Quebrantahuesos - now that's a sportive!
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Art Vandelay wrote:The emu wrote:for all those who have entries in the lottery quebrantahuesos with the number 34820 and due to a confusion in the administration of lottery we inform you that the new number with which body shall in the draw for the Christmas on 22 december 2008 is 37178
So obvious questions - What lottery, should we be in it, and should I be worried?
Wilf - saw that as well - No idea what it means :?
The Spanish Christmas lottery (known as "el gordo" or the fat one) is one of the biggest in the world with the average Spanish family spending about 90 € for a share of a ticket - the prizes are jaw-droppingly big and are normally won by syndicates within clubs, villages, towns etc. rather than individuals.
I'm guessing the club that runs QBH bought a ticket and have been issued with a new number.
A few million euros wouldn't go amiss in my household right now, although the Spanish sun we're enjoying today in Denia helps lift the spirits. 22 degrees yesterday when we took part in a local Christmas race on the Coll de Rates - has to beat Xmas at home.0 -
Ah! Thanks McHoy - that had a few of us fretting a bit!0
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aaah, yes thanks for that.
Funnily just watching news article on the beeb now. 2 (or was that 20) Billion pounds...and one woman had 2 winning tickets :shock: .
Phew - back on track for big riide - no idea what to pronounce it - Al, what about "Operation Q" ? 8)
The long grazed legged one0 -
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Just do as we did and refer to it as the 'Fray Bentos'*
*just not with the Spanish though...obviously 8)\'You Come At the King,You Best Not Miss\'0 -
phips wrote:
The ride is named after a local bird of prey that can have a wing span of almost 3 metres. See a picture of it here. http://www.faunaiberica.org/?page=quebrantahuesos
If you see them circling overhead and the broom wagon has passed you then start to worry . . .0 -
So did everyone manage to register on the first trance after their spanish website called it a day at lunch time and went for a siesta?
I got charged twice in the end, (they are I believe sorting this out for lots of people) but thankfully my names on the list.
The long grazed legged one0 -
i did.although i am doing it through www.ciclocostablanca.com so havea guaranteed place !!!!!! the smell of free beer at the end ,the as much as you can eat paella,but the overiding factor above all else......free massages
you have a PM Emu
8th March 2010,Spain ,Here I come !!!!!!0 -
Only 8 days to go so I thought I'd dig this thread out of the twilight zone.
Weather looking helpful:
http://tiempo.meteored.com/weather/weather_Sabinanigo-Huesca-Espana-Europa--9-c.html
Fitted a 12-27 on my compact for this which will hopefully help up the Marie Blanque. Bit smaller than the dinner plate the Emu's got on the back of his Wilier though
The last email from QH HQ was all about deaths on cycles which cheered me up no end.
For those that have done this before, what did you find the toughest climb :?:
Any other highlights/lowlights of the route :?:0 -
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Very up for this now. Mass start of 8000 will be absolutely bonkers though.0
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londonbfg32 wrote:Very up for this now. Mass start of 8000 will be absolutely bonkers though.
I think it's over 10,000 for 2009....
now if only I can get my gears to cooperate with my dinner plate cassete. :?
The long grazed legged one0 -
Good luck guys :-)2010 Lynskey R230
2013 Yeti SB660 -
Predicting light rains now in the second half of the day:
http://tiempo.meteored.com/weather/weather_Sabinanigo-Huesca-Espana-Europa--7-c.html
Max temp is 27C at the mo...0 -
Art Vandelay wrote:
For those that have done this before, what did you find the toughest climb :?:
Any other highlights/lowlights of the route :?:
Without doubt its the Marie Blanc - its a very hard climb, I've done AdH, Galibier, Croix de Fer and this is harder, it starts easy enough but the last 4km are a badly surfaced ramp with no constant gradient, saps the power out of your legs - you have been warned.
The others are pretty easy. The Portalet is awesome - indeed the scenery is superb all day, just enjoy it, its the perfect day on the bike 8)\'You Come At the King,You Best Not Miss\'0 -
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phips wrote:Croxted Avenger wrote:The others are pretty easy. The Portalet is awesome - indeed the scenery is superb all day, just enjoy it, its the perfect day on the bike 8)
I'd agree wholeheartedly.
