Return to Crit Racing

This morning I did the criterium at Tech Park in Bentley.

I chose to race in C Grade. Many people said I should do B Grade, but as my first race back after TOMR and only my 3rd crit, I was comfortable doing C Grade. I knew I would be one of the stronger riders, and I approached the race with the intention of getting first place.

I was very pleased to see that my cornering practice is paying off. Last time I did this course (a year ago) I was getting dropped on the corners. This time, I was dropping everyone else. After a few laps of having to slow down behind other riders in the corners, I made sure I was on the front for the corners, which meant that I was on the front for about 80% of the race. But I was setting the tempo, cornering well then easing off a little. Hopefully the rest of the field was having to work hard to catch up after the corners!

After 25min we got the signal that there were two laps to go, and one of the SPR girls took off fast. The pack followed. She got a gap of about 30m, but I wasn't too concerned as she was not strong at cornering. After the fast downhill corner, I sprinted up and caught her on the back straight. She looked back and saw me sitting on her wheel. I passed her going through the next corner, and I knew she was tired after her break so I just sprinted from there. Put the power down, got a big gap, gathered my breath, then up a few gears and out of the saddle for the last 200m to the finish line. After a couple of recent sprints where I have been pipped on the line, I wanted to make sure I had this one in the bag.

A new highest max HR as I crossed the finish line and normalised power for the race just below my threshold. It may have looked like I was taking it easy from the sidelines but I was working!

B Grade next time......

Thanks to Brad Hall, who sponsored the prizes for the women's categories. Also thanks to SPR and RCCC for organising at great event.

Tour of Margaret River - race schedule

The Tour of Margaret River starts today. It is a four-stage race over three days.

The first stage is a team time trial, our team starts at 3:20pm. We will do two laps of the course for a total distance of 25km. It is mostly flat with a few undulations.

The second stage is at 8am Saturday morning, a short road race. Again it is two laps, the total distance is 32.6km. We should be done in an hour.

The third stage is a kermesse, which is a short course that you do lots of laps of. The distance of the kermesse is around 30km, which is 8 laps of the course. The kermesse is also on Saturday morning at 11am. The first three stages are all based around Cowaramup town.

The final stage is a longer road race, 75km from near Cowaramup to Augusta. It is on Sunday morning starting at 8am.

Hall Cycling Training has five teams entered in total. Three female teams, including the Pink Unicorns, and two male teams,  including the Unicorn-Specialized Racing Team. It will be a fun weekend of racing and comraderie.

State Team Time Trial Championships

The state team time trial championships were held today in Pinjarra. We entered two Hall Cycling Training teams and two Unicorn Racing teams, which resulted in the biggest women's field to date: seven teams in total. There was strong competition for the three podium positions.

The Hall and Unicorn teams were finalised about two weeks before the event. I was teamed up with Tracie Dawson and Liz Nathan. The three of us had all ridden in the UWCT in Italy in September and we knew each other well. We were reasonably well matched. And we all lived within 5 min of each other, which made it easy for team training sessions.

We did two training sessions together as a team. The first session we tried lots of different methods of rolling paceline, doing very short turns (basically continuously rolling), very long turns (up to 5 min) and moderate turns of 30 sec to 2 min. We decided the last option was the best. We also practiced rolling in both directions, which was really helpful for the event as it was an out-and-back course with a cross wind, so the wind was coming from different directions each way.

Our second training session we focused on working together and riding as a tight bunch. With TT bikes we were a little more nervous riding close to the bike in front. Our training sessions paid off though, as today we were riding as a nice tight unit. That may have had something to do with the fact that we were working on our limit in the wind, looking for every bit of protection we could find!

I was really happy with the way we rode today. We worked well together, communicated, checked in with each other, and enjoyed the experience. On the way out, we started at a sprightly pace of 40kph - with fresh legs and a tail wind! We did fairly even turns on the front on the way out, although I started to shorten my turns as we reached the turnaround point because I was on the limit of what my legs could manage!

Just before the turnaround point there was a stop sign, with marshals controlling traffic. Unfortunately two cars passed us just before the stop sign. Then of course they stopped. Which meant that we had to slow down to almost stationary. It was only about 200m further on to the turnaround, so we did those 200m much slower than if we hadn't been stopped. Then at the hot dog turn / U turn our cornering skills on TT bikes were put to the test and one teammate almost rode into the dirt. It wasn't until after the stop sign on the way back that we regrouped and got back into the rhythm. Our problems on that part of the course would have added at least 30 sec, maybe longer, to our time.

