Shrivenham, just outside of Swindon hosted the start/finish of the 2008 Whitehorse Challenge a 150k ride around Wiltshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire.

The ride’s name comes from the large white horses that have been carved into the chalk hills at places through the area: 3000-year-old Uffington, Broadtown, Cherhill and Hackpen.

There were no trains arriving in Swindon early enough for me to start the ride so Mal and I traveled to Swindon the night before and stayed in the Brewery Farm House B&B. It was a bit of a hike to the B&B from the train station but the room was really nice and modern and the hosts were very friendly and accommodating.

Saturday night was a bit of a mission to track down Dan H who had his mate’s ride number that I was entering with (I’d missed the initial entry period). After a long walk and some hassling of locals for directions, Mal and I finally found the Italian restaurant I was looking for. I craved pasta.

La Carbonara was rammed with people. I almost left without even going in but it’d been such a long walk I figured it’d be worth a try. The guy that seemed to be running the show was really nice and within a couple of minutes had us at a candle-lit table for two. Awww how sweet. Left the place happy and totally stuffed – portions were much larger than London’s!

In the morning I looked out the window and was surprised. There was no rain. Not only was there no rain but it didn’t even look like it wanted to rain! The forecast had said, basically, that it would be HEAVY RAIN all morning. I brought the heavy, mudguard-equipped Ribble expecting a torrential downpour and now.. NOTHING! I was both happy and annoyed. I could’ve brought the S-Works out to play, but at least it was dry.

I kitted up, filled a couple of bidons: one with SiS GO (carbs + electrolytes) and an experiment drinking REGO (carbs + protein recovery mix) on the bike. I ate some jam toast, packed a banana and packed the foil-wrapped bacon butty they’d made for me in place of a ‘full English’ and headed off down the A420 to Shrivenham.

Signed on and had a timing chip attached to my wrist. This was activated when you pushed it into some kind of receiver the starting staff had. Off I rode, alone.

For a while I was really unsure if I was going the right way. All I could think was “what if I’ve missed a turn?!”. Eventually I spotted a ‘straight on’ arrow and breathed a sigh of relief. Shortly after I caught and passed a solo rider, then another, and another. I probably rode 30-40k solo until I caught a bunch of 10 riders which I joined. Shortly after, this bunch was joined and then passed by a faster group. That looked more my style and so I jumped on. As the weather was so nice I decided I’d push it rather than take it easy and ‘sight see’.

So, I spent ages riding with a similar group of people, the bunch being driven mostly by four white-jerseyed Tor2000 riders.

The bunch was busted up over the first big climb but regrouped quickly. At the first food stop, helpers were out putting rider timing chips into their little machines. I needed a leak so lost some weight here and grabbed a single flapjack. Unlike the British Sportive where I wandered around, took in the scenery, stretched, ate, etc. this time I was out of the stop in a couple of minutes and got back with the same group. Ooh, now I am taking this seriously!

We spotted a couple of the white horses at some point. Great stuff. We also got involved with a time trial. We passed a competitor and he passed us and then we passed him again. I’m sure he got a bit of benefit from drafting us.. naught, naughty! 🙂

There was a steep bugger of a hill at some point (Hackpen Hill) and I moved off the front of the group in order to maintain my position. No one came past though. Odd. That’s never happened before – I usually move to the front so that I’m not off the back by the top of a climb. Anyway, I kept the pace up in the hope that the photographer I spotted would get a good shot of me out of the saddle tearing apart the bunch up the hill. I’m such an attention seeker. 🙂

After that the pace slowed and yet I was still out front. I chatted to an older High Wycombe rider that we’d caught. He was losing his sportive virginity on this event. I mentioned seeing lots of his club mates at TT’s and Hillingdon and the like. The ride seemed to be splitting up now with some new faces but what’s this? The Tor2000 riders are back on the front driving the bunch along the flat like it’s a race. Awesome. I helped out at the front doing some short turns while a lot of others hung on.

I remember a Cervelo guy dropping his chain on every hill. There was another super steep one and I wasn’t half cursing the fact I’d left the S-Works at home by the top! I need lower gearing (and 10kg less body fat). I did manage to hit 86kph/53mph on one of the descents which would be the fastest I’ve gone in the UK.

