Tour Report Page

Wales 2009,  Autumn Tour.

Day 1. Friday 18th. Reservoir Dogs

After a few late hiccups, Pete missing the 1st day due to work, the weekend just got better and better. We all had a trouble free journey up to Merthyr Tydfil, the M25 and M4 clear and running fast, not one hold up all the way. We all met up at Reading services for breakfast, where I revealed  the routes for the weekend. Some shocked faces and disbelief started to creep in. Had I gone overboard with the hills. A 1350ft climb, 2 miles at 20% for the 1st ride, planned for  Friday afternoon. The Saturday route even worse 4 mountain passes 2 over 1850 ft high, plus an additional 7 climbs as tough  as they come in Wales. It had taken me weeks to fit them all in to a route, and after many adaptations, settled on this monster of a ride to test the best of the best.
So we finished our breakfast and headed for Wales, the only topic of conversation I’m sure was, that Graham must be nuts !
Arriving in great time at our Hotel on the edge of the Brecon Beacons, we had time to go out for lunch, before our 1st outing into the hills.
2 pm and we were off, the whole group together for today,  the girls, Maria, Mags and Lilly, the boys, Chris, Gary, Kevin, John, Mick, Gray. We struggled with the route map, and went back to instinct, and again as with Givet last year, found a traffic free cycle path (Taff Trail) that headed the right way. Another great find, the path followed a disused railway track, now fully surfaced with tarmac, crossing the top of viaducts, alongside old platforms from bygone years, and only a gentle gradient to contend with. 10 miles into some stunning scenery we came across our 1st   of the reservoirs at Pontsticill. Crossing the Dam wall, no cars just a couple of Buzzards circling above. A slight climb up and above the other side and then a drop down to find a Tea Barn, serving cream teas and welsh cakes, just to good to be true. So we all stopped  at this old stone built barn, for a well earned cuppa.. Back on the road and decision time, do we return now, or push on into the Brecon Beacons. Everyone seemed keen to push on, even though the horizon looked full of hills. Within 200 metres we were climbing, hard at first, then really tough towards the top, a good mile of climbing levelled out at the base of the Beacons. High peaks all around us, it seemed we were on a level ridge, with no surprises, but there was one a sudden unexpected drop, with switch backs, a cattle grid that caught us unaware, we just kept going down and down, great fun, soon turned to despair. After checking with a local farmer it seemed the only way back was up that bloody hill.
We set off the return journey, it was only at the foot of the climb did the extent of our mistake dawn on us, the road sign saying 20% for the next 2 miles. Now you just know that’s going to hurt. I think Gary, John and Chris didn’t see the sign, which probably worked in their favour, as they were the only 3 to make it. One by one we were dropping, apart from our rookie Mags, who put us all to shame. While we were pushing including me, she was giving it everything, by now we were all shouting and willing her on to make it to the top. A fantastic effort, came to an end, but she had climbed 2 thirds of this brut, hats off to Mags. Just to give you an idea of the toughest section, Mick actually started rolling backwards and came off his bike, now that’s steep..
Over the top at last, a couple of more short sharp climbs, took us to a high point above the Town. From here it was rolling most of the way home. An eventful 1st Day, 25 miles completed and the girls, showing us they meant business this weekend.


Wales. The Mountains.

