGjNVvsGJWl3VafmkQwnNMAGEnNMQGNry6Zp-9EEHGZ083rNHghyIKVAAoZrcFodhLhKg1f2FwzSq18K_sCRJTo2zM42MUGzM-2r_7oiRrM4Xc8/s400/bridge.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Lower down the mud started to build up and I found myself, along with quite a few others, sliding down the hill, one foot clipped in and the other waving around for balance, bouncing off the sides of the hill. Each turn of the helter-skelter was an act of faith, get my breath back, point the bike in the right direction and then hold on and hope for the best, before seeing if I could get the speed down enough in time for the next corner. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Lower down the hill the mud gave way to rocks, great big wet, shiny, slippery rocks. I was all over the place again, still unable to think fast enough to keep the bike under control. I ended up in a heap in a bush at one point but managed to avoid landing on any of the rocks and so no damage was done. I was rescued by another helpful rider who freed my left foot from the pedal it was trapped in, my poor wounded knee not being strong enough to unclip while laying on my side tangled up in the bike and the undergrowth.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I promised myself that I would be more careful but soon found myself getting carried away again, going too quickly and falling once more as I slid over the stones. I remained mostly upright as I rode into the embankment at the side of the trail but this time hurt my finger and my other finger as I put my arm out to save myself. Despite these injuries the descent was a huge amount of fun. The rain had stopped by this point and a lot of locals had come out to cheer from their houses, gardens and fields as we sped passed.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc4IroT7-glJ1vD0GOssWAwu8XWOH8EwHc64ZLiFkvPy77YvNppcqn2QuQ9O-Jat-Kisr9p6ab07phLBAtNFfN1JTZmTGiccDsc-NooIV4bUF08mJKrREV_TTi-fuguv0qPTZ6EvNyuJs/s1600/IMG_2095.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc4IroT7-glJ1vD0GOssWAwu8XWOH8EwHc64ZLiFkvPy77YvNppcqn2QuQ9O-Jat-Kisr9p6ab07phLBAtNFfN1JTZmTGiccDsc-NooIV4bUF08mJKrREV_TTi-fuguv0qPTZ6EvNyuJs/s320/IMG_2095.JPG" width="180" /></a></div>
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The Isonzo river is also pretty</div>
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About five miles from the end I passed someone who’s name I have forgotten but whom I had been talking to near the top of the climb. Talking with the locals is easy, in common with most Brits I speak very little Slovenian but almost everyone we met spoke perfect English. Standard procedure seemed to be for me to ask if the person I needed to talk to could speak English, German or Italian, since I can just about muddle through in the latter two, the languages of their neighbours, and they would reply that they could speak all three fluently and which did I prefer? <o:p></o:p></div>
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Anyway, we had been discussing the comparative riding to be had in Slovenia and Scotland and the relative merits of each country’s access laws before he left me behind and disappeared up into the clouds. When I saw him again he was pushing his bike with a flat front tyre. He and I were probably the only two 26 inch riders in the field and so I was able to give him one of my tubes, and I also took a bit of a risk and gave him my pump (not expecting to race I wasn’t carrying my usual gas but had the <a _blank="" href="http://andrewhowett.blogspot.co.uk/2016/02/i-like-shiny-things.html"><span style="color: red;">Lyzene frame-mounted track-pump</span></a> with me) </div>
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I took the last few miles a bit more carefully, just being a little cautious in case I pinch flatted as I too would now be reliant on the generosity of a passer-by. It was not needed and the remaining fireroads were dispatched without incident, bringing us back to Kamp Koren, where shortly afterwards I was handed a pump and a beer by a very grateful Slovenian bloke.<o:p></o:p></div>
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As I expected I hadn’t done very well, My toe, my knee, my other knee and general fatigue had left me down in 46<sup>th</sup> place at 3h53m but I had enjoyed it enormously, which is the main thing. It was a proper, tough course. A good hard climb, technical descents, some fast sections, and generally very well run. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgow1QApxJlSCTEqvjK4pN3PJBcbdEpK0zBcrpd7RPXSIJqrFJqU-PUpkIbFTAQaGGyWci-OjRpdlgehnFDX8OAYL0V3r8nKZxVTDqTBMxbcYnHovoLSKjiOcaGjWoEn-NluGRN66ZX6vw/s1600/IMG_2108.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgow1QApxJlSCTEqvjK4pN3PJBcbdEpK0zBcrpd7RPXSIJqrFJqU-PUpkIbFTAQaGGyWci-OjRpdlgehnFDX8OAYL0V3r8nKZxVTDqTBMxbcYnHovoLSKjiOcaGjWoEn-NluGRN66ZX6vw/s400/IMG_2108.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Proper race course. Start in the town at the bottom right of the </div>
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picture, up to the summit at the top left, over the top and back</div>
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down the other side.</div>
<o:p></o:p><br />
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I was chatting to one of the marshals afterwards, who of course spoke perfect English, and she expressed surprise that I would come all the way from Scotland for the race. I explained that we had actually come for the <a _blank="" href="http://andrewhowett.blogspot.co.uk/2016/07/twenty-three-and-bit-hours-in-field.html"><span style="color: red;">European Championship</span></a> in Switzerland and had just been touring around Slovenia when we stumbled across the race by accident. She asked how the two events compared and seemed equally surprised when I said that this was by the far the better. A lovely area which they really made the most of. I know a few people who have been to Slovenia and they have all come back saying how lovely it is, how friendly everyone and how I really should go. They are right, and if you are reading this, you should go too.<br />
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Just because you are racing doesn't mean you can't</div>
<o:p></o:p> </div>
Andrew Howetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07948073074991195855noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-755724540902978553.post-80896245906154671522016-07-20T13:54:00.001+01:002016-07-21T17:32:46.610+01:00Twenty-Three And A Bit Hours In A Field<br />
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I really hate to write a negative-sounding race report but sometimes circumstances just dictate that it has to be done. </div>
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<o:p></o:p> </div>
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I will however start with the positives – the views from the course were fantastic. That over, on with the rest of it…</div>
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<o:p></o:p> </div>
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Some elements, such as the heavy rain which began about noon, just as we were getting ready to head into Davos for the start, were outside of the organiser’s control, but most of the rest they could, and probably should, have done differently.</div>
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<o:p></o:p> </div>
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We arrived in Davos town centre at about 1pm having found our way to the start by stopping and asking in a local bike shop (<a _blank="" href="http://www.davos.ch/service/website-infos/suche/adresse/BCE3D990-4AE8-4FD8-A4F8-D438C702F0C2"><span style="color: red;">Ivan's</span></a><span style="color: red;">,</span> lovely people who helped us enormously all week) rather than by following any signs since there didn't appear to be any. The race briefing was conducted in the concrete entrance lobby of some sort of sports centre. My German is good enough to get the gist of it but being a European Championship I was expecting a couple more languages, at least English and French, possibly Italian, maybe a couple of others.<br />
<o:p></o:p> </div>
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Despite the drab surroundings we were all keen to remain in there for as long as possible as the rain outside was bouncing off the paving. We were however ushered out to the start line about 20 minutes before the off, where we chatted amongst ourselves as we got wetter and wetter and colder and colder.</div>
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The first start</div>
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The race was lead out behind a truck, starting at 1345 rather than the advertised 1400. This lead us on a neutralised lap of the town where, probably due to the weather, only half a dozen people had come to cheer us on.</div>
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<o:p></o:p> </div>
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From there we were lead up the main road for a couple of miles back to the venue at Frauenkirch, traffic coming down the road clearly not warned that they were about to encounter a couple of hundred riders heading towards them, jostling for position amongst themselves and not expecting anything to be coming the other way.</div>
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<o:p></o:p> </div>
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I managed to stay at the front for most of this neutralised section, which proved to be a good move. I did drop back to the second row briefly and the spray from just the riders in front of me was horrendous, I don’t know what it was like for those further back, they must have been even wetter and colder than I was.</div>
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We were lead up the main climb where the truck peeled off and the race proper began. Defending champion Daniel Schmidheiney, the other Brit <a href="https://mattjonesmtb.wordpress.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">Matt Jones</span> </a>and a few others shot off up the reminder of the hill leaving me and another half dozen as a chasing pack, the other riders strung out down the hill behind us. </div>
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Matt on some fireroad, a little bit techier than most of the rest </div>
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of the course as there is a puddle to avoid here.</div>
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<o:p></o:p> </div>
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Up the fireroad climb as fast as I could, over the crest and down the other side, a really fast fireroad descent. With the recent addition of a front crud-catcher and a neoguard I was actually able to see the corners through all the spray, a big improvement over Friday afternoon, and I felt brave enough to keep my speed up.</div>
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<o:p></o:p> </div>
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A sharp right-hander at the end took us into one of the two brief singletrack sections. It was marked with three caution arrows, but Gina had ridden it perfectly well on Friday – not only has she never raced but the number of times she has ridden a mountain bike can be counted, if not on the fingers of one hand, then certainly without needing to remove one’s socks. This 'suitable for beginners' section was the most interesting part of the course, but probably didn’t warrant three arrows.</div>
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<o:p></o:p> </div>
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Left at the bottom and down the hill towards the bridge, a marshal still faffing with the course tape. Unsure which way to go I shouted “Rechts? Right? Diestre?” Nothing. I guessed and carried the speed into the more obvious line across the bridge, those behind following me over. Heading up the climb on the other side <a href="https://mattjonesmtb.wordpress.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">Matt</span></a> appeared from my right, another rider on his tail, shouting something about getting lost. Not a good start for him!<o:p></o:p></div>
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He got away from me again up the grassy climb and through the quarry. If the rain continued as it was now this grassy climb would quickly become a quagmire, reminiscent of a wet Eastnor and Mountain Mayhem at it’s worst.</div>
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<o:p></o:p> </div>
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Through the campsite, up another tarmac climb and then through the river crossing. I was following the two guys in front of me as fast as I could. There were two camper vans parked across the track, which we squeezed passed as best we could. Over to my left I could see the end of the other singletrack section as we rode passed it. It seemed a little odd that we had not ridden it but maybe the first lap was different, it sometimes is, just to spread us out a little at the start. I pointed at it as we sped passed, slightly quizzical. My companions looked puzzled but shrugged and carried on in pursuit of the riders still just visible ahead of us as they headed into the trees. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWkGNTRcr3R23ZW8rzUAmmI5sdE8wYOZnhklV9nG-DuudqcWQf-xEiZolIRzZTMW65WOz3tm0DLNIlPKNt3O1QnU1llbOhsZaEi3SCc8Z9WDt_zLJ9-AGLs8QPiwvrCit72vZ5_6CKIPk/s1600/matt2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWkGNTRcr3R23ZW8rzUAmmI5sdE8wYOZnhklV9nG-DuudqcWQf-xEiZolIRzZTMW65WOz3tm0DLNIlPKNt3O1QnU1llbOhsZaEi3SCc8Z9WDt_zLJ9-AGLs8QPiwvrCit72vZ5_6CKIPk/s400/matt2.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Matt cornering hard in a field</div>
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<o:p></o:p> </div>
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Along the riverside, another interminable grassy section before finally riding through the stable yard and back into the pits. I just needed another bottle of <a _blank="" href="http://www.torqfitness.co.uk/nutrition/torq-energy%20target="><span style="color: red;">Torq</span></a>, just a quick grab, there should be no need to stop, but Gina and Luke, Daniel’s mechanic, flagged me down and pulled me over. The race had been aborted, so many riders had got lost that they had no choice but to abandon it and start again.<br />
<o:p></o:p> </div>
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This was just after 1430, a new 23hr race would start from the main arena at 1500. There was just enough time to wash the worst of the mud and grass out of the bike, put a dry top on, have a <a _blank="" href="http://www.torqfitness.co.uk/nutrition/torq-bar"><span style="color: red;">Torq bar</span></a> and then stand around in the rain losing whatever body heat we had managed to build up since the first start. <o:p></o:p></div>
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This sort of thing just shouldn’t happen, especially at a European Championship. The course not being properly marked out as the race got underway is a pretty basic error. It should really have been properly marked at least a couple of days before, from talking to other riders I got the impression that no-one had been able to practice it properly, we should have known it like the backs of our gloves by this stage. Most people had ridden most of it but not necessarily in the right order or in the right direction. It’s like that moment before the test match when the umpire is wandering around, trying to find someone who has remembered to bring a bat this time…</div>
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<o:p></o:p> </div>
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Whilst I am having a moan, there we were in the middle of the Swiss Alps, snow-capped peaks and forests all around us, a stone’s throw from some of the best riding to be found anywhere on earth. SO WHY WEREN’T WE USING IT?! It was such a wasted opportunity, coming all this way to such a lovely area to ride round and round a field or two. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhloDcPjnJ-tkOlfw0E098cu9dfUEmvr2waT_SYEk7jhxqGsrk34LfDSmgO5esHTETx5j6FlaFimKqK7LZgU_MSczYomeh07MOq3vBAVf5wcXXNMFuJyClMziXgeO-8EtRhomMZ4noF1SQ/s1600/quarry.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhloDcPjnJ-tkOlfw0E098cu9dfUEmvr2waT_SYEk7jhxqGsrk34LfDSmgO5esHTETx5j6FlaFimKqK7LZgU_MSczYomeh07MOq3vBAVf5wcXXNMFuJyClMziXgeO-8EtRhomMZ4noF1SQ/s400/quarry.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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The much vaunted quarry section...</div>
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Particular highlights of the track included riding through the discharge puddle from the showers, twice each lap, the enormous puddle of horse piss in the stable yard as we came back into the pits, the quarry section which turned out to be the access road for the trucks and of course the meat factory. The pits were located right next to this and the stench of death pervaded the whole campsite during the race. When the wind got up in a little on Sunday morning it also engulfed most of the second half of the course, really not good news 20hrs into a race when one’s stomach is all over the place. </div>
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<o:p></o:p> </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAc100QJ7sTLkINN43t-Rmm9fJchyphenhyphenkT_FGAzEi2TqjpeFN4W8wC6mWT_f6v39ik__cJq-ahM38OWTimYBW-HhUykA6ZTlwoGC_jWn7YBh7o1_8_F5yvbZi_RVaWZyC23Sw6CeL271oXGM/s1600/meat+factory.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAc100QJ7sTLkINN43t-Rmm9fJchyphenhyphenkT_FGAzEi2TqjpeFN4W8wC6mWT_f6v39ik__cJq-ahM38OWTimYBW-HhUykA6ZTlwoGC_jWn7YBh7o1_8_F5yvbZi_RVaWZyC23Sw6CeL271oXGM/s400/meat+factory.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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The meat factory next to the transition area for the team riders</div>
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in the pits, that really did stink!</div>
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Anyway, Race Two:</div>
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<o:p></o:p> </div>
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The rain was starting to ease off as we regrouped on the improvised start line, hoping no-one had had a mechanical on the first lap and was still out there somewhere in the woods. No-one had checked us in or out again.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYEmQ-rqewNcZJQ77liVx6mQjP_ZigKlijntfVWJ9hCXvFGVt8l3zYtnzFMnELPS0edUNwijrqo3Kz6W59Vqp9ZK7sLACSRvEuAih8xBkMgvTken9w5HaHIlJoy5TETMa4-dl4O0rZ0RY/s1600/new+start4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYEmQ-rqewNcZJQ77liVx6mQjP_ZigKlijntfVWJ9hCXvFGVt8l3zYtnzFMnELPS0edUNwijrqo3Kz6W59Vqp9ZK7sLACSRvEuAih8xBkMgvTken9w5HaHIlJoy5TETMa4-dl4O0rZ0RY/s400/new+start4.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<o:p>The second start. This is me chasing defending champ </o:p></div>
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<o:p>Daniel Schmidheiney, Matt Jones just visible behind me,</o:p></div>
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<o:p>probably the last time I was ahead of him. </o:p></div>
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<o:p></o:p> </div>
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Daniel shot off at the restart, opening up a big lead on the first climb, half a dozen riders chasing him with me in the pack behind them. It turned out that I had indeed been one of those who had gone the wrong way, turning right instead of left after the stream crossing. I got it right this time, word had obviously reached the marshals and the markings all appeared to have been fixed, the course was much easier to follow. </div>
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<o:p></o:p> </div>
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I found the previously omitted singletrack section and also found that the two camper vans were not in fact parked on the course after all now I was going the right way. Even better, they belonged to our friends from <a _blank="" href="http://www.davos.ch/service/website-infos/suche/adresse/BCE3D990-4AE8-4FD8-A4F8-D438C702F0C2"><span style="color: red;">Ivan's</span></a> who had set up a neutral put to help anyone who might need it, as I said, lovely people.<br />
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<o:p></o:p> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh27y25x_9Pi1nz4EnZl8RICMaYmzqIN24Ta7ZNuGGlmPjrubu5234_zk-8ByGUe1IEudBJW53qIOVr5-VqwjeIvy5QQN4JV8nTJYJlS_ADGAz46xzPjvrqnDN-Cse_FpHEh8AHxsgFsp4/s1600/5a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="262" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh27y25x_9Pi1nz4EnZl8RICMaYmzqIN24Ta7ZNuGGlmPjrubu5234_zk-8ByGUe1IEudBJW53qIOVr5-VqwjeIvy5QQN4JV8nTJYJlS_ADGAz46xzPjvrqnDN-Cse_FpHEh8AHxsgFsp4/s400/5a.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhloDcPjnJ-tkOlfw0E098cu9dfUEmvr2waT_SYEk7jhxqGsrk34LfDSmgO5esHTETx5j6FlaFimKqK7LZgU_MSczYomeh07MOq3vBAVf5wcXXNMFuJyClMziXgeO-8EtRhomMZ4noF1SQ/s1600/quarry.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a> There's some singletrack! And some more tarmac...</div>
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The rain stayed away for the first two laps before it returned again for another hour or so. The grass sections were, as predicted, getting quite chewed up but they had at least brought out some wooden snow-ladders to keep it rideable for most of us. </div>
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<o:p></o:p> </div>
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Daniel completely lost the will to live at about 6pm and called it a day. After some food and a hot shower he took over as mechanic and Luke headed home. It was at about this time that my forks also gave up (note to self: I really need to get some new ones, they keep going wrong mid race, I wonder if anyone still makes 26” QR forks? Maybe I should have a word with the Retro-Bike guys…) It didn’t really matter though, rigid forks were fine for this course and I just kept riding them despite having access to a spare bike. My 4”-travel full-suss really did leave me feeling very overbiked, I had the rear locked out for most of the race.</div>
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Me in a field next to a river</div>
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<o:p></o:p> </div>
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It was time to fit the lights as darkness started to fall at about 9pm. <a href="https://mattjonesmtb.wordpress.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">Matt</span></a> was in second at this point and chasing hard, I was in twelfth and feeling reasonably comfortable. I was using two lights, an <a href="http://maxxd/" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">Exposure MaxxDs</span></a> on the bars and a <a href="http://www.exposurelights.com/cycle-lights/front-lights/exposure-joystick-mk10" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">Joystick</span> </a>on my helmet as a backup. </div>
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<o:p></o:p> </div>
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Normally I would need two <a href="http://maxxd/" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">MaxxDs</span></a>, or one and something similar like a <a _blank="" href="http://www.exposurelights.com/cycle-lights/front-lights/exposure-six-pack-mk6="><span style="color: red;">SixPack</span></a> or <a _blank="" href="http://www.exposurelights.com/cycle-lights/front-lights/exposure-toro-mk7"><span style="color: red;">Toro</span></a>, to get me through the night part of a race. I run them on medium on the fireoads and then at full power in the singletrack and two will easily last a race like this. The <a href="http://www.exposurelights.com/cycle-lights/front-lights/exposure-joystick-mk10" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">Joystick</span></a> is to help see around the corners in the twisty bits and usually has a <a _blank="" href="http://www.exposurelights.com/cycle-lights/batteries-and-chargers/support-cells"><span style="color: red;">SupportCell</span></a> attached for a bit of extra battery life. </div>
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<o:p></o:p> </div>
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The <a href="http://www.exposurelights.com/cycle-lights/front-lights/exposure-joystick-mk10" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">Joystick</span></a> didn’t get used at all this time and the main light spent so much time on low and medium, with just a couple of minutes on high each lap, that it was still going strong as daylight returned, the course was too simple to require using it’s full potential.</div>
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<o:p></o:p> </div>
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By about 2am <a href="https://mattjonesmtb.wordpress.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">Matt</span></a> had taken the lead and I had moved up to seventh, he had one pursuer pretty close behind but I had about four.</div>
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<o:p></o:p> </div>
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Matt in a different field</div>
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It didn’t get too cold overnight and mercifully the forecast thunderstorms stayed away so the course didn’t get too much worse despite the riders passing over and over it. It wasn’t just the 24hr Soloists here, there were also 24hr Teams and a 6hr race. I have no idea what the 6hr racers did, whether they restarted the 6hrs again or if they did a 5hr race. Either way the track got pretty quiet at night without them. <o:p></o:p></div>
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At the end of the lap, just after riding through the shower puddle and before crossing the start/finish line, we passed through the big marquee. The 6hr riders had all gathered in there to drink beer and eat pasta after their race and, with the course almost devoid of spectators, it would have been great to have them all cheering us on as we sped passed inches away from them. However, someone had seen fit to erect a large curtain to separate spectators and riders, quite bizarre.</div>
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<o:p></o:p> </div>
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The arena. As you can see, not a big turnout this year...</div>
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The meat factory is just out of shot to the left</div>
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As the race drew on I began to struggle, the lack of training was beginning to show, a 24hr race really isn’t something one can just muddle through. I had dropped from seventh to eighth by dawn and lost another two places before the end. Some spectators had emerged as the end of the race approached, a couple in particular helped me up two of the climbs, one riding alongside me for a while as I tried to explain to her in my best German what had happened at the first start. The marshall at the top of the main climb was great. encouraging me on, coaxing me up the hill, although she seemed quite concerned for my welfare by that stage.</div>
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<o:p></o:p> </div>
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It was something of a relief when I came around again at about 1330 to find that the leaderboard (or Gina’s telephone, there was no sign of any information about positions or lap times available for the pit crews or spectators anywhere else) was saying that it was now impossible for me to catch anyone ahead and that it was also impossible for me to be caught by those behind in the time we had remaining, and so for me it was race over, 10<sup>th</sup> place.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Matt in a field next to a shed. With the grass worn down to</div>
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mud it almost looks like a bit of singletrack. Almost.</div>
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We all gathered in the arena to wait for <a href="https://mattjonesmtb.wordpress.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">Matt</span></a> to finish his lap and take a convincing win and the title of European Champion, he had ridden an excellent race. </div>
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<o:p></o:p> </div>
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A nice touch was the playing of the national anthem for him on the podium, just after he had received his prize of beef, he looked quite emotional.</div>
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Results: </div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">1.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> <a href="https://mattjonesmtb.wordpress.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: red; font-size: small;">Matt Jones</span></a></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>UK<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">2.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Dominik Hug<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span>Switzerland<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">3.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Marcel Knaus<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span>Lichtenstein<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">4.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Christian Eggenberger<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Switzerland<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">5.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Andreas Schmelzer<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>France<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">6.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Herbert Luther<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span>Germany<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">7.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Daniel Schefer<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span>Switzerland<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">8.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Danial Rombach<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Austria<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">9.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Nicolas Pellegrinelli<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Italy<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">10.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Andrew Howett<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span>UK</span><br />
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The women's race was won by Sonja Gisler, by a convincing margin ahead of fellow Swiss rider Colette Tőlle.</div>
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<o:p></o:p> </div>
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I would like to say a very big thank-you, especially to Gina, but also to Daniel, Sarah and Luke in the pits, the lovely guys at <a _blank="" href="http://www.davos.ch/service/website-infos/suche/adresse/BCE3D990-4AE8-4FD8-A4F8-D438C702F0C2"><span style="color: red;">Ivan's</span></a> and, as always, <a _blank="" href="http://www.torqfitness.co.uk/nutrition/torq-energy%20target="><span style="color: red;">Torq</span></a>, <a _blank="" href="http://www.exposurelights.com/"><span style="color: red;">Exposure</span></a>, and <a _blank="" href="http://mtzoom.com/"><span style="color: red;">Mt Zoom</span></a></div>
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<o:p> </o:p></div>
Andrew Howetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07948073074991195855noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-755724540902978553.post-42504552046560385082016-07-11T08:46:00.000+01:002016-07-11T08:49:57.250+01:00Three Days, Nine Countries, One Long Drive<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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In the last few days I have become very well travelled, nine
countries in three days. We left Scotland and drove most of the length of
England, spending a little time with my parents in Lincolnshire, the first time
I have seen them for a few months. From there we headed down to Dover and left
England in the pouring rain on Monday morning.</div>
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It took us much longer than intended to get across northern
France as we got stuck in the suburbs of Lille and had to do a dozen laps of
the city before finally achieving some sort of escape velocity and emerging
into southern Belgium. </div>
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We quickly passed through the country and into Luxembourg,
which despite it’s diminutive size took much longer to traverse, there appeared
to be a traffic jam the length of an entire nation. From there we crossed into
Germany, where we stopped overnight, somewhere in the Black Forrest, not too
far from Stuttgart.</div>
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It had been raining hard for the whole journey but the
following day dawned bright and sunny. We hit the autobahns again, our elderly
Transit coping admirably on the derestricted roads, at one point it hit nearly
80mph!</div>
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We spent much of the afternoon unsure as to exactly which
county we were in. Germany, Austria, Liechtenstein and Switzerland all meet at
more or less the same place. We stopped for lunch somewhere in one of those
countries, a lovely lakeside restaurant, but I still have no idea which one it
was in. <br />
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We were definitely in Switzerland when we stopped for the
night, somewhere on the road between Klosters and Davos. We were woken early
the next morning by the police who seemed curious about the rusty white van
with foreign plates, by far the oldest and scuffiest vehicle in the whole
country and therefore clearly up to no good.</div>
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Davos itself was also bright and sunny, it was about 30
degrees when we arrived, which was lovely. We had a bit of a walk around the
town looking for some breakfast and found the big conference centre where the
World Economic Forum is held every year, complete with the sandpit and
playground in the grounds, presumably put there back in the days when George
Bush was attending such events.</div>
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From there we headed over to the race venue at Frauenkirch.