On the way back, we had a cross head wind. Not my preferred conditions! Lucky for me I had two strong teammates who did almost all the work on the front on the way back. At least my short 10 sec turns would have given them a brief respite. And drafting behind two is easier than drafting behind one!

For the last 5km, Liz got on the front and was riding at a strong steady pace, with no sign off pulling off. Tracie and I were clearly not in a state to argue with her. We saw the 1km to go marker, then just before the 500m to go marker Tracie pulled to the front to relieve Liz. By this time, my legs had a chance to recover and I knew we only had the last sprint to go, so I went straight past Tracie and started accelerating. I thought I was accelerating slowly enough to pull the others with me, but I must have had fresher legs than them, because I looked behind and I had gapped them by about 10m. I eased off and kept looking behind until I saw Tracie come up alongside me and we crossed the finish line neck and neck.

Unfortunately in my excitement or delirium post-race I deleted my Garmin ride �� I do know that we averaged around 37.7kph for 29.6km, and our time was 49:34. I'm stoked with that, definitely so much faster in a team than an individual event. Also we probably would have been sub-49 min if not for stopping for cars.

Next weekend there is a 2 person time trial event, so I get another chance to practice my TTT skills! ����

Thanks Tracie and Liz for a fun ride and for being great team mates! And well done Peel District Cycle Club for a great event.

Lessons Learnt and New Experiences

Things that I have learnt / discovered on this trip:

1. Mountains are hard.

2. To effectively climb mountains requires a good power to weight ratio. I have not enough power and too much weight to be competitive in this environment (Europe). I need to lose at least 5kg and increase my power threshold.

3. To ride mountains, get into the easiest gear as early as you need to (for me, when the gradient is higher than 6%). Start at a power level below threshold that you can maintain for 2 hours, and use your cadence to adjust your power output to remain within this level. Enjoy the scenery. You'll have plenty of time to look at it.

4. I still love Italy and the Italian attitude. Unconcerned with rules and authority yet steeped in tradition that would be unquestionable to violate. For example: pasta is a first course, not a main course. Early evening is for socialising and enjoying the day with a promenade or an Aperol Spritz and a light snack.

5. I love Italian food and could eat pasta twice a day without getting bored. I don't love French food. Too much cheese and cream. Not enough fresh fruit and vegetables.

6. I do love my bike and love riding. I like the social/community aspect of it most of all, then the freedom, and finally the sense of achievement and competition.

7. I love my family, friends and community.

New experiences on this trip:

i. Riding up and down four major mountains: Port du Bales (Pyrenees), Allez d'Huez, Passe della Herbe (Dolomites) and Mount Bondone. See (1) above.

ii. Representing Australia in an international event.

iii. Visiting France.

iv. Ticking off some more World Heritage sites: Albi, Avignon, Pont du Gard, Carcassonne, Roman amphitheatre in Orange and the Dolomites.

v. Racing 140km through rain and thunderstorms, riding 20km down a mountain while shivering uncontrollably and unable to feel my hands. Climbing my first mountain (and my second, third and fourth). And finishing fourth female. Thanks, Val d'Aran Cycling Tour. It was a challenge, a learning experience, humbling and character building.

vi. Adopting macciatto as my coffee of choice. It works in Italy where the coffee is good, but in Perth where the coffee is questionable ... Sometimes the extra milk and chocolate sprinkles are needed to disguise the flavour!

All in all, it has been a great experience. Not exactly a relaxing holiday, but a good break and an amazing experience. 

Now to lose those extra couple of kilos, and get back into a training routine in Perth. I definitely want to do the UWCT again, but next time I want to be more competitive - in the middle of the bunch rather than at the end! 

Food and Drink of Italy - A Photo Story

Vino rosso

Deer carpaccio

Spinach gnocchi

Tiramisu

Hot chocolate (incredibly rich and thick)

Cafeteria style food - Italian quality

Prosecco and chips

Gelato

Aperol spritz and a snack

Pizza and Coke

UWCT Road Race - Race Report

It was an early start on the morning of the road race. After being jittery and nervous at the start of the race in Vielha, I decided I needed to do a warmup before the final. So I was up at 5:30am for a 30 min warmup along the river bike path. Feeling more relaxed and prepared, I had breakfast, got into my green and gold kit, and headed to the race start.

We started in our age groups, from oldest females to youngest males on the long course, followed by those doing the shorter course. My age group set off second, at 8:02am.

We started from the main Piazza, with about 200m of cobblestones to navigate first up. I missed clipping in off the start line, very embarrassing, and by the time I got both shoes in, the rest of the pack was 100m down the road. Not good. Another Aussie was also slow off the mark, so we had to chase for the first km or so to get back onto our group - they were on a mission! Not an ideal start to the race.

We caught the group in front of us quickly, and things then settled down a little ... For the next 9km anyway.

Then we turned right, and the business of the race started - we were onto the first climb.

I stayed with the group for, oh, the first 500m or so up the climb. About three of us dropped off quickly. I was working above threshold but within myself, as I knew if I could stay with a group over the climb it would be much easier on the flats. After about 5-10 min, my group had truly pulled away from me. I then started getting passed by the men's groups coming from behind. And they were much faster. My main objective was to stay out of their way and not get knocked over! By this stage I had realised that I was in the "slow lane" and I was working at a level I could maintain up the climb.

We reached the "top" of the climb, where there is a countdown for the last 300m and it goes downhill. But, as I had been warned, it then kicked up to about 16% for a few hundred metres. That is what I'd been saving my energy for!

Going downhill, I was still taking it relatively easy around the hairpins. I was also quite nervous with lots of guys passing me going at least 20kph faster than me and not leaving me much room. Then we passed a crash where at least four riders had gone down, they were lying all over the place looking dazed and at least one had totally buckled the wheels on his bike. Now I was really nervous and continued descending like a grandma, trying to stay out of the way of the fast guys but also keep away from the edge of the road and force them to leave me enough room. Too much fun.

Finally I got to the end of the descent and turned left onto the highway for the 40km flat section. There was a group of about half a dozen guys that I got onto the back of ... For about 1km. I kept dropping off the back and sprinting to get back on, and eventually gave up. By this time, I had realised that Race Plan A was out the window. I reverted to Race Plan B, which was simple: enjoy yourself.

Along the flat, several groups passed me but they were too fast for me to latch onto for long. I figured I would be riding alone unless someone took pity on me. Luckily it was a beautiful day, the sun was shining, there was little wind, and I could enjoy riding on a smooth two-lane highway with no cars ... And now no other crazy fast riders passing me either!

Although I was enjoying myself, I wasn't dawdling as in the back of my mind was my goal/hope to complete the race in under 5 hours. As I was motoring along the flat, a lovely Aussie gentleman in the 60-64 years category came by and asked how I was going. He wasn't particularly racing either, so we rode together and chatted for the next 15km or so.

After a toilet stop at the base of the second climb, we started up together. We rode about 3km of the climb together, then he pulled away from me and I never saw him again ... I'm sure its because he was riding a compact chain ring with 29 tooth gear on the back :p

I stopped briefly at the feed station at the top of the second climb, to have a Coke and put on warm layers (arm warmers and gilet). It was a fast descent, with sweeping bends for the most part, until a few hairpins at the bottom. I relaxed a little, taking up the whole road, with no more fast guys passing me.

Then a left turn back onto the highway and, wow, only 10km until the base of the last climb.

I had been eating energy chews on the flats and drinking carbs, but with 80km and two mountains under my belt I was starting to feel a bit tired. Nevertheless, I continued to ride at a respectable pace back to the base of Mount Bondone, picking up an Austrian guy along the way.

I stopped again at the feed station at the base of mountain - two cups of Coke and this time taking layers off. I was glad I had already Mount Bondone during recon, as it helped mentally and emotionally to know what was coming and know I could make it.

It was a long 20km. Each km takes a long time to tick over when you're doing an average speed of 9.6kph. Particularly when your Garmin keeps cutting in and out due to low speed and mountains getting in the way of  satellite signals. However, I'm proud to say that I passed more people on that mountain than at any other part of the race. I estimate I passed at least 15 people up the climb. My legs were still feeling good. The things that were holding me back were (a) sore lower back (b) shooting pains in my toes from rubbing on my shoes, which went up my calf when I got out of the saddle and (c) thinner air making it harder to breathe.

A couple of times in the last 8km or so I started to get quite emotional and slowed down a little to compose myself and get on top of my breathing.

Finally, surprisingly, I saw the sign for 500m to go. Then, the finish line. And Kalvin waiting ready to take the finish line photo! I rolled to a place out of the way, got off my bike, and tried to compose myself. I couldn't breathe, couldn't talk, and was overcome by emotion. It was great to be greeted by a couple of friends from Perth (Liz and Christine) and Kalvin to look after me.

Big thanks to Kalvin for being an awesome soignuer and carrying all my warm clothes, taking my bike, directing me to food, and waiting patiently while I talked to every Aussie I could see - even if I'd never met them before. I had passed two Aussies coming up the climb so it was great to congratulate them when they finished.