Day 2

It really started on Friday night. Pete had arrived at the Hotel late afternoon. Straight away the topic of conversation was the Saturday ride. The news of our planned ride was spreading around the Hotel, who were these mad English group of riders. Some said the hills were only climbable by car, and that would be a struggle. There was certainly a buzz going around the bar, with the locals getting in on the act. This just built up the ride, to a point where we were all having doubts.
The morning of the ride, the weather was with us, no wind, quite cool, dry and sunny. We had split into 2 groups for today, Group 2 led by Kevin, with Mags, Lilly and Maria, taking on a planned 25 mile ride, that ended up as a 50 miler. Group 1 going for the big one a planned 65 that ended up as 70 miles.
Heading out of Merthyr  and into a climb within the 1st mile, 1100 ft. A long slog of a climb nothing to steep, Pete was stamping his mark on the climb and leading the way as normal. 2 miles of climbing done and hill 1 out of the way. Its never a good way to start a ride straight into a big climb, but it seemed to settle our nerves a bit, especially with a 3 mile drop in front of us to recover. The next was the 1st of the mountain climbs at Maerdy, starting at 6 miles, gaining a height of 1350 ft. This one was a totally different ball game. Severe for the initial half a mile before crossing the cattle grid, then easing a little, just as well as most of us would have given up otherwise. 3 hairpins on the way up, with some great views over the Rhonda Valley. The pecking order was now establishing itself on the climbs, Pete, Chris and Gary, then John with his Mountain bike, with Me and Mick bringing up the rear. The top took a long time to reach, but it was a 3 mile climb after all. A re group at the top,  nobody had walked yet, and that was the first mountain out of the way. Dropping down into the town of Maerdy, with speeds touching 40 mph. From here we followed the valley to Porth, 9 miles relatively easy  cycling. Porth threw in a nasty surprise, a residential road, that hit 30% near the top, only just under a mile long, but it really hurt, standing was the only way over, even John with his low gear range was standing. The next 13 miles, were sapping just up and down all the time. We all needed a break by now, still on 100% record on every climb, it was time to re fuel before the second harder half of the ride. We were on our way now to Maesteg, home of the infamous F**k me Hill, and the gateway to the Mountains. Still as tough, but we had already climbed a lot worse today, and it became just another climb. A short drop, then onto the Bwlch, the highest climb of the day, 1750ft, 5 miles of climb, added to the previous climb gave us almost 10 miles continuous climbing. Disaster struck as John mangled his rear derailleur on the base of the Mountain. It looked terminal, but with some make shift repairs from Gary and myself, we got him back on the road with a limited gear selection, he didn’t want to give up now !
So forever upwards, that’s how it seemed, the sun was out fully on our backs and with no wind, we were all cooking. Was the top ever going to appear. The group had split completely, it was a very lonely place climbing at 6 mph, with no gears left. Its not the legs that go, for most of us our backs and necks were going through it. After an hour of climbing, the welcome sight of a snack wagon and the other lads, sitting drinking tea.
45 miles into the ride now, with only 2 big climbs left. Not much rest until the next one, but a massive drop for 4 miles, this time topping out at 45 mph. Hitting a cattle grid at that speed is interesting, we were all glad it wasn’t wet. That 4 miles only took about 6 minutes, which was great, but it put us straight at the foot of Mount Rhigos. Probably the biggest mistake of the day, pushing through so fast to the next climb, although  not quite as high at 1600ft, it was another 5 miles long. This one nearly put pay to our 100% record, even Pete was having a mare, drained of energy and craving more food, he was starting to bonk. The rest of us mere mortals, were also on our limits, it was sheer torture. In a bit of a daze, from tiredness , we stopped again at a snack wagon on the top. Pete put away 2 ice creams and a Mars bar, within a minute, we all followed his lead, energy levels at zero.
Spirits picked up a little, only 1 climb to do now. Trying to do my bit to help, I took the lead on the flat and cranked up the pace. Pete recovered  within a couple of miles and was on the front again. The road signs said 5 miles to Merthyr,  just a long pull of a climb 3 miles, 1100 ft between us and victory over the Mountains of Wales. And there we was at the top, no more hills. Everyone had done it, beaten their demons, taken on the challenge and won, well done lads.

Maerdy Mountain



The Bwlch










Wales
The Girls Ride.

