Ist sportive.Dragon Sportive.

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louislouis

New Member
Just back home after doing the dragon sportive with my son. We're both newbies to the world of sportives. We did the 130k route, myself managing around 5hrs 15mins and my son alittle slower after I'd jumped onto the back of a group that my lad didn't manage to latch onto. OK I know
 

theboytaylor

Well-Known Member
Location
Charlton, London
Great time LL,

I also did the 130km route and also came in around 5hrs 15........in fact just 20 secs shy of the Silver Medal time. Not that I'm worried by that, just chuffed to have achieved such a good time in the first place.

I thought this was a blinding Sportive - great marshalling and signage, fantastic route and lovely weather. Some really good climbs and challenging descents.

Congratulations to all who completed this and, if you did the 190km course, an extra "chapeau".
 

eldudino

Bike Fluffer
Location
Stirling
It was a great day for it, I did the 130k route in a fairly steady time as I was riding with someone a bit slower than me. I ended up getting a good tan though - if you count going red as a tan! The route was great, I enjoyed the climbs; not overly challenging in terms of gradient but quite long.
 

mitch

Active Member
Location
witney oxon
this was certainly the best sportive i have done in this country ,did the 190km route and did a 7,28 had to really push myself from the top of bwlch2 ,averaged 16.4mph so am really pleased with that .only bad point for me was the descent from the cimla feed station ,very steep and bumpy with a speed hump at the bottom which i took off from for about 6 feet !!!!.great day though be back next year
 

515mm

Well-Known Member
Location
Carmarthenshire
Did the 190km route for the first time and jolly hard it was too. Went very well on Bwlch1 and Rhigos but must've had too much polymer carbohydrate in my belly - felt terrible all the way to the Crai feedstation - a merciless headwind I couldn't escape from and no company to share the work with. No electrolytes available at Crai - absolutely unforgivable on the 190 route - a lot of very pissed off people. I'd carried my own 'just in case' and gave my last sachet of ''Go'' to a chap from Bedford who had a fierce attack of cramp.

I can't remember much of the way to Cimla - just grinding on for a long time till I caught up with a big guy from Staffordshire on a hill. Had a chat with him for a bit and felt much better, strange how you can recover on a hill. He went past me like a bullet on the descent.

Then, Cimla Hill. So hot, not a breath of air. I remember hurting badly. No electrolytes at the feedstation again.
Peeling myself off my bike, I found I could hardly stand. A pee, a banana, plain water in the bottles and off again. The mountain will be along soon.

Bwlch2, torture.

So hot and windless - I feel sick most of the way up it, only able to sip at my water for fear of throwing it all up again; sweat running into my eyes and mouth. A few people walking, beaten. A couple of riders lying on the grass staring at the sky. But I did'nt come here to walk. I tell myself I'm not going to bloody walk. But it's so hard.

At the summit, I roll past the cars and the grinning ride supporters and roll into the descent. Hands on the drops I try to stretch my back out a bit - it's solid and killing me. The 'bars start to shake - what the....? I realise that it's me - I'm shivering so much from the cold I'm shaking the bars. I tuck as low as I can to get out of the wind, but I accelerate. Hang on, isn't that the hairpin? The one where the photographer always sits?

BRAKE!

I counter-steer into the apex, pressing the bars into the road and the bike glides round like it's on rails. Knee out and time to grin at the camera.

This feels better. I drain my bottle and start my final one. I'm definitely feeling much better now. The last hill, then the home straight. Take your time up this one now, let's recover properly. Down the other side. Calm down, tight bends. Braking early, I rail them easily. Feeling really good now.

5k to go, the power comes back on and I'm absolutely flying. A youngster catches me at the top of a short rise but I'm out of the saddle before I realise he's there and he gasps ''Oh no!'' as I plunge down the road. Sorry son. Can't wait now.
Over the moors and up the last little kicker. Momentum shoots me past a small bunch, heads down, grinding. A muffled "Jesus Christ!" No, but I've an angel's wings.

Kilo to go. I change up again. More power. How fast do you want to go?

Past another couple, they look strong but I'm stronger. There's the finish! Come on! Sprint for the line - and I've done it.

I skid to a halt and roar YEEEEESSS! as loud as I can. A nice man with a microphone comes over to ask my name. For a moment it's Cavendish. But sense prevails and I give him the one my mother gave me.
 

Fiona N

Veteran
Brilliant write-up 515 :smile: Really captured the effort involved and the ups and downs during the day - great

Well done to all especially LL for beating the young'un - they can't have it all their own way :biggrin:
 

jacklad

New Member
my first one too, unfortunately iwas the sorry sight on bwlch 1 sitting by the side of the road with a snapped bolt in my peddle crank. all over for me then.

i was gutted.
 

515mm

Well-Known Member
Location
Carmarthenshire
Thanks Fiona, Banjo.

Bit embarrassed when I read it back just now, all that purple prose.

I am glad that most of you did so well on the Dragon and enjoyