RdC Stage 6 - all done!

This one's coming from the ferry home to Dublin.

It's been a fairly packed five days and six stages. Today was flat enough, with a couple of minor KOMs, until the killer punch at the finish line. 400m gain, six kilometres of pain. Not hugely steep, but just long and drawn out. Weather was lovely and sunny and warm. I held well with the bunch today, all the way to base of the mountain - which marks a first in the race for mise. Apparently I was nearly in a breakaway at one point, but I wasn't really aware of it. The breakaways which did occur were caught at the bottom of the climb.

As for the climb itself, it inevitably tore us to shreds. Being the wee scrap of a lad that I am, I managed to get up pretty well. Lungs were huffing and puffing, but I kept pushing. One eejit cut across my line drastically, and I watched in horror as his rear quick release hit my front spokes. Thankfully it bounced off harmlessly, but I let a roar out of me anyway.

Onwards and onwards, squirting bottles of water over my head. There was a sportive running concurrently, and I was thankfully dropping those riders. I think only a couple of Cymru guys got past me once I got away from the bunch. Team manager reckons I was thirty-somethingith, which I'd be fairly happy with, but far more pleased if I was in the first thirty. We're still awaiting GC results to be posted online - we had to run for the ferry and miss the prize-giving.

Our nearest rivals ahead in the team GC had us well marked, so we don't know if we managed to jump them, but we're still hoping to have hopped a spot or two.

In terms of the overall experience though, it's been fantastic. Full kudos to the team manager for looking after my every need, and to my team mates for both the tonnes of advice and the helping hand/wheel on the road. I think the one thing I definitely did right today was to stay right on their wheels, not a row or two behind them. Importance of recovery in stage racing is also massive, and something which I seem to have done well, considering how fresh my legs were today.

I have half a list of cycling tips written down, and another half in my head, I'll post them when I have a moment, which will probably when I wake up again on Thursday. And any after-thoughts. Thanks to those who sent encouragement, here or via the face book.

RdC Stage 5 - improving?

Day four of racing was today, and all the team are pleased with today's performances. A 82.5km hilly race with three KOMs, including the finish line, it began with a long 12.2km neutralised zone starting on campus. This meant a lie-on, and even the weather was half-decent, with some wet roads, but plenty of sun.

The pack split on the first KOM at 10.6, with my teammates near the front, and myself at the rear (as has been the custom over the past few days!). I had been doing well with my position, but the legs simply didn't respond on the hill. There were some riders flying out the back past me though, so not entirely displeased with my pace. I managed to form a coherent group with about six other riders - 'tis a bad day when I'm the one barking orders to keep the line discipline and the pace stead. But we rode on, collecting the remnants of the first bunch as we went.

We hit another smaller KOM, then a long descent, with some hairy switchbacks (yours truly unclipped one foot to skid around a particularly sharp corner), and then we had a bunch of 30-40 riders, becoming the peloton.

Dual carriageway sections gave us great opportunities to practice our up and overs, powering along and maintaining an average of about 50kmph to get us home swiftly.

One of us got in 25th place, and myself and the other rolled over about 5mins later. I hopped 6 spots in the GC, and means I've entered the top 80 for the first time! \o/

We've also improved our placing in the Team GC. A low point of 25th after stage 2 has now jumped to 21st after stage 5. We're hoping to gain at least one more spot tomorrow, but with a 6km KOM finish (Llangyndir mountain - eep!), we won't know until very late in the day.

Now, to sleep!

RdC Stages 3 & 4 - getting used to it

So stages three and four were yesterday. I debated putting something up, but I was pretty shattered. Stage two was the longest road race I'd ever ridden. Stage three was longer, and followed by another stage in the afternoon.

Legs were feeling good in the morning. Stage three was a hilly 95km, with three laps over a steep ~150m KOM. I tried getting into a better position in the bunch early on, did better than the previous day, but not good enough. Kudos to the indomitable Dave Mc for coming back to me at the base of KOM 1, guiding me through the bunch up the hill, and then when I failed to recover in time to stay on the wheels of the pack, towing me most of the way around the course. We formed a group with about ten other riders, up and over-ing our way around another lap. We went up KOM 2 at a civilised pace, keeping things steady, and holding the group together.

