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FRED WHITTON CHALLENGE (article by John Barker):
What a day, what a ride – 7hrs of sheer exhilaration!
Alarm goes at 4.20am – and if Smith and Gray remember what I was like awake at that time at IM Austria they will vouch that I wouldn’t be a happy bunny! Anyway, coffee, porridge with dates and honey, car packed, Vitargo mixed and away we go on the hop across the country to the lakes….
Arrive in Coniston at 7.40am, tyres pressure checked, filled the pockets with power bars and gels, rain jacket rolled up and packed (fortunately not required) and then to sign the starting sheet and prepare to set off with the 8am group……….
8am – Whamo – it’s like the start of the Tuesday night Pursuits!!!!!
But with a group of 100 rather than 15 or so…..Don’t these fools realise they’ve got 114 miles and 4000 metres of climbing ahead? Anyway I tags onto the back until reaching Hawkshead Hill when a most of them started going up like Pantani on acid (think Tour circa ’98) – I’ll be seeing most of you later I was thinking; The climb is quite steady up to the Drunken Duck pub for those who know – a couple of steep bits, about 1.5km long. Chain came off on the descent towards Ambleside which enforced a quick stop to whip it back on.
Found myself settling in with a group of 10 or so who wanted to go a similar pace to me which was my plan to help get around and then through Ambleside and up towards Troutbeck Village on a 2km climb – my plan was to ride the climbs at my own pace; span up this on 39 x 19 and found myself dropping the rest of the group I was riding with so at the top just kept on going at my own pace on the rolling ride to the bottom of the first biggie of the day…..after 18km
Kirkstone Pass – 5km @ average gradient of 7.9% max 25%; Clicked into 39 x 19 again and just rode up to be honest – steeper bits out of the saddle but didn’t feel it was anything to write home about – personally think Bills Moor is a harder climb (from Rothbury side), maybe it’s because I was fresh from a quiet weeks training and it was early in the day….descent was cracking – I like going downhill fast and this long straight (ish) road allowed me to go balls out! 80 kph all the way to the bottom…
Along past Ullswater and up the steady climb to Matterdale End (bit like Hawkshead) and then down towards the A66 and a quick ride down into Keswick, follow the road alongside Derwent Water (as per ½ marathon last week – didn’t realise it was that uphill for the last 5miles last week lads!) and then through Borrowdale towards a real bugger of a hill….after 70km
Honister Pass – 3km @ average 7.9% max 25%(which felt like it was the first 2km!) Again felt good and rode away from the group I was riding with, started in 39 x 23 but quickly required 39 x 25…..Honestly – on the steep bits cadence must have been about 30rpm!!!!!!! The amount of people walking was amazing – long day ahead for those I thought; Got to the summit to a rousing round of applause from the crowd on the top and took my time down this crazy descent (one fella not so lucky – crashed into a wall and looked in a state as I went by), got to the bottom safely and rode along the undulating road alongside Buttermere to first feed at the Youth Hostel at 52 miles…
Refilled the bottles, banana and a peanut butter sandwich and straight back onto the road and turn immediately right to…
Newlands Pass – 2km @ average 11.9% max 25%; Into 39 x 23 and out of the saddle straight away! This is just steep all the way up and then the 25% is at the summit on a hairpin – 39 x 25 for that! Fast straight descent on narrow roads onto an undulating road towards the next leg beater!
Whinlatter Pass – 4km @ average 5.9% max 25%; This is a cracking climb up through the forest – tree lined all the way; Not too steep (the 25% bit is only one hairpin) and you can just sit in most of the way in one gear – 39 x 23 by now….descent was fast on wide road all the way to Calder Bridge and then up the climb of….
Cold Fell – no one really counts this as biggie – but after 80 miles or so it hurts! I’d guess it lasts about 3km and would liken it to the climb out of Bellingham towards Sweethope Lough; Again didn’t feel too bad and pulled away from the two lads I had been riding with (one dressed in full winter Fassa Bortolo regalia – Nick-named Alessandro of course!), got to the top of cold fell and looked out towards the Irish Sea and there was Sellafield! Descended like a bomb from here passing loads of people as the next feed station was only 5 miles away – kept the hammer down all the way to Gosforth to the feed as I needed to get off and stretch my quads which where beginning to cramp – not good when Hardknott and Wrynose lie ahead……
Out of the feed station and straight into the valley heading towards Hardknott Pass which lay about 15 miles up the road – totally flat but for the last three miles you could see what was a coming! A whole world of pain! When you got to the bottom and glanced upwards it was like watching a trail of ants walking up a hill! After 104 miles onto the lower slopes of….
Hardknott Pass – 3km @ average ‘Stupidity’ max an even stupider 33%!!!; Straight into the 39 x 25 and away we grind! If Honister was 30rpm then this must have been 20! It’s just brutal all the way and about half way up is a double hairpin which kicks up on the bends to 33% - well I’m not ashamed to say I stopped to have a little rest on the outside of the first bend before clipping back in and riding up the bugger – carried on for about ½ mile and had to stop for another little rest; Back on and rode up the last km and crested the summit and then down the most mental descent ever – twisty, wet, gravelly and narrow; Brakes fully on all the way and a hairpin near the bottom is like falling off a wall! Another 2km up the valley to get over the last brute of the day….
Wrynose Pass – 3km @ average 14% max 25%; Strangely after 106 miles I found this not as difficult as Honister – still knackers hard mind – just ground up to the top – someone nearly crashed into me zigzagging across the road; I went straight up the middle near the top grimacing like a champion gurner and some bugger stuck his camera in my face and snapped away! Like Honister a generous round of applause for not getting off – feeling very smug with myself thinking all I had to do was get down the other side and coast back to Coniston; 45 seconds later…….
Brakes locked up, back wheel begins to slide out, release the brakes, hairpin coming up, back on the brakes, back wheel slides, Concrete or Grass with rocks sticking out?
Grass with rocks it was! Front wheel hit a rock and over the bars I go landing on my back with the bike coming a crashing down on top! Luckily nothing but a couple of nicks on my shin and bruised pride…..checked the bike, back on and gingerly on my way until a straighter bit of road…Never mind!
Undulating road back to Coniston which lasts forever as mentally after getting over Wrynose you think you’re finished….
Got to the finish – clicked into the chip timing and received the print out of the finish time….
HRM showed 6hrs 49mins average HR 144bpm; But this is with it being stopped at the feeds….
Under 7hrs = Elite Standard
7-8hrs = 1st Class
Over 8hrs = 2nd Class
Chip timing recorded 7hrs 04mins 03 secs with feed stops – 1st class it is…..more than happy with that.
All in all a fantastic challenge and an excellent day out – sense of achievement when cresting HardKnott and then Wrynose and actually finishing is unbelievable…
So…..who’s up for next year?! Entry forms out January 1st – have to post them the same day to be sure of getting in!!!
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