Some things were already starting to take shape, the main marquee was up, the
bridge for the flyover was under construction and the pits were marked out.
However, we were told that most of the track could not be ridden, for reasons
which were unclear. We set off on the bikes to ride whatever bits of the track
we could find and, here in the heart of the Swiss Alps, surrounded by
snow-capped peaks and high Alpine meadows, were distinctly underwhelmed by it.
It was, for want of a better word, much too ‘fieldy.’ What parts of the course
we did find were mainly grass fields, a bit of fire-road and a surprisingly
large section of tarmac, hardly the exciting Alpine trails we had been looking
forward to. At least it was sunny though and the detour we took up to Jakobshorn
was lovely.</div>
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Thursday was warm and bright, although the track was
still not marked out so we decided just to go for a ride around the area,
following one of the signposted routes up in the hills. We headed from
Frauenkirch up to Glaris and Spina, past the lift station at the top and then
followed a lovely piece of singletrack from Abirűgg down to Sertig-Dőrfli, that
was a lot of fun. </div>
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Some of the locals on the trail </div>
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There were two other Brits entered into the race, Matt Jones
and Jason Miles, and we received word from Jason that evening that Mrs Miles
was quite ill and he therefore would not be coming. Judging by the parts of the
course we had seen so far he wouldn’t be missing much.</div>
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Friday morning was also nice and sunny, although the
forecast for the afternoon and the race on Saturday and Sunday was grim. The
course was now apparently all marked out, apart from the final quarry section.
That could be good, maybe we had underestimated it, riding old quarry workings
is always fun. </div>
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We set off to have a look and were soon completely baffled.
There was plenty of marker tape around but no arrows so we had no idea which
section went in which direction and there were so many cross-overs and two-way
sections that we couldn’t even tell which followed which. There was even more
grass field than we had first thought and we only managed to find two bits of
singletrack, the longest of which was only about 400 yards long. </div>
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Why wasn't this is part of the course? Less than a mile away</div>
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and it was brilliant!</div>
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Matt arrived just before 5pm, accompanied by his wife Sarah,
defending champion Daniel Schmidheiney, mechanic Luke and the rain.</div>
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Daniel had raced at Davos before and offered to take us out
for a lap. Despite having been there for three days I still had no idea where
the course went and so decided to go with him and Matt out into the pouring
rain. It turned out that the majority of the descending was on fireroads.
Normally these would be used for the climbs, with the more entertaining
singletrack sections as the descents, but a lack of the latter obviously
necessitated that the downhills would also be fireroad. The speed of these
combined with the hard surface and the heavy, thundery rain which rapidly tuned
them into rivers meant that it was nigh on impossible for me to see where I was
going through the spray from the rear wheels in front and from my own front
wheel. Even local knowledge proved to be of little help as Daniel
lead us astray before we retraced our steps and tried to figure out where we
were supposed to go. </div>
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The quarry section was something of a disappointment, rather
than drops and chutes down though the old workings it turned out to be a gravel
access road for the trucks. Even when we returned to the arena there was still some
confusion as to exactly where we were supposed to be going, but surely it would
all be fixed for the race tomorrow…</div>
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Friday evening was spent in the pit tent fitting
crud-catchers to the bikes and wishing that I had brought a proper set of mud
tyres. I was not looking forward to this.</div>
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Andrew Howetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07948073074991195855noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-755724540902978553.post-67847941788634410482016-06-26T21:43:00.000+01:002016-06-26T22:10:51.356+01:00When Crasher Met Dorris<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:DoNotOptimizeForBrowser/> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--> <br />
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How often does one get the chance to interview a newly crowned British World Champion? Well, if DH racing is your thing about every 3½ minutes but in the world of endurance racing they are a much rarer breed. </div>
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I spoke to Steve Day about the 24hr World Championships at Rotorua in New Zealand. He is not only crazy enough to race for 24hrs but also daft enough to do it on a bike with only one gear. He took a very narrow victory over Australian Ed McDonald with Gareth Weinberg, the local favourite, close behind. Even more impressively the top three singlespeeders were sixth, seventh and eighth overall!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, who is Steve and how did his race go?</div>
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I have written down everything as he said it, so therefore any spilling mistakes are entirely his and nothing whatsoever to do with me…</div>
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<i>You are probably best-known for your successes at Mountain-Mayhem here in the UK, winning the Nick Wallis trophy five times. </i></div>
<i> </i><br />
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I’ve done every Mountain Mayhem apart from one when I was really ill, but it’s only in the last two or three years where it’s all clicked into place. </div>
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<i>Were they all solo?</i></div>
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From 2005 onwards it’s always been solo. You know what it’s like with a team of people, everyone wants to go their own way and I wanted to go as fast as possible for the whole 24 hours so I decided to give it a crack. It’s all down to a friend of ours who used to be an army PT instructor, he’s done it a couple of times and said ‘you need to have a go at this’. His ex-wife Bev still crews for me.</div>
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<i>So you did that last, infamous, one at Eastnor then? How did that go?</i></div>
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A lot of people described it as horrendous but I absolutely loved it. The standpipe was halfway between where we were camped and the finish line, so I could go there, change bikes and carry on and it would be clean for next time I came round. That was the first year the singlespeed trophy appeared, the Nick Wallis award, and I won that, which made it even more special. That was really the turning point in my racing. I started taking it a bit more seriously at that point and I’ve won that trophy for the last five years..</div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">New Zealand 2016 wasn’t your first attempt at a World Championship. How did you get on at the 2015 Worlds in Weaverville, California? </i></div>
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A friend of mine, Julian Rider, was racing in the <a href="http://andrewhowett.blogspot.ch/2015/03/how-it-all-went-wrong.html"><span style="color: red;">Worlds at Fort William in 2014</span></a> and won his category. I hadn’t clocked on to the worlds at that point but at the Torq-12 a few weeks before, he was saying “you really need to go” but it was just too close, I had too much going on beforehand. But that was the start of California, he planted the seed…</div>
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I went to SSUK about four weeks before the trip to California and had a little bit of an accident and ended up quite seriously spraining the rotator cuff in my left shoulder. I went through a load of physio and I was dosed up to the eyeballs with painkillers and anti-inflammatories at the start of the Weaverville race. At 12hrs in, I was leading in the singlespeed category but at that point my shoulder went from being manageable to being not very good at all. At 16hrs I decided to call it a day when I couldn’t actually use the back brake on the 8 mile descent. So, I came back from California with a lot of unfinished business. </div>
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I was fortunate enough that work helped me out to get there, and I felt that actually I owed them quite a lot as well and hence within a few weeks my wife said “if you need to go to New Zealand, go, get that done” so I was straight back into training once the shoulder was in a position to do so. I went out to [<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">New Zealand</i>] to do what I had set out to do in California. Yeah, it felt really, really good to come back from New Zealand and have that title,</div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">How do you prepare for a 24hr singlespeed race? </i></div>
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Jimmy Docherty at Mule Bar put me in touch with [<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">my coach</i>] Jon Fern at EC3 and from then I’ve had a training plan. It was initially just getting my base level up and then pushing me harder and harder. I think it was a bit of a change for him as well because there’s no way I’m riding a geared bike. He worked really hard to get his head around trying to train someone on a bike that’s only got one gear. </div>
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It was a lot of time out on the trails, between 150 and 200 miles a week on the mountain bike, I don’t know how many hours that is, mainly off road with bits of road to link the trails together. Weekend rides normally vary between 4-6hrs Saturday and Sunday, an hour on a Monday, 2-4hrs on a Wednesday and it depends what’s going on Thursday, Friday, sometimes an hour, sometimes 2hrs, it’s quite a few hours, a lot of which are early in the morning so I still get time with my family.</div>
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Also a few floor exercises, a bit of yoga. I used to go to the pool and the gym a lot but all the gym stuff has been knocked on the head because I just don’t have time to do it now, it’s all bike or basic floor exercises.</div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Are you missing the gym?</i></div>
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No, because I was only doing that to keep generally fit, now the training is a lot more focussed on cycling endurance whereas the gym stuff was a bit of this, a bit of that, a bit of spin classes, a bit of swimming whereas with the cycling my general level of fitness has increased because I’m pushing myself harder because I’ve got a goal. Obviously California was a big goal, and then New Zealand, and now I’ve got Mayhem and Relentless to think about. I think having that goal is really important, keeping that focus has been key to it, knowing that’s what I’m doing, this is why I’m doing all these hours on a bike. It’s certainly changed me, it’s been tough at times for my wife Ingrid and son Erik, but they understand why I’m doing it. </div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Do they think you are bonkers or are they quite supportive?</i></div>
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There’s no way we would have gone to California and no way Ingrid would have let me go to New Zealand if she wasn’t supporting me. She’s always been there, even when I was racing as part of a team. New Zealand was the first time I’ve been to a 24hr race and she wasn’t there. You can imagine how stressful that was, a 24hr race isn’t just me, it’s the people around me, my wife and my son, my friend Bev and to not have them there was a massive shock. I know my wife found it really stressful being at home the other side of the world, 12hrs apart and just being able to watch the timing on a screen and not being able to feed me and talk to me and understand what I’m going through. I know she found that extremely tough. </div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">So who did you have to help out in New Zealand? I know it’s called ‘Solo 24hr racing’ but there’s usually a big team behind the ‘soloist’.</i></div>
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Sam Allison at Singular who set me up with frames put me in touch with the New Zealand importer, a guy called Allan Eng, and he sorted out a spare bike for me. He put a spare set of [<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">suspension</i>] forks on it instead of rigid which is great, I’m so glad he did that because after 6hrs there’s no way I could have carried on on the rigid bike, and he also organised for a mechanic, Murray, to be there. Murray turned up with his wife and son a great big motorhome so it was perfect, other than my wife not being there. A friend of mine, Saps, from the club that I ride with was out there at the time and when he found I was coming he said “I’ll come along”. He came with his girlfriend and it was really nice having that bunch of people there, the only reason they were there was because of what I was doing and they wanted to see me do really well. </div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Had any of them done a 24hr before? It can be just as tough for the pit crews.</i></div>
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No! They stayed up the whole up 24hrs, it was amazing. I’m so grateful for their help, unbelievable, really, really good. And I think that’s part of what made the whole thing work, was having that support. I’d never met Allan until I arrived in Auckland. He’s a really friendly guy and couldn’t do enough to help out. To be honest, everyone else in the pits was the same, one of those big 24hr things, everyone there doesn’t want to see anyone struggle, and people put themselves out for you, it was a really good experience. Nduro events even re-arranged the presentation so I could collect my medal and jersey before leaving to get the plane home.</div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Did you have a plan for the race, and if so did it go according to plan?</i></div>
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After having ridden on the Friday I had the inkling then that I wasn’t going to be able to ride the rigid bike for the whole time so the plan was to do 8hrs on the rigid, 8hrs on the suspension bike overnight and then get back on the rigid bike in the daytime. </div>
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It was really unfortunate that Brett [<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Belchambers, multiple world champion</i>] pulled out because of his crash the week before, he hit a wallaby at 50mph, so he was in quite a bad way. [<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">He suffered damaged vertebrae, broken ribs and, worst of all, the loss of most of his beard. However, another fast Aussie, Ed McDonald, stepped up to the singlespeed category, determined to keep the Brits at bay</i><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">]</span> I knew my pace was similar to his in California so he was going to be my target man, he was the one to maintain the gap to so any plan that I had went out the window when that happened.</div>
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I saw Ed McDonald shoot off at the start and I knew Gareth Weinberg, the New Zealander, was behind me so those were my two markers after the first lap. That was the plan, just be consistent, try not to blow, because I’d heard rumours that the local boys were going to send out a hare for me to chase, there’s no way I’m falling into that trap. That’s 24s at the end of the day, you’ve got to ride at your own pace otherwise you never know if you’re going to get to the end. </div>
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On my penultimate lap I knew that I had just over a quarter of an hour on Ed and I thought if I can push that penultimate lap and make sure that he knows that I’m not giving up, I’ve got a little bit of a chance to relax. That penultimate lap took a lot out of me and I went into the last lap thinking “20 minutes on Ed”, and I needed that 20 minutes, I really suffered on that last lap, to the point where one of the marshals on top of one of the climbs said “do you need a medic?” I was like, no way, I’ve got to finish, there’s no way I’m giving up now! </div>
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I got across the finish line at the end of the race and I basically collapsed from exhaustion. It was 28 degrees out there and really, really high humidity. Over here the last two training rides I did were at minus four and zero. It was a bit of a shock to the system. </div>
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It was a close race and I think that’s what really made it better, that Ed was that close, there was 15-16 minutes in it at the end, it was good to be pushed all the way.<br />
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">How confident were you of winning before the race began?</i></div>
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I was hoping. I knew after California I was fast enough to do so.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I remember at the 10-11hr mark in the pit area in California I was riding out as I saw Brett and Jason Miles riding in, I had a 15 minute gap and I’d managed to maintain that for a good few hours but it was literally within a lap I went from being OK to being not very good. Leading up to New Zealand I was confident but you never know what happens, you never know where other people are in terms of their fitness, what the course is going to be like. I went out there with fingers crossed but I’ve never been so nervous before a race. The Friday night out there I must have only slept 2 or 3 hours. </div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Why were you more nervous about this one than Weaverville?</i></div>
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[N<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">ervous laugh</i>] Pressure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To get out to New Zealand I did a crowd-funder to raise the money so a lot of people had put money in to help me get there. They paid for my flights, my accommodation and my hire car basically, I stumped up the money for the entry and any food and anything else I needed while I was there. </div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Was that friends or complete strangers?</i></div>
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A bit of both. I’d set up the crowd-funding thing and put it on Facebook and within a week or so I was halfway there through friend’s donations which took me completely by surprise. There was a lot of £10, £20, £50 donations in there and then another friend of mine who works at Leicester Audi went to see his boss, they gave me another £250. I think one of the surprises was Team JMC, Jason Miles’ guys, they gave me £150 as well, that was completely unexpected. But I was surprised at how quickly the money built up, and I as soon as I saw that I put my entry in, that’s when I knew I was going. There are a lot of people to thank for that, a big long list of people. </div>
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I’ve got a decal on my top-tube and everyone who gave me money to get out there has their name on it, it’s still on there, I’m really, really proud of that. </div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Did the race itself go smoothly, did you have mechanicals or other problems?</i></div>
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From a race point of view it was the best race I’ve ever had. In terms of the bikes that I had nothing went wrong, the <a href="http://exposurelights.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">Exposure lights</span></a> that I ran were absolutely amazing. I didn’t have any offs apart from on the last lap, just from exhaustion, and my nutrition was perfect. I’ve never had it before where I’ve felt OK, relatively speaking, at the end of the race to the point where I’ve had to go and eat a meal, normally I can’t eat anything and struggle to drink anything, but everything clicked into place with this one. I know what I’m looking for for the next 24hr race, whereas before it’s always been a bit hit and miss, nothing ever goes that smoothly!</div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Which course did you prefer, California or New Zealand?</i></div>
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New Zealand was a lot more singlespeed friendly, just because you didn’t have that massive climb. The climb in California averaged something like one in ten and it was one in four in a few places, it just seemed to go on and on. After an 8 mile descent you are properly cold at the bottom and then you are straight back into the climb, there wasn’t any warm-up, it was really tough on a singlespeed. New Zealand was just amazing to ride in amongst all the trees and ferns and there’s a lot of roots which is why it was tough on a rigid bike. They had 200mm of rain in the run up to the race, on the Friday morning the pits area was ankle deep in water, the guys were all digging trenches, but out on the course you couldn’t have asked for more perfect conditions. The rain had kept all the dust down too but it wasn’t sticky or muddy, it was very grippy. </div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Was a lot of it man-made then, with decent drainage designed into it?</i></div>
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I think it just drains quick. There’s a lot of porous rock out there with it being so volcanic and the trees sucked up a lot of the moisture. It’s like a massive trail centre, but it wasn’t like a UK trail centre, there was a lot of natural stuff there and they made the best use of the terrain. They didn’t have a man-made surface, it was whatever the surface was that was on the side of the mountain. It was a hard pack dirt in places, but quite loose in others, lots of roots, difficult to describe. It was an interesting place to ride.</div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">What did you eat during the race, is it merely a question of quantity?</i></div>
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Just bars, gels, electrolyte drink, a little bit of energy drink and muesli and that’s it. The muesli is the only thing I have which is not sort of condensed energy drink and bars. Over the years I’ve found stuff that really works for me, the <a href="http://www.torqfitness.co.uk/" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">Torq</span></a> bars and the gels, it’s all just clicked really, really nicely this year. I took it all out with me, so my bike bag had my bike in it and all my nutrition, so I knew exactly what I’d have rather than get out there and then have to try to find something. </div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Did you have any visits from the sleepmonsters in the wee small hours?</i></div>
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I think when I first started doing 24hr races I used to suffer more, I don’t know what’s changed, whether you just get used to riding for that length of time or I am just more mentally prepared now. There wasn’t really anything weird going on there either, other than the disco at the top of one of the climbs, which was weird with the bout of silent heckling, smoke machine, disco lights, ‘interesting’ signage and mooning. </div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Are you sure you weren’t imagining stuff?</i></div>
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It’s not really something I suffer with. You didn’t notice them in the day but at night but as soon as you put your lights on there were silver ferns everywhere, which looked quite spooky. But there weren’t any night gremlins or anything. </div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">How long does it take you to recover from a 24hr?</i></div>
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Normally I’ve ridden to work the next day but that’s only across town. In terms of feeling OK that normally takes a couple of weeks. To be able to push it, probably four to six weeks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m hoping to go to race at Relentless up at Fort William… I’ve not put my entry in yet but that’s the plan – I heard lots of good things about the event and the course.</div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">24hr racers usually get all kinds unpleasant afflictions, everything from the squits to constipation and nappy rash. Are there any you would like to share with us?</i></div>
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Riding a rigid bike, more so at Mayhem than New Zealand where I was on a bike with suspension forks for 18 hours, numb hands is the worst one and tingly feet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The tingly feet go a few hours after the race but the numb hands can hang around for a while. Even wearing two pairs of gloves doesn’t always cure it. I’ve got a pair of old Scott knitted fingerless mitts that are really, really padded on the palm. I don’t know what I would do if I didn’t have those.</div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Maybe you would have to try suspension forks?</i></div>
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Tell you what, it was a bit of an eye-opener as to how good they are now compared to the last time I rode suspension forks so I will be getting a set. I just really like riding rigid bikes though, they make you think about what you’re doing. On one of the laps in Rotorua there was a local guy following me and he was saying ‘Mate, I’ve never seen anyone take that line’, it was because I was looking for smooth lines where ever I could see them. But yeah it was a revelation to see how good suspension forks are now. </div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Are you a convert?</i></div>
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I wouldn’t say I’m a convert, I’ve seen the benefit. I’ve got a Swift that a set of forks would go nicely on but my race bike and my 29+, I’ll still keep those rigid. </div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Is that for the sake of weight or reliability or do the ludite tendencies extend beyond gears?</i></div>