At the second food stop I was running out of juice so I grabbed some of the High-5 drink, a handful of Jaffa cakes and another flapjack. In a hurry I scoffed all this a bit fast I think and didn’t feel so good for a while.

I lost contact with the bunch, as did another Aussie guy (guessing from his accent) with an Iron Man tattoo on his leg. I eventually caught Iron Man but had the power to pass him and carried on chasing the bunch. After some serious energy sapping chasing I finally got the small group. I then hung on the back for the next few kilometres. But eventually the chase took its toll, the road reared up and I was out the back. It would be a solo finish for me now.

The final hill appeared – Uffington. It climbed up to the left and was a terrifying sight. I rolled along and could see little riders scaling it. “Uh oh” I thought.

I absolutely groveled up that hill. Lowest gear, total mental battle just to turn the legs. I was trashed. Great time to be photographed, not. It leveled off in the middle and I came to an almost standstill to catch my breath. At the top of the next section was a group of people taking photos and cheering riders on. They really helped lift me and I was out of the saddle up the hill pretending I was Pantani or something! Over the top I went and shot down the other side.

I checked my Polar and knowing the Uffington hill was near the end I guessed I had to get a move on if I wanted Gold standard (sub 5hr finishing time).

Time trial mode. Stared at my Harden The Fsck Up band, thought about “One Gear, No Breaks”, Lori-Ann Muenzer’s book that I’d been reading – “how bad do you want it?” she’d ask herself. I raced to the finish line.

Signs to Shrivenham! I must be close to home. 3mi to go. On the drops still TT’ing. 1mi to go. I could see a rider ahead and I was trying to chase him down. I could see the start/finish! Hammer into the timing tent and thrust out my wrist for the timing girl to stop the clock.

I drop the bike and sit down for a while, catching my breath. After a while I go into the hall and hand over the timing chip. The timing system prints off my time..

4:43 GOLD STANDARD

Woo hoo! Gold and with plenty of time to spare. I ate cake outside in the sun talking to some Aussies and then the Tor2000 riders came in. Congratulated each other and they thanked me for working on the front while I said “no no you guys did all the work” (which was true). Turns out the woman in their group is working at Tour of Wessex registration and the others are riding it so I might meet some of them again.

Thanks to Dan and his mate for getting me the entry. It was a fantastic ride.

The results indicate I placed 33rd out of 390 finishers. Not too shabby.

After a night of Belgian beers at our new ‘local’ the Creechurch Lane LowLander, followed by a Shami kebab (Dave Lister style!) and a curry on Brick Lane and a late ride home, I didn’t think I’d be setting any speed records the next morning. Well, it seems beer and curry are indeed rocket fuel!

The ride in to work took 40:33 or thereabouts, a full 5 minutes faster than my previous best commute time.

Drafting everything on the road and actually using the big ring for a change helped. Oh, in case you’re wondering I was riding the Ribble since I snapped the brake cable on the Cnutster/Twatster/Langster the other day and didn’t want to ride it brakeless in the pissing rain. The same morning, after swapping bikes, I snapped a spoke on the Ribble! Cycle Surgery couldn’t find a replacement Mavic Cosmos spoke so the whole bike wobbles like a mental.. and I still set a PB on it. 🙂

So, the training program says I should do 100k easy. I did 175k not so easy 🙂

It was the second Londres-Paris training ride and was supposed to be 110k. We got lost so it ended up being 130k.

Not only this but..

hippy: “Crap, is that Group 2 leaving?!”

wayne: “Yeah, think so”

hippy: “Okay, see ya, have a good ride”

…

hippy: “Is this Group 2?”

rider: “This is Group 1”

hippy: “Ahh sh1t! Oh, oh well”

Guess who now appears to be riding Group 1? I hung on for the entire ride (wheelsucking skills coming back fast!) and even contested the sprint at the end! Fscking stoked!

Big thanks to Mark Sinclair (?Previously we have had involvement with the professional peloton but it’s key to adidas that we support cycling at the grass routes level too,? commented Mark Sinclair, Senior Sports Marketing Manager for adidas, ?I rode the event myself last year and was really impressed by its level of professionalism and the creative way it’s structured, we?re very pleased to offer our support to the London-Paris Cycle Tour?) without who’s pep talk at the start I would’ve bailed and waited for Group 2.