The spectators along the course were great, cheering "Australia" and "allez allez" (go, go). The police and volunteers giving direction and keeping the roads clear of traffic also did a great job. I made it my goal to make everyone smile, waving and saying "grazie, ciao".

I really enjoyed the ride and the event. It was terrific to experience representing Australia. I hope to do it again ... But I may need a few more years of training under my belt first. The riders here are on a whole different level!

The race results are at the website:
http://www.winningtimesportservices.it/MainPage.php?Action=9500f8f743d9ce8beb889acc5eb9e06c&Item=4251&IDRoute=8525&G=X&C=F30-34

I am proud to report that I was the slowest female overall, with a time of 5:38 (average speed 20.1kph for 112km). I was second slowest of all riders.

The fastest time was 3:30 and the fastest female was around 4 hours. Incredible.

UWCT Course Reconnaissance - Road Race

The road race course for the UWCT final is 112km long (except for men 65+ and women 45+ who do 58km). It starts in the Piazza Duomo (town centre) of Trento and heads north on the main highway for the first 9km.

We then turn right and head up the first of three climbs. This one, in theory, is the easiest as it is only Category 2. It is only 6km long with an average gradient of 4.7%. However, this climb is potentially the most important for position in the road race. When we start in Trento, we start in order of slowest to fastest - I.e. women oldest to youngest then men oldest to youngest. So as we go up this climb, the faster groups will be coming up from behind and passing us. And after the climb, we have 40km of flat as wet head south back to Trento and beyond for the second climb. So it will be critical to stay with the main peloton over the top of the first climb and as they speed along the flat.

Then, 60km into the race, we hit the bottom of the second climb. This is a Category 1 climb. It is 12km long with an average gradient of 6.5%. The descent from this climb will be very fast, as the bends are sweeping rather than hairpins. It will also be cold, as it is through a forest.

We then have another flat section of approximately 10km as we head north again to Trento for the final climb. Up until this point of the course, my recon has been by car and looking at the course profile only.

The final climb is Mount Badone. It starts right on the edge of the city of Trento. It is an "Outside Category" climb. It is 20km long, with an average gradient of 7.4%. This is the only part of the course I have ridden, and it is the first mountain that I feel I have conquered, rather than the mountain conquering me! Were shall see how I feel after the end of the road race.

It is a mountaintop finish on Mount Badone. At this stage my race plan goes only as far as the bottom of the second climb: try to stay with the peloton. Depending on how that goes, how I feel and how everyone else is riding, we shall see what happens from there.

The photos are from the climb and the top of Mount Badone.

UWCT Time Trial Final - Race Report

The day dawned cold and cloudy, with the tops of nearby mountains shrouded in clouds. After an early (7am) breakfast and the obligatory macchiato, we loaded our bags into the car and drove the 40 min to the TT course. It would be a long day, with me racing at 10:46am and Kalvin (travel buddy, domestique and warmup coach) racing at 3:28pm.

Upon arrival at the course, the first stop seas the pre race bike check to make sure my bike was UCI legal. I knew it was borderline so I wanted to get it checked rather than getting told on the start line I couldn't ride it. As I feared, they said my seat was too far forward, and they made me move it back 5cm. I'm sure changing my bike fit an hour before my race had an impact on my potential power output, and it certainly affected my position, when possible I had my hands a few inches down from the gear levers at the end of the bars. But so be it ... High on the list of things to do when I get home will be a bike fit with someone who will ensure it is UCI legal.

The warmup went well, we had some rollers and Kalvin talked me through a warmup session. By the end of the warmup I was, well, nice and warm - plus the sun had started to peak out from behind the clouds. And there was still no wind, hooray!

I got to the start area nice and early, which was good because it was pretty chaotic! But I was ready and relaxed, took my place, mounted the stairs, mounted my bike, and they counted down my start time "5, 4, 3, 2, 1 go".

Down the nice wide ramp, around the corner, onto the main road and up hill straight away. I was passed less than 1km after the start by the Aussie Lady who stayed behind me ... She would go on to finish in third place in our age category.

On the descent, it was nice to have full use of the road with no cars. I did the descent 1min faster than I had in practice ... And still got passed by four people!

Then we had the flat section along the lake. I was slightly conserving energy because I knew I had the hard climb to go. I could feel the power was mostly coming out of my quads rather than my glutes and my pedal stroke was less smooth than normal, due to the change in saddle position. I was also trying not to get distracted by the lake, which was looking more beautiful than it had when I had the camera out during training.