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My race bike is Swift geometry but it’s Columbus tubes and based around the Niner RDO fork and it’s just a really, really sweet ride. It’s light too, really light. There’s nothing to go wrong, on a fully rigid bike there’s nothing to think about other than your lines. I just like keeping it simple, less stuff to fix and maintain, I’ve got other things to think about, I can be training or working or being with my family rather than being in the garage tinkering. </div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Even though it’s a singlespeed race you are allowed to change gear, as long as there is only one on the bike at any given moment. Did you have a shorter gear for when fatigue started to set in?</i></div>
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Both bikes were on the same gearing. I took a load of cogs out to Rotorua with me and after the Friday I knew what I needed to be able to get through 24hrs and make sure I could ride all the climbs rather than have to get off and push. 33:21 [<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">on a 29</i>] If I’m going to get cramp it’s going to get triggered getting on and off normally, so the aim was to try to stay on the bike for as long as possible.<br />
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Do you prefer a bar light, helmet light or both?</i></div>
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One of each, and both on at the same time. An <a href="http://exposurelights.com/cycle-lights/front-lights/six-pack-mk6" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">Exposure Six Pack</span> </a>on the bar, it’s just amazing. You can set it on a six hour mode which is enough for a race really. Particularly out in Rotorua, the helmet light (<a href="http://exposurelights.com/cycle-lights/front-lights/equinox-mk2" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">Equinox</span></a>) was really good because there was some nice twisty stuff and you needed the light to see round the corners. So a bit of both, but you don’t need a lot of power on the head torch, although the <a href="http://exposurelights.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">Exposure</span></a> ones are super-bright. Really nice lights. The higher power settings were really good out in California because the descent was 8 miles of disconnect your brain and hope your balls are big enough not to do something stupid, it was properly fast and you certainly needed the depth of light to keep the speed up.</div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Mr Wiggins won a big race a couple of years ago and became Sir Bradley. Were you disappointed not to get a mention in the Queen’s birthday honours list?</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
That’s not why I’m doing it, I’m doing it for me. It’s just one of things, mountain-biking had been part of my life for years, since I’ve been at uni, push bikes or motorbikes have always been there. It’s a bit of fun at the end of the day. I don’t like the publicity stuff.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
{<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">His wife’s voice drifts through from the next room</i>}<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You love it!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It’s flattering, the stuff on Facebook and whatever is really flattering. One of the best bits at Rotorua was about midnight, I didn’t know I’d taken the singlespeed lead at that point until I pulled into the pits and Allan looked at me and said “Mate, Facebook’s just gone mental.” It was close for a good few hours but that was such a mental lift to know that people in the UK were following me and when I got home it took me more than 3hrs just to go through my Facebook page, all the messages that people had been putting up, a really, really, good feeling.</div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXxyELQV5jGRDc8_NsaN9M_r0jcJt5-h2t7b7veBnKjXv9XK7JkzaOwMfYdPkqYnZcOlAnCBnXD1SOHl4vAdcmgSTD8IcxFTMOWg_vJtD-5Cal8J6xc3mJ3vgHQT0Fj7G82xqJVss1Rm0/s1600/WEMBO_2016_002160.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXxyELQV5jGRDc8_NsaN9M_r0jcJt5-h2t7b7veBnKjXv9XK7JkzaOwMfYdPkqYnZcOlAnCBnXD1SOHl4vAdcmgSTD8IcxFTMOWg_vJtD-5Cal8J6xc3mJ3vgHQT0Fj7G82xqJVss1Rm0/s400/WEMBO_2016_002160.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Have you ever fallen asleep on the bike?</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Yes…</div>
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<br /></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Tell us about it then, nothing to be embarrassed about, we’ve all done it. [Have we?! Are you sure about that? – Ed]</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
That was at Mountain Mayhem, one of my first solo 24hr races. It was on the fire-road in the first bunch of trees. I was coming down there maybe 1 or 2 in the morning and it’s one of those points were you could just relax. I relaxed and then woa! I woke up and I was just completely out of it, that was proper scary, knowing that I’d fallen asleep. It can only have been for maybe fractions of a second, it was quick, but you were properly motoring down that bit of trail. It wasn’t a nice experience.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Finally. you have mentioned that a lot of people helped, both to get you out there and during the race itself. </i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’m just so grateful for what they’ve done to allow me to do that, I was just pleased that I could come back with that singlespeed title. Firstly, my wife Ingrid and my son Erik for putting up with me for the last 18 months. Jon Fern at E3C who’s been my coach for the last 18months, he’s been a massive part in making sure I’ve been fit enough to put myself in a position where I knew I was in contention, likewise, he is good at pulling me back in line when things get a bit wobbly mentally. Sam Allison at Singular for his help with frames and for sorting out the second-best pit crew I have ever had the pleasure of knowing, Jimmy at Mule Bar, he was fundamental to putting me in touch with Jon and encouraging me basically. I’ve known Jimmy since Mule Bar first started up and he’s played a big part in this as well. Wayne Elliot at EDS bikes, he’s helped me out with tyres and other bits and pieces this year. Fibrax, I’ve been training for two winters and destroyed so many sets of brake pads, they’ve been amazing, a really big help. The guys at <a href="http://www.torqfitness.co.uk/" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">Torq</span></a>. The guys at Repack who’ve helped me out this year with clothing. <a href="http://exposurelights.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">Exposure Lights</span></a>, the guys at Leicester Audi, the guys at JMC. And Hope – great British kit.</div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Thanks very much for your time Steve and well done!.</i></div>
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Thank-you<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUhMRw8qy0q8rBuH4wcCCLQZK5_kJIYaipR6bXTMiwLNPErJFlL6WzWLKnDxaj961J1RlqKtBgarhROVIaOKIhvWWmdqbkrlumR9KU2EOYUw3OTkGCoFRQvGEFrqCozQmz5VXrGljUy70/s1600/medal.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUhMRw8qy0q8rBuH4wcCCLQZK5_kJIYaipR6bXTMiwLNPErJFlL6WzWLKnDxaj961J1RlqKtBgarhROVIaOKIhvWWmdqbkrlumR9KU2EOYUw3OTkGCoFRQvGEFrqCozQmz5VXrGljUy70/s400/medal.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
</div>
Andrew Howetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07948073074991195855noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-755724540902978553.post-39699168971226862342016-02-03T13:16:00.000+00:002016-02-03T13:16:06.502+00:00I Like Shiny Things<div class="yiv1823567316MsoNormal">
It’s a bit tricky trying to think of anything even
remotely interesting to say about a pump. It’s probably the least glamorous
piece of kit I have, the one I will be cursing having to use at all. It
will inevitably only ever be required when it’s -3° and the howling wind is driving
the rain hard into my face and increasingly numb hands.<br />
</div>
<div class="yiv1823567316MsoNormal">
It’s at times like that, when everyone else is
standing waiting for me, huddled down inside their jackets as best they can for
what little protection they offer from the elements, moaning loudly and
vociferously at me for making them even colder, that I need something which I
know will just work.</div>
<div class="yiv1823567316MsoNormal">
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYBnTOR0cy3I1DSFIgo6ymSF22JysT8nPdSUuzxgjPwq6r77pLiO44BQIP0iRuhQRG3uG-tQAQPXCTHyHajKe7t9KdlL44drBIaLFWNg64fuLJCGmQxdS9mGA36WjW8OJCjlgvzVdn-EY/s1600/pump.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYBnTOR0cy3I1DSFIgo6ymSF22JysT8nPdSUuzxgjPwq6r77pLiO44BQIP0iRuhQRG3uG-tQAQPXCTHyHajKe7t9KdlL44drBIaLFWNg64fuLJCGmQxdS9mGA36WjW8OJCjlgvzVdn-EY/s400/pump.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
</div>
<div class="yiv1823567316MsoNormal">
The fact that it will work perfectly after
spending two years strapped to the side of the winter bike through all the
rain, mud, grit, road salt, jet washes and splatted cow pats I just take for
granted. It must be at least six months since it was last removed from the
bike, never mind used, but work perfectly it does. This has lasted longer than
any other pump I have ever had and, apart from the scratches and a slight dent
from a rock strike inflicted upon it, is as good as it was when it was new.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="yiv1823567316MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="yiv1823567316MsoNormal">
I had always struggled finding a suitable pump
for my road bike. The little tiny jersey-pocket size ones just don’t cut it
when you need to get over 100psi, whatever the manufacturers claim, the only
option is a folding track-pump. However, I have found that most of these also struggle with that
sort pressure and quickly succumb to the elements once you attach them to the
side of a bike and submit them to a 50+ mile commute five days a week through a
Scottish winter.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="yiv1823567316MsoNormal">
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQPKCxBad0Eu_bUkUr4R5Ay9gXWNI_zQvehxgpqpXti1eJndV_xcQfDAC_k9k5BzK-F3M3n2XmhXtbSQA4v5eKyq7u7ShP1-YPcJKmo1-J7HdSrTW2klwjOfj1nfu-IvLgVmiI0BDAjLs/s1600/pump2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="309" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQPKCxBad0Eu_bUkUr4R5Ay9gXWNI_zQvehxgpqpXti1eJndV_xcQfDAC_k9k5BzK-F3M3n2XmhXtbSQA4v5eKyq7u7ShP1-YPcJKmo1-J7HdSrTW2klwjOfj1nfu-IvLgVmiI0BDAjLs/s400/pump2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
The Lezyne Micro Floor Drive is
simply in a different class. The build quality is top-notch, I don’t know what
is different about the seals on it but they seem impenetrable. The pressures it
can achieve are far greater than anything else of a similar size, I now stop
pumping because I have reached the pressure I want rather than because the pump
simply can’t give any more. Lezyne claim up to 160psi for it and I actually believe them, it feels like there's still loads to give when I stop at 120, it's not at all laboured or stiff at that point. Even the part which attaches to the valve is
better than any other I've tried, a proper screw-thread rather than a clip which pops off seventeen times
during the pumping process. It’s also a lot lighter than it looks, just over 5
ounces (yes, really) which is pretty impressive for any pump of this kind,
never mind one made of lovely shiny aluminium rather than cheap plastic. It can
do Presta and Schrader, the hose is nice and long and, when attached to the bottle cage bosses, it leaves
loads of room for the bottle and cage and a reasonable amount of space for your
foot to come passed on the upstroke.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="yiv1823567316MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="yiv1823567316MsoNormal">
Luckily I have only used it myself twice in the
last year or so but I would never leave home without it. I have however lost
count of how many times I have lent it to others to help them out when their
own pumps have proved to be much less effective. It is an item which can help you make friends, there is nothing like the look of relief on someone’s face when you find them in the middle of nowhere, the swearing only partially drowned out by the hissing sound which has caused it, and ask if they would like to borrow a track pump. They will recognise you and stop for a chat when they next see you six months later, which is nice.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglYOqNTfNxKkN2Cp6ElFkLhiIemcaaNiATXwscEaLKlibG1h4vSoLX2Kqc0s2K6yIkuIYHF8NqN9QvLTQHNMitICaVpCc2zkLNWBll9nOrDgzI8MKhW7-en5FPuJkAInUYVEfVj8jfe7o/s1600/valve.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglYOqNTfNxKkN2Cp6ElFkLhiIemcaaNiATXwscEaLKlibG1h4vSoLX2Kqc0s2K6yIkuIYHF8NqN9QvLTQHNMitICaVpCc2zkLNWBll9nOrDgzI8MKhW7-en5FPuJkAInUYVEfVj8jfe7o/s400/valve.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
The only time I won’t take it is when I’m
racing, any pump Is going to be (relatively) slow and cumbersome if it’s needed
in those circumstances and so I take a gas canister instead. I generally don’t like
using disposable items of any kind and so take the pump for everything else. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<div class="yiv1823567316msonormal" style="margin: 1em 0cm;">
<b><u>Overall</u></b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="yiv1823567316MsoNormal">
I like – everything. The pressures it can
achieve, ease of use, reliability, weight, shininess<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="yiv1823567316MsoNormal">
I don’t like – erm… I probably should write
something here just to try to look balanced but I’m struggling. Maybe the
folding foot-plate thingy could be a bit bigger, but that would add weight so
maybe not a great idea.<br />
<br />
The retail price is about £35. If it were twice that I would still buy one.<br />
<br />
<o:p></o:p><br /></div>
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</div>
Andrew Howetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07948073074991195855noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-755724540902978553.post-29355222587832257052015-12-11T13:36:00.005+00:002015-12-11T13:42:11.090+00:00It's That Time Of Year Again<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:DoNotOptimizeForBrowser/> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--> <br />
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It comes around so quickly doesn’t it? It barely seems two minutes since the last one but here we all are, talking about the big day like a bunch of excited five-year olds. Who’s coming? Do we think it will snow this time? How much will we have to eat? The count-down has begun.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg09d2vp62I8Xuej_U3s8QCtOO5fl0D-YF2oqm1gWb7BMmZT_COgs3jr9rR_RptdYIHnwWjvf4hPOjIB-KazMiuKH9H-qv_wU7lmtWHLINlVw1SNEb6TfhNTU7lsHZAoIHXj9NkIIZzVlQ/s1600/main.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg09d2vp62I8Xuej_U3s8QCtOO5fl0D-YF2oqm1gWb7BMmZT_COgs3jr9rR_RptdYIHnwWjvf4hPOjIB-KazMiuKH9H-qv_wU7lmtWHLINlVw1SNEb6TfhNTU7lsHZAoIHXj9NkIIZzVlQ/s400/main.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Me chased by Les Corran, 2013</div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Yes, it’s that time of year when Nigel really starts drumming up interest in the <a href="http://www.manx100.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">Manx 100</span></a>. At the time of writing there are only 233 days to go until 31 July 2016. To be fair he does this all year round but he gets more insistent as the event draws nearer - his efforts do pay off though and the entries have trebled in the time that I’ve been making the annual journey out to the island to do it.</div>
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<br /></div>
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So what is it? Well, it’s a 100 mile, single-lap race over a very wide variety of terrain, exactly none of which is in a neatly manicured trail-centre. Oh, and there’s something in excess of 16,000ft of climbing too. There is a 100km option for those keen to see what all the fuss is about but less keen to commit to the big one until they know what they are letting themselves in for.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbU5pn5wp1qDireeNkH9es52Bryl2zVq0gEAmcyyCw8TMx9u1Pv_OEX5tWUTu38CZzMW8IbOyiCKhB4Z7zAYGGrC9Zz-bvqP7lfcGtiKEwIZX6pgXNQ-PEJRUsEg_ysaTRn0ah82HKRyA/s1600/profile.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="126" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbU5pn5wp1qDireeNkH9es52Bryl2zVq0gEAmcyyCw8TMx9u1Pv_OEX5tWUTu38CZzMW8IbOyiCKhB4Z7zAYGGrC9Zz-bvqP7lfcGtiKEwIZX6pgXNQ-PEJRUsEg_ysaTRn0ah82HKRyA/s400/profile.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
Not a lot of flat bits...</div>
</div>
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<br /></div>
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There is some support out on the course (lots of marshals and a couple of bag-drops) but for the majority of the event there is a real sense of being in the middle of nowhere, be it open fells and moorlands, dense forests, old quarries or disused mines. It is signposted but an ability to read a map is useful, especially if it's really, really, really foggy, which it won't be, it will be lovely and sunny. As an extra-special-added-bonus you even get to begin on the start line of the TT which almost makes up for having to get up at silly-o’clock.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="http://theindianfiretrail.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">San Kapil</span></a>, who I think had entered the 2016 event even before he got on to the ferry to return after the 2015 race, has made a video to give you a flavour of what it’s all about</div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/lnhfYGFjex0/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/lnhfYGFjex0?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
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<br /></div>
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He also has an interview with some of the brains behind the event, Nigel Morris, Guy Whalley and David Kelly.</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/K-F6XZU5oTA/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/K-F6XZU5oTA?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
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<br />
Entries for the 2016 event are open on the <a href="http://www.manx100.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">Manx 100 website</span></a>. It's cheaper if you get yours in before the end of the year. Go on, you know you want to.<br />
<br />
I've collected together a few blogs from the event if you want to have a read and see what it's all about. Every single one of them is saying positive things, and it's not because I've just picked out the favourable ones, there simply aren't any saying anything bad about it.<br />
<br />
<br />
2015<br />
<span id="goog_477993561"></span><a href="http://www.andrewhowett.blogspot.co.uk/2015/08/that-was-harder-than-i-thought.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">Andrew Howett</span></a> <span id="goog_477993562"></span><br />
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<a href="https://www.facebook.com/TheManx100/posts/862126063865036" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">Iain Brough</span></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.facebook.com/TheManx100/posts/862311200513189" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">Nigel Lambley</span></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.richyroth.com/mad-manx-ii/" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">Richard Rothwell</span></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.santacruzbicycles.com/en/us/news/2015-rob-friel-isle-of-man" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">Rob Friel</span></a></div>
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<a href="http://theindianfiretrail.com/manx100-mtb/" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">San Kapil</span></a></div>
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<br /></div>
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2014</div>
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<a href="http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/manx-100-content-as-long-as-the-race" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">Adam Hooley</span></a></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><a href="http://www.andrewhowett.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/stories-from-last-summer-2014-manx-100.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">Andrew Howett</span></a><span style="color: black;"> </span></span></div>
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<a href="https://www.manxmtb.com/add-post/entry/the-manx-100-1.html?fb_ref=Default" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">Guy Whalley</span></a></div>
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<a href="http://jasonmilesracing.com/2014/07/30/the-manx-100-tale-of-fairyfolk/" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">Jason Miles</span></a></div>
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<a href="http://theindianfiretrail.com/2014/07/" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">San Kapil</span></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.mulebar.com/blogs/muleblog/15032293-the-manx-100-a-race-report-by-mule-scott-cornish" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">Scott Cornish</span></a></div>
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2013</div>
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<span style="color: red;"><a href="http://www.andrewhowett.blogspot.co.uk/2013/08/the-manx-100-and-bit.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">Andrew Howett</span></a><span style="color: black;"> </span></span></div>
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<a href="https://mattjonesmtb.wordpress.com/2013/07/29/manx100/" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">Matt Jones</span></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.richyroth.com/the-manx-100-and-privateer/" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">Richard Rothwell</span></a><br />
<a href="http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/the-manx-100" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">Rob Arnold</span></a><br />
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Despite the big banner saying 'Finish' this is the start line on<br />
the TT Grandstand - 2015</div>
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Andrew Howetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07948073074991195855noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-755724540902978553.post-60702901296419525412015-11-11T13:49:00.001+00:002016-01-19T13:19:41.600+00:00Relentless - Living Up to It's Name<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:DoNotOptimizeForBrowser/> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--> <br />
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I had a score to settle with the course at Aonach Mor near Fort William. Last year Relentless had hosted the <span style="color: red;"><span style="color: red;"><a href="http://andrewhowett.blogspot.co.uk/2015/03/how-it-all-went-wrong.html"><span style="color: red;">24hr World Championships</span></a></span></span> where I had done spectacularly badly. I had been suffering from tonsillitis and had limped round in 77<sup>th</sup> place, pushing the bike more than I was riding it. I had only managed to get as high as 77<sup>th</sup> by virtue of the rather high rate of DNFs. It was certainly the hardest course of the ten 24hr races I had done, and by some considerable margin, and even those without throat infections had said as much. This year Relentless was hosting the British 24hr Championships and I had decided, for reasons now lost in the mists of time, that it would be a good idea to do it on a singlespeed. How hard could it be?<br />
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I have ridden a singlespeed quite a bit, the lack of gears isn't really a problem back home in south Lincolnshire, somewhere so flat that the locals have been known to get altitude sickness if they ever venture into their lofts. In contrast there would be well over 1,000ft of climbing on each and every lap at Relentless. I had however only raced an SS on three previous occasions, the most recent and longest of those races being the <span style="color: red;"><span style="color: red;"><a href="http://www.andrewhowett.blogspot.co.uk/2015/09/one-big-lap-in-one-little-gear.html"><span style="color: red;">Keilder 101</span></a></span></span> where I had finished second behind Saul Muldoon. I had changed my gear specially for that race, from my usual 32-14 (yes, Lincolnshire really is that flat!) to a more suitable 32-17 but was worried that even this may be too big a gear for the 24hrs, which would be over four times as long…</div>
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The advice I received on the subject ranged from 'fit a much bigger sprocket, you'll get much less fatigued if you just spin a low gear' to 'fit a little sprocket, you'll be pushing up the climbs anyway so you might as well go quickly on the bits where you can actually pedal'. Hmm.</div>
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I kept the familiar 32-17 on my main bike but removed the gears from my hardtail to use as a spare bike and fitted that with a 32-19, just in case. That already had bouncy forks but in a small concession to sanity I also fitted some to the main bike. I had also heard of singlespeeders suffering with their backs due to the endless gear grinding so I had one bike with riser bars and one with flat bars and bar-ends so there was plenty of opportunity for me to change position when things got too painful. As well as never having ridden a singlespeed for that length of time I had also never ridden a hardtail for longer than 12hrs. What could possibly go wrong?</div>
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The first thing which went wrong was the van refusing to start again after we had filled up at the petrol station in Edinburgh at about 1130 on Friday morning. There wasn't nearly enough electricity in it to turn the starter motor and there was a big red warning light on the dashboard, although the light had actually been there ever since we set off that morning, a picture of a battery illuminated against the black of the instrument panel. After spending a lot of time uttering some very rude words and checking that it wasn't something quick to fix, like a snapped alternator belt, we found that it started fine with a jump start, having been towed off the forecourt by a very helpful chap in another white van. In the extremely unlikely event that you are reading this, thanks again.</div>
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We decided to press on to Fort William, this was the National Championships after all, we weren't going to let something like a poorly van put us off. We had broken down next door to a shop which sold car batteries, and even better, sold them fully-charged. I left the engine running and went in to buy a spare. Being <i>very</i> careful not to stall it we left the car-park and headed for the motorway.</div>
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We had passed Perth before the next warning light came on, the one for the ABS. Convincing myself it was only the sensor lacking power I ignored it. The next one came on just after Dalwhinnie, the airbag one this time, and I ignored that too. How much power does illuminating all the warning lights use?</div>