I’d give you a ride report (Devil’s Punch Bowl figured) but this is weeks overdue so I can’t be bothered now. Suffice to say I was well chuffed with the ride and the G1 peeps were loads friendlier than I imagined. Also, my “cheap” ?3k bike didn’t break as much as the more expensive ones 🙂

All the other guys I’m riding with stepped up a group level as well so it was a good day all ’round.

Day 1 takes a new 185km route away from the Hampton Court through Kent, ?the Garden of England?, arriving at Dover for the end of day ferry crossing to Calais. Riders will tackle the short sharp ascents of Capel le Surn and Goudhurst Hill, the latter being familiar to race fans as a King of the Mountains climb in this year?s Tour de France.

Day 2 provides a massive 209km route that will test the mettle of every rider as the event swings north east towards the famous cobbles of Paris-Roubaix, cycling?s ?Hell of the North?. Wheel and tyre choice will be crucial on sections like Mont Cassel, a 1.3km cobbled uphill and the challenging, rolling roads of the Collines l?Artois before arrival at Amiens.

Day 3 leaves Amiens and winds south to Paris covering 201km in the true spirit of the Tour de France, cycling past the Arc de Triomph and finishining at the Eiffel Tower in the capital, a fitting spot at which to end the challenge of the 2008 London-Paris Cycle Tour.

www.londres-paris.com – 2008 route

(many thanks to the Purdys for the photos!)

A 50k 3-man team time trial which Ed, Louis and myself competed in on Saturday, near Princes Risborough.

I was the slower rider although now more trained up than last year, a sub for a LSE student who couldn’t make it. That was going to be my excuse for any failures on my part.. along with “I’ve not raced for ages” and “I’ve never done a TT this long” and “I’ve never done a TTT” and “I have a cold” and “I have no aerobars, no funny hat, no overshoes, no HED3, no disc wheel” and “I’d be eating pies right now if I wasn’t doing this!”. You get the idea. 🙂

Met Louis and Ed at Marylebone station and also found Jayne and Simon from Willesden there. Ed ate (and drank more coffee than even I’d like to consume), we chatted about how poorly we’d do, we set the train alarm off accidentally (as you do) and at Princes Risborough jumped out and rode to the HQ at a local school to collect our numbers.

Jayne and Simon were first off at around 1.30pm and we were off 30min later at 2pm. I drank my isotonic stuff, stripped down to my new Willesden skinsuit (Michelin Man special edition) and headed out with the lads to ride up and down the road to warm up.

We saw the Willesden duo off and then swapped some turns and got a bit of blood flowing into the legs. Back to the start line we sat waiting for our start time (3 minutes between teams in case you were interested)..

“2 minutes” – swig of GO.

“1 minute” – started my Powertap.

“30 seconds” – crap, I forgot to change into the big ring, too late now!

“3..2..1.. GO!” – let the fun begin!

Ed, Louis then I shoot off down the road and quickly bunch up. With Ed on the front my HR goes up up up. Ed swaps out and Louis is in front as Ed goes by and slots in behind me. Louis moves over and slows, allowing me to ride up. I check my speedo and make sure I’m doing over 40kph, 42kph fine.

We were going to do 30-45 second turns but I can only see power and HR on my Powertap. Fuggit, I do what I think is a reasonably large turn and move over. We continue this process and I quickly realise that this is gonna hurt.

My HR when I was on the back wasn’t going down much and I was worried about not being able to drive at the front again. For the first half of the first 24k circuit I was okay with 40kph+ on the front. This was the speed that would beat their time for last year. The only problem was it was windier than last year and once we turned into the wind I was starting to struggle with keeping that speed. It was down to 38kph and if there was a bump I really suffered and couldn’t rise above say 35kph. I wasn’t at all happy with this but if I’d dug any deeper I then wouldn’t have been able to hold onto the wheel in front and I’d screw everything up. The time is taken from the 3rd rider so you HAVE to finish together, unlike a track pursuit where you can afford to shed one rider.