Then a tight right turn across a narrow bridge, and it was onto the climb. At least I could now sit up and drive the power from my glutes a little more. The second part of the climb, where it gets to 13%, was hard. But the people cheering "go Australia, allez allez" at the top helped - it was great wearing the Australia kit and having people cheer along the course :)

The hard part of the climb was done ... Then a small recovery before the longest 5km of my life, with a gradient around 3%. I kept thinking I should be pushing harder, I was willing my numbers to go up - both power and distance, so that the finish line would come sooner.

Eventually, around a curve and up a hill into the finishing chute, out of the saddle for 5-10m in an attempt to sprint for the line... And then I crossed in a time of 52:35 for 24.1km. Average speed was 27kph.

Looking at the times I had predicted for each of the segments of the race, I went faster on the descents and the climbs and slower on the flats than expected. Maybe I should only race up and down hills?

I had perfect conditions and did the race about 1 min faster than I expected. I also finished 10th in my age category (not last) so I am satisfied with my result ... But also motivated to train harder and prepare better so that I can be more competitive in future.

The fastest female time was 39:57:57 and the fastest male time was 35:25. The men went in the afternoon, and quite a strong wind had picked up.

Now to decide on my race strategy for the road race ...

UWCT course reconnaissance - time trial course

We have spent the past three days, since arriving in Trento, doing reconnaissance of the time trial and road race courses.

First, the time trial course ... It starts with a couple of km at 6% gradient (climbing), followed by a technical descent about 5km long with a gradient around 8-9%. Plus for hair pin bends. The descent will be the key to success in the TT, if you can't descend you will lose time. Then there is approx 5km flat, alongside the lake on roads barely wide enough for one car. And some twisty turns through villages and onto bridges. Then there is a 5km section of hard climbing, with significant sections up to 10-13%. Ouch. The last 5km is also climbing, but it reduces down to <5% which seems comparatively easy!

My first rides on the TT course were down the descent with Zipps 404, which I had only ridden once before. I was scared the first descent, and each time I went down I got more scared and slower. The third time there was a bit of wind, and I was crawling down so as not to lose control of the bike. That decided me - no Zipp wheel on the front.

Today I did the descent with my road wheel on the front, and Zipp on the back. It was a revelation! I actually felt I could control the bike, and I could even start to think about corner exits and where the pot holes were that had to be avoided.

The flat parts of the course are great, scenic and smooth and you can take advantage of the TT position.

The climb is hard. Today was especially hard, but that may have something to do with the mountain I climbed this morning before heading to the TT course ...

All the photos show where the TT course actually goes.

Gli Dolomiti (The Dolomites)

The past two days have been a lot more focused on cycling and resting than the trip to date - which has been a nice change!

I picked up my travelling companion, Kalvin, from Milan airport, and we have been based in the Dolomites. Which is a World Heritage Site, by the way

Yesterday I did a ride down the mountain, along the river for an hour or so, then the 9km climb back up the mountain. The climb went well; I have realised that when I'm feeling fresh at the start of a climb I need to watch my power output and keep it within sustainable levels, otherwise my power profile graph tends to go in the opposite direction to the elevation - downhill.

In the afternoon I did some yoga on a terrace overlooking the mountains, had a quick dip in a lap pool, then decided to take the plunge and get naked so I could fully partake of the "spa". I spent some time in the steam bath, hoping it would help my cold. Unfortunately my cold has not improved. Although that may have something to do with being conquered by another mountain today ...

After my success riding the first 9km of the mountain yesterday, I decided to try to tackle the whole climb today. The weather was idyllic and I figured I may as well practice climbing mountains while I have the chance.

The route was called the Passo della Erbe, and I had read that it was scenic and not too steep, apart from a section just above the town we are staying in (San Pietro). That was true ... But the steep section was ridiculously steep (14-16% for tens of metres and the rest >10%) and a lot longer than I had hoped - it took me almost half an hour to get past this section to the easier part of the climb. And by this stage it was just survival mode, keep going pedal stroke by pedal stroke, counting down the km to the top.

I eventually made it to the top after two hours and 21km. My average speed was 11km/hr, which I was actually pleasantly surprised about. 1km can be a very long way when the gradient is >10%.

Happily the descent took me less than 1/4 of that time, even though I was riding like a grandma due to factors such as blind corners, oncoming traffic on a road only wide enough for one car, angular gravel, cow pats and potholes. At least I was warm with my Aussie team rain jacket on!

Luckily I managed to find a cafe in town that was still serving food at 2:30pm and I got the ham and cheese roll I had been anticipating on the descent. Recovery food European style!

