oxfordsportive

Perhaps the fact it rained pretty much all the way down  through France to the Pyrenees was a warning of things to come.  Our hotel was in Canfranc Estación which is near the summit of Somport,  the first climb in the Quebrantahuesos, this was a good location for the normal very hot conditions as it was high up on the mountain, but pretty cold and gloomy with the weather this year.

On the morning of the Quebrantahuesos it was raining as usual at the hotel but became warm and sunny as we drove past Jaca towards Sabiñanigo. Ever the optimist I changed out of my three-quarter bib-shorts and left my waterproof jacket behind in the car.

QH 2010 ready to go

At least I had enough sense to wear a gillet and arm warmers, and then it was off to the start in Sabiñanigo.

This was all it had promised to be, great atmosphere with thousands of very fit looking Spanish club cyclists lined up in a huge queue. They were all wearing full club kit sponsored by their employers with shaved legs shiny with embrocation, they really looked like they were ready for business.

A few minutes before the start helicopters came roaring low overhead which added to the sense of excitement. Then at 7:30 am the gun went and those in the front pens (reserved for celebrities and people with good times in previous editions) started off, it then took 10 minutes or so before my part of the queue passed over the timing mats.

The ride does a loop south of Sabiñanigo then heads back through the town, the riders  swept along seemingly effortlessly without so much as touching the pedals. Crowds of people lined the route cheering and calling out to the riders.

The route went down a slope to a bridge were the road narrowed, cyclists ahead of me were calling out to slow down, there were water bottles on the road and several riders sitting by their wrecked machines with their head in their hands, some were in tears.

As we bypassed Jaca a powered para-glider came swooping past and the bridge over the road was lined with people shouting and clapping,  I was in a happy slightly dreamy state where it all seemed easy, the large groups of cyclists just moved along as if carried by the tide.

With that encouragement the first twenty miles or so flew by in less than an hour in spite of starting the climb up the Somport, although at the bottom the gradient is only 2-3% so it’s not a hard climb until it gets steeper near the top, just long at 28 kilometres or so.

The first signs of what was to come was that it started to rain as we went past Canfranc after twenty five miles, at first it was just fine rain but as we got to Canfranc Estación where the main road enters the tunnel and the QH route turns off to follow the old road over the Somport pass the rain was heavier.  The other disturbing sight was of streams of cyclists riding back down the mountain, still with their QH numbers on their handlebars.

As the road passed the hotel we were staying my wife standing there with an umbrella up against the rain, waiting to hand me my waterproof. She had been there when the first riders came past, escorted by police motorcycles.  While I was putting on the jacket I said to my wife that it was going really well, then set off again towards Candanchú and the top of the pass.

Then simultaneously the gradient steepened to 5% plus and a nasty headwind started to drive the rain into our faces, the last few miles up to the feed station on the summit were a struggle. At the top it was fairly chaotic, cyclists were turning around in droves while others tried to get through the scrum. A kind helper took my bottle and filled it up for me then it was off down the descent on the French side.

Eventually one and a half thousand cyclists turned back from the summit because of the weather, a lot of them were wearing short sleeves tops with no protection against the freezing wind.  The French police escorted groups of riders back through the 8 kilometre Somport tunnel as they were in no fit state to go back over the top again.

Even with a Gore Tex jacket over a gillet I was shaking so hard so as to be almost thrown off the bike.  Had to ride pretty cautiously at the top where it is steep with lots of sharp corners, but it would have been hard to go faster what with the cold and driving rain which was pretty painful.

It was a relief when the road levelled out and in no time the turn-off to Escot and the Marie Blanque arrived, the prospect of some climbing seemed welcome as it offered a chance to get some warmth back in the body. At this point it was three and a half hours into the ride and just short of sixty miles completed.