I can only remember random stuff now: pain, slowing, Ed asking if I’m okay and me just glaring at him, struggling on any little bump and realising I never ride this hard for this long or at least I haven’t since racing in Melbourne. A couple of times I had to get Ed to slow down so I could get back on, so did Louis.. Ed is a machine! If he was suffering he was hiding it well while I looked like I was choking on my own tongue..

On the second lap we were held up by a truck stuck trying to get past an oncoming car on a one-lane bridge. Crap!! We were behind it for 10 seconds perhaps but the whole slowing down to a stop and then accelerating once clear must have cost a lot more time than that and taxed the legs more than we would’ve liked.

We passed a group at one point. I’m not sure if they were our 3-minute men or what? We were also passed by a very serious looking Oxford team – Cervelo P3’s, disc wheels, aero front wheels, aerobars, helmets, etc. The full works! But once they caught us they seemed to slow whilst we maintained and then on a downhill stretch at 50kph, we passed them back! Later this is what Louis said did him in – the surge to catch the Oxford team. They again passed us and we were now struggling with a red team up the road as our next goal.

I remember telling Ed “Louis and I are trashed, we need to do shorter turns” and with 5mi to go Louis was in a bad way and I wasn’t able to ride at the front at anything like our first lap speeds. At least Ed was now counting down the miles to go. I was annoyed earlier that the Powertap reported total distance for the day which left me mid-race with no idea how much longer we had to go! Doh! I need to sort this out if I TT again. Having Ed count down was quite helpful for me.

We got Louis in between us and Ed drove on. I recall shouting something like “hold that wheel” to Louis, trying to encourage without sounding like a total bastard. I’d run out of drink too early – half a bidon isn’t enough for 50k at TT pace. I also remember trying to catch the red team, Ed yelling something like “catch the reds up there. I HATE them”. That’s my kind of inspiration. 🙂

Ed and I spotted the finish line and we’d agreed before the race just to sprint for it, forget formation. I passed Ed while he grumbled about it. hehe For the win! 😛

Over the finish line Ed rolled on towards HQ. I was chatting to him but now I could no longer sit down and could barely pedal. I’d pulled my backside hip flexor muscles which meant I was really struggling when it came to pushing on the pedals or any sort of squatting movement. I remember doing this in a Steel’s Creek 36k TT back in Melbourne.

Got off the bike and almost collapsed. I couldn’t stretch the muscles because they’re that trashed. I try anyway – something has to help. Louis rides up and we have a chat about how shattered we are. I try in vain to make my legs stop hurting, give up and get back on the bike, riding it standing up out of the saddle to use different muscles.

Back at the school, Ed’s probably finished 10 coffees and some cake.. he was about to send a search party out for us 🙂

I struggle to put my leg warmers and shorts back on. I literally cannot bend over or sit down without screaming pain up both legs. Nice.

After some eating, drinking and chatting with the team and the Purdy’s we leave for the train. Again, I’m standing up to avoid bending my hips. The train ride involves all kinds of awkward positions.. Ed’s real impressed. Louis and I talk about doing Hillingdon 10s. Uh oh.

We ended up completing the course in 1hr 20min. Sigma Sport won with 1hr6min (I’m sure they all had aerobars though – the cheats ;)).

1:20 is actually 2 minutes slower than Ed and Louis went last year.. I’m a cycling anchor! The guys assured me it was the wind that slowed us combined with a first lap that was too fast, killing our legs before the finish. It was all pretty good fun though for me so I’m not bothered about it at all. Maybe they’ll have me back for another go?

Read Ed’s fantastic race report here.

CTT Results – 2008 Antelope 50k 3up TTT

Full Results (33rd out of about 60)

(Powertap wonderstats coming soon)

and I eventually dragged myself out to Richmond Park when most of the snow had melted..

and two weeks later I still have the cold from this weekend.

(view from Ditchling Beacon)

“Lets increase your weekend kays” she says.. “not a social ride a training ride” she says.. “gears” she says.. At least the last point reduced the pain somewhat 🙂

Since I wasn’t going fixed with the londonfgss.com crew, I had planned to leave quite early and pass the Hyde Park Corner start before the others got there. Late night = this didn’t happen. I actually caught the fixers somewhere in south London, where they were waiting (surprise surprise!) for someone. They moved off and I stuck with them since they were actually moving along quite well. None of this “p_nct_re every 5min” rubbish!