The afternoon was spent resting and watching the Vuelta a Espana being fought and won on a mountain even steeper than what I had been riding!

Oh and there are cows here - with bells on! ��

Three Days: Five World Heritage Sites and One Mountain

ne of the things like to do when I travel is to visit World Heritage sites. In the past three days I have ticked five more sites off the list. Admittedly they have been brief visits but that still counts!

First was Albi, the city I stayed in on Sunday night. The whole historical centre of the city is a listed site. Some of the key components are the Pont-vieux (old bridge) built in the sixth century, the Sainte-Cecile Cathedral, built in the 8th century, and the Bishop's palace and gardens.

After a relaxing meander in Albi on Monday morning, I drove down to Carcassonne. However, while in Albi I was bemused by the school kids I saw sitting around in the mid morning outside their school, clearly on a break for an hour or so, openly smoking. Firstly, when are these kids actually in school?And secondly ... Don't get me started on the smoking. It is still ingrained in the culture over here.

So anyway, Carcassonne historical centre is also a World Heritage Site. It is basically a fortified town that is now solely a tourist area. They sell souvenirs and local food and crafts, you can take a ride in a horse buggy, etc. I justwandered the streets and saw the main areas. I was Ppretty tired and short on time by this stage, I think you would need to do a guided tour to truly appreciate Carcassonne.

I then drove to Avignon, where I stayed for two nights.

The next day was my sight seeing by bicycle day, I visited the Pont du Gard. This was great to see in real life and it gave me a better appreciation of the engineering feats of the Roman empire.

That evening I visited the historical centre of Avignon, which is also a World Heritage Site. Again I was quite tired and refused to pay more than ten Euros for entry to the palace and bridge. However I did see the church and palace facade in beautiful evening light and treated myself to a three course dinner in the square overlooking the palace.

The next day I packed up and left Avignon in the morning, and drove only half an hour up the road to Orange. Here I visited the fifth World Heritage Site, a Roman amphitheatre. This time I paid the entry fee and even took an audio guide. I learnt a lot about Roman history, but spent more time here than I had planned (1.5 hours instead of 30min!), which put my timing out for the rest of the day.

Next stop was The Mountain - l'Alpe du Huez. I figured that seeing as I was in the area I had to climb it. So I parked at the base, got changed, got on my bike, and rode to the top.

Mountains are really hard. I thought I was going well, but hit a few mental walls at the 28min mark, and again at 39min. At 48min I was under a delusion that I was near the top and may have a hope of cracking the hour mark. But no such luck - it was me who almost cracked. I had to ride the last km out of the saddle as my glutes / upper hamstrings were so sore I couldn't put any weight on them. I made it to the top but had to rest and recuperate (and then get cold) before making my way down. Another 20min frozen descent ... I really must wear my Aussie rain jacket next time, no matter how silly it looks, it is all I have with me.

Finally, I drove around and through lots more mountains and made my way to Turin, where I have been put up in luxury and fed delicious Italian food and Austrian schnapps by a friend who I met through work.

Avignon to Pont du Gard - sight seeing by bicycle

After two days of driving and sight seeing by foot, I was tired of walking and tired of being told where to go by the GPS navigator lady. Yesterday I did at least five laps trying to find the right motorway entrance, no thanks to some vague instructions from said lady.

So today I did some sightseeing by bicycle. It has the major advantage that when I get lost I can stop randomly by the side of the road, check the map, and turn around readily if need be. And believe me, it was needed.

Tips for planning a bike ride in an unknown place:
1. Use raceshape.com/heatmap to find popular Strava routes in your area of interest.
2. Map the course using Garmin connect online.
3. Upload to your Garmin.
4. Follow the course as you ride.

Simple and effective. However, you have to make sure Garmin connect plots EXACTLY the route as per the heat map. Don't make my mistake and assume that near enough is good enough. Because near enough today lead me down unsealed tracks, some of them covered in river stones.

I have done a surprising amount of off road riding this trip. Let's be honest, any amount of off road riding would have been surprising. Today I practised my cyclo cross skills on two separate sections, I would say 5-10km in total including a deviation due to GPS error.

It was a good way to travel though. The heat map lead me to quiet roads with little traffic. It was warm and sunny, with enough wind to keep the heat at bay and make things interesting. And I got to see Pont du Gard, a World Heritage Site and a Grand Site of France.

I also discovered that Mont Vontoux is relatively nearby - see the photo showing the view from Avignon. So I had to have the Vontoux Rosé with dinner :)

Val d'Aran Cycling Tour - race report

Well that was one of the hardest things I've ever done.