Unfortunately the next time around, a few of the other guys, despite being seven minutes down on GC, decided this was their moment, and attacked. Such is the way in competitive cycling, but I couldn't help but feel a little hard done by, as once again I watched people ride away from me after the climb. Dave once again came back for me, and we span gently back for a cool down before the afternoon. Not my most magnificent outing, but better than the previous day's.

Grabbed some grub and chilled out. We had about two hours before we were due to start the team TT, and needed fresh legs. The course was out with a tailwind, around a roundabout, and back into the headwind. We had no practice as a team in formation, and the lads were taking extra turns to save my legs on the way out (so I could hopefully save theirs on the way back).

I surprised them (and myself) by riding through a few times on the way out, but I badly misjudged the on into the roundabout. The lads kept going, and I tagged on at the back swiftly enough, but we could see the following team had put time into us as we passed them on the other side. Steamed across the line with tired legs, but satisfied we'd left it all on the road. We didn't manage to beat our nearest rivals though, and maintained our spot on team GC.

RdC Stages 1 and 2 - in at the deep end!

So it's our second evening in Newport, Wales. I'm an A4 rider who started racing this year. I've done ...three open races so far. Four club league (Orwell/Lucan/Tiernans/Usher/UCD) races, and the hill climb. So coming here, to quote someone else, was either "bravery or naivete".

Left on the ferry Tuesday evening, boat docked at Holyhead just after midnight. The inevitable queues getting off meant that we got to bed a little after 2am. Up at 7am for breakfast, and the drive down to Newport (a little northeast of Cardiff). Took about five hours, got there in time to sign-on for stage 1, a 7km TT - flat, with a hill finish.

Lots of advice from my team-mates, so warmed up well, and thought I was motoring along the flat (into a strong headwind), until my minute man behind caught me and passed me. Hit the climb, where I quickly caught up with him, but didn't want to make the effort to pass him in case I blew up. This is only stage one of six after all! Clocked in at 13:35, which put me in 88th of 102 riders. Not bad for my first ever TT! (If you don't count the hill climb.) The lads fared better, and my minute man was 20th overall.

We witnessed one lad lose his chain as he turned the corner for the climb. He still managed to get 45th overall! Must have lost about 20s, yet still beat me by over 30s! Puts it all in perspective really.

Woke up this morning feeling fresh. Loaded the car up, and drove an hour out in the Brecon Beacons. The course was described as "rolling", but with six laps and a 0.5km 60m KOM on each, it didn't really feel like that by the end. I have to learn to more aggressive with my positioning in the bunch - I ended up losing contact second time over the KOM, and I'm supposed to be a climber!

Doubled up with a welsh rider, the only woman in the race, and we worked well around another lap. Then we were caught by a grupetto of three riders, including the previous day's mechanical, who had punctured today. Some people have no luck! The five of us worked around another lap, so only one to go. We took advantage of a passing van to draft a bit, but I couldn't even hold that, and ended up cycling the last half a lap by myself, finishing 18mins down. The grupetto was 3mins ahead of me in the end, with the win taken by one of a seven-man breakaway.

Team-mates did better, finishing with the bunch. We're not seriously targeting the GC, it's more about experience really, and I'm getting tonnes of that! Some of the riders here seem to be very serious cyclists, and the GB Paralympic team is here too. Tomorrow is a split stage. Today was the longest road race I've ever ridden, and tomorrow is longer. And followed by a team TT in the afternoon. So I'm off to the masseur now, so I can be as fresh as possible amarach!

Race is very well organised, with the road surface being immaculate, and marshalls at all the major junctions. We're staying on a uni campus, so there's a bar, shop, restaurant all within easy reach, and the food is tasty and the helpings generous! I'm counting down the breakfasts 'til stage six!

PS our biggest victory so far has been second place in the table quiz! \o/