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We were wondering whether we would be able to get there before dark, there was no way we would be able to use the lights, that would kill it pretty quickly. We were being hampered in our efforts to do this by the very large lorry with the very large digger on the back which was doing 35mph all the way along the A82. I'm just guessing at the speed there, the speedo and rev counter had long since died. The engine was starting to splutter but kept recovering, although we now had yet another warning light on the dash, a big red exclamation mark. How close would we have to get before we could reasonably call someone there and ask for a tow? Would the lorry ever pull over and let the queue of traffic passed? It was dusk<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and we were running out of time. </div>
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There was a very big splutter in Spean Bridge, the van almost stopped, that really didn't sound good, so we dived into a layby and got the new battery out. We would have been there already if it wasn't for that lorry. The brackets holding it in are a bit of a faff and so it was pretty dark when we finished. It started on the button, which was a relief. We limped along for the last few miles using only the sidelights, not daring to put the headlights on despite the conditions. I was also trying not to brake unless I really, really had too, the brake lights were another electrical thing over which I had very little control, short of removing the bulbs, and I didn’t think would be a great plan.</div>
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We made it eventually, arriving well after dark, and set up our pits across the course from Nigel and Guy, our hosts from the <span style="color: red;"><span style="color: red;"><a href="http://www.andrewhowett.blogspot.co.uk/2015/08/that-was-harder-than-i-thought.html"><span style="color: red;">Manx 100</span></a></span></span>. It was too late to go for a practice lap so we had some dinner and generally faffed about before heading to bed for an early night, listening to the wind howling and the rain battering on the roof of the van.<br />
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It was still raining when we got up on Saturday morning but the forecast was for it to stop at about midday, just as the race would be starting. It actually eased off a little before then but didn’t stop completely. I had two breakfasts, one of porridge and a fried egg sandwich and then another of scrambled egg about half an hour before the race began.</div>
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I did a quick lap of the car park to make sure that the bike was working properly, or at least better than the van, and then headed over to the start line. There was no gridding, or if there was I had missed it, but as I only had one gear I was quite happy starting further back, I wasn’t expecting to be troubling the front-runners.<br />
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We were lead away from the start by a motorbike or a quad-bike or something, I could hear it but was too far back to be able to see it. The first lap was a little different to all the others in that it missed out the first singletrack climb, instead taking us straight up the fireroad climb to the tunnel at the top. <br />
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The start line, just before noon.</div>
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I was feeling good in my one gear and was passing more people than I was being passed by. Whether I would be able to keep that pace up for the remaining 23¾hrs was another question entirely.</div>
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I overtook Richard Rothwell about half a mile in, which was most unexpected. I knew that he had been injured a few weeks before and had been playing down his chances but even so… It turns out that he had unintentionally joined us singlespeeders, almost as soon as the race began his rear shifter had decided that it wanted to play no further part in the event and had called it a day. He was using some very rude words in an effort to coax it back into life but none of them helped much. I resisted the temptation to be all smug and extol the virtues of intentionally starting the race with only one gear and left him to it, he had a spare bike in the pits so would only have to do the first lap stuck in one gear, although he could at least change it by fiddling with the limit screws on his rear mech.</div>
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The next person who I found myself riding next to was Saul Muldoon, who came up very fast behind me and then slowed for a quick chat. Oddly enough he wanted to apologise for beating me at <a href="http://www.andrewhowett.blogspot.co.uk/2015/09/one-big-lap-in-one-little-gear.html"><span style="color: red;">Keilder</span></a>, which was lovely but unnecessary, it was a race after all. I think he just felt a bit guilty because I thought I’d won until I found out that he had already finished. He had taken second place in the singlespeeds on this course at the <span style="color: red;"><a href="http://www.andrewhowett.blogspot.co.uk/2015/03/how-it-all-went-wrong.html"><span style="color: red;">World Championships last year</span></a></span>., and had spent a lot of that race causing concern in the Belchambers camp, so he was definitely the favourite for this race. Nice guy and bloody quick (actually that applies to both Brett and Saul). He didn’t stay long before he disappeared off into the distance at a speed I just couldn’t match.<br />
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This must be the first lap, I'm still (just!) ahead of Saul. That didn't last.</div>
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The track deviated from the Worlds course at the top, after the tunnel we immediately turned right and down the first singletrack descent, missing out the final bit of the climb and the huge berms, which was a shame, I quite like that bit. The majority of the course was familiar to me and so I wasn’t having too many problems as a result of missing the Friday practice, I could remember where the tricky bits were and most of the lines.</div>
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The lap was a little shorter that it had been for the Worlds but seemed to be more fun, maybe just because I was feeling much better and able to enjoy it more. The rain had also stopped by the time we finished the first lap which helped a lot. I grabbed another bottle of <span style="color: red;"><a href="http://www.torqfitness.co.uk/nutrition/torq-energy" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">Torq</span></a> </span>and headed out again. </div>
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By lap two I was already starting to struggle with the gear. I had the other wheel with a sprocket two teeth larger but hadn’t been planning to use this until the wee small hours. I was reluctant to swap so soon, worried that if I went for it two laps in I would have nothing left to fall back on when things began to get really hard in a few hours time. </div>
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By lap three I knew that I had to give in and make the swap, climbing in the bigger gear was really taking it out of me. While singlespeeds are of course bikes with only one gear the rules of the race do permit gear changes, as long as only one is on the bike at any given moment. Changing gear is quite a manual process and took me nearly a minute, somewhat longer than pressing a button on the bars. Neither of my bikes were designed as singlespeeds with things like sliding dropouts or EBBs, they both have vertical dropouts and had been converted by fitting a tensioner in place of the rear mech. This gives me the advantage of being to fit different ratios without having to adjust anything, so it could have been worse.<br />
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The shorter gear helped a lot, I was going much better after the change but just had that nagging concern that less than three hours in I already used my plan B. There was nothing I could do other than press on. There was no plan C.</div>
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I had set myself the rather ambitious target of getting on the podium in the singlespeed race. Although it was a small field what it lacked in quantity it more than made up for in quality, along with Saul I had the likes of Dave Glover, Ed Wolstenholme, Simon Halsam, Thomas Howarth, Neil Scott and Andrew Beever to contend with, it was not going to be easy. The singlespeeders tend to be a fairly self-selecting bunch, anyone who is contemplating 24hrs in one gear probably knows what they are doing, they can’t all have just been muddling though like I was. I got the first update on my position from Gina at the end of the fourth lap, I was 21<sup>st</sup> overall. I was really pleased with that, much better than I was expecting. I was however 5<sup>th</sup> in the singlespeeds, that was much less satisfactory but I think just emphasises the quality of the field and made me realise the scale of the challenge I faced, there were four singlespeeders quick enough to be in the top twenty. Saul was flying and was second overall at this point.</div>
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Saul Muldoon going very quickly.</div>
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I had no idea that the rules permitted singlespeeders to race without beards.</div>
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The next lap didn’t go at all well for me. I wasn’t doing anything unusual in terms of my eating strategy (lots and often) but my stomach was all over the place, gurgling away to itself and leaving me feeling rather queezy. The final descent was interesting, I was paying far more attention to clenching my buttocks to prevent any ‘accidents’ than I was to the lines I was riding and was in danger of having a more conventional accident. I dropped my bike at our pits and ran to the portaloos, it was a huge relief but I was cursing the time it was costing me, time I could not afford to waste.</div>
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The relief was short-lived and the feeling returned on the following lap, my tummy making all kinds of odd noises and threatening to expel it’s contents at the most inopportune moment, and so I was forced to return to the portaloos, loosing yet more time.</div>
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I’ve had a dodgy stomach a few times in races, but it usually feels like things are about to come out at the top, rather than at the bottom (yes, terrible pun intended) Eating some crystallised ginger would normally settle things but there were two problems with this, the first was that it was untried for this particular sort of problem, the second was that in all the confusion of just getting to the race we had forgotten to get some.</div>
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We did however have some ginger and pineapple <a href="http://www.torqfitness.co.uk/nutrition/torq-bar" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">Torq bars</span></a> so I ate a couple of those, and also some ginger oatcakes, dipped in milk to make them less dry and quicker to eat, and they seemed to help. While I was swallowing them Gina was busy with my bike, clipping the <a href="http://www.ultimatesportsengineering.com/exposure-lights/cycle-lights-2016/maxx-d-mk8" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">Exposure MaxxD</span></a> into place and giving my chain a quick lube before sending me on my way again. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWUrPRg1HAZbqcb6ths0KHOhumVvPyFQA6yKzvR0JBl7Nb3EEED84A9nddxO_xQsrgNW11tMzv3YLErcNC48PML9erRY1yXAGtespmk1Yqo8Vq5Z9H0_peSN5qpac-oRdrFjJO0B2Ep4o/s1600/sportograf-72774567.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWUrPRg1HAZbqcb6ths0KHOhumVvPyFQA6yKzvR0JBl7Nb3EEED84A9nddxO_xQsrgNW11tMzv3YLErcNC48PML9erRY1yXAGtespmk1Yqo8Vq5Z9H0_peSN5qpac-oRdrFjJO0B2Ep4o/s400/sportograf-72774567.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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The race was a couple of weeks later than usual in order to avoid clashing with the World Championships at Weaverville in California, which meant that it took place after the clocks had changed and so it got dark even earlier, about 5pm out in the open, before that in the trees.</div>
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Despite the darkness it stayed relatively mild and I was able to keep my speed up and my lap times down, until about 10pm when I had to have yet another trip to the toilet. The battery on the <a href="http://www.ultimatesportsengineering.com/exposure-lights/cycle-lights-2016/maxx-d-mk8" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">MaxxD</span></a><a href="http://www.ultimatesportsengineering.com/exposure-lights/cycle-lights-2016/maxx-d-mk8" target="_blank"> </a>was getting quite low by this stage and so while I was doing that Gina removed it and attached my spare light.</div>
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This spare light was not an<a href="http://www.ultimatesportsengineering.com/exposure-lights" target="_blank"> <span style="color: red;">Exposure</span></a> but was a slightly more complicated affair with the head unit on the bars and the battery at the back of the top-tube near the seat-post, joined by a cable. I still had my<a href="http://www.ultimatesportsengineering.com/exposure-lights/cycle-lights-2016/joystick-mk10" target="_blank"> <span style="color: red;">Exposure Joystick</span></a> on my helmet as a back up, I don’t like to go out with only one light, just in case something happens, as it did half way through that next lap.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjROLXG44bfi6GxyoqQ29ov0-8-nFCxStKpe_f7KMrPCpIrf8KIB1HA2iCiN2xstZgJNSyu-DqaUXMRd-bcMBAVP2-bfH4rdra05xcZSK3lunx6HyOg9lxBJX-zyoIk1IBWAqKGNc9ISoo/s1600/sportograf-72782180.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjROLXG44bfi6GxyoqQ29ov0-8-nFCxStKpe_f7KMrPCpIrf8KIB1HA2iCiN2xstZgJNSyu-DqaUXMRd-bcMBAVP2-bfH4rdra05xcZSK3lunx6HyOg9lxBJX-zyoIk1IBWAqKGNc9ISoo/s400/sportograf-72782180.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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The course was a wiggly figure of eight and passed the pits a couple of times, going passed the timing section twice but each person’s pit only once. The course skirted the edge of the arena when we first came into it after the logging road next to the river. I made a slight error and hit my front wheel on a rock, bringing me to a sudden halt, obviously tiredness starting to show. The impact caused my front light to go out, plunging me into darkness. That was strange, why would that happen? I turned it on again, it seemed fine so I carried on but it went out again as I went into the dip by the tractor. I reached up and clicked the <a gt="" href="http://www.ultimatesportsengineering.com/exposure-lights/cycle-lights-2016/joystick-mk10" span="" style="color: red;" target="_blank">Joystick</a> on but couldn’t see anything wrong with the big light, it came back on when I pressed the switch. I left the <a gt="" href="http://www.ultimatesportsengineering.com/exposure-lights/cycle-lights-2016/joystick-mk10" span="" style="color: red;" target="_blank">Joystick</a> illuminated and carried on, up the little rise, across the fireroad and up the rocky section, where it went out again.</div>
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I removed the cable to have a look, the plug at the battery end came apart as I took it out, there was a funny noise and a bright blue spark. That at least answered the question about what was wrong, but then raised another as to what I could do about it. The <a gt="" href="http://www.ultimatesportsengineering.com/exposure-lights/cycle-lights-2016/joystick-mk10" span="" style="color: red;" target="_blank">Joystick</a> is good, but I would probably struggle with it as my main, or even only, light. I don’t think it would last anyway, not turned up bright enough for the singletrack, there was still 9hrs of darkness left. My <a href="http://www.ultimatesportsengineering.com/exposure-lights/cycle-lights-2016/maxx-d-mk8" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">MaxxD</span></a> had only been on to charge for less than an hour, that wouldn’t yet be ready to go again.</div>
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I set off up the climb wondering what I was going to do, missing the obvious before my addled brain finally remembered that<a href="http://www.ultimatesportsengineering.com/exposure-lights" target="_blank"> <span style="color: red;">Exposure</span></a> were actually sponsoring this event and had a wee tent with charging sockets for everyone to use over by the start/finish line, maybe they could help. I came down the 4X track, the 800 lumen <a gt="" href="http://www.ultimatesportsengineering.com/exposure-lights/cycle-lights-2016/joystick-mk10" span="" style="color: red;" target="_blank">Joystick</a> coping surprisingly well with that, not bad for something so tiny. As I came into the arena I dumped my bike and leapt over the barrier, running over to the<a href="http://www.ultimatesportsengineering.com/exposure-lights" target="_blank"> <span style="color: red;">Exposure</span></a> stall.</div>
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John was there and saw me coming. He asked the obvious question, ‘Is everything OK?’ to which I gave the equally obvious answer of ‘No’. He already had one of the distinctive red and black boxes in his hand and was undoing it as I was starting to explain that my main light had gone out. He thrust a <a href="http://www.ultimatesportsengineering.com/exposure-lights/cycle-lights-2016/toro-mk7" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">Toro</span></a> at me, asking what modes I wanted programming into it. ‘Erm, very bright and medium?’ I needed it bright enough for the techy stuff and a lower setting to allow me to save the battery a little on the fireroads. It took him about three seconds to program it. ‘That’s it set for 4hrs and 12, the gauge on the back is hours and minutes left.’ I said a very brief thank-you and ran back to the bike, clipping the light into the bracket vacated by my <a href="http://www.ultimatesportsengineering.com/exposure-lights/cycle-lights-2016/maxx-d-mk8" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">MaxxD</span></a>. That’s what I like about the <a href="http://www.ultimatesportsengineering.com/exposure-lights" target="_blank"> <span style="color: red;">Exposure</span></a> stuff, no faffing, it just works. The whole process had taken about a minute and a half.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8hfdIVeChA-ztVfLKbeQiKqv7bpxDEAYozZxCwAgO1Z6UlfY535DZ_vQm8IBl1dEa-tw1XWwGfnaBx_1xG4nSGxDJroFvsG8Mmu9tEP5MTKKKh4TW5Cg8YcQZmFFxg3LONQ460CL7Qeo/s1600/sportograf-72775963.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8hfdIVeChA-ztVfLKbeQiKqv7bpxDEAYozZxCwAgO1Z6UlfY535DZ_vQm8IBl1dEa-tw1XWwGfnaBx_1xG4nSGxDJroFvsG8Mmu9tEP5MTKKKh4TW5Cg8YcQZmFFxg3LONQ460CL7Qeo/s400/sportograf-72775963.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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The big climb on the second loop would normally be a descent but as the trails were closed for the event they could be mean to us and make us go up it. <span style="color: red;"><span style="color: red;"><a href="http://andrewhowett.blogspot.co.uk/2015/03/how-it-all-went-wrong.html"><span style="color: red;">Last year</span></a></span></span> I had really, really struggled there but this time I was flying up it, despite the fact that I only had the one gear, I overtook loads of people there during the race, I have no idea how. A quick splash through the mud at the top, a reminder of Friday night’s rain, and then down the swoopy descent back into the arena and passed my pit. Gina had some hot soup waiting for me, I got as much of it down me as I could while she removed the dead light from the bike and lubed the chain. I was still 5<sup>th</sup> but the race was less than halfway through (don’t worry, this write-up isn’t!) I can just about fit a whole <a href="http://www.torqfitness.co.uk/nutrition/torq-bar" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">Torq bar</span></a> in my mouth so I crammed one in as I headed out of the pits and back onto the course, the phrase ‘Bitten off more than I can chew’ probably being applicable there.</div>
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I added a couple of layers of clothing as the night wore on but was still feeling good, apart from one more emergency trip to the portaloos at about 1am. There are some conversations which would only be appropriate in a race and I remember having a discussion with someone in front of me about the relative length of our toilet stops and the consistancy of the products thereof. I had a slightly more savoury chat with Simon Bullock when I passed him on the logging road at about 2am, a quick reminisce about the last time we had been at Fort William together, the <span style="color: red;"><span style="color: red;"><a href="http://www.andrewhowett.blogspot.co.uk/2014/09/the-wet-highland-way-race.html"><span style="color: red;">West Highland Way Race</span></a></span></span> last year and how lucky we were that the weather was so different this time.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt7DGWzzJ8PhcwGDK4N5cFaa4s_jtZ0E1OI3mq8HGZNsLYRZeVzV-zxllx8sa9EWjb9LhgCcgfbsEt3kPIK9TeoVa7Qi6kszJ897AZOD2MsQGPPfPdV45Ct9-bektxDReKD-zak0LM5vI/s1600/sportograf-72779159.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt7DGWzzJ8PhcwGDK4N5cFaa4s_jtZ0E1OI3mq8HGZNsLYRZeVzV-zxllx8sa9EWjb9LhgCcgfbsEt3kPIK9TeoVa7Qi6kszJ897AZOD2MsQGPPfPdV45Ct9-bektxDReKD-zak0LM5vI/s400/sportograf-72779159.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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The flip side of the clocks changing and giving us a very early nightfall is that dawn comes that bit earlier. Sunrise is a huge psychological boost, even though there is still over five hours still to go there is a sense of being nearly there. I had spoken to a few first time 24hr racers during the night and had told them all the same thing, something someone had told me before my first 24hr many years ago, just concentrate on getting through to day-break, everything else will take care of itself after that.</div>
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I kept my light on for a lap longer than necessary, I had the chance to remove it in the pits but it was still a bit dark in the denser bits of the forest. I had the <a href="http://www.ultimatesportsengineering.com/exposure-lights/cycle-lights-2016/maxx-d-mk8" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">MaxxD</span></a> back, having been recharged by the <a href="http://www.ultimatesportsengineering.com/exposure-lights" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">Exposure</span></a> guys. These lights do come with a USB-charger which can be used in my van but this does rather rely on the vehicle having some electricity in it and mine was sadly lacking in this respect. There still appeared to be enough juice left in the <a href="http://www.ultimatesportsengineering.com/exposure-lights/cycle-lights-2016/toro-mk7" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">Toro</span></a> but I had changed anyway, better safe than sorry. I had been yo-yoing between 21<sup>st</sup> and 18<sup>th</sup> overall during the night but by this stage of the race was up to 4<sup>th</sup> in the singlespeeds. So close to the podium, and yet so far. Contrary to my expectations I was still feeling fine though, and was still able to push hard, surely I should feel worse than this, regardless of the number of gears? I wasn’t complaining though, the sun was back and I was going to make the proverbial hay while I still could.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtTvvd5-6xtA8WrARwC0FZtYsosD8VVXmWXsj-tJSk6z878R0Eh040TmGPlgkODppqLSkBgRByfyrgDUiKle9oDre6BJdVBRwykc6l_y0MvvcvuBFzrzF6D2cguJYLOkfirQGjT4q6Pmw/s1600/sportograf-72779601.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtTvvd5-6xtA8WrARwC0FZtYsosD8VVXmWXsj-tJSk6z878R0Eh040TmGPlgkODppqLSkBgRByfyrgDUiKle9oDre6BJdVBRwykc6l_y0MvvcvuBFzrzF6D2cguJYLOkfirQGjT4q6Pmw/s400/sportograf-72779601.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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The track was coming alive again, I’m not sure how many people had stopped and grabbed an hour or two of sleep but there certainly seemed to be more circulating now than there had been in the middle of the night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Listening to the radio later on Sunday night I found out that this had been the warmest November day on record, I could see the clear blue skies and the sunshine, perfect conditions for racing.</div>
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At 9am I was up to 3<sup>rd</sup> but it was close. Saul was miles ahead in first but the next three or four of us weren’t far apart. The trouble was that the positions and time gaps I was getting were as they were at the end of the previous lap, over an hour ago, and so were at best a rough guide and could be completely wrong by the time I got them.</div>
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Next time round I was 2<sup>nd</sup> and things were a bit more spread out, I was still way behind Saul but at least had a comfy-ish gap over 3<sup>rd</sup>. Second at the National Championship would be great, better than I had dared hope for. The next lap was one of those ones where because I am doing quite well I start to get paranoid, thinking can I keep this up, every little noise is the bike about to grind to a halt, every slip of the tyre a puncture. It’s probably just because I’m not used to it but being at the front is quite stressful.</div>
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This wasn’t helped when someone on a singlespeed came passed me on the trail by the river going, very, very quickly and just disappeared off into the distance. I knew the numbers of the guys I had to beat but he came passed so fast that I couldn’t even see it. I tried in vain to catch back up but he was gone, barely seeming to slow as he dived off the road and into the trees ahead. Who was he? What was going on? I was thinking of my last race at <a href="http://www.andrewhowett.blogspot.co.uk/2015/09/one-big-lap-in-one-little-gear.html"><span style="color: red;">Keilder</span></a> where I thought I had won, only to find out that I hadn’t. That was annoying but not a big deal, this was the nationals, I didn’t want a podium snatched from under my nose here of all places.</div>
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I came round again just after 11am, time for one more lap. I was too far behind Saul, I knew I couldn’t win. I wasn’t sure how safe my second place was though, or even if I still had it, Gina had no idea who the unknown singlespeeder was either. I had however noticed that both he and his bike were much too clean, he could have been a team rider out on a spare bike I suppose. I hope that’s what he was!</div>