That was the best sportive I have done to date - including L'Etape.
What an awesome day out. Incredibly good course, fantastic organisation, simply awesome descents :-D
I'm still buzzing.
I can only echo Phips sentiments, awesome day, very well prepared, great weather, friendly people, inexpensive and although the Marie Blanqe won the battle with me this time I'm definetly back next year for avengeance (and a Silver).
This years time a lowly 9:08:45 but which included me riding from Hors Jaca to the finish line with a slow leaking tube.....just couldn't be ar$ed changing so close to the end and rolled over the finishing line on my rims. :oops:
The long grazed legged one0 -
This looks awesome! Wish I was doing it.Shazam !!0
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My best day ever in the saddle. However, out of it, it was a different story. I refer to the registration desk. As rude as fcuk.
The organising club couldn't have been more helpful. They could have been volunteers on any Irish or UK sportive. They sorted me out when the reg desk wouldn't give me my hard won cert and medal. If she-who-must-be-obeyed wasn't with me at the time, I could well now be writing 'The Ballad of Sabinanigo Gaol'.
Don't know who they were, or whether they were even local, but they couldn't have come from the same gene pool as the sounder than sound staff at the Pena Edelweiss (organising club) help desk. I can't stress that enough.
For anyone who's interested, did it with ciclocostablanca. Sound people and sound guests. The Denia ex-pats were inspiring and great craic also. They all crossed the finish line before me despite being 20 to 30 years older and let's just say that I have been a vet for a few years now.
Will definitely do it next year. (I've started saving now, what with the recession and all). The Máire Bán (Marie Blanque) and the Hoz de Jaca were nice little challenges - let you know you had legs (if indeed you did as a few guys only had one)
The Portalet was magical in an eating-ice-cream-while-sitting-on-hot-coals kind of way.
The Somport was probably the worst for me because I was only dressed for an Irish summer. It was colder than an Irish winter.
I had the best company you could ask for from the Máire Bán to the finish and contrary to popular belief we really did only have tea in the café/bar at the summit of the Portalet.
On a final note, just want to say that I was running a 50/34 - 11/32 8 speed (Shimano 2200) and needed every cog. Most of the walkers were closest to the front of the field. The sensible tail-enders had ultra low gearing. The most sensible had close ratio cassettes with tiny chainsets.0 -
daibhi wrote:My best day ever in the saddle. However, out of it, it was a different story. I refer to the registration desk. As rude as fcuk.
The organising club couldn't have been more helpful. They could have been volunteers on any Irish or UK sportive. They sorted me out when the reg desk wouldn't give me my hard won cert and medal. If she-who-must-be-obeyed wasn't with me at the time, I could well now be writing 'The Ballad of Sabinanigo Gaol'.
Don't know who they were, or whether they were even local, but they couldn't have come from the same gene pool as the sounder than sound staff at the Pena Edelweiss (organising club) help desk. I can't stress that enough.
Daibhi, sorry to hear you had a poor experience. However I had the opposite.
I found the registration desk (and subsequently the desk in which to collect your medal/cert) to be helpful. Although those sitting behind the desk did speak little English, I found them helpful and smiling both when I registered and when I collected my finishing medal/cert. At registration they happilly talked to my friend about the route and the dramas of the internet booking they had, and the finish line it was a simple show them your race card and they handed you a medal/cert. You must have caught them when the temps in the warehouse reached its peak
I can't praise the organisers high enough, as myself and my friends found, was probably one of the best value and well organised sportives, from the marshalls on the route to the adequacy of feed stations.
I also have to thank the mystery local lady who helped me sort out my tech issue which enabled me to start when at one stage I was not able to start at all.
Although the Portalet did kill me and the fact I had to pull a couple of lazy competitors in the last 15 km in a headwind to the finish line will I be back? Put me down for 20100 -
The best, and the hardest day I've ever had in the saddle. Loved everything about this - the route was stunning and variable, the organisation impeccable and value for money incredible 8)
I shall be back next year rolling out with the green dorsals 0 -
Berns12 wrote:Daibhi, sorry to hear you had a poor experience. However I had the opposite.
