Etape du Dales

Senecio [Daniel D]

Those interested in riding the utterly BRILLIANT Etape du Dales (May 15th) should note that entries open Monday Jan 10th (at 04:00). Enter via www.sportident.co.uk

If you don't belive me ask Malcolm Currell how good (brutal) it is.

Daniel

Senecio [Daniel D]

Good to see you've signed up Malcolm! Still places left people.........

http://www.cyclosport.org/album5.aspx?id=664&photoid=614

Senecio [Daniel D]

Pete Green and I rode the Etape du Dales on Sunday and, aye, it were quite hard.

The weather forecast was for a summer’s day in Yorkshire. And so it turned out; wind, rain and cold. We all have good days and also bad ones. I hope Pete will not mind me saying he went through a bit of a bad spell at about the half way point.

A few incidents and quotes;

Biggest white lie ever (at about Newark on the A1 travelling there)
Pete; ‘I should be alright with a 39 chain ring, shouldn’t I?’
Daniel; ‘Yeah, mate. No problem.’

Daniel; ‘Careful on the descents, they are very though’
Pete; ‘I like fast descents’
(An hour later his rear wheel was skipping round a 1 in 4 hair pin at about 30 mph. Good skills to stay on there!)

Pete; ‘My back hurts, I can’t go on’.
Daniel; ‘Man up or stop at the next feed station’

At the top of ‘The Coal Road’ (a roaring lion of a hill for which makes Mow Cop look like a kitten)
Daniel to Pete; ‘Bet you wished you’d fitted a smaller chain ring!’

Photographer at the top of The Coal Road ‘ Well done lads, careful on the descent there are loose chippings on the road’
Daniel; ‘I didn’t realise we were riding a time trial’.

Pete; ‘Ha ha ha. Are you okay by the way?’ Just after I’d misjudged a corner and made the split second decision to ride onto the moor to stop. All the funnier as the guy just behind me followed me! (What was that advice about tricky descents?)

Man with desperation in his eyes half way up the hill before the final feed stop. ‘I’m done in. I can’t go on any more!’ (He just couldn’t believe he’d been beaten by the route, he was almost in tears poor chap.)

By the end we have to invoke the Voigt maxim. A lot.

We were actually moving with some pace in the final approach but only managed 8h16, yet that was better than 60% of the ones that did finish. Only 6% of the field managed the gold standard (less than 7 hours). Malcolm Elliot’s 5h43’ record is staggering in this context.

‘Nowt worth having is easily got.’

Daniel

PeterG

Route stats here, and yes the elevation is correct, it was really that up and down.

would have been fun on a fine day, unfortunately I'm not sure they get many of those in Yorkshire. Hence it was pretty miserable.

I could have filled the bath with all the water that had soaked into my clothing and was chilling me to the bone over 8 hours in the saddle.

A pure challenge and no mistake, I still have mixed feelings about the day. I sort of regret putting myself through the ordeal but glad that I got to the end, just.

Today, I feel like I spent the weekend on 'The Rack'.

I wonder what ever happened to the poor broken man who just couldn't go on. I know how he felt, but obviously just dug deeper.

James D

Great write up chaps. From what Peter says i bet he will be back next year for more!

geoffg

great write up truly...well done you two...I'm up for it next year if we have managed to buy that farm.....the top NE loop encompasses part of the loop I use when staying up with Rachel....From Greta Bridge/Barningham/Stang Top/Reeth/Gunnerside/muker/Keld/Tan Hill/Whaw/then back over Stang and back to Greta Bridge...50-60 miles depending on options....I only average 13mph and honestly haven't found a nice day yet...usually frozen and soaked...last one was November and soaked through.....
The other part of your route is cruel, but with some fantastic sweeping sections.....there will be free bed and board when we get up there and plenty of training opportunities for those slightly touched by madness