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I spent the final lap wondering just how safe my podium place was. Had we missed the mysterious singlespeeder in the standings? If we had missed him who else had we missed? Had he simply overtaken me? Was anyone else about to do that? Had someone already passed me and I just hadn’t seen them?</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY95h6YJZ4YAJ3HEv30MnfHg0_iEFN0-0Roloqz7TpwVCi931ftLMyn9AYXBJWtouRDCeMx7-QGwXXv1dRqwrw_BggtrSmg5Q0TGufHCGG_UikjkR-WagOv-_iEcmQym6z-y3V1l7KxQA/s1600/sportograf-72780731.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY95h6YJZ4YAJ3HEv30MnfHg0_iEFN0-0Roloqz7TpwVCi931ftLMyn9AYXBJWtouRDCeMx7-QGwXXv1dRqwrw_BggtrSmg5Q0TGufHCGG_UikjkR-WagOv-_iEcmQym6z-y3V1l7KxQA/s400/sportograf-72780731.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I kept my speed up as best I could, even on that last lap I felt fine and was climbing well, overtaking people where I really shouldn’t have been able to do so. That was really bizarre. I’m certainly no fitter than I have been in recent years, quite the opposite in fact, having moved house recently I have been spending far too much time on various aspects of building work and not nearly enough time riding bikes. The only explanation I can think of is that riding a singlespeed forces me to pace myself better, there are no mad charges up the fireroad climbs, no hunting down the rider in front just to see if I can, only a steady, consistent effort and I think it works. I was expecting a course like Relentless to be hell on an ss but it wasn’t, it was brilliant, huge fun.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvo6jkglx_Vw31vEm9G3pCB5qD4glbzTGmj6Tz9gH72GOEewM4Fp3ci4FxxcuBWbDEYYsURRWjz0KkrQrLDarZbInDgineCBe1jORrWmpFlc5LymN-0lDBgp8neMzG8A7gBuPrd97p3O0/s1600/2015-11-01+13.32.54.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvo6jkglx_Vw31vEm9G3pCB5qD4glbzTGmj6Tz9gH72GOEewM4Fp3ci4FxxcuBWbDEYYsURRWjz0KkrQrLDarZbInDgineCBe1jORrWmpFlc5LymN-0lDBgp8neMzG8A7gBuPrd97p3O0/s400/2015-11-01+13.32.54.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>
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After</div>
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Even better, I managed to hold on to my 2<sup>nd</sup> place, the best result I have ever had at a National Championship, and had even moved up to 14<sup>th</sup> overall be the end. I am really, really pleased with that and, more importantly, had thoroughly enjoyed it. Saul Muldoon had taken the win, by quite a long way, and an even more impressive 4<sup>th</sup> overall, with Thomas Howarth 3<sup>rd</sup> in the singlespeeds and 28<sup>th</sup> overall.<br />
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Lisa Scott won the women's singlespeed race, Peter Nadin was first overall and Rachel Sokal was the winner of the women's event. Rachel was so quick that she was 11<sup>th </sup>overall, no shame for me in being beaten by a girl, she was absolutely flying.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTwmRdgKuZhDFId-rAgrn5oDsMdFulp5-aPoIv9RUxctK4jBO7QaYMMAxY19GwH1ON1BsEN0EhvpNcr7MBE0CJTFOUY5vnWbUl1Z9xvL1ObnM_5r33DG568l_7Jw2kDsF338LSY0aBjdU/s1600/2015-11-01+15.06.58.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTwmRdgKuZhDFId-rAgrn5oDsMdFulp5-aPoIv9RUxctK4jBO7QaYMMAxY19GwH1ON1BsEN0EhvpNcr7MBE0CJTFOUY5vnWbUl1Z9xvL1ObnM_5r33DG568l_7Jw2kDsF338LSY0aBjdU/s400/2015-11-01+15.06.58.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Saul and I on the podium. I have no idea where Thomas was.</div>
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I would like to say a big thank-you to a few people – Spook, Fraser and all of their team, <a href="http://www.xcracer.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">XCRacer/Scimitar,</span> </a><a href="http://mtzoom.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">Mt Zoom</span> </a> and <a href="http://www.torqfitness.co.uk/" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">Torq</span> </a>obviously, John from <a href="http://www.ultimatesportsengineering.com/exposure-lights" target="_blank"> <span style="color: red;">Exposure</span></a> for being very helpful and in the right place at the right time, the man who jump started us in Edinburgh, but most of all to Gina for everything she did all weekend. They call it solo 24hr racing but it really isn’t solo, it’s one person riding but it’s still a real team effort. </div>
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The pictures are from Sportograph and Gina.</div>
Andrew Howetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07948073074991195855noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-755724540902978553.post-54224715036243410032015-10-21T13:04:00.000+01:002017-02-26T10:28:00.878+00:00A Winter Training Run (A Run In The Winter Which I Really Should Have Trained For...)<br />
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Another late one for you, this is from last November. It’s
coming up to winter training time again, just Relentless left for me now,
unless I do something really, really stupid, like enter the Stathpuffer.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Anyway, here it is:</div>
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Winter is generally rather cold and wet so if I’m going to
be racing in the winter I might just as well embrace the cold and wet and go
for it. <o:p></o:p></div>
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My former house-mate Pete had decided that it would be a
good idea to try one of those running/obstacle course races which seem to be
getting increasingly popular and had selected The Suffering at Rockingham
Castle for us to try. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I had done a couple of these before, The Hellrunner at the
end of 2011 where I came twenty-somethingth and then <span style="color: red;"><a href="http://andrewhowett.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/test.html"><span style="color: red;">The Legends of Sherwood</span></a></span>, which was similar but in the dark, in early 2012
where I had been really pleased to come third.<o:p></o:p></div>
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However, since then I had fractured my kneecap and had barely
run at all in the following two years, it would be interesting to see how I
would get on.<o:p></o:p></div>
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One thing I had remembered is how important it was to get a
good start and miss the crowds which would form at the first few obstacles. As
I had entered us, Gina and I found ourselves in with the ‘Elite’ runners , with
Pete and Will starting in the second wave 15 minutes later.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyAoj70rlgcXuY3jbhdXPZTvOP2JLfm89H7-c25CkUp8LU7cMduzH6QPtoITj1yqQzmB4p5FylypYOCtxkEHCsNZFpCyFVasOPn0xlGpnKDv93lsYBiddGKlB0941fLp-8lz1_6wNY0rM/s1600/5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyAoj70rlgcXuY3jbhdXPZTvOP2JLfm89H7-c25CkUp8LU7cMduzH6QPtoITj1yqQzmB4p5FylypYOCtxkEHCsNZFpCyFVasOPn0xlGpnKDv93lsYBiddGKlB0941fLp-8lz1_6wNY0rM/s400/5.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<o:p>Before</o:p><br />
<o:p>(Left to right) Pete's friend who's name I have forgotten, Will, Pete, me, Gina</o:p></div>
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</div>
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There was a short sprint from the start before we dived
under the first obstacle, crawling under the netting through the mud, Pete and
Will shouting encouragement at Gina and abuse at me. <o:p></o:p></div>
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This served to spread the runners out before we set off
across the field and through the woods. We were soon into a selection of what
looked like horse-jumps to go either over, under or through.<o:p></o:p></div>
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One thing which sets this race apart from the many similar
ones is that the marshals are all army people of one sort or another and can
pounce on any runner at any time and demand various numbers of press-ups,
sit-ups, squats, burpees or whatever else takes their fancy. Those of us near
the front were immediately singled out, I think to stop us getting too far
ahead. I was somewhere at the back end of the top-20 at this point and so had
to do my fair share of press-ups before I was allowed to cross through the pond
and set off back into the woods.<o:p></o:p></div>
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It was rather difficult to keep any sort of speed up while
running along a deep, narrow ditch and dragging myself out of various deep pits
on the ropes, pausing only to complete a dozen press-ups, but I managed to
maintain my position.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I lost a few places at the jerry-cans at the top of the
hill. Bike racers aren’t renowned for our upper-body strength and so trying to
run while carrying a jerry-can full of water and then heaving it over a wall
before scrambling up and following it over wasn’t going to go well for me. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Pete and Will making the jerry-cans look easy(ish), certainly</div>
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struggling less than I did</div>
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From there we launched ourselves down a properly steep
hillside, made extremely slippery by some wet plastic sheeting. I hit the straw
bales at the bottom in a tangle of limbs with my fellow competitors and, after
the required number of sit ups, set off back up the hill.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Pete and Will missed this section, which was one of the most
fun, by the time they got there it had been closed to allow the medics to
extract a broken body from the straw at the bottom.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The part of the event which I found the hardest was at the
bottom of the next hill. After the required number of burpees I collected
another jerry-can and dragged it down to the pond at the bottom, through the
water and then up the steep bank under the netting. With loud and vociferous
voices shouting at me to “Get it over your head!” “Higher” “HIGHER!” I
struggled back up the hill with it to the far side, put it down and then
launched back into the pond and out the other side, my arms and shoulders
stinging, before emerging through the nets on the other side to complete yet
more burpees.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I can’t recall every obstacle in detail, and I’m pretty sure
that you wouldn’t want me to go through them all one by one, I probably go on a
bit too much as it is.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I have no idea what Pete has just seen, but it can't be good...</div>
<br />
Probably the hardest mentally was the zigzagging up and down
the very, very steep hill for what seemed like hours and hours and hours.
Basically this was a really steep embankment which we made our way along by
running up and down, up and down, up and down. It was nice to be able to see
the leaders again until I realised despite how close I was as the crows flies
just how far away I was as the pig walks. I am trying to introduce a new phrase
to the language to express something which travels much less directly than
airborne members of the corvidae family, I wonder if it will catch on?<o:p></o:p><br />
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I could actually do the running bits reasonably well, far
better than anything where any strength was required, and made up quite a few
places here. By the time we eventually finished zigzagging and climbed the
fence into the nettles I was at the back of the top-ten.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The nettles and the following bog (I have no idea what was
in there, and hate to think, it stank to high heaven) were followed by yet more
opportunities for me to display my total lack of any upper body strength,
running yet more zig-zags up and down a hill, this time with the castle wall at
the top and a pair of old car tyres to carry. They can get quite heavy after
the first few hundred yards. There were also the monkey bars, something with which
I struggle at the best of times, never mind over an hour into a race. The
marshal there informed me that the penalty for failure was 50 press-ups. I knew
I wasn’t going to make it and so rather than waste any effort trying I just got
down and paid the penalty straight away.<o:p></o:p></div>
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More ditches, more mud, more water and many, many more
press-ups, sit-ups, star-jumps and burpees later the finish line eventually
came into sight. This was most welcome, having not run for ages I was knackered
and my arms and shoulders were really aching, they certainly weren’t used to
that effort. I was also soaked and freezing cold.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I ran passed the finish line, tantalisingly close on my right, following the course for
another mile or so, more tyres to carry, more sit-ups to do, more ditches, more
mud, before finally looping back and heading towards the line, only separated
from it by half a dozen 10ft high wooden walls. Rather annoyingly they were
about 6inches too tall for me to be able to reach the top by running and
jumping at them, and both they and I were covered in far too much mud to allow
me to get any grip on the front face</div>
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</div>
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This posed a bit of a problem. I was in 9<sup>th</sup> place,
and quite keen to hang on to it. The guy in front was long gone but the guy
behind was only about a minute back. I tried the first wall in vain again. And
again. I had no choice but to just stand and wait for the man behind to catch
me up.<o:p></o:p></div>
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He didn’t take long, and could immediately see the problem.
We worked together, he lifted me up, I climbed onto the top of the wall,
reached down and helped him up, then we both jumped down and ran to the next
one, repeating the process again and again. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The thought had occurred to me that on the final wall I
could just leap straight down and run for the line, abandoning him on the far
side and taking the place, but I didn’t quite have the heart to do that and so
I helped him up for the last time, we jumped down together and ran for the
line, finishing just after the netting where we had started.<o:p></o:p></div>
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</div>
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I might have been slightly quicker had this not happened to my shoe.</div>
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The fact that I didn't notice until after the race probably indicates that it</div>
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wasn't slowing me down that much and so I can't really use it as an excuse.</div>
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That was without doubt the slowest 10k I have ever done, and
not only because it was actually a lot longer than the 10k they had promised
us, probably nearer to 10 miles. 1hr46min might look quite slow, but I was really pleased to cross the line
in 9<sup>th</sup>, although this then became 17<sup>th</sup> once they had
counted the times from the other groups, 300 runners in total. Will was 22<sup>nd</sup>,
Pete 57<sup>th</sup> and Gina a very impressive 8<sup>th</sup> in the girls. Despite everything it had been surprisingly good fun.<o:p></o:p></div>
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</div>
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I had brought a change of warm clothes, all kinds of lovely
warm things, and a flask of hot chocolate which were waiting for me in the back
of my van. The only problem was that Faye, Pete’s wife, had the keys for safe
keeping and was nowhere to be found, she was somewhere out there on the course
cheering him on. It is amazing just how cold you can get when you stop racing.
I had thought I was cold before but this had definitely moved up a level or
two, the biting wind now really hitting home. I searched hopelessly for Faye
before deciding to head back to the finish to take shelter in the marquee
which, with it’s two open sides, just served to funnel the wind through it at
an ever increasing speed. The others had finished, had a shower, got dressed
and warmed up before they eventually found me huddled in a corner under a space-blanket which someone had given me, blue with cold, shivering uncontrollably and not really able to talk.
I was still shivering when we got the pub.</div>
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After.</div>
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This photograph was taken while I was still wandering around looking</div>
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for everyone and slowing but surely freezing to death. </div>
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Andrew Howetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07948073074991195855noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-755724540902978553.post-13542727924176090502015-09-30T13:36:00.000+01:002015-10-21T12:45:28.401+01:00Stories From Ages Ago - My First Ever 24<br />
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Here’s a very old one for you; the race in question took place in May 2010, over five years ago now. This was way before I started writing about things so I never did a proper race report for it. However, not only was it my first ever 24 it was also the first British 24hr Championships and is the only one of my 24s I’ve not written about, so just to fill in the gaps here it is:<o:p></o:p></div>
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<o:p> </o:p></div>
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How young do I look here?</div>
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Since I had first heard of Solo 24hr Racing, probably way back in about 1998 when reading about the Red Bull 24 as it then was, I had always vowed that I would never, ever, do anything quite so silly as enter one.<o:p></o:p><br />
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As I got older and less wise the idea began to appeal to me, just the one, just to see if I could do it. I did a 12hr time-trial in 2008 and then a 24hr time-trial the following year, which at the time was by far the hardest thing I had ever done, and during which I even fell asleep on the bike for a (very!) brief moment at about 4am. I had never gone longer than 6hrs on the mountain-bike though and so the original plan was to do a 12hr race in 2010 and see how I got on, and then maybe try a 24hr in 2011 if I was still feeling brave. <o:p></o:p></div>
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However, at the beginning of 2010 it was announced that there would be the first ever British 24hr Championships at Newcastleton in May and so I got my entry in before I had really had time to think through what I was about to do and wimp out.<o:p></o:p></div>
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It was also the only 24hr in the UK which was exclusively for solos, so there would be no team riders hurtling passed at Mach 3 in the middle of the night, ideal for a novice. There was even a special category for Rookies. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I was expecting that most of my fellow competitors would also be complete newbies like me, just seeing if they could get around in one piece. I was slightly concerned when I arrived at the venue at Rock UK to find the place filled with veterans of, and even previous winners of, Mountain Mayhem, Relentless, Sleepless, 24/12, the Strathpuffer and various other events I had never even heard of, I had no idea the 24hr scene was so big. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I hadn’t really been sure how to prepare for a race like this so I had brought 3 bikes, all of my tools, as much food of various kinds as I could fit into the van and a big tent to put it all in. That was about as far as planning went.</div>
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Being lead out at the start</div>
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<o:p></o:p> </div>
There were nearly 90 of us assembled in the spring sunshine, an unusually warm day for Scotland, probably one of it’s warmest weekends ever. This was good, I go well in the heat. <o:p></o:p><br />
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The start was at noon down in the centre of Newcastleton village where we were part of the local Tub festival (I’m not quite sure what that was either, but it seemed very popular.) We were lead out of the town by the Copshaw Common Riders on a variety of interesting contraptions, all behind the piper. The truck led us from the road up the hill to the track itself and then peeled off and the race was on. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I had been near the front while we were behind the van and so I found myself in amongst the main contenders as they shot off like the proverbial from the shovel. I had no idea how to pace myself during such races so I assumed that the fast guys knew what they were doing and so I went with them, trying to keep up as best I could for as long as I could. </div>
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At the front as we head up the hill towards the track</div>
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I think this actually worked quite well, I was able to put in a few quick laps early on while there was still plenty of daylight. The course itself had been really well thought out, Newcastleton is an excellent venue for this kind of event. It was reasonably good fun to ride in the daytime while we were still wide-awake, but nicely challenging in the middle of the night while we were half asleep. It was also mostly hard surfaced, gravel and rocks, which meant that had the weather not been as fantastic as it turned out to be it would all still have been rideable without chewing up and becoming one big bog.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The only bad thing I have to say about it isn’t really something anyone could do anything about, and enough people have tried over the years – the midges. They weren’t too bad for us competitors, they seem to struggle to latch onto a moving target. The marshals out on the open, and therefore slightly breezy, moorland sections got off lightly too but those poor marshals in the trees were eaten alive. Every time I passed them after the sun had started to go down they were wearing more and more clothes. Long sleeves first, then gloves, midge-nets, buffs, scarves, hats, anything they could get their hands on, they all looked like they were wearing bhurkas by the time darkness actually fell. All that clothing must have been really uncomfortable, the temperatures stayed surprisingly high all night, they must have been sweating like crazy under all those layers, and of course the sweat just attracts even more midges.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I started to struggle a bit as darkness fell too, although for different reasons. Much against my own expectations I felt fine, I was still putting in sensible lap times and keeping my speed up until dusk.<o:p></o:p></div>
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My problem was with seeing where I was going. My total previous experience of night racing was one team race at Mayhem four years previously and the 24hr time trial the year before. I had not realised just how much artificial light is needed to be able to go rapidly through the forest at night and my 4xAA battery-powered single LED was proving to be much less suitable for this than it had been for the time-trial with all it’s street-lights and cat’s eyes. The more experienced riders were charging around with what could easily function as a high-powered search-light strapped to fronts of their bikes and seemed to have no difficulty at all in seeing where the lines through the rocks were.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I elected to cut my speed right down and just make certain of staying upright, rather than risk going too fast into the unknown and hurting myself. <o:p></o:p></div>
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It was an enormous relief to see the sun starting to reappear, and not only because it meant that I could actually see the rocks, roots and ravines again, and therefore not ride into them. Talking to people before the race they had all said that if I could make it through until dawn I would be fine, that’s the hard part over and mentally it would be a huge boost. It was, and I found myself thinking ‘Nearly there.’ Erm, not quite, there was still over 8hrs of racing to go. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The pits were starting to come alive again too as the sun came back out, Team Chadwick in particular was getting noisy but this was great, it really does help to have people shouting you on. </div>
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Although the individual pits had been quiet overnight there had been a constant buzz in the main arena. There was a marquee there especially for ‘Super-Solos’ of which I was one. It’s not quite as grand as it sounds, it’s those of us not only riding solo (which was everyone at this race) but who are also doing it without any supporters or pit crew looking after them.<o:p></o:p></div>
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There was a unlimited supply of hot tea and pasta there all night long and the guys from Juice Lubes were ready to wield their spanners if the need arose. More important was the constant cheering and encouragement from everyone there, although not quite as loud and raucous as Mr C and Co. <o:p></o:p></div>
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There was also a trade stand operated by <span style="color: red;"><a href="http://www.ultimatesportsengineering.com/exposure-lights" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">Exposure Lights</span></a></span> who were not only providing charging facilities for anyone to use but were also hiring out proper, decent lights to those like me who lacked such things. Had I realised just how inadequate mine would prove to be I would certainly have paid them a visit before the race. <o:p></o:p></div>
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With the coming of the dawn the temperatures began to rise again. It had stayed pretty warm all night so it didn’t take long to get back up to about 30 degrees, perfect for me, I love the heat, although even I found myself riding in the shade of the trees on a few of the climbs <o:p></o:p></div>