The Marie Blanque  starts off gently for the first few kilometres but gets steeper with the last four kilometres being over 10%, it was just a case of grinding away and not going over the limit and just keeping going.  The Etape (and the tour of course) went over the same side this year on their way to the Tourmalet. It was raining pretty much all the way up, my Garmin gave up all of its functions at this point because of the mountains and mist and cloud, and the GSC10 cadence sensor bit the dust completely which is par for the course when things get wet for this rather dodgy bit of kit. My official time at the top was just over four and a half hours  (my bike computer being no use due to the rain) so it took me an hour to get up those 11 or so kilometres.

The descent from the Marie Blanque was slow and slippery then there was a rather grim ride in rain and headwind to the foot of the third climb of the day. The Portalet is long and gets progressively steeper towards the summit, with an average gradient of just under 4.5%.  I managed to climb within my limits without feeling the temptation to jack it in. The rain, cold and the increased gradient made it really hard work for the last few kilometres. There were people camping out in the rain with tarpaulins to try and keep out the worst of the weather. They were still cheering and clapping even though they must have been freezing having been there for several hours by the time I went by.

The Spanish side of the Pyrenees was dry so at last there was no rain and the opportunity to pick up a bit of speed. This was then promptly wiped off by the turn to Hoz de Jaca.  By then I  just wanted the whole thing to finish, it was a narrow road with sections that were bumpy and some quite steep bits, even a section of cobbles (well, really bumpy road but the effect was the same). Eventually we rode over the summit cheered on by spectators who kept shouting only there was only 100 metres to the top for what seemed like a kilometre. There was then a short descent and then the route rejoined the main road for the last downhill stretch to the finish. Rode into Sabiñanigo and crossed the line in 8:47 for a silver medal. There was free San Miguel and a pasta meal for all the participants plus a medal and a certificate.

Bikes adorn every roundabout

The  event was very well organised with seemingly endless supply of volunteers ready to lend a hand. The town takes the event to its heart, there are bike sculptures on every roundabout and crowds of supporters out cheering the riders on the day.

On every descent there were marshals waving red flags and blowing whistles on the dangerous corners, they stuck to their posts in the rain and wind for hours on end.

I did met some UK based riders on the climb including a couple from Oxford TRI, but the vast majority were Spanish. The general standard of riding was very good in the fast groups. The first section up to the French border is on closed roads and the many thousands of cyclist take up the whole width highway between the start and the top sections of the Somport climb. I would definitely return and try again in warmer weather. The atmosphere on the first section is great although my experience of the French side of the ride was not wonderful because of the weather. The start village is in a rather grim industrial park and doesn’t compare to the experience laid on for the Etape.

This year the organizers ran out of thermal blankets as three hundred riders were treated for hypothermia. Last year they were dealing with heat stroke in very hot temperatures. There were loads of motorcycle support riders, ambulances and Mavic mechanical service cars out on the the route.

In my case I was probably better off in the cold rather than in very hot conditions, the week after the event Spain  was experiencing a heat wave.  I wasn’t terribly fit but didn’t feel too bad after the event, I rode within myself and was very cautious on the climb of the Marie Blanque. I was riding with a compact and a 11-28 cassette which did not make the last four kilometres of the MB climb a doodle but it wasn’t that hard that I felt ill or tempted to bail out.

Garmin GSC10 cadence sensor

The otherwise excellent Garmin 705 is let down by the GSC10 speed and cadence sensor. This unit is not properly waterproofed and eventually fails completely. You can revive it once or twice by drying it out but once water ingress causes corrosion or electronic failure the cadence sensor becomes a piece of junk.

It is mystifying to me why Garmin do not correct this problem. The solution is to properly waterproof the unit, surely that cannot be beyond the capabilities of this technologically sophisticated company?

I bought two cadence sensors with the 705 about 18 months ago. They started to fail after a couple of months. I had both replaced twice over the warranty period and now only have one working (which is on a bike used only on a turbo so it never gets wet).

There are quite a few posts on the forums at motionbased including one that describes how to fix the problem although you would need to be fairly skilled electronics engineer to follow the steps, it is way beyond me. A small sample of this solution reads:

It is a 100nF ceramic cap in 0402 (4mm x 2mm) case size. I replaced it with a 0603 size part which will fit ok on the pads. To do this you will need an smt iron and a stereo microscope, and a steady hand.

