Tour of Pembrokeshire - 07 June 2009

funckchicken

am signed up for this. http://www.tourofpembrokeshire.co.uk/

really looking forward to it. prep has gone well and come the day i should have around 6 individual century rides in my legs through training and other sportives and will also taper a bit, so will be well up for it, although 115 miles with 3300m of climbing will require some careful pacing i think.

anybody else doing it or has done it before and have some pointers? what's that first main climb starting at 15miles like? - it looks pretty brutal!

lucca

I did it last year and had a great day out the climb into the preseli mountains is ok and is followed by a great descent. I found its the short 20 - 25% climbs that sapped the legs ! its a tough route but if you have been doing 100 milers you will enjoy it. Great scenery, good roads and very well organised. Have fun

Rich158

Yep, I'm signed up. After the Fred I'm hoping it'll be a breeze

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hewg

I did this last year too and as others have said it was a great event so my name's down again for June 7. The descent from the top of the Preselis is fantastic, just don't do what I did last year which was to enjoy the descent so much that I missed the left turn off it. I carried on for another four or five miles before realising so had a long climb back up to the junction...

Smokin Joe

It's on my home turf and I know most of the serious climbs well, but as helmets are compulsory and I don't fancy the thought of 115 miles in one I will probably give it a miss.

captain_oakley

lucca wrote:

I did it last year and had a great day out the climb into the preseli mountains is ok and is followed by a great descent. I found its the short 20 - 25% climbs that sapped the legs ! its a tough route but if you have been doing 100 milers you will enjoy it. Great scenery, good roads and very well organised. Have fun

I'll echo the above. Excellent organisation & suberb scenery, we were also blessed
with great weather, the route is hard with constant short sharp climbs that sap the legs.
Beware of the final climb out of Freshwater East with about 15 miles to go, finished
me off. Enjoy the day, if the weather smiles on you stop and enjoy the views and
wonder why we go abroard on hoilday!

'Never knowingly underweight'

Smokin Joe

I was working this morning round Fishguard and Goodwick and saw the first riders come through at around ten o'clock. What a miserable day, cold, wet and with a blustery wind. Well done to anyone who took part, the route is hard enough in good weather, it must be a real slog in these conditions.

That hill after the feed at Goodwick certainly opens the lungs!

heavymental

Indeed a terrible day for it Joe! I was signed up for the long route but decided to go for the 64 mile route on the day and was pleased I did. Shame as today is perfect for it. Still, well organised and run as it was last year.

funckchicken

just got back. did the 115 miler as planned. pretty knackerred at the end. did it in just over 7 and a half hours.

great course and very well organised.

as for the weather - hey it's an outdoor sport. i must say that battling up that first mountain, the rain absolutely tipping it down and into a block 30 mph headwind, looking up to see where the climb ends and all you can see is cloud was truly epic.

it rained for the first 50 miles or so, but then it brightened up into a reasonable day. i knew the forecast wasn't great so i had all the wet weather gear with me, and i also popped a pair of sks raceblades on the trusty steed - jobs a good 'un.

i plan on doing it next year.

proper_job

I signed up for the 64 and was glad I did, only because I am soft and the weather was bad. However, it was really well orgainsed, well signed, fantastic marshalling on the dodgy mainroad crossings and a great route. Highlights were flying down the hill to Newgale and crossing the bridges over the estuary on the way to Pembroke, what fabulous views. As for the hills, there were lots.

welshside

Cracking event even in the bad weather...

Rich158

All in all I think this was a great event, really good organisation, well signed and an awesome route, those small climbs really took it out of me. The route down the coast was fantastic, great scenery, and the high hedges helped shelter us from the worst of the wind Those two stingers arround freshwater were'nt overly welcome though.

Someone shouted 6:58 as I crossed the line, which I was well pleased with. Does anyone know when the actual results will be posted, I'd like to confirm that.

funckchicken

not sure what the story is. i thought the times would be up by now.

either way rich, chapeau to you for putting in a sub 7hr ride in those conditions. next year that's the sort of time i'd like to aim for.

Rich158

funckchicken wrote:

not sure what the story is. i thought the times would be up by now.

either way rich, chapeau to you for putting in a sub 7hr ride in those conditions. next year that's the sort of time i'd like to aim for.

Bugger, just seen the results and officially 7:10 :evil: I'll be back next year to put that right. I pity the poor sod ahead of me who missed gold by 5 seconds :shock:

Hugh A

Yes it was cold and wet but only for the first four hours, although I have to admit we did drag it out a bit. The worst bit for me seemed to be the very last section up from Tenby which just went on a bit longer than I would have liked. The climb out of Freshwater was a bit harsh - and sudden but inevitable and somehow didn't seem too bad. After Tenby I think I had just had enough.

Still the organization was an example to all others and hard to fault the signing, mashalling or stops, and the scenery pretty good too The temptation to stop at some of the beaches was pretty strong even in such miserable weather.