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In the closing stages of the race I was starting to concentrate more on my position, rather than merely getting to the end, and I was involved in two battles. As I mentioned earlier there was the Rookie’s Championship, for those who had never done a solo 24hr MTB race before. I had thought that my 24hr time trial and team race at Mayhem would make me the most experienced Rookie, if that’s not a bit of a contradiction, but this turned out not to be the case. John Fettis was the leading Rookie early on, although I hadn’t been too far behind. However, I had spoken to him earlier in the race and knew that he had once done a 36hr road race, from the Severn Bridge to the Menai Bridge. And back. The hilly way. He did beat me in the end, but Rory Hitchins also snuck in under the radar by being a vet as well, leaving me in third at the finish.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The other battle I was involved in was for a position in the Seniors race, down at the lower reaches of the top-10. I was in 11<sup>th</sup> as the end approached, with Ant Jordan just ahead in 10<sup>th</sup> and Ian Scally not far in front of him. I had a vague memory of hearing someone say that the top-10 would be able to go to the <span style="color: red;"><a href="http://www.xcracer.com/24hr-World-Champs-Australia-2010.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">World Championships in Australia</span></a></span> later that year. The thought of doing that had never even crossed my mind until about 8am when someone told me what position I was in. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I knew who Ant was, on his distinctive pink bike not far ahead, but had no idea who Ian was. With four hours to go I gave it everything I possibly could. I was absolutely flat out, this lap was like an XC race, on the limit everywhere, pushing, pushing, pushing. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I caught Ant near the end of that lap but he must have realised who I was and what was going on and he responded in kind. </div>
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He picked his pace up on the next lap and we charged around together, really close, tight racing. I was amazed that we could do this sort of thing well over 20hrs in but I wasn’t going to question it, I was just hanging on as best I could. In the 10 miles of the lap we were never more than 20 seconds apart, sometimes him in front, sometimes me. Even his pit crew, Carole, Simon and co were cheering me on, they were enjoying this as much as we were. Despite everything else I have done on a bike over the subsequent years I can still say that those last couple of laps were some of the most fun I have ever had, fighting for every second and that vital 10<sup>th</sup> place. It was a shame we couldn’t both have it, but we couldn’t, and I was determined that it was going to be me.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The next lap I kept the pressure on and managed to open a gap over him, nearly 8 minutes, I have no idea how I did that but it was crucial.<o:p></o:p></div>
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This race was a ‘short’ 24 which means that only laps <i>completed</i> within 24hrs count, rather than the ‘long’ 24 format where laps <i>started</i> within 24hrs count. It was touch and go whether I would be able to complete my final lap in the allotted time but for Ant the fight was over. He had given everything and with nothing left in the tank he knew he wouldn’t make it round in time for one more to count and so he finished his race then.<o:p></o:p></div>
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That last lap was torture for me. I too had given everything I had trying to beat him, there was nothing left in my legs, but limp round I must. The final lap seemed to take forever, just keeping the bike moving<o:p></o:p></div>
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Coming back down the final hill was one of the best feelings ever, I had made it around my first 24hr intact, and done far, far better than I ever expected to. Down from the summit, picking up speed to the corner at the edge of the woods, leaning in as I turned left, feeling the bike start to slide, letting it run wide as I looked for the grip, over to the right for the next corner, staying wide, down the last part of the hill to the tight right-hander at the bottom and up the hill into the pits and the finish line. The whole section was lined with people cheering us all on, it really was fantastic.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I just had to confirm the results now, had I done it? Last time I had heard Ant and I were 10<sup>th</sup> and 11<sup>th</sup>, I must have done it, surely? It would be a shame to knock him out of the top 10 but I could live with that. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I found the results. Anthony Jordan 10<sup>th</sup>. Hang on a minute, what’s happened there?! Andrew Howett 9<sup>th</sup>. Wow, that was brilliant. Somehow we had both passed Ian during our battle but had been concentrating so hard on beating each other that we hadn’t even noticed! We were both going to the Worlds. <span style="color: red;"><a href="http://www.xcracer.com/24hr-World-Champs-Australia-2010.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">Australia</span></a></span> here we come.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<o:p> </o:p></div>
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Results:<o:p></o:p></div>
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Men<o:p></o:p></div>
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<ol start="1" style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="1"><span style="color: white;"> </span>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><span style="color: white;">Matt Page<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<span style="color: white;"> </span>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><span style="color: white;">Ant White<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<span style="color: white;"> </span>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><span style="color: white;">Josh Ibbett<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<span style="color: white;"> </span>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><span style="color: white;">Rich Rothwell<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<span style="color: white;"> </span>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><span style="color: white;">James Leavesley<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<span style="color: white;"> </span>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><span style="color: white;">Jason Miles<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<span style="color: white;"> </span>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><span style="color: white;">Luke Morris<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<span style="color: white;"> </span>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><span style="color: white;">Mike Hall<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<span style="color: white;"> </span>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><span style="color: white;">Andrew Howett<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<span style="color: white;"> </span>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><span style="color: white;">Anthony Jordan<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<span style="color: white;"> </span></ol>
<span style="color: white;"> Women<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="color: white;"> </span><br />
<ol start="1" style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="1"><span style="color: white;"> </span>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><span style="color: white;">Ricci Cotter<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<span style="color: white;"> </span>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><span style="color: white;">Nicola McLeod<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">Jane Chadwick<o:p></o:p></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">Nicola Duggan<o:p></o:p></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">Amy Baron-Hall</li>
</ol>
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Footnote: I’m not quite sure how accurate the thing about the top-10 going to the Worlds was, I think was just for entry to the Elite category with anyone else being able to do the age group races. Now<span style="color: red;"> <a href="http://www.wembo.com.au/" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">WEMBO</span></a></span> have taken over running it from 24HOA anyone is allowed to take part. The nature of the event does mean that we tend to be a fairly self-selecting bunch so the standard of competition is just as high with the new guys in charge but it really is possible for anyone to turn up and enter the World Championship. Being able to finish it is another matter entirely but have a go, you might surprise yourself… <o:p></o:p></div>
Andrew Howetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07948073074991195855noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-755724540902978553.post-68129204970645164792015-09-16T13:29:00.001+01:002020-01-04T23:51:24.565+00:00One Big Lap In One Little Gear<br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">You know those races where you actually do rather well and
yet somehow still come away feeling slightly disappointed? This was one of those.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">The Keilder race made it’s return recently and is now a
101km event which attracted about 350 riders. This was helped by the fact that
as it was now September spring had finally arrived up in the borders and everyone
was keen for a bit of racing in the sunshine, having not seen any for months.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">I headed down on the Friday night, had a bit of dinner and
then signed-on at the castle. I had to persuade the organisers to let me start
at the front with the Elite group, which it turns out has to be done by telling
them some recent race results rather than bribing them with beer. I was
successful, 11<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup> at the <span style="color: red;"><a href="http://www.andrewhowett.blogspot.co.uk/2015/08/that-was-harder-than-i-thought.html"><span style="color: red;">Manx 100</span></a> </span>sounds
much better than last, as does 3<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">rd</span></sup> at the <span style="color: red;"><a href="http://www.andrewhowett.blogspot.co.uk/2014/09/the-wet-highland-way-race.html"><span style="color: red;">West Highland Way</span></a></span>, which is the last place with which I have been most
pleased.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">The start line before the race. Note the lovely colour of the sky.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Anyway, the race itself.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">I had decided to have a go at racing singlespeed. I hadn’t
raced one for a while and quite fancied a change. I also didn’t fancy
completely wrecking a bike as happened at the <span style="color: red;"><a href="http://andrewhowett.blogspot.co.uk/2011/12/killer-kielder.html"><span style="color: red;">2011 event</span></a></span> and I thought that the singlespeed would be a little more robust.
I did put some bouncy forks on specially though. As it turns out a fancy geared
full-suss would have been ideal and would have been fine in the dry but I had
had to commit a few days before when I packed the van.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">We set off from the castle at 7:30am, I hate early mornings,
with the first couple of miles being neutralised behind the truck before the
course turned to the left up the first climb and the race really began. Despite
only having one gear I was fifth as we crested the hill, the added lightness,
to misquote Colin Chapman, of the singlespeed helping a lot. I could see <span style="color: red;"><a href="http://www.richyroth.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">Richard Rothwell</span></a></span> at the front and for a change I was having
no difficulty in keeping up. I knew that he had been ill recently and assume
that he had gone straight to the front to try to control the pace rather than
letting the other fast boys charge off into the distance. It suited me and I
felt good in the chasing pack, not far behind the leading group of four.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><o:p>Last minute tweaks in front of the castle.</o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><o:p>Too many gears, he should have gone for the low-maintainence singlespeed.</o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">I lost a couple of places on the level fireroad section at
the top. I had a 32/17 gear on a 26” bike and so getting above about 18mph on
the flat was pretty much impossible. Any attempt to do so would leave me
looking like Scooby Doo in that brief moment after he spots a ghost but before he
starts to run, legs spinning furiously but not actually moving.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">I continued, head down and spinning like crazy. I heard a
noise in front and looked up, a rider was cartwheeling along the trail, his
bike bouncing off in the other direction. It was a wide, flat fireroad, what on
earth had he hit? He had picked himself up and grabbed his bike by the time I
passed him, his front wheel pringled (pringle: vb. To make a wheel the shape of
a popular potato-based snack, my favourite of which are the sour cream and
onion flavour) Race over in less than five miles. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">I asked the guy next to me what had happened. Apparently he
had caught the end of his handlebar in the deer fence to our left and come to a
very abrupt stop against it. Quite how he had done this when it was a good two
feet from the edge of the track I don’t know.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">The course turned to the left and headed downhill, which was
where I had to relinquish my spot amongst the leaders and watch as what felt
like hundreds of riders, but was probably only a couple of dozen, cruised
passed me in their big rings while I was spinning out, tucking my head down to
allow gravity to take me up to the dizzy heights of 25mph.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">The race continued in pretty much the same vein for miles, I
would manage to get passed some people on the climbs and then they and a load
more would just stroll passed on the downhills without even looking like they
were trying, I would get a couple back on the next climb and then another herd
would swamp me on the following descent.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">One thing which had occurred to me was that I was leading
the singlespeed race. I had started at the front and had been looking at
everyone’s bike when they came passed, checking for the presence of gears and
had seen no-one else daft enough to only have the one. This was unusual, I’m
not used to leading races, even just a race within a race, and certainly not this
far in. I had sprinted off the line at a couple of 24hr World Championships (<span style="color: red;"><a href="http://andrewhowett.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/24hr-world-champs-2012.html"><span style="color: red;">Italy</span></a></span> and <span style="color: red;"><a href="http://www.andrewhowett.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/i-need-other-rear-wheel-and-piece-of.html"><span style="color: red;">Australia</span></a></span>)
just so that I could say that I had, very briefly,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>lead a World Champs, but to still be at the
front of something after an hour and half was a little odd.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYNo1J1XG679UAPSUP5uPg32-vg6qfZMblQa9TkRSVGJ6dQrwz0ZfmeM3GpimiTJuASzo44MIJXb3NEKwsvTKWcs7_0yIgqqhBGnAyjZgco0tllBPWJzP2SAMjNKJe7pMj6_cbfRc7dPU/s1600/Ian.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYNo1J1XG679UAPSUP5uPg32-vg6qfZMblQa9TkRSVGJ6dQrwz0ZfmeM3GpimiTJuASzo44MIJXb3NEKwsvTKWcs7_0yIgqqhBGnAyjZgco0tllBPWJzP2SAMjNKJe7pMj6_cbfRc7dPU/s400/Ian.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Ian.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
I'm not sure how he's managed to get into his own picture, I </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
suspect magic.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">About five miles from the border I saw someone coming up the
singletrack behind me doing that special kind of gear-grinding that only
singlespeeders do, being in the wrong gear for pretty much the entire race. He
did eventually catch me and so we had a bit of a chat as we rode.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Jim Tipp had finished about twentieth overall and first singlespeed
at the infamous <span style="color: red;"><a href="http://andrewhowett.blogspot.co.uk/2011/12/killer-kielder.html"><span style="color: red;">2011 event</span></a></span>, the only DNF I have ever
had in over 16 year of racing my bike. Well over 75% of the field had DNF’ed
that day, if you weren’t there it would be nigh on impossible to describe the
conditions, bikes were just disintegrating as we rode along, the endless
grinding grit destroying chains, cassettes, chainrings and every single bearing
in the entire bike.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">He had made it to the end of this, so was clearly not to be
underestimated, but I was determined that he was not going to beat me. I saw my
chance to get away from him when the course turned a sharp left and headed very
steeply up some singletrack, a succession of really tight switchbacks which
seemed to go forever. My gear eventually got the better of me, or my legs
weren’t strong enough, one of the two, I’ll blame the gear, and so I leapt off
and ran the last few hundred yards. I even managed to run passed someone on a
geared bike who, although going very slowly, was clearly not going to let the
hill defeat him.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Over the summit and there was no sign of my adversary behind
me, I had lost him. I kept the pressure on as we headed for the border, making
up a few more places on the very slippery boardwalk section, I think it was
just fear of braking and locking a wheel on it which made me quicker around it
than the others. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_82BOx3HAxkLb09c0Ln-d_FYisyirx7yVBoAGYdXq7Dr26BIfOwP-tdsiXDQhp9GRe4S_w2cSNoZ2ouYZ4LOg-z4uZevqniYnrm7TP4D5GJIb2mRWkRAh12etER-O4gvMpxEVbtrOgM4/s1600/lake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_82BOx3HAxkLb09c0Ln-d_FYisyirx7yVBoAGYdXq7Dr26BIfOwP-tdsiXDQhp9GRe4S_w2cSNoZ2ouYZ4LOg-z4uZevqniYnrm7TP4D5GJIb2mRWkRAh12etER-O4gvMpxEVbtrOgM4/s400/lake.jpg" width="398" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
The trail on the shores of Keilder Water</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Down the next singletrack descent with the border in sight, quite
narrow and very rocky, lots of pointy stones, trying to pick my way through the
biggest ones to avoid pinch-flatting and oh bugger I have.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">I stopped and flipped the bike over, pulling my glove off.
These rims are ridiculously tight, it’s a nightmare changing tyres on them. this
wasn’t going to be fun. Riders were streaming passed as I got out my tyres
levers, and much to my surprise, took the tyre straight off, it is never that
easy! Jim came passed as I was putting the new tube in, followed less than a
minute later by David Glover who was third singlespeed. The tyre went back on
as easily as it had come off. I don’t know how that happened but I wasn’t
complaining. I put my gas cartridge on and turned it. Nothing. I did it again.
Still nothing. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">I looked at the end, it had been pierced OK. Was this a dud
or had I picked up a used one by mistake? The sense of relief as my second
cartridge worked as enormous. I put the wheel back in, tied the old tube to my
frame and set off in pursuit of the two in front of me. The whole episode had
cost me 5½ minutes, that was a big gap to close but the pause had given me a
chance to get my breath back and I was flying, giving it everything I had,
pausing only to dib at the checkpoint as I crossed the border into Scotland. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">On the very next fireroad section was an upside-down bike
with a rider pumping furiously at the tyre - Jim. That had been easier than I
was expecting, and we were now all square at one puncture each, just David to
go. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">He was a mile further on, sticking a new tube into his tyre.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">I only saw four people with punctures all day, it was odd
that three of them should have been us singlespeeders, I wonder why?<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">I pressed on, the feeling of being in the lead again was a
huge psychological boost and I was enjoying racing the geared bikes, especially
the guy with the bright orange helmet who I must have passed, and been passed
by, about a dozen times in the second half of the race and Steven Deas on the
monster-cross bike. I think I was having an easier time of it than he was, I
only had to contend with my heart going from 3,500bpm while spinning like crazy
on the downhills down to about 6bpm as I ground up the climbs. He had rigid
forks and had lost all feeling below the elbow, which meant that when he did
get to a fireroad where he should have had the advantage he was in too much
pain to be able to exploit it as much as he would have liked.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">I recognised much of the Scottish part of the race, using
the trails at Newcastleton which had played host to both the British and <span style="color: red;"><a href="http://andrewhowett.blogspot.co.uk/p/international-events.html"><span style="color: red;">European 24hr Championships</span></a></span> over the years. The feed
stop and bag drop was at the half way point at the Rock UK venue, I refilled my
bottles, grabbed a new tube and spare gas and swallowed a couple of <span style="color: red;"><a href="http://www.torqfitness.co.uk/nutrition/torq-bar" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">Torq bars</span></a></span>. Less than 2 minutes later I was underway
again, pushing hard along familiar trails. I had no idea whether Jim was just out
of sight around the last corner or was dropping back. I didn’t even know if he
had got bike working again but I was having a huge amount of fun going as fast
as I could. Why don’t I race singlespeeds more often?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcFAZKIuxMNy6mxxclMwNWhh2eB3avlR0ULqPyLNQlRh7dnBV3DeNwEbQWlp82cczoae0cRarWSJqDP82IlIBsZ7WSwD112xPLb9YugT-twk_3UAJ_sLNfGATUIFhiKHBIgYvvx7pak7U/s1600/stuart.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcFAZKIuxMNy6mxxclMwNWhh2eB3avlR0ULqPyLNQlRh7dnBV3DeNwEbQWlp82cczoae0cRarWSJqDP82IlIBsZ7WSwD112xPLb9YugT-twk_3UAJ_sLNfGATUIFhiKHBIgYvvx7pak7U/s400/stuart.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Stuart Goodwin</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">We left the familiar tracks at the Border Stane and pressed
on back towards England, me, Steven on the monster-cross bike and the guy in
the bright orange helmet. About four miles from the border we were joined by,
you’ve guessed it, Jim. The two of us pulled away from the others, despite
their many gears, and the bridge was soon in sight.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">A sharp right, foot down as I paused to dab my dibber on the
timing device, then back on it and sharp left. This was my chance, the course
went very, very steeply uphill. It was only a short climb and would have been
doable in a bigger sprocket but looked impossible on an SS. I knew from the
earlier very steep hill that I could run faster than him.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">I leapt off and went for it, jumping back on at the top and
sprinting like crazy. There was 18 miles to go and I was not going to let him
beat me, this race was mine for the taking and I was going to have it if it
killed me. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">I kept the Scooby-Doo impressions up for as long as I could
but it does take it’s toll eventually, and I had slowed a little by the time we
approached the third and final feed stop. The track climbed uphill and then
doubled back on itself, from where I could see Jim less than 100 yards behind
me. He looked like he was really trying too. Was this good, did it mean this
was as fast as he could go? Was this bad news, did it mean he was going to give
it everything he had to attempt to catch me and take the victory? I suspected the
latter…<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Round the corner and dib at the final timing chip, the
marshal there saying “food and water to the right, course to the left”. I
desperately needed another bottle refill but didn’t want to waste any time. I
headed left and up the hill.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUGO2L5z99UgQBtyilemzlfJHwq0m6eN4FM7BUTBK85RrIBYf5RMOsafaVB37bZWf5cOWiBQwjhUbKNfDB0UnBaZagOChhZ_Se2x35gvtexIB-yRP9bA33sv5GGJugmyMBPExYiKzr3sA/s1600/view.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUGO2L5z99UgQBtyilemzlfJHwq0m6eN4FM7BUTBK85RrIBYf5RMOsafaVB37bZWf5cOWiBQwjhUbKNfDB0UnBaZagOChhZ_Se2x35gvtexIB-yRP9bA33sv5GGJugmyMBPExYiKzr3sA/s400/view.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
One of the many views which I didn't have time to stop and admire.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Rounding the corner at the top I could see someone down at
the bottom, pedalling hard, they were definitely in a dark top but that was as
much as could tell from that distance. Was it Jim? Had he stopped for food or
was he chasing me? <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Sprinting on a singlespeed isn’t easy, or at least going rapidly
on one isn’t. With my legs going like crazy I was going as quickly as I could,
trying not to look over my shoulder too much but finding it hard not to. I was
flat out, passing more riders on geared bikes. We were nearly there, the last 10
miles, I was not going to lose this so close to the end.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">The last few miles were huge fun but couldn’t come soon
enough. The course was twisty and the trees were dense, I had no idea if Jim
was 50 yards or 3 miles behind me so I had no option but to keep pushing,
pushing, pushing.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">From the final singletrack section I could see the castle
below me. Plunging down through the trees there was still no sign of Jim, I was
going to do this, I was going to win.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Out of the woods, the finish line in sight, still sprinting,
across the line and dib my timing chip, I had done it! <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">The marshal there handed me a bottle of beer. “Well done
mate, good effort. Second singlespeed.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Hang on a wee moment…<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">“Second singlespeed, first finished ages ago.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Bugger.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Jim was the next person across the line, just under four
minutes later with David the next singlespeeder, six places and nine minutes
behind him.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">What must have happened was that Saul Muldoon had sneaked
passed me unobserved at some point and disappeared off into the distance, winning
the singlespeed category and finishing an impressive 16<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup> overall. I
was second, in 41<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">st</span></sup> overall, one place ahead of Jim in both results.