What really irritates me is that Garmin are aware of the problem but they do nothing to fix it, and they keep on giving advice to people which just wastes their time. Once these things fail no amount of changing batteries and moving them away from each other will fix them.  Get a new replacement GSC10 and it works immediately with no faffing about, proving the problem is with the unit rather than with incorrect user set-up.

The Garmin website claims the GSC10 has water resistance of IPX7, an IPX7 designation means the unit can withstand accidental immersion in one meter of water for up to 30 minutes. In my experience wash your bike a few times and the GSC10 will stop working. You can dry it out and get it working again once or twice but then it will be dead and cannot be revived again.

Went out for an hour or so this afternoon to blow away the cobwebs, just as I was ready to go it started raining.  It was windy and wet not wonderful but hey after a few miles it feels OK.  Went out on a usual circuit over the toll bridge at Swinford then on to the turn at Standlake then back via Appleton where the wind was in my face. Riding along looking down rode straight over a large pothole with a bang, thought I’d got away with it but after a few yards that old sinking feeling as the bike began to wobble. Lucky it was only the front tube that went and I had a spare tube with me, not always the case I have to admit. Changed the tube and was on my way after 10 minutes or so, didn’t manage to get more than 60psi into the tyre with my mini pump but enough to get home. So will be keeping my eyes on the road from now on, could have been worse.

White Horse Challenge medal

The forecast for the Sunday of this years White Horse was for showers possibly heavy with a fairly fresh wind from the SW. It was drizzling as I drove down from Oxford but in the end stayed dry and warm with some sunshine and stiff breeze.

The first few kilometres up to Highworth are roly poly which always seems to catch me out, and rather contradict the description of this ride that claims ‘the first 40k of the ride are virtually flat’.

I managed to tag on to the end of a  group from BAD Tri then teamed up with a guy riding a stealth black Specialized called Andy, he was going strong and we picked up a number of other cyclists as we rode through Wootton Bassett which is instantly recognisable from the TV images of the processions. I was feeling strong up the first climbs at Broad Town and Cherhill and managed to keep up a decent pace through the stone circles at Avebury and all the way to Marlborough and the second feed stop at Froxfield. It was then at the three and a half hour mark that I began to feel the effects of the hills on my legs and the speed began to drop off.

The long straight climb up to the Ridgeway after leaving Lambourn felt heavy and slow so I was paying the price for starting fast out of the gate. Regardless of the pain the climb up the Uffington White was still beautiful and thanks to the guy with his two children ringing that cowbell and blowing their whistles. From Uffington it is a short dash to the finish at Shrivenham and boy was I glad to finish.

Next year I will be back, better stronger fitter faster! See below for Garmin Connect details of my ride, pedal turn by pedal turn…

Quebrantahuesos or Bearded Vulture (opens new window)

Several years have passed since my one and only big  European sportive. That was the 2006 Etape from Gap to Alpe d’Huez which I have to admit nearly killed me.

For one reason or another I haven’t been able to sign up for another since then. So now I am going to ride in the 2010 Quebrantahuesos sportive in Spain. This is the 20th edition of this popular sportive, it has about 8,000 people riding each year which places it on the same level as the Etape du Tour. This is a hard event at 205 km with 3,500 metres altitude gain, not as much climbing as the Marmotte but it does go up the Marie Blanque from Escot which is by all accounts a real pig of a climb.

The name Quebrantahuesos comes from the Bearded Vulture or bone breaker which seems appropriate given how tough this event is, interesting stuff here on this rare bird at the Quebrantahuesos Foundation.

Marie Blanque profile

The one thing you can’t train for here in the UK (apart from the long climbs that is) is the weather, it can be very hot and that is difficult to deal with if you’re not acclimatised, in 2006 the temperature on the Alpe d’Huez was said to have reached 40° C and it certainly felt like that at the time.