There were at least 145 starters, including 13 women (excluding any who registered this morning). There were 5 females in my age category, which was more than I expected and I didn't know this until after the race.

The rain held off until about 2 minutes after the race started. Within 5km of the start, I had puddles in my shoes and I didn't get dry again until more than eight hours later, after I finished and had a shower.

I was super nervous at the start, so I was trying to ride sensibly and wait until some of my nervous energy dissipated. I didn't fight for position as I was happier being near the back with a bit more space. I also figured with all the climbs we had to do, the results wouldn't be decided on the first 15 flat km. There was a crash about 10km in, it slowed me down a touch but at least I wasn't caught up in it.

The first climb started 15km into the ride, and was 8.2km long. It was the easiest of the four major climbs, with an average gradient of 6.7%. I had also done a recon of this climb the previous day, so it helped to have an idea of what to expect. I basically held my own on the climb, I was passed by a handful of people and passed a few myself.

The first feed station was at the top of this climb (and at the top of the other three climbs). This is the only feed station I didn't stop at.

I continued straight onto the descent. Which I rode like a grandmother. I felt like Wiggo in the Giro this year, crawling down gingerly. Of course it didn't help that it was raining, wet roads, so foggy I could only see about 20m in front of me, there were some patches of gravel, and it was the first time I'd ever seen the road. Not that I could see much. I got passed by only about half a dozen people though!

After the steep descent, there was another 30km gradual downhill/flattish. We also made our way through some little towns and back streets. Luckily I met up with (was passed by) a group of four local guys at the start of this flat section, and they encouraged me to join with them. Three of them were rolling turns at the front and worked well together, so I sat on the back and tried to eat something. With cold wet hands I had to concentrate hard not to drop anything!

We all stopped at the feed station at the end of this section, which was just before the BIG climb. I needed to use the bathroom but unfortunately there were no facilities available. Note to self: next time, make sure you relieve yourself BEFORE doing a 20km climb.

The next climb was the big one. 19.2km long, average gradient of 5.9%, reaching an elevation of 1714m at the peak. It was my first time doing such a long climb, so I tried to keep my power output within a manageable level at the start.

I should point out, due to the rain my Garmin was very confused about the elevation. I was getting readings of 0.6% or -7% when I was struggling uphill, and crazy things like 136%. Not helpful. At least I still had power, heart rate and cadence.

This climb, the Port due Bales, has been used in the Tour and probably also the Vuelta. It was hard, a battle of mind over matter, or maybe just habit and sheer stubborn pigheaded-ness, to keep the pedals turning.

When I got to the top, I was gasping for breath and it took me ages to catch my breath due to the thinner air. I was also close to tears. But the fantastic supplies and volunteers at the feed station helped :) I had coke, custard and apple tart and chocolate. I needed the comfort food and the sugar. I also needed the toilet. The best they could offer was a squat behind a truck - I took them up on it.

I spent 10-15 min up there, composing myself and getting sorted. Which meant by the time I started to descend I was already getting cold. Not good. I also discovered at the start line that the zipper on my wind vest was stuffed from my accident last week. I put it on but it didn't help much. Underneath I had only a soaking wet jersey and arm warmers. I was fully aware I was in trouble.

Unfortunately the roads were still soaking so I could only descend as fast as I was comfortable doing. Within minutes I was shaking. I had 20km to go.

That descent was mentally tough. I was trying to go fast where I could, so that I could get to the next climb and warm up. The shaking got worse, then my hands went numb. Its hard to change gears when you can't feel them. I was also worried about not having the strength to brake, I literally couldn't feel or move my fingers or hands. I figured at least I was still shaking, so I didn't yet have hypothermia. I just kept moving, kept getting closer to the next climb, kept trying to increase activity to warm up. I felt like the guys riding Milan-San Removed in the snow this year.

Eventually I reached the next climb. This was the back side of the first climb, but was longer and steeper. 8.6km long with an average gradient of 7.2%. I tackled this climb well, probably because I was trying to warm up! I passed three women, which was a big pep up for my spirits and I thought would help with the race results.

I was struggling by the top though, feeling the need for more energy. So I had a ham and cheese sandwich and more coke (thanks to the feed station) and a gel.

The descent from this climb felt much better. I guess there's nothing like descending numerous mountains in the rain to improve descending skills. It may also have helped that I did the descent yesterday on my recon.