I had also just failed to beat the 6hr mark, 6hr00mins33secs.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Still, at least I would get my moment of glory on the
podium. I had missed this the<a href="http://andrewhowett.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/the-championship-decider-kielder-100.html"><span style="color: red;"> last time I had raced at Keilder</span></a>, I had finished third in the British Endurance Series but they
had changed the time of the podiums without telling anyone and I was enjoying a
lovely hot shower as they were giving out the trophies. This time I was paying
attention, I had a long drive ahead of me but I sat around for four hours,
tinkering with my bike and having a chat, listening to Stuart’s tales from the
Transcontinental and watching the others, who were staying over to go riding
the following day, drink their beers. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Eventually 6:30 came and we all headed up to the castle for
the podiums. Tom Wragg, Eddie Addis and Ed Wolstenholme took the top spots in the
elite men with Helen Jackson, Sally Ozanne and Hannah Sinclair making up the
girl’s podium, Jon Roberts and Dave Hayward taking the wins in their age-groups.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">They then called up the winners of the singlespeed,
monster-cross and fat-bike categories and that was that.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Bugger.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Still no podium for me then. No-one expects a big prize at
an MTB race but a round of applause and maybe a little trophy would have been
nice. Oh well, time to head home.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">I had a bit of a chat with Jon as I was leaving, it had been
an impressive ride from him to beat the 5hrs. It was also nice to find out that
someone actually reads these things I write, cheers Jon.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD7f9srRnNFCV39RJuy9M7tAAtDqeqVVDPpwXqfd64kooMZGBKFku_OQRiiG1iLqoll6s0-amyqBNxPUDsu9_rmInwrdleQti80IqmDmSiwKqARUISH6elMXvdx8VAJThE2ULhT4gtovM/s1600/P7020080.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD7f9srRnNFCV39RJuy9M7tAAtDqeqVVDPpwXqfd64kooMZGBKFku_OQRiiG1iLqoll6s0-amyqBNxPUDsu9_rmInwrdleQti80IqmDmSiwKqARUISH6elMXvdx8VAJThE2ULhT4gtovM/s400/P7020080.JPG" width="400" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">
</span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">This was supposed to be the picture of Saul, Jim and I on the podium</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">
</span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">but obviously that didn't happen, so here's one of Gordon in a cupboard.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Big thank-yous to the usual people, <span style="color: red;"><a href="http://www.xcracer.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">XCRacer/Scimitar</span></a></span>,<a href="http://www.torqfitness.co.uk/" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">Torq</span></a> and <span style="color: red;"><a href="http://mtzoom.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">Mt Zoom</span></a></span>.
The <span style="color: red;"><a href="http://www.ultimatesportsengineering.com/exposure-lights/cycle-lights-2015" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">Exposure</span></a></span> lights weren’t needed at this one
but their time will come, it’s Relentless next for me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">The pictures are all, apart from the one of Gordon, by Ian
Harvey-Read of The Chronicles of Gnarlia, who’s claim to fame is that he was <span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">177<sup>th</sup></span> and the last finisher of the 800+ starters at the
infamous <span style="color: red;"><a href="http://andrewhowett.blogspot.co.uk/2011/12/killer-kielder.html"><span style="color: red;">2011 event</span></a></span>, no shame in that, it was a
huge effort just to survive it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Andrew Howetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07948073074991195855noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-755724540902978553.post-66956285533132111322015-09-02T13:13:00.000+01:002016-06-14T12:55:25.831+01:00The Right Tools For The Bodge<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFHDaZJERCrgGwTJWM_7zf0CBjYRoz3n3doqfxdf9dJutObtf_yZkH1W2jIFy9BAqgfI4-m83HecJOwxtTdvx94pWhBPILPriTGOzo86MnmLxMV3NTQKcJxozigQCOJ7xW_FpVM9cjZY8/s1600/vicewhip.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFHDaZJERCrgGwTJWM_7zf0CBjYRoz3n3doqfxdf9dJutObtf_yZkH1W2jIFy9BAqgfI4-m83HecJOwxtTdvx94pWhBPILPriTGOzo86MnmLxMV3NTQKcJxozigQCOJ7xW_FpVM9cjZY8/s400/vicewhip.jpg" width="395" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">I’ve been spending far too much time this year moving house
(twice) and changing jobs (also twice, but maybe three or possibly even four times
depending on how you define it) and not enough time racing, or even riding
bikes in general. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">I therefore haven’t got much to write about in the way of
race reports, and with my thoughts now occupied with plumbing, fireplaces and
floorboards this is unlikely to change until next year. I have however entered the
Keilder 101 and am threatening to have a go at Relentless.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the meantime I’m going to have another
attempt at a product review.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">The Pedro’s Vicewhip is one those gadgets which is just
brilliant, a really simple solution to a problem everyone has and is so obvious
it just leaves me thinking ‘why didn’t I come up with that?’ The legendary Lennard
Zinn did however, which probably shows that he is cleverer than I am. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvwmPq2CIdu4b0smjM9zHx8EgdfQoiSFJ5d03h58mmwk9an_D2qk87syBurKPIGXXta2Xu_EZap0xYr2QhJLyAWe_jljdKIF0MGQcnHOqVakJsTQUpnqIUykcQpaow5st5GwA10CB4_KM/s1600/tool1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvwmPq2CIdu4b0smjM9zHx8EgdfQoiSFJ5d03h58mmwk9an_D2qk87syBurKPIGXXta2Xu_EZap0xYr2QhJLyAWe_jljdKIF0MGQcnHOqVakJsTQUpnqIUykcQpaow5st5GwA10CB4_KM/s400/tool1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">I hadn’t even heard of it until a year or so ago when I
needed to remove the cog on my singlespeed during a trip to Afan Argoed. I
popped into the bike shop and asked to borrow a chain-whip. I was handed what I
thought was a set of mole-grips. I checked to make sure he had given me the
right tool and was reassured that he had. I returned to my bike, clamped it
onto the sprocket and removed the lockring.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">That was it. No spending hours slipping, swearing, skinning
knuckles or anything like that. Just lock the tool on and undo the lockring, no
faffing at all.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">It has a mole-grip-like handle but where the jaws would be
is instead a semi-circular adjustable clamp which goes around your cassette and
holds the teeth of any sprocket up to 23t, so it is plenty big enough for any
cassette and all but the biggest singlespeed sprocket. It’s a league apart from
the usual ‘bit of chain on a stick’ (which did sort of work when I made my own
by, no prizes for guessing, simply nailing some old chain to the end of a small
block of wood). It is especially brilliant on seriously worn singlespeeds when
a conventional chainwhip would slip like crazy and remove every last trace of
skin from your fingers before it would allow you to undo anything. Not that my
SS is that badly maintained of course…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">I was so impressed that I immediately went and got myself
one and I remain very impressed, the build-quality has proved equally good, I
like it even better than my fancy Snap-On mole-grips.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0vp9rbzAoyNLw49Cl1Jufjh-1eHojoFRI20tMNU-Bl4ESUD714OMAhUqQQXP6IliAX8R5iIx2XsKHeuTYu0cz2TWfrBVj73d4y_fWtajBU5ZQIVnMKDWZOxkK2ClAQ0G6q1U330HVew8/s1600/tool2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0vp9rbzAoyNLw49Cl1Jufjh-1eHojoFRI20tMNU-Bl4ESUD714OMAhUqQQXP6IliAX8R5iIx2XsKHeuTYu0cz2TWfrBVj73d4y_fWtajBU5ZQIVnMKDWZOxkK2ClAQ0G6q1U330HVew8/s400/tool2.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">The (very!) eagle-eyed among you may have noticed a slight
modification to the cassette tool in the picture, it's slightly more obvious in close-up above. This is a conventional Park
Tools FR-5 of which I have ground the top with an angle-grinder, an idea I
nicked from my friend James. This means that a very big spanner will still fit around
the base for lots of leverage, but the narrower bit at the top will fit a much
smaller 5/8” spanner. Why? Airline baggage limits. The weight difference
between my huge spanner and the little one is considerable. And I’m sure that the
half an ounce I’ve taken off the tool helps too.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB4tF3lZrq7lo7oma6XXowsInW9O0p23ZueG8-ygqNuCQg6HokNtLQlyaF9eWwGz3LkFGjGazjdqX7DAZ7eigGz3_osCXy1b0Dd6j1rojo8fGqOsqGLgobn11B49qhd0yUjWQrvrms4p8/s1600/spanners.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB4tF3lZrq7lo7oma6XXowsInW9O0p23ZueG8-ygqNuCQg6HokNtLQlyaF9eWwGz3LkFGjGazjdqX7DAZ7eigGz3_osCXy1b0Dd6j1rojo8fGqOsqGLgobn11B49qhd0yUjWQrvrms4p8/s400/spanners.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Pedros Vicewhip: </div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">I like: It just works. Genius.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">I don’t like: It’s how much!? £50 seems a lot for a chain -whip<o:p></o:p></span>Andrew Howetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07948073074991195855noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-755724540902978553.post-10095227582784367452015-08-14T13:04:00.001+01:002015-08-14T13:07:15.453+01:00That Was Harder Than I Was Expecting...<h3 align="center">
<u>2015 Manx 100</u></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">This was one of those races which you just know will be
hard, but don’t necessarily realise quite how hard until you are at the top of
a massive hill, trying desperately to get enough feeling back into your hands
to be able to open a packet of food, anything to keep you going, when the
gale-force winds part the sea of fog just long enough for you to glimpse
another rider getting blown off his bike. This would become a battle for
survival.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Saturday was a fantastic day, blue skies, warm temperatures
and a gentle breeze as we made our way across to Douglas on board the
catamaran. We met a few other racers on the ferry, but despite the lovely
weather prevailing at the time we had all seen the forecast and there was a
definite atmosphere of gallows humour. It was predicted to be light rain at the
start, 6:30am, developing into heavy rain by about 10am and continuing for the
rest of the race, with winds of over 45mph. This was of course the forecast for
sea-level, whereas we would be crossing the largest and most exposed fells and
moors the Isle of Man has to offer, and it is a surprisingly hilly island.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMD701WAEOJrTWR4cE7p2hV1aA0ghLLIezgggsYrRdP2a3jQB98V8jit04Y8XzauOsbdc6h7Sseb2De5LRIIQWenI_ad-1oQdwZAh4LolW5fEY5rn19VmxwYkcHjkLzMznGc56V9gmRdA/s1600/me+last+year+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMD701WAEOJrTWR4cE7p2hV1aA0ghLLIezgggsYrRdP2a3jQB98V8jit04Y8XzauOsbdc6h7Sseb2De5LRIIQWenI_ad-1oQdwZAh4LolW5fEY5rn19VmxwYkcHjkLzMznGc56V9gmRdA/s400/me+last+year+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Here's a picture from <a href="http://www.andrewhowett.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/stories-from-last-summer-2014-manx-100.html"><span style="color: red;">last year</span></a>, me chased by someone I don't know</div>
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and Jon Hobson. I've used one from last year as this year's won't come</div>
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out well with all the fog,and I guess the photographer's fingers would </div>
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have been too numb with cold to opperate the camera anyway.</div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">We were met at the ferry port by Guy, a lovely friendly
local who had volunteered to put us up for the weekend and who’s wife, Joan,
provided an excellent curry while I made him paranoid about his front brake.
Signing-on and last-minute detail checking was in the Control Tower at the
Grandstand, the same place as last year, before most racers headed off early to
their various resting places, keen for a good night’s sleep. I instead found
myself accompanying Gina and another bunch of friendly locals on a walk around
Rushen Abbey looking for bats. There are over 1,200 species of bat, 7 of which
can be found on the Isle of Man. Only 3 are ‘vampires’, none of which are to
found on the island. We saw quite a few and got to play with the bat detectors.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The alarm went off at 4:45am on Sunday and, upon opening the
curtains, I was greeted by the most unexpected sight of blue skies and no rain.
Actually, that’s not quite true, the alarm went off at 4:45 but it was 5:15
when I conceded defeat to the snooze button and emerged to open the curtains. A
couple of Weetabix later and we were in Guy’s van heading back to the
Grandstand. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmb7TrDi3nqnJn9JAz9dM4aMQhr2LCe3VL0hncsMJVP-BZsHWlzOIapzMvl0VEQb6FsR5L6gZnhmlAW63hCIb1hV3DgfBcNQJI54ePFIX2mlyVkBRXUsk89vinI5ydJk7zukvXZEOVbrk/s1600/start.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmb7TrDi3nqnJn9JAz9dM4aMQhr2LCe3VL0hncsMJVP-BZsHWlzOIapzMvl0VEQb6FsR5L6gZnhmlAW63hCIb1hV3DgfBcNQJI54ePFIX2mlyVkBRXUsk89vinI5ydJk7zukvXZEOVbrk/s400/start.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Despite the large banner saying 'Finish' this is the start line.</div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">It was still dry at 6:30am, with barely a cloud in view as
we all gathered in the TT Pit Lane, ready for the off. The first couple of
miles were the ‘wrong way’ along the TT course, lead out by a police motorbike
to allow us to jump all the red lights but it was delayed by six minutes (an
important detail, remember that) as we waited for the rozzers to get into
place. We were all fidgeting, impatient to get off, sensing that we were
definitely on borrowed time as far as the nice weather was concerned and
anxious not to waste it. I used this time to take my waterproof off and put it
back on thirty seven times as I tried to work out if I was just chilly because
I was standing still or if it was actually cold and how many layers I would
need. A waterproof but no arm-warmers was the compromise I eventually settled
on.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The neutralised start followed the same route as last year,
allowing most of the fast guys, and me, to get themselves to the front, poor
Jon Hobson spinning like crazy on his singlespeed as he tried to keep up. He
had started the 100 mile event <span style="color: red;"><a href="http://www.andrewhowett.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/stories-from-last-summer-2014-manx-100.html"><span style="color: red;">last year</span></a></span> but had
to concede defeat and switch to the 100km, meaning that the 100 miles had still
never been completed with only one gear and he was determined to be the first.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The motorbike eventually pulled over, we veered left into
the first track and the race was on.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The winner of the 2013 event, <span style="color: red;"><a href="http://www.richyroth.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">Rich Rothwell</span></a>, </span>and the other likely contender <span style="color: red;"><a href="http://www.santacruzbicycles.com/en/us/news/2015-rob-friel-isle-of-man" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">Rob Friel</span></a></span>, shot off into the distance with Julian Corlett, who was likely to
be the fastest local, and me both trying to keep up as best we could. He
managed considerably better than I did and I lost sight of the three of them as
another little group formed behind them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">It quickly became apparent that I had made the wrong call on
the waterproof and I paused to remove it for the 38<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup> time as it was
getting rather warm in there. It only took a few seconds but half a dozen
riders came passed before I could set off in pursuit.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCCBYv-wzSg1Cor2cClXIPa2cxmRozRAY7LoqQ5TXOo2cS_4k4aZY4liqrHHI9lX18d0t7FzH0CaGHfIDzezNMuqCilPcfUFJVRP26891G-UtmLhnU-aALFVh_04y_YdmzYsIByX90-xE/s1600/1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCCBYv-wzSg1Cor2cClXIPa2cxmRozRAY7LoqQ5TXOo2cS_4k4aZY4liqrHHI9lX18d0t7FzH0CaGHfIDzezNMuqCilPcfUFJVRP26891G-UtmLhnU-aALFVh_04y_YdmzYsIByX90-xE/s400/1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Early on, while it was still sunny</div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The first section of the course through Conrhenny to Laxey
was easy enough, we were all making good progress, trying to keep the speed up
while the sun was still shining. The first ‘proper’ climbs slowed us a little
as we headed up Slieau Ruy and Slieau Lhean before dropping down into Glen Mona
and the first checkpoint just south of Ramsey.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">There were a number of checkpoints on the route. Marshals at
each of these would tick us all off as we passed through, and they all had
time-limits, if a rider hadn’t passed them by a certain time, they would be out
of the event. This was to stop those who were slow but determined being out in
the middle of nowhere until well after dark, trying to get to the end. Again,
more on this later…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">After Ramsey I caught Jon on his singlespeed, still going
strongly, and someone else I didn’t recognise and we blasted through the
meadows together towards the bottom of Sky Hill, it was like being in a hurdles
race with all the gates we encountered. Hmm, MTB Hurdles, a sprint and
bunny-hop competition, must remember that one.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I recognised quite a lot of the course, having raced here
twice before, although not the tight left-hander in Ballure where the sign had
blown around and I lost a bit of time faffing with the map. Jon and his legs of
steel left me behind on the climb up out of Ohio and passed Slieu Managh, but I
could see him again as I approached Checkpoint 2 at the Mountain Box. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Checkpoint 2 was very significant for me, mainly because
this was one of the three ‘bag-drops’ and I knew that I had a load of food and
a new bottle of <span style="color: red;"><a href="http://www.torqfitness.co.uk/nutrition/torq-energy" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">Torq</span></a></span> waiting for me there, along
with a set of dry gloves and various other items of clothing. It was the food
which I was desperate for, after all of the detailed planning and preparation
before the event the one thing I had forgotten to put in my pack for the race
itself was anything to eat… I had raided Gina’s supply of things before the
start but at about one third distance I was already suffering. I swallowed a
couple of <span style="color: red;"><a href="http://www.torqfitness.co.uk/nutrition/torq-bar" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">Torq bars</span></a></span> and a Mars bar and stuffed
everything else into my pocket.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgimbiHvTtBZo0XNncp2ml5s6-7AwrGIqjOBOhZrq6dQVNOLZHvd0doAxy82jAXbz3wcbgSjdPS_SEL-5YE1VHzsQcQrah-wkZ-7x1gNFOUlYMzR8SyGEDOSTkczBktcUNU1eozP0yIQaQ/s1600/2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgimbiHvTtBZo0XNncp2ml5s6-7AwrGIqjOBOhZrq6dQVNOLZHvd0doAxy82jAXbz3wcbgSjdPS_SEL-5YE1VHzsQcQrah-wkZ-7x1gNFOUlYMzR8SyGEDOSTkczBktcUNU1eozP0yIQaQ/s400/2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p>Looking very pro, although that isn't actually my support car.</o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p>It was racing us up the hill to hand a bottle to the bloke next</o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p>to me, having missed a feed at the bottom.</o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">It was 9:48am and much against everyone’s expectation it <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">still</i> wasn’t raining. There was a
dampness in the air though, it wouldn’t be long and this high up it was also
rather chilly. I put my waterproof on for the 39<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup> time that morning
and set off across the moors after Jon, who had very generously waited for me.
His singlespeed was less than ideal on this section, but as he was pushing at
about the same speed I could ride it didn’t seem to bother him at all.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The descent down to the mines at Laggan Agneash was huge
fun, one of my favourite parts of the whole circuit. It was pretty steep, down
through the ferns, just about rideable with my rear wheel waving about in the
air as I tried to keep my speed down enough to allow myself to steer, Jon a few
feet ahead shouting warnings about hidden dykes and little skinny, single
plank, bridges. If I had had a dropper post I would have pressed the button,
but with an ISP there was nothing else to do but hold on and hope for the best.
Jon stopped for a pee break at the bottom and I took the opportunity to cram
another couple of <span style="color: red;"><a href="http://www.torqfitness.co.uk/nutrition/torq-bar" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">Torq bars</span></a></span> down my neck while I
waited for him. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJEJoBxwdfHHCkrMBoyuO9TR39lkajlWOyKNvC9KbFv0OoEOFw4Zws4WuRGdHpfL4XZbuk3NvA3t_AZwY2gJ2BNsjxZTwGjR87E3FT3CSz2S5000TP217a3r7rh0Z662ENXrsKodOwXtU/s1600/jon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJEJoBxwdfHHCkrMBoyuO9TR39lkajlWOyKNvC9KbFv0OoEOFw4Zws4WuRGdHpfL4XZbuk3NvA3t_AZwY2gJ2BNsjxZTwGjR87E3FT3CSz2S5000TP217a3r7rh0Z662ENXrsKodOwXtU/s400/jon.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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Jon at this spot<a href="http://www.andrewhowett.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/stories-from-last-summer-2014-manx-100.html"> <span style="color: red;">last year</span></a><span style="color: red;">.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I recognised more of the course, the climb as we left Laxey
for the second time was just as hard as I remembered it being. We were heading
for the very appropriately named Windy Corner, another famous TT landmark,
although we were of course approaching it across the moors, battling into the
headwind at 3 or 4mph rather than blasting up to it at 180mph along a nice
smooth road.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The rain was starting to come in by this stage, gently at
first but then harder and harder, but the biggest change was in the wind, it
was getting much, much stronger. After Checkpoint 3 Jon started to pull away
from me. Despite the fact that he had only one gear he was flying up the climbs
and I just couldn’t maintain his pace. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">We fought our way up the back of Injebreck, battling into
the gale. The rain was making it incredibly difficult to see where I was going,
it was being driven so hard into my face that looking forwards was actually
quite painful. However, the fog soon made this irrelevant, when I did manage to
look up I couldn’t see anything anyway. The Manx 100 isn’t one of these well
manicured race-tracks with lots of tape and things marking all the corners, it
is big hills, mostly in the middle of nowhere, with the odd red and black arrow
showing the way. It was an enormous relief when one of those would appear out
of the fog, reassuring me that I was still going in the right direction. I have
a GPS but it is purely for recording speed, distance, time and such like, it is
not one of the fancy ones which show you which way to go and so I was
navigating the good old fashioned way, with a map and compass. There were
enough signs that It wasn‘t necessary to look at the map very often, which was
good as keeping hold of it in the wind was extremely tricky and the rain was
making it more and difficult to read every time I got it out, the ink on my
print-out running despite the fancy sandwich-bag it was enclosed in.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span> </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUvgsUGmB3WOoa9j1D6ICwFJPzblIiLljQT0SHrppi17uBfC_kRpcNfl3YXlXToLLD0OIH3CsUjOfFwEpL7cgow8THrpWYpcB0yORDuo_C2qba6e1V9RpXfzqaN-eDqI5gu4FI2Sk5IfM/s1600/last+year2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUvgsUGmB3WOoa9j1D6ICwFJPzblIiLljQT0SHrppi17uBfC_kRpcNfl3YXlXToLLD0OIH3CsUjOfFwEpL7cgow8THrpWYpcB0yORDuo_C2qba6e1V9RpXfzqaN-eDqI5gu4FI2Sk5IfM/s400/last+year2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Another one from <a href="http://www.andrewhowett.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/stories-from-last-summer-2014-manx-100.html"><span style="color: red;">last year</span>,</a> when the photographer could see </div>
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us through the fog.</div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">We battled on into the wind, down to Sartfell and then into
the relative shelter of Druidale, the sides of valley keeping the worst of the
wind at bay. It was a short-lived relief though as soon the route began to
climb again, another of those never-ending slogs up and up and up into the
clouds. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Eventually Checkpoint 4 loomed out of the clag, a man in an
enormous waterproof, his hood drawn tight in around his face, his hands blue
with cold, while his colleague huddled in the 4x4 trying to keep warm. He asked
me if wanted any water. Obviously the fact that I was soaked to the skin and
looking like a drowned rat had convinced him that the thing which would make it
all better was even more water…However, the second bag drop was still a very,
very long way away and so I took the opportunity to refill a bottle. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I dropped down the hillside to Ballaugh, a welcome respite
from the worst of the wind as I lost altitude, and then I was on to the old
railway line. This is a unique section of the Manx 100 in that, for a couple of
miles, I was riding on the flat. It was like being in teleporter, one moment I
was in Ballaugh, and then less than six minutes later I was two miles away in
Kirk Michael looking up at The Baltic. (I'm mentioing a lot of place names here as I know you are all reading this while following my progress in great detail on the map. Probably)</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5IRfl7kIZH47444zkAlyx4ZrPUfoFoPr7VJw4KhUNDxPjfv5SbEUfUkXCdd3HlD-T8qd8Sxz7Kh2fFSqzm0qE8QlvqmJHT6YahptgRMTla7kxhRbRU8AP8rr-AOo4-_kPaMMFj6dYnp0/s1600/me+last+year.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5IRfl7kIZH47444zkAlyx4ZrPUfoFoPr7VJw4KhUNDxPjfv5SbEUfUkXCdd3HlD-T8qd8Sxz7Kh2fFSqzm0qE8QlvqmJHT6YahptgRMTla7kxhRbRU8AP8rr-AOo4-_kPaMMFj6dYnp0/s400/me+last+year.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Another one of me <a href="http://www.andrewhowett.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/stories-from-last-summer-2014-manx-100.html"><span style="color: red;">last year</span></a>, it rained a bit </div>
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near the end but nothing like this year!</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Ah yes, The Baltic. This is the hill people talk about most
of all. ‘Baltic’ is a word used in certain parts of Scotland to mean
“absolutely bloody freezing”, quite appropriate as it turns out. From the
village it starts innocently enough, a gentle tarmac climb winding it’s way up.
