Tour of Britain 2015

I was up in the north, near Carlisle, last week visiting my folks where, coincidentally, the Tour of Britain made an appearance not once but twice!

My first experience of Tour was in 2009 when I saw from my office window, the riders stream past on their way from Hatherleigh to Yeovil. In this year, a now very familiar Team Sky rider, Ben Swift riding for Team Katusha, won the stage, the British Champion Kristian House riding for Rapha-Condor, now a regular pundit on ITV4, led the breakaway through Seaton and Edvald Boasson Hagen, riding for Barloworld, was the overall winner. It is hard to believe now, being 4 years before catching the cycling bug, that this event meant so little to me, it was only the mass of colour passing before my peripheral vision that made me take note!

Tour of Britain 2009 Stage 7 - Seaton
www.alexmoorehead.com

Kristian House - 2009 Stage 7 - Seaton
www.alexmoorehead.com

I was thrilled to be able to catch the Tour of Britain again in 2013 when it came through Sidmouth, something my long term readers will remember from my post on Day 200. Last year, I took a late holiday in Scotland and went Cycling on Mull during the Tour, so missed it coming through Exeter and across Dartmoor. This year, Devon have the Rugby World Cup and so declined to bid for the Tour again which meant the closest it was going to come to the South West would be Stoke! It was therefore the perfect combination of having time on my hands, due to my sabbatical and already having plans to visit my parents in Cumbria that gave me the opportunity last week to be a real ToB groupie!

It all kicked off on the Tuesday with Stage 3, Cockermouth to Floors Castle, and a 30 mile cycle over to see the sprint finish through Carlisle. I was one of the first to roll up so had a great view. I also attracted interest from the local press and received a full column write-up in the following day's newspaper!

2015 Stage 3 - Carlisle Sprint Finish

Stage 5, on Thursday, Prudhoe to Hartside Fell, came though Brampton along Hardian's Wall and concluded with a final climb of eight kilometres to the summit finish on Hartside Fell above Penrith in the Eden District. My plan was to catch the riders at both these locations, with Brampton being a short distance from my folks and by taking a more direct route up Hartside, riding with my old Rock 2 Roll CC mates, I would be able to beat the pro riders to the finish, they having to do a spin out to Ullswater first!

Tour of Britain Winner Edvald Boasson Hagen - Stage 5 - Brampton

Kristian House - Stage 5 - Hartside Fell

In the above picture of Kristian House, you'll have to believe me that Bradley Wiggins is in this group, behind and to the left. He must have seen me coming as in every one of my shots he is obscured by other riders or I just manage to get the back of his head!

It was an amazing day, great views, great weather and some great cycling. I've recently got back into my GoPro, so here too is a little video of the ride from Brampton up to Hartside Fell ..

... and this was the route.



Finally a couple more coincidences. The 2015 Tour celebrated the first double winner since it was relaunched in 2004, this was Edvald Boasson Hagen, the cyclist who last won it in 2009 when the event was first to appear in my 'peripheral vision'. The second co-incidence is that Kristian House was also riding on this Tour, just as he did back in 2009 .. as evidenced by my shot on Hartside and Alex Moorhead's photo from Seaton.


Postscript:
If interested, you can check out a few more photos from the Tour of Britain in my Flickr album.

Day 200 - Tour of Britain

Today the Tour of Britain arrived in Sidmouth for the start of stage 6, 137km through the Devonshire countryside, from the south coast to the hills of Dartmoor; to finish on the granite peak of Haytor. Being just 10 miles up the road, it was a day I made sure I'd booked off work as soon as I learned of the schedule. The plan was to ride over with AVP club mate, Andy to catch the start and then race across to Exeter while the riders looped their way north. Andy, however, had damaged knee ligaments during our 100 miler last weekend, so was not back on his bike, the decision for me, therefore, was whether to ride or drive. I was itching to get back on my bike, so I kitted my self out in GB colours (for the occasion) and rode but decided to just do Sidmouth today, I find long distances are better done with company.

Supporting Team GB ...
who would have known they would be the winning colours!

Following the climb up Seaton Down Hill, I headed out on the A3052, the main road to Sidmouth which at 8am was as busy as I've ever known it. This road at rush hour on a Friday morning was not a pleasant place to be, as commuters and white vans challenged each other to see how close they could pass me without making contact! In spite of the traffic distractions, or may be because of them, I made better time than I expected, reaching Sidmouth town centre in only 40 minutes. One route change I made to that I rode a couple of weeks ago, was to take the signposted cycle route down to Salcombe Regis past the observatory and into Sidmouth via the ford. I'd been told that this hill was heavy on brakes but this was not all, it was full of potholes and, being heavily wooded, strewn with puncture friendly cuttings difficult to avoid. I will not be taking this route again and am surprised at Sustrans even designating this as suitable for cyclists.