I met up with a lady from NZ as we started the last climb. I was worried about this one: 7km long with an average gradient of 8.3%. It was good to have some conversation at the start to distract me. I was feeling good for the first 4km of this climb, but then my lower back started to get sore from all the pressure it had been under today. Km 5-6 were very hard, and again came down to my determination to not get off the bike. The last km had an easier gradient of only 6%. Which was lucky as it was unsealed. Who knew that Mel's gravel training would be needed today! It was cyclo cross for the last km of the ascent and the first km of the descent. There was also a short section of full on cobblestones. So in this one event I experienced the Giro, the Tour, Milan-San Removed and Paris-Roubaix.

The rest of the descent was great road and would have been lots of fun in the dry. Instead it was raining so hard it stung my face and I had to scrunch up my eyes. Oh and every so often I would round a corner into a wall of headwind. But there was only 15km to go and they told me at the feed station that there were only 3 females in front of me, so my spirits were up.

The lady from NZ passed me on the descent, but I caught her on the gentle uphill back to Vielha. Only 6km to go, and I pushed as hard as I could. I caught her quickly and she held me wheel to the end but didn't try to take the finish ahead of me.

I finished 74 overall, 4th female but sadly the three ladies in front of me were all in my age category. And only the first three qualify. I spoke to the race organiser at the presentations and got him just as the right time, and with the right introduction - he will be giving me a wild card entry :) 

You can access the race results and photos from this website: www.valdarancyclingtour.com - go to the classifications tab.

My race time was 7:28:32 including all my breaks. Ride time according to Garmin was just under 7 hours.

Did I mention I was riding through rain all day? There was also thunder and lightning. On an unrelated note, while having dinner tonight in a restaurant next to the church, the church clock tower was struck by lightning and set on fire. There was am almighty bang, shingles flew everywhere, an explosion as the power went out outside. Lucky we were safe inside.

What an eventful day!

PS can you guess which photo is from the start and the end of the race? And can you guess which scenery photo was from my recon in the sun?

The challenges of day 1 and the solutions of day 2

I knew there would be challenges at the start. It was just a matter of what form they would take. And it wasn't exactly what I had expected.

The flights were fine. I maintain my dislike of Dubai airport, mainly due to the horrible plastic chairs that are impossible to be comfortable in, particularly when you are trying to sleep. And by this stage it was around 3am Perth time and I'd had only an hour of sleep, so I was not functioning well. Slept most of the way to Heathrow. My last leg to Toulouse was delayed about an hour, but that just gave me more time to doze ... On the comfy chairs at Heathrow!

The first day of arriving in a new country is always an eye opener, you realise how much you rely on common visual cues for finding your way around. Things like the location, size and shape of street signs make it easier to find your way around when they are familiar. Trying to drive in peak hour through an unknown city and figuring out where the street names are, and what all the unfamiliar signs in a foreign language mean, is somewhat stressful! Thank goodness I had a Navman to tell me where to go.

Which brings me to the first challenge of Day 1. The Navman was a faithful companion in Toulouse. But about 20km into the 200km drive to Vielha, the battery died. And for some reason charging off the cigarette lighter didn't work. So I resorted to enabling data on my phone and using Google maps. I was so worried my phone battery would also die, but with some careful management it got me here!

The solution that I have now implemented is to download onto my phone (on free WiFi) the maps for France and Spain and Italy. It looks like the phone will be my travel planning and navigating tool as I haven't been able to figure out why the Navman is not charging.

On a side note, I'm really happy with the hire car. It is a gutsy little diesel with a great turning circle and loads of space ... At least with only 2 bikes in there!

The second challenge of Day 1 was assembling my road bike. Everything was in one piece so I thought it would be straightforward. But when I tried to put the rear wheel on, I discovered the chain had twisted itself in transit. I knew in theory I should be able to fix it with no tools but try as I might I couldn't do it.

The solution I implemented on Day 2: I found a great, convenient bike shop and paid them 10Euro to fix it. I was SO HAPPY and relieved when finally I went for a ride this afternoon.

I met a guy at the bike shop who is doing the race tomorrow and we went out for a 45km spin. We did the first section of the race, 16km of undulation road into a headwind then 8km up a mountain. My first real mountain climb went well, average grade of 7% but up to 14% in places. The descent back down was a bit interesting as parts of the road were pretty crappy condition and there was some gravel, so I took it very cautiously.

The weather is good, hot enough during the day for shorts and tank top, but cold enough at night that you need jeans and a jumper. I did some clothes shopping in Toulouse to supplement the one change of clothes I brought with me, so I now have new jeans, tank tops, skirt and toiletries. This afternoon it has been windy and a few spots of rain, I am hoping the rain holds off for tomorrow.

Right, time to go resister for the race and continue carb loading!