One of the locals who lives on the lower slopes of the hill always leaves a
hosepipe out for us, in previous years this was a most welcome spot to refill
our bottles but this year it was somewhat redundant. Having battled down into
Ballaugh, pedalling as hard as I could downhill to make any sort of speed into
the headwind I had been looking forward to flying up The Baltic with the
benefit of a similarly impressive tail wind. However, the wind on the Isle is
quite bizarre, during the course of the whole day, despite wiggling around all
over the place on a route which was ultimately a loop I never once felt like I
had a tail wind. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Anyway, I kept plugging away up The Baltic. The short tarmac
section soon ended and I was onto the LandRover track above it. Although the
wind was still as strong as ever the fog had lifted, which at least made
navigation a lot easier, it was now actually possible to spot some of the signs
before I passed them. I could see another racer in front of me, probably half a
mile ahead, way up on the hillside. I could catch him. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I dug in, looking for the lines with best grip as I picked
my way up through the slippery wet rocks. The wind was getting worse the higher
I got, the shape of the hills funnelling it down towards me. It was tough, but
I was gaining. I looked up again, he was off his bike and pushing, I could do
this. The wind was still getting stronger and stronger, I was down in my
granny-ring, 24t, trying to make progress as best I could. The track turned
slightly to the right and what had been a head-wind became a cross-wind. It was
blowing me to my left, hard, with sudden gusts of very hard. Keeping the bike
in a straight line through the rocks and ruts was getting more and more
difficult, every time I was blown off line getting going again was becoming
harder and harder. I realised why the rider in front had been pushing, and I
was forced to concede defeat and also begin walking.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGMxPNiRGOAnu84UeJTom7OEoNHT5mi32GDrbHxnepBOsV1XJ64dt0sVDOC5SxgG1eWF4HkGE0Vc2iSsbCQc9-nwr0FDwrbAUCpAjj5L-lwCIp6iMOjSB4JIAu0YA3Fbesym4y4qGCmTQ/s1600/fog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="246" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGMxPNiRGOAnu84UeJTom7OEoNHT5mi32GDrbHxnepBOsV1XJ64dt0sVDOC5SxgG1eWF4HkGE0Vc2iSsbCQc9-nwr0FDwrbAUCpAjj5L-lwCIp6iMOjSB4JIAu0YA3Fbesym4y4qGCmTQ/s400/fog.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I have tried to show you a picture from this year</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
but it really is just fog...</div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The fog had closed in again by this stage and I had long
since lost sight of anyone else, it was just me, alone in the middle of
nowhere, head down against the wind, trudging upwards though the murk. I was
starting to freeze, the relentless rain had soaked me right through and now I
was moving even more slowly I wasn’t generating enough of my own heat. I
eventually reached the crest and was able to get back on the bike. I plugged
on, upwards, through the fog, my frozen hands curled tightly around the bars,
the wind seeming to come from all directions now. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">After what felt like an eternity I reached what felt like a
little plateau, I was knackered, I needed food. I stopped, and reached into my
pocket. I had already eaten my supply of <span style="color: red;"><a href="http://www.torqfitness.co.uk/nutrition/torq-bar" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">Torq bars</span></a></span>
and <a href="http://www.torqfitness.co.uk/nutrition/torq-gel" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">gels</span> </a>but I did still have a packet of
Shot-Blocks left, that would do nicely. The only trouble was opening it with
wet gloves which don’t grip and frozen fingers which don’t bend. I tugged
helplessly at the wrapper for a bit, no good. I crouched down, trying to use
the heather for what little shelter it would give me, turning my back to the
wind. I removed a glove.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The fog parted for an instant and I realised where I was,
the course doubled back on itself and I was passing the other side of
Checkpoint 4. I could see the marshal, still out there huddled in his massive
waterproof, trying to use his truck for shelter, two riders plunging down the
hill towards him. The rearmost rider left the ground briefly over one of the
tussocks and appeared to get blown quite a way to his left before he hit the
ground again. His front wheel dug in, flipping him off the front of the bike,
which cartwheeled a couple of times before coming to rest, I even heard his cry
over the wind. The guy at the front stopped and turned, the marshal already up
and moving towards the fallen rider, who sat up, looking surprised and shouting
“I’m fine, I’m fine”. The lead rider set off again and I returned to trying to
open my food as they all disappeared back into the fog.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Someone passed me as I crouched there, asking if I was OK.
“Everything’s fine” I lied and then he too was gone. Eventually the wrapper
relented and I crammed the lot into my mouth. I stuffed the wrapper back into
my pocket and attempted to pull my glove back on. It was cold, properly cold,
much, much colder than it had been when I removed it a minute before. Do gloves
suffer from wind-chill? My fingers still wouldn’t bend and it took a while to
force them back into it. Getting the glove back on made them no warmer at all. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I had stopped at the top of the hill as, despite the extra
wind there, it is always much easier to get going again when setting off onto a
downhill. Well, not quite always. If there is a huge head-wind it is as just as
hard as going uphill. Down the hill back to Sartfell. <span style="color: red;"><a href="http://www.andrewhowett.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/stories-from-last-summer-2014-manx-100.html"><span style="color: red;">Last year</span></a></span> this was where the 100 mile and 100km events separated and there
had been a big gaggle of people here. Today there was nothing, no-one, just
wind, fog and an abandoned truck. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">It was a long, hard ride over the moors, around the
appropriately named Colden Hill, nearly as appropriately named as The Baltic. I
even managed to catch glimpses of it as the fog was thinning slightly. As I
headed down Braaid towards Checkpoint 5, the second bag-drop, something most
unexpected happened.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">It stopped raining.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I arrived at the Checkpoint 5 at 1532, nearly six hours
since the last bag-drop, soaked to the skin and frozen, but in good spirits,
it’s amazing what the slight of a small patch of blue sky can do. I found my
bag and it’s precious contents of a dry base layer, a new waterproof and, most
valuable of all, new gloves. It was a huge relief. I ate most of the rest of
the contents, stuffing the remaining <a href="http://www.torqfitness.co.uk/nutrition/torq-bar" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">Torq bars</span></a> and <span style="color: red;"><a href="http://www.torqfitness.co.uk/nutrition/torq-gel" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">gels</span></a></span> into my pockets. The marshals there
were lovely, if slightly bemused by what we were all doing. One of them even
gave me her cup of tea, just being able to hold something warm for a minute was
a huge boost for my poor hands.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiobyyjughiaYTByD49oxVOGFxfwYu3k3MqeyPd-rleckGrpWcs-TR1vsIFmivrSfOIixFTOOvkmBt7boWxH0rUuHWt03BoOTjkJqhGFvHwEwwIgSjS_h43NAJu6W7A-Rj104ZNfEHcVuc/s1600/rob.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiobyyjughiaYTByD49oxVOGFxfwYu3k3MqeyPd-rleckGrpWcs-TR1vsIFmivrSfOIixFTOOvkmBt7boWxH0rUuHWt03BoOTjkJqhGFvHwEwwIgSjS_h43NAJu6W7A-Rj104ZNfEHcVuc/s400/rob.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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Winner, Rob Friel, before it started raining.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The significance of Checkpoint 5 was that it was where the
100 mile and 100km routes diverged and I had to make the choice. Opting for the
100km would mean a three mile pootle back into the centre of Douglas via a nice
easy route, back to the Grandstand, tea, cakes and warm showers. Opting for the
100 mile route would mean another 40 miles of what I had just been through.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I turned right.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">There was a short section of the TT course heading towards
St John’s before climbing 500ft up in less than a mile to Dowse. To make it all
the more fun the rain was back, although mercifully without the fog this time.
I remembered the descent down into the village from <span style="color: red;"><a href="http://www.andrewhowett.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/stories-from-last-summer-2014-manx-100.html"><span style="color: red;">la</span><span style="color: red;">st year</span></a></span>, this was where I had performed a frontal dismount and landed
heavily on my knee. I decided that discretion was the better part of valour,
and that cowardice was the better part of discretion and so I valiantly dismounted
and ran down it this time. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Riding into the village I was delighted to see Gina waiting
for me on Tynwald Hill in the drizzle, the original site of what is now the
world’s oldest parliament. She was carrying hot pasta, a flask of hot chocolate
and some cake. I ate and drank all of this and then, feeling much warmer, set
off again.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The rain returned with a vengeance as I emerged from the
plantation at Slieau Whallian onto the open moors before heading back into the
relative shelter of Arrasey. My front brake on the other hand seemed to have
departed. I could feel, and indeed hear, the pads make contact with the disc as
I pulled helplessly on the lever but this seemed to have very little effect on
my speed. I had two spare sets of the <span style="color: red;"><a href="http://www.alligatorcables.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">Alligator pads</span></a></span>
in my pack, but really didn’t feel like stopping to change them. This was
partly because this would again involve removing a glove, something I was keen
to avoid at all costs after my experience at the top of The Baltic, but mainly
because I knew I was cutting it very fine if I was going to make the
checkpoints on time. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I had received an update from Gina when I had seen her. A
lot of riders had pulled out where the route split, some just having completely
lost the will to live, a greater number being pulled out as they simply
wouldn’t make it round the route in time. I was now the last rider still out on
the course. I had no idea how far behind I was but I knew that I had to press
on to get through the cut-offs.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn2_OGO-qpux8Pofnex3k09ZKy6fQdBc9pxySZP7P5a84u0kZyhe7friEGg654V9ouCWoGUPADwXEWPAjZ4mWSU4EcJFoAgsfrDBhqoeXWPD346M5IBkc5F_ClmI6rwdL1-_boocpfP7w/s1600/last+year+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn2_OGO-qpux8Pofnex3k09ZKy6fQdBc9pxySZP7P5a84u0kZyhe7friEGg654V9ouCWoGUPADwXEWPAjZ4mWSU4EcJFoAgsfrDBhqoeXWPD346M5IBkc5F_ClmI6rwdL1-_boocpfP7w/s400/last+year+3.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p>Another one from<a href="http://www.andrewhowett.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/stories-from-last-summer-2014-manx-100.html"><span style="color: red;"> last year</span></a>, in the sunshine.</o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Arrasey was interesting without a front brake, it is
normally a lovely swoopy section of singletrack but can be terrifying without
any way of modulating your speed. There was one more big climb and then
another, even more terrifying, descent before Checkpoint 7, the third and final
bag drop where two marshals were waiting for me in a van. It was time to
collect yet another batch of <span style="color: red;"><a href="http://www.torqfitness.co.uk/nutrition/torq-bar" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">Torq bars</span></a></span>, and the
very welcome pair of dry gloves.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">It was 1850. The rules said that I had to have passed this
checkpoint by 1845. However, the start had been delayed by six minutes and so
the cut-off times had been put back by a similar amount. I had a little over
twenty miles to go, and had just one minute in hand. This would be tight. There
was no time to change brake pads and so I plunged down into Cringle Plantation
hoping for the best, the two marshals shouting encouragement over the wind.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">This is another one of those places which could be huge fun
if I had any way of slowing down for the corners, rather than merely trusting
to luck and occasionally panicking and sticking my foot out. It is also the
venue for the Longest Day, Longest Ride event, a 24hr race in mid-June, on a 15
minute lap. The fast boys would get about 100 laps in during the race, which
must be as much of a mental challenge as a physical one. In the odd moment of
madness I keep threatening to have a go.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Anyway, as I headed down through South Barrule my braking
ability returned, I have no idea why. When I finished the race I still had
loads of pad left so it wasn’t anything to do with that. The <span style="color: red;"><a href="http://www.alligatorcables.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">Alligator pads</span></a></span> are normally fantastic, I’ve been using
them for years without any problems. I can only guess that I must have got some
sort of contamination on either them or the disc, a bit of oil or something,
and that it had finally worn off. I was so excited by being able to stop that I
completely lost track of the route and emerged from the forest onto a road, no
signs in sight and no idea where I was. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I got out what was left of my map and tried to figure it
out, aware that the light was beginning to fade, and with this much cloud cover
dusk would be earlier than expected. I wasn’t the only one thinking this, my
telephone rang, it was Gina and Guy. He had been ill the previous week and
hadn’t been going as quickly as he would normally, and so he was one of those who
been sent down the 100km route and had therefore finished early and was now
warm, dry and well fed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">“We’re in the van. Where are you? We’ll come and fetch you.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">“I’m at South Barrule, just heading into Stoney Mountain” I
sounded like I knew what I was doing, but I had figured out where I was
literally five seconds earlier. “And thanks, but I’m going to the finish.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Gina had tried to convince him that I was very unlikely to
quit, but having been there Guy knew just how cold, wet and miserable it was
out on the hills and thought I might be tempted. Actually, I was very tempted,
but I had come this far, I was going to do this. If I could make the
checkpoints in time of course.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioyE0kAf0Onu6lgHfhXQZ5Wd_cA9kgdUjZyk7j7H33sXm8f9tDxbNjLWnLlugC2wWSy0Cx7ioyXiP4OcAYb4uspb4PJEiwqBgypoaZ9nl9961R7gQXHNghDsGNJXYylPXrOuwbUYcxX6s/s1600/a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioyE0kAf0Onu6lgHfhXQZ5Wd_cA9kgdUjZyk7j7H33sXm8f9tDxbNjLWnLlugC2wWSy0Cx7ioyXiP4OcAYb4uspb4PJEiwqBgypoaZ9nl9961R7gQXHNghDsGNJXYylPXrOuwbUYcxX6s/s400/a.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Another one of me from<a href="http://www.andrewhowett.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/stories-from-last-summer-2014-manx-100.html"> <span style="color: red;">last year</span></a>. Those red and black signs</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
were a little less obvious in the fog this time!</div>
</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Through the forest, much more fun now I could make it round
all the corners and then to Archallagan and the last checkpoint. There was
no-one there. I got the map out again, trying to piece together the sodden
rags. This was definitely the right place. I phoned in just to check. Yes, I
was right, but the last marshal had called it a day and left. I was technically
passed the cut-off time but with no-one there to tell me to pull out I was free
to continue.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The final section of the race was at a much lower altitude
and this resulted in a noticeable improvement in the weather. Hardly blue skies
and sunshine but at least it was rain I could see through and wind I could
stand up in.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I got lost one final time as I came out of Chibbanagh
Plantation and headed down the hill into Braaid. This isn’t the same Braaid as
the one near where the routes split, it is only a little island with not that
many places on it which need naming but they do like to repeat the names they
do use. This is far from the only example and causes much confusion among those
of us from across the water.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvo1Llc9oK_dR2kjV3HsMM_pHCimCmbryMPWRhdPVDABgeLfS3F_sgBdLLxqPqoz0fzF3GOFjD_ZWdHvDrJAv-xhIsFiPFvIGZwuYXMrU4Dp03x5t7X3gMwLV7XHNzw8fWSw4pCSx5wzs/s1600/last+year.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvo1Llc9oK_dR2kjV3HsMM_pHCimCmbryMPWRhdPVDABgeLfS3F_sgBdLLxqPqoz0fzF3GOFjD_ZWdHvDrJAv-xhIsFiPFvIGZwuYXMrU4Dp03x5t7X3gMwLV7XHNzw8fWSw4pCSx5wzs/s400/last+year.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p>And another one from <a href="http://www.andrewhowett.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/stories-from-last-summer-2014-manx-100.html"><span style="color: red;">last year</span></a>. The photographers had all </o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p>long </o:p></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p>since died of hypothermia by this point this year.</o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I struggled back up the hill in the fading light to where I
had just come from and then set off in the right direction, nearly there.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">There was a few miles of tarmac and then onto another track.
My telephone rang again, it was Nigel, the race organiser. “You daft bugger,
where are you?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I had no idea, so described what I could see, really just a
very narrow lane lined with ferns taller than me and a little stone bridge.
This really was the final section. The official finish was at Kewaigue on the
outskirts of Douglas to prevent us all racing through the city centre and
causing chaos. Less than half a mile to go.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Waiting for me at the end was Nigel’s wife Lisa with the
car. I was 13 minutes passed the official finish time, even counting the extra
six minutes I was allowed, but I had made it around the full 100 (actually 103)
miles and 17,000ft of climbing in one piece. Of the 60-odd riders, some odder
than others, who had set off from the Grandstand over 15 hours earlier only 11
had achieved this. I was 11<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup> and last but had a big sense of
achievement.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I was bundled into the back of the vehicle shivering
uncontrollably as soon as I stopped moving, and driven back through Douglas and
up to the Grandstand, where Gina, Nigel and Jon were waiting. Jon had only
finished about twenty minutes in front of me but in doing so had achieved his
target of becoming the first, and so far only, person ever to complete the
event on a singlespeed. There was also tea and a lot of cake.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">That was a properly hard event, it is probably the toughest
one-day event in the British Isles at present and quite a lot harder than most
24hr events. I’ll be back again next year. <a href="http://theindianfiretrail.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">San Kapil</span></a><span style="color: red;">,</span> keen to improve on his 11<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup>
place In the 100km, had entered next year’s 100 mile event by the time we got
on the ferry to head home! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrxcsAG1_I3DfKA7mPM-VlNrtOL58crl5F0WqSrRzqsUDKGnr0X5VaaQgJmF4Xox9L_co5X2f8tABjsWy2ghZYaydVghGYf59MV_zH6G6VBiqEBqbRw5_NTUrxZEpMJdf4XI4V_XeLZ48/s1600/podium.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrxcsAG1_I3DfKA7mPM-VlNrtOL58crl5F0WqSrRzqsUDKGnr0X5VaaQgJmF4Xox9L_co5X2f8tABjsWy2ghZYaydVghGYf59MV_zH6G6VBiqEBqbRw5_NTUrxZEpMJdf4XI4V_XeLZ48/s400/podium.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.santacruzbicycles.com/en/us/news/2015-rob-friel-isle-of-man" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">Rob</span></a>,<span style="color: red;"> </span><a href="http://www.richyroth.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">Ritchey</span></a> and Julian on the podium with Nigel the organiser.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Entries are open for next year at <span style="color: red;"><a href="http://www.manx100.com/"><span style="color: red;">www.manx100.com</span></a></span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Results:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">100 miles.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">1</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><a href="http://www.santacruzbicycles.com/en/us/news/2015-rob-friel-isle-of-man" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">Robert Freil<o:p></o:p></span></a></span></span><br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">2</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><a href="http://www.richyroth.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">Richard Rothwell<o:p></o:p></span></a></span></span><br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">3</span> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Julian
Corlett<span style="color: red;"><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">4</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Mark
McPhillips<span style="color: red;"><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">5</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Adam
Fowkes<span style="color: red;"><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">6</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Michael
Schreuder<span style="color: red;"><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">7</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Paul
Whittaker<span style="color: red;"><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">8</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Gavin
Linfield<span style="color: red;"><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">9</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Iain
Brough<span style="color: red;"><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">10</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Jon
Hobson<span style="color: red;"><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">11</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Andrew
Howett<span style="color: red;"><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">100km<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">1 Les Corran<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">2 Darren Murphy<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">3 Matt Price<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">4 David Lawrence<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">5 Martin Field<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">6 Kevan Geling<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">7 Derek McNutt<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">8 Lloyd Goodson<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">9 Mark Corkish<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">10 Nigel Lambley<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I would like to say a big
thank-you to a lot of people, <span style="color: red;"><a href="http://www.xcracer.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">XCRacer/Scimitar</span></a><span style="color: red;">,</span> <a href="http://mtzoom.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">Mt Zoom</span></a>
</span>and <span style="color: red;"><a href="http://www.torqfitness.co.uk/home" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">Torq</span></a> </span>obviously. The lights provided
by my other sponsor, <span style="color: red;"><a href="http://ultimatesportsengineering.com/exposure-lights" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">USE/Exposure</span></a></span>, weren’t used
this time, although I did find myself on the final trail wishing that I’d put
the lightweight <span style="color: red;"><a href="http://www.ultimatesportsengineering.com/exposure-lights/cycle-lights-2015/joystick-mk9" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">Joystick</span></a></span> in my last bagdrop.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Big thank-yous also to Nigel and
the gang who organised the event and to the poor marshals out there freezing to
death waiting for me, to Guy and Joan of course, Mr Overshoot and the chaps at
the flour mill and especially to Gina.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Pictures are all (I think) from Vincent Campbell.<o:p></o:p></span>Andrew Howetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07948073074991195855noreply@blogger.com0