Sidmouth streets, cleared of traffic and pedestrians for the Tour of Britain

Once I'd secured my Roubaix in the already busy cycle park, I walked to sea front where the race was to start and where the professional cyclists were starting to gather. I've never seen Sidmouth roads so clear of people and cars. Over the next few hours, the crowds and local cycle clubs descended and I became less conscious of being the only one clad in colourful lycra! The atmosphere was amazing, friendly and buzzing with excitement.

The race begins

At 11am, right on plan, the 6th stage of the Tour of Britain started. I clambered for a view of the passing cyclists and caught the Yates' brothers dressed, as I, in Team GB colours, head out on this 85 mile road race to Hayor, high up on Dartmoor. Little did I know then that Simon would end up taking the stage win, and I would be wearing the winning team's colours!

Stats: 20 mi, 8hr 29m, Avg 14.1 mph, Max 35.2 mph, 1,165 kcal

0 - 100 in 6 Months - Part 3

A shower proof hiviz jacket gives little protection from a heavy downpour and so it was not long before I, like many of my fellow riders on the AVP 100 miler, were feeling very damp with 50 miles of our ride still to complete.

Before leaving Dulverton, a group photo captured us taking shelter under trees but there was no escaping the fact that we had to get back on the road else at our current rate of travel, we'd be riding home in the dark!

Back on the bikes we started on our way south along the A396 Exe Valley road at a good pace in spite of the rain. The level of chat reduced and there was a feeling of urgency in the peloton as we pressed on attempting to keep warm and get as much distance between us and the now heavy showers falling on the Exmoor hills behind. This strategy seemed to work as after around ten or so miles, we found ourselves breaking free of the darkest clouds and the rain eased to a drizzle. The peloton split on a series of steady down hill sections and Andy became the second of our group to puncture. Without Clive and his CO2 gizmo, who was out front with myself, Bobble, Gillian, Compass and a couple of other riders, Buster came to the rescue with brute strength and a traditional pump. 

We turned off the Exe Valley road early at Bolham to avoid the busy A396 / A361 roundabout and passed the entrance to Knightshayes, the large Victorian country house of which I have had many a pleasant Sunday visit to, during sunnier times and when not clad in lycra! With 30 miles to go, the rain then returned with vengeance. I only have vague memory of passing through Tiverton, Willand, Uffclme and Culmstock (again). And by the time we got to Hemyock, we were all so soaked through that no one was even up for our final 25 mile food stop, we pressed on. The Broad Street 4 mile climb out of Hemyock provided much needed warmth for our bodies and saw me finish off my last energy bar. The only fuel now left in my pockets were a few emergency and probably equally soggy Jelly Babies! The final climb was between Upottery and the A30, Bobble and Andy shot up this like rockets but I was happy to remain partially sheltered in the body of the peloton; feeling like one of those Emperor Penguins huddled together, sheltering from the storms. 

Prior to the ride, Clive had posted on the club's Facebook page "Here is the profile of the last 13miles of the AVP 100 miler, once you get 87th mile you are almost home and dry!" We had now entered this phase but were far from dry!

Here is the profile of the last 13miles of the AVP 100 miler

The rain by now was being driven into us by ever increasing winds. I found that extended riding in rain brings about a strange sensation. Water filled shoes become warm and pleasant when freewheeling but cold and squelchy when pedalling. The taste of salt from the rain and stinging eyes confused me for a while, until I realised that the air holes in the helmet which are normally such a blessing were filling with water to be then cascaded down my face. I've seen this week how the Tour of Britain riders have waterproof covers over their shoes and helmets while riding through such weather, now I know why!

We finally rolled into Seaton together at 6 pm, twelve hours after we had left. Surprisingly we were all in good spirits, I think mainly with the euphoria of completing the event together under such challenging conditions. It was a nice touch for all to be handed a laminated "AVP Certificate of Achievement" and a final group photo was taken.

Final group photo

This was by no means a quick ride, and I believe that without all the rain, the head winds and slow meandering we could have taken as much as an hour off the ride time, however, for a first 100 miler it was the perfect combination of good riding, socialising and adventure and I can't wait to do the next one ... but perhaps, I can wait until it warms up again next year! 

While writing up this final blog entry, I caught a snippet of the sport news this morning when it was announced that the former US heavyweight boxing champion Ken Norton, who beat Muhammad Ali, has died at the age of 70. I admit I did not know much of Ken Norton but the presenter went on to say that in later life he became well respected as a positive thinker and known for the saying "What the mind can conceive the body can perform". I conceived the idea that I could do a 100 mile ride a few months into my 'tour' but it was only in the last few weeks that I believed it could be possible.

Stats: 103.1 mi, 8hr 29m, Avg 11.7 mph, Max 31.7 mph, 5,121 kcal