Etape du Dales 2017 May 14th

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Comments

  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,313
    dish_dash wrote:
    Cool Cool. Look forward to it... nearly got taken out by a car pulling out without looking as I came around a corner at 40kmph on Sunday so fingers crossed the Dales have better drivers.

    Bikers are the problem... seem to treat the dales as it was Donington
    left the forum March 2023
  • dish_dash
    dish_dash Posts: 5,647
    Awesome ride! Stunning scenery, solid climbs, and superbly organised. Very impressed.

    Head/Cross wind for much of the day was tough and struggled to find much shelter. Was cooked by the last climb but a gel and my time target meant I nailed the final descent and dashed to the line.

    Sorry wasn't able to say hi to you Ugo. Looks like I passed you at the ford!
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,313
    I was getting changed there, winter to summer clothes.
    left the forum March 2023
  • dish_dash
    dish_dash Posts: 5,647
    ugo.santalucia wrote:
    I was getting changed there, winter to summer clothes.

    :D Yeah... was one of those days. I decided to under dress at the start and even then I was beginning to overheat by the end.

    I did notice someone changing as I crossed the bridge. Was more focused upon deciding whether to attempt the ford or the bridge. Did the latter which was a good thing, other half saw someone spectacularly wipe out!
  • london-red
    london-red Posts: 1,266
    Really great ride - dare I say that I enjoyed it more than the Fred? Yes, sod it, I can.

    Loads of things stood out, but the almost deserted roads (at least on the first half), the descent off Fleet Moss :D , the understated nature of the whole thing, the awesome views (rolling between the bottom of Tan Hill and Kirkby Stephen was just mind blowing), the fact that no single climb was vindictive beyond reason, good feed stops, good banter, the 5 rashers of bacon in the bacon butty at the end...

    I could go on, but for me one of the best days out on a bike so far. Well done to all the organisers and to the Dave Rayner Fund!
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,313
    I started in the first wave, which means I have been overtaken all day by folks much too fast for me to hang on to... could have managed on a flat terrain, but each half a mile of flat was followed by a 15% bump... so basically I have ridden solo for 90 miles or so, which in the long windy section (basically bottom of Tan hill all the way to the third feed zone) was a drag.
    Surprised by some rather heavy guys, capable of going pretty fast uphill... maybe I am missing something :roll:

    Slower than the Fred last year by 12 minutes or so, probably the wind... think I am done with sportives now... :mrgreen: 8)
    left the forum March 2023
  • london-red
    london-red Posts: 1,266
    I set off at about 7.20, so got into a solid group until the first hill. Very sedate pace, but was still nice to have some wheels. Then smaller groups formed between the climbs up until Tan, then it was every man for himself.

    I did it with a mate and shared some of the work (myself taking the lions share, obvs :D )

    Ended up at 8.02, but am claiming a moral silver for a variety of reasons :mrgreen:

    The wind was a drag, but I'll definitely do this again. Maybe next year!
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,313
    dish_dash wrote:
    ugo.santalucia wrote:
    I was getting changed there, winter to summer clothes.

    :D Yeah... was one of those days. I decided to under dress at the start and even then I was beginning to overheat by the end.

    I did notice someone changing as I crossed the bridge. Was more focused upon deciding whether to attempt the ford or the bridge. Did the latter which was a good thing, other half saw someone spectacularly wipe out!

    You were the 26th fastest finisher out of 544... so that puts you well within the top 5%... however, a couple of guys finished nearly an hour quicker :shock:
    left the forum March 2023
  • lakesluddite
    lakesluddite Posts: 1,337
    Bah...really stupid of me to try and leave it to the last minute to register - missed the cut off date!

    Oh well, maybe next year (if not on the Fred!)
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,313
    LakesLuddite wrote:
    Bah...really stupid of me to try and leave it to the last minute to register - missed the cut off date!

    Oh well, maybe next year (if not on the Fred!)

    They were accepting entries on the day... they always do, as there is always a 20% of folks who don't show up
    left the forum March 2023
  • dish_dash
    dish_dash Posts: 5,647
    ugo.santalucia wrote:
    You were the 26th fastest finisher out of 544... so that puts you well within the top 5%... however, a couple of guys finished nearly an hour quicker :shock:

    Yeah, wasn't unhappy with my time. I hadn't ridden Buttertubs/Low Row/Tan Hill before and I wonder how I would do knowing the climbs. Next time eh?

    I did note that the fastest guys looked like they rode together. Two or more strong riders working well together would definitely have helped in that wind. I only had one section (bottom of Tan Hill to start of Coal Road) when I was able to share the work with someone - then the lad flew up coal road!

    Course record is something ridiculous...
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,313
    dish_dash wrote:
    I only had one section (bottom of Tan Hill to start of Coal Road) when I was able to share the work with someone - then the lad flew up coal road!

    Basically the all windy section... :?

    I only had someone from the start to the bottom of Fleet Moss... we managed nearly 20 mph average, by the top of the Coal Road that had dropped to something like 13 or so
    left the forum March 2023
  • dish_dash
    dish_dash Posts: 5,647
    ugo.santalucia wrote:
    dish_dash wrote:
    I only had one section (bottom of Tan Hill to start of Coal Road) when I was able to share the work with someone - then the lad flew up coal road!

    Basically the all windy section... :?

    I only had someone from the start to the bottom of Fleet Moss... we managed nearly 20 mph average, by the top of the Coal Road that had dropped to something like 13 or so

    I meant the other end of Tan Hill etc. So basically from 100km in to 110km or so...

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