Fred Whitton Challenge
Well, how did it go for you folks who were at it?
Great day was had by our wee group from Glasgow, though sleeping in a water filled tent then a cramped van was not the best preparation!![:(]
First time I've done it and thoroughly enjoyed the course. Bar Honister, Hardknott and Wrynose all the other climbs were fine. Honister is pretty tough at 25% but did it on a compact.
Hardknott was utterly brutal and I'm sad to say I had to walk the last 200-300 yds [:(] but I am getting on a bit and the climb at 30% is just unbelievable. I did the Bealach na Ba last year and the Ba is way, way easier than that climb, although Hardknott does come at 100 miles!!
If I was being picky about the event, the route signage was poor (we went on a detour to Lancaster at one point until a passing car told us the way!). However, this didn't detract from a great day and we will be back for more[:D]
For info, we did it in 9hr 5 mins with an hour [:I] spent at the two foood stations and a 15 minute detour, so I put that down as a sub 8 hr circuit...well, sort of [;)]
Live your dreams - no-one else will do it for you!
Great day was had by our wee group from Glasgow, though sleeping in a water filled tent then a cramped van was not the best preparation!![:(]
First time I've done it and thoroughly enjoyed the course. Bar Honister, Hardknott and Wrynose all the other climbs were fine. Honister is pretty tough at 25% but did it on a compact.
Hardknott was utterly brutal and I'm sad to say I had to walk the last 200-300 yds [:(] but I am getting on a bit and the climb at 30% is just unbelievable. I did the Bealach na Ba last year and the Ba is way, way easier than that climb, although Hardknott does come at 100 miles!!
If I was being picky about the event, the route signage was poor (we went on a detour to Lancaster at one point until a passing car told us the way!). However, this didn't detract from a great day and we will be back for more[:D]
For info, we did it in 9hr 5 mins with an hour [:I] spent at the two foood stations and a 15 minute detour, so I put that down as a sub 8 hr circuit...well, sort of [;)]
Live your dreams - no-one else will do it for you!
Live your dreams - no-one else will do it for you!
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Comments
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Thread about the Fred here: http://www.cyclingplus.co.uk/forum/topi ... _ID=128652
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<font size="1">"I'll do what I can to help y'all. But the game's out there, and it's play or get played. That simple."
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<font>"I\'ll do what I can to help y\'all. But the game\'s out there, and it\'s play or get played. That simple."
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Why is this in the race section?0
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Well if you read most of the reports they'll say how long it took them to complete the course - it is a sort of race - no it's not the same sort of competetiveness as bunch start road racing but I think it's fair enough to have it in here.
Dave Hinde - probably the worst bike shop in the world.
it's a hard life if you don't weaken.0 -
No, it's not a race - that's why it's called the Fred Whitton <i><b>Challenge </b></i>
It's a sportive, although it's existed since well before that term came into use in the UK
Time to dig-out the Summer bike (why's it just started raining ? Is it something I said ?)0 -
<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by andy_wrx</i>
No, it's not a race - that's why it's called the Fred Whitton <i><b>Challenge </b></i>
It's a sportive, although it's existed since well before that term came into use in the UK
Time to dig-out the Summer bike (why's it just started raining ? Is it something I said ?)
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You better say sorry Nae-Neck to all these 'racers'! How dare you put an entry about a challenge in this most prestige 'race' section. A challenge is not a race -please remember that....even though Lewis Craven came through averaging more than 20mile/hr...and those other boys who werent far behind...its not a race! got it?
This section is only for 'real' racers and speaking of real races, not UK sportifs...don't ever put an entry like this in here again[;)]0 -
You carry on guys - it's a competitive event and if people don't like it then can choose not to read this thread.
Jeez - some people get very precious don't they?0 -
<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by andyp</i>
You carry on guys - it's a competitive event and if people don't like it then can choose not to read this thread.
Jeez - some people get very precious don't they?
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+1
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<font size="1">"I'll do what I can to help y'all. But the game's out there, and it's play or get played. That simple."
</font id="size1">~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
<font>"I\'ll do what I can to help y\'all. But the game\'s out there, and it\'s play or get played. That simple."
</font>0 -
And the fact that vermooten had to put a link up above saying that there was already a thread in 'Ride' about this, so we didn't end-up with two threads in two separate sections, illustrates the point !
Most sportives say somewhere in their rules and regs 'this is not a race'
- seems clear to me !
Time to dig-out the Summer bike (why's it just started raining ? Is it something I said ?)0 -
Whilst I wouldn't normally call a sportive a race, I wouldn't call a time trial a race either so is all discussion about them going to be shoved over to ride too? If it's a competitive event then it belongs in race, if it's about a ride it belongs in ride - a sportive is both and isn't out of place in either section.
Dave Hinde - probably the worst bike shop in the world.
it's a hard life if you don't weaken.0 -
They publish a results list and keep a record of holders of the fastest times, therefore I'd say it has a claim to have a foot in the door of this part of the forum.0
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HEY, andy_wrx...get a life and chill!
And this will annoy you even more...I'm a MTBer first and foremost.[8D]
Christ, it's only a thread; previous FWC threads have been on this section and I never saw you out with the jack boots on then![V]
As someone said earlier, if you don't like it, don't read it; I can only presume that you deem the FWC as beneath you
Live your dreams - no-one else will do it for you!Live your dreams - no-one else will do it for you!0 -
I surrender [xx(]
My real point is that sportives are variously posted under both Race and Ride, there's this confusion, we end-up with two threads.
Tom says it's not out of place in either section - agreed, but it would be better if it were in one or t'other surely ?
Or even better, if it had its own section.
Under Admin there was a thread a month or two ago where someone suggested a new forum area for Audax posts, someone else suggested that more people here on C+ seemed to do sportives than audax, so maybe it would be better if it were an area titled Sportives and Audax.0 -
Freddy 2007 - http://www.cyclosport.co.uk/article.aspx?id=344
Sportives aren't races, their "personal challenges".
Results are kept, but not necessarily in time order.
<font size="1">Half Armstrong</font id="size1">0 -
I think the distinctions are blurred. On the continent the top sportives are very much races at the front of the field. I think that the Fred Whitton is perhaps more in that tradition than the other sportives. Many riders treat them as a kind of ultra hilly, long time trial anyway.
The Fred Whitton has always published results in order, and many other sportives publish results as excel files, so that they can be viewed that way, whilst paying lip service to the idea of not being competitive events. I say all this as someone who is never likely to trouble the top quarter of the result sheet.
I think that this semi competitive character is what distinguishes sportives from Audax, and gives them their particular character. It probably goes some of the way to explaining their increasing popularity.
You never have the wind with you - either it is against you or you're having a good day. ~Daniel Behrman, The Man Who Loved Bicycles0 -
Nothing to do with the debate; if you like it in Cumbria why not try this http://www.3countieschallenge.co.uk/def ... x?pageId=10