The allocation of start numbers takes place on Thursday 15th of April. The best places will go to finishers with good times from previous years. After that it is first come first served in the starting pens.

There is a good write-up on the RCUK website by a spanish cyclist who has started ten times and finished five times.

There is also an informative and entertaining blog post on the Quebrantahuesos at www.davidmullarkey.com.

There are three climbs on the Quebrantahuesos with the Marie Blanque being the hardest, the final four kilometres average 11% with sections going up to 15%, see here for details www.altimetrias.net of the Marie Blanque profile.

I am looking forward to my first event of the year which is the local (to me) White Horse Challenge, which is a romp around four White Horse Hills, Uffington, Broadtown, Cherhill & Hackpen (Uffington White Horse is the oldest of all British chalk figures and dates back almost 3000 years).

This is my favourite sportive of the year and I’ve ridden in every edition since it started in 2007. It’s not too long and the hills are manageable for an early season event at about 145 km and just under 1,500 metres of elevation gain.

The WHC is on Sunday 25^th of April this year so not long to go now. I just hope the rather disastrous start to the year doesn’t mean I end up being slower than in previous years.

Last year I managed to improve on the previous year by skipping the first feed stop altogether (other than stopping to have the timer dibbed) and then spending as little time as possible in the second stop, just enough time to fill a bottle and grab something to eat.

My secret weapons this year were  a new lighter bike and doing intervals over the winter. The new bike is there but has only had a couple of outings this year so the intervals plan will have to take the strain, although training this year has been compromised by snow and ice and colds and flu.

See below for the summary of my ride on last year’s event from Garmin Connect

There is a new feature on Garmin Connect that allows you to embed details of an activity in a web page or blog. It seems pretty easy to use. Make sure  the activity is shared by clicking on the padlock on the Garmin Connect Activity Details page.

The click on the Embed icon below the activity map, this will generate some html which you then paste into your preferred web page or browser as seen below. You can click on view details below the map to link to the shared ride on the Garmin Connect website.

So here is the training loop I just did today:

The Rider back cover detail

This book is one  of the best books about bike racing ever written,  one of the classic books on cycling;  if you only ever read one book about bike racing make sure this is the one.

It tells the story of one day’s racing in the Tour du Mont Aigoual in the the Cévennes region in Southern France. This is a real race rather than being a mythical event as the blurb on the book cover implies. Although the characters are fictitious they are based on real cyclists. The author has written about the background to this book in an article The tour du mont aigoual on the Rapha website which is an interesting read in its own right.

The Rider back cover blurb

The book captures the inner monologue the rider has with himself and the others in the race as well as the trance like state that comes with taking part in endurance events.

Krabbé also weaves in stories from the past cycling life of the rider and how he has progressed from novice to contender. There are also vignettes from cycling greats such as the reason why  Anquetil would take his water bottle out of its holder before every climb and stick it in the back pocket of his jersey.

Even if, like me, you are not a racing cyclist you will enjoy this book, it is one of those books you regret finishing and I have come back to it several times over the years.

In the Feb-Mar 2010 of CTC’s Cycle magazine there is an interesting article by bike designer Mike Burrows on the myths of getting the right fit and position on the bike.

Mike Burrows designed the Lotus track bike that Chris Boardman used to win gold in the pursuit at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. He also  invented the compact frame with the Giant TCR.
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I have tried doing intervals over the past few years without much success. The pattern is to occasionally have one good session and get fired up with enthusiasm then hacking it in after twenty minutes at the next session. However after reading the Time Crunched Cyclist by Chris Carmichael and trying the sessions he suggested plus finding various tips online I have managed to find a method that works pretty well.

Mix an energy drink and sip that while you get ready, this raises the blood sugar levels and will make you more inclined to keep going, this is a tip from Chris Carmichael and basically he is saying give yourself plenty of chances to succeed. Also make sure before starting that your mp3 player, bike computer are charged and ready to go.
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