The girls took on a new girl on their ride today, Kevina a strapping girl with a deep voice, who seemed to have that little bit extra.
Kevina was group leader for a 26 mile ride, a planned easy ride through the Rhonda Valley, following the river Taff.
Straight from the start the route went out the window, Kevina overruled by Lilly, Mags and Maria, so a magical mystery tour started. Straight into a big climb, heading upwards towards the mountains. Luckily they turned south the other side of the valley. Heading south they hit the town of Aberfan, where they paid their respects to the victims of the Aberfan disaster. With the girls now leading the way, they decided to call in a local pub. I’m sure the girls were fine in a welsh working mans pub, but Kevina (aka Kev Butcher) dressed in lycra, took some guts, it is rumoured the 3 girls protected him by saying he was Gay. Seemed to do the trick as everyone gave him plenty of room.
Just the one drink and back on the road, much to the bemusement of the locals, who probably couldn’t work out what just happened. They were now back on the road to Merthyr, but decided to double the mileage and head out on Fridays’ route on the Taff Trail to the Brecon’s and the reservoirs. There main target a cream tea at the Country Barn tea rooms. I think the girls had this ride sorted, much better than Climb every Mountain, Ford every stream, Follow every rainbow, until you bonk !
So after a good feed up, they headed for home, with Maria and Lilly off to find the Steam Train, a working museum of an old mining line. Kevina in the mean time slipped on the gravel, leaving the Tea rooms and came down heavy on his side. Being an honorary girl for the day, he couldn’t show the pain he was in and kept going. They all got back on track making it back to the Hotel in one piece, with 50 miles under their belts

Etape du Tour

David Bests Report.

Well we are back from the etape… what a brutal ride it was !!!! 

Steve made it to Sault 114.5 kms in but missed the cut-off by around 10 minutes and was swept up by the broom wagon. Even so that took in three out of the five major climbs:

Cote de Citelle at 428 metres, the first climb of the day with the summit 19 km into the ride, a good warm up for the legs and a lesson in staying safe as there were several nasty accidents on the decent.

Col d'Ey at 718 metres, a beautiful but tough climb 70 km in with the temperature rising to the late 20's.
Col de Fontaube at 635 metres, the last main climb before the feed station and cut off point in the mountain village of Sault

By the time I reached Sault the water had almost run out and the temperature had climbed up into the 30's, there was one more climb to go before the drop down to Bedoin and then the climb to the summit of Mount Ventoux. Straight after Sault there was a short decent before the 996 metre Col de Notre-Dame des Abeiles, this climb was very tough with a couple of false summits and a lot of it over 9%. The long fast decent to Bedoin was exciting and scary in equal measure especially when remembering the crashes from earlier in the day, there were definitely a lot of riders who thought they were better than they actually were!

I arrived in Bedoin after 6 hours 30 minutes feeling OK and thinking that I could be on for a sub 9 hour ride, how wrong I was… I took on some food and water and started the up Ventoux. The first 2 km is not too bad then it kicks up to 9% plus through a 10 km section of forest, there is no let up, it is relentless. Temperatures hit 38 degrees, there was no air and no breeze, people were dropping like flies, a lot of very expensive bikes were being pushed up the mountain. I had to stop several times but was determined not to push!. Coming out of the forest up to Chalet Reynard I was looking forward to a rest and some water but the water station was dry, the only option was joining a queue of about 150 riders at a stand pipe, luckily for me Steve had been dropped off at Chalet Reynard and heard I was on my way up so was waiting with water… I don't know what I would have done without that.

It is another 6 km from Reynard to the top with no shelter from the sun, I rode the first 2 km and then the gradient kicks up again and I had to relent and push for a while although I made sure I got back on my bike for the last bit and crossed the line, the 24 km of Ventoux had taken me 3 hours 19 minutes!

So an overall time of 10 hours and 9 minutes, would we do it again - maybe but not for some time.

I'm typing this standing up at my desk as I have an infected saddle sore that has swollen up to the size of a cricket ball, I'm on antibiotics for a week and in a lot of pain. Nothing like coming back with a good reminder of a brutal, relentless ride.