Thanks, Berns12
Glad your experience was more positive as was that of most of our group. Just the two of us in a group of about 12 had this bad experience. Communication wasn't the issue in our case. Both parties understood each other perfectly well. We can each order 1 to n pints of draught beer using sign language aloneBerns12 wrote:I found the registration desk (and subsequently the desk in which to collect your medal/cert) to be helpful. Although those sitting behind the desk did speak little English, I found them helpful and smiling both when I registered and when I collected my finishing medal/cert. At registration they happilly talked to my friend about the route and the dramas of the internet booking they had, and the finish line it was a simple show them your race card and they handed you a medal/cert. . and the Spanish in general are excellent non-verbal communicators, anyway.Berns12 wrote:You must have caught them when the temps in the warehouse reached its peak That sounds about right.
Totally agree. Everything else was a fantastic experience for us both.Berns12 wrote:I can't praise the organisers high enough, as myself and my friends found, was probably one of the best value and well organised sportives, from the marshalls on the route to the adequacy of feed stations.
Just to add that I thought the French locals standing still at the side of the road pointing at the pot holes, was hilarious. It was much appreciated after I figured out what they were doing - I thought they were sending us left
For me, the most hilarious moment was the guy about two thirds of the way up the Portalet who shouted "¿Cerveza? ¿Porno?" holding out a can of beer and a porn DVD. :shock:0 -
I think I remember being offered a beer as well
I'll also add, Spanish drivers are amazingly courteous. Even the truckies give you loads of room when they pass - this was the day before the as well 8)0 -
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Art Vandelay wrote:I think I remember being offered a beer as well
I'll also add, Spanish drivers are amazingly courteous. Even the truckies give you loads of room when they pass - this was the day before the as well 8)
Indeed. Reminds me of the Dutch drivers. It is so easy to forget on arrival back home, though. :shock:0 -
phips wrote:I'm *still* buzzing. Best day out on a bike I've ever had.
If I can't get in next year, I will cry.
I'm joining the UCI Traveller's Club which guarantees entry to all the UCI Golden Bike events.0 -
daibhi wrote:phips wrote:I'm *still* buzzing. Best day out on a bike I've ever had.
If I can't get in next year, I will cry.
I'm joining the UCI Traveller's Club which guarantees entry to all the UCI Golden Bike events.
Agreed! We had a a helluva time at trying with their online system. We are getting a group again to head down next year and I think we will all pay the €30 fee for the UCI rather than go through the misery of the website going into meltdown/siesta.daibhi wrote:[For me, the most hilarious moment was the guy about two thirds of the way up the Portalet who shouted "¿Cerveza? ¿Porno?" holding out a can of beer and a porn DVD.
LOL!!! I will have to keep an eye out for these guys next year! I was offered a beer tho!0 -
It had it all and was superb....some fond and/or stark memories include:
- The whole town of Sabianango coming out to cheer everyone on. 8)
- A bridge full of spectators waving as we flew towards the base of the Somport. 8)
- A rather rotund chap fall off his bike going up (yes up) the Somport in the middle of a big group. His pride would have hurt more than the fall. :P
- A poor girl who had face planted it on a hair pin going down the Marie Blanque.
I think it looked worse than it really was though.
- Someone who had binned it big time on the long fast straight descent on the Marie Blanque (Still not quite sure what had happened but think he ended up clipping the stone wall because both himself and his bike were in pieces). Very nasty and the ambo's were right behind me after seeing to the previous girl!
- Having to stop for wild horses who galloped onto our track :shock:
- Being offered beer going up the Portalet...the thought was very tempting
- Giving countless kids hi 5's
- After stopping to pump my tyres up two thirds of the way up Horz Jaca, having two locals sprint down the hill to give me a push start
- Cars giving right of way to cyclists whilst flying down the Portalet
If I have to beg, steel or borrow a ticket for next years event I will be there (but will probably become member of UCI Travellers club).
Will be interesting to see how many spaniards join the UCI for next year, not a real secret about what you get with it and apparently this year the ride was oversubscribed by 5K.
The long grazed legged one0 -
Hi to those of you who did it through ciclocostablanca
What was the start time and tranfer into the start town like?
I'm tired of very early starts for the Etape with rides in on coaches that get caught in traffic jams or needing to cycle in 15k in the dark before one even starts
Is it possible to get entry only to this event and arrange your own accomodation?
The english language pages of the race website don't seem to be working at present0