At the first climb after Croydon(?) we were waiting for someone (50×14?) and I decided to leave the group and set my own pace. I had brett’s route directions with me and blow me down if I didn’t navigate all the way to Brighton with them! I wish they worked as well going back to London, oh well 🙂

So, the weather was nice. The lanes were a little wet but nothing like last week’s L2P training ride. I was setting quite a reasonable pace and feeling good. I didn’t get lost, climbed over Turners Hill, saying ‘hi’ to some other riders, then carrying on to Ditchling.

The Beacon wasn’t as easy geared as I recalled, I think because of the pace I’d set getting there combined with the fact I was running low on fuel. Climbed over it steadily (I don’t do uphill + fast) in about 7 minutes. Rode the long descent into Brighton and arrived at the pier. Decided against chips or a hot jam donut and u-turned straight back up the hill towards London. Not the smartest move, I would later admit, as I really should have stopped for a breather and fueled up.

Slogged back up the hill and once clear of Brighton it was not only uphill but a face-smacking headwind to contend with. Damn!

Finally made it back to Ditchling and did a bit of cautious descending as I’d never ridden down it and the downhill road surface was very crappy. Before the Beacon turn off I saw some of the fixers – Dale leading the charge I think and mikec whos fast legs I’d later meet at Rollapaluza. A bit further along, the rest were stopped at that last corner, fueling up for the Beacon attack. Stopped and said “hi” although by now I was feeling pretty sh1t and just wanted to stop and eat something! Continued..

I eventually stopped at a Tesco somewhere – Ditchling, Turners Hill, I can’t remember and in 30 seconds scoffed a cinnamon scroll and two of those sweet things with nuts on top. Also bought a bottle of Lucozade and a Snickers. Should’ve bought more to drink.

The return trip had now turned completely. It was into a headwind, I’d used up almost all my food and drink, I was obviously tired, morale was low and then I noticed the sign. The sign that said “London – behind you”. Huh? Carried on a bit and saw another sign.. I was heading towards Lewes and AWAY from London.. Away from London WHAT?!?! NOOOOOOO!!!!!! FAAAAAARRRRK!!!!!!

I was spitting! Idiot!! I must have missed a turn. Arrgh! The rain that had now started falling was hitting my face and evaporating with a hiss from the pure hate I was now radiating.. this was not good. I noticed a sign “Ashurstwood” and “Forest Row”. I was now on the A22 instead of the A23 (don’t even think about finding brett’s course again!) trying to get back home. I’d managed to veer 15k off course and by the time I’d recovered I was off the route sheet and had added 30k to the trip! Not a huge amount but when you’re in a low mood already, you don’t need crap news like that.. GRRRR!

I now hammered towards London in the pissing rain in that feeble ‘no energy just anger’ way I do when I’m shattered. For another hour maybe I was riding in crap weather with nothing much left. I found a train station. Did it go to London? Did it fsck! Not a happy camper.

I kept going, cursing my decision to ride back.

What’s this? Light at the end of the tunnel? A sign for Caterham! I know this place. We dropped poor Desi off at the station when he broke his collarbone on the last L2B ride. I could find the station and recover some of the distance I’d wasted with my wrong turn, also avoiding the A-road return journey. Decision made. I found the station, paid my ?5 and jumped on the train. It even had a special holder for my bike with velcro straps for the seatpost. Awesome.

I arrived into London Victoria and the weather had got worse. It was FREEZING now. I was riding north past Hyde Park and getting pelted in the face with hail while a freezing wind bit at my legs. But, now I’d had a rest and I was close to home. The maniacal grin appeared and all I could think about was Paris Roubaix and how all those pros would laugh at conditions like this.. I was on mechanical autopilot.. living tissue over metal endoskeleton.. all I cared about was getting home and doing it quickly and if you got in my way, god help you!

Dragged my sorry carcass through the door and said ‘hi’ to a worried Malwina.. game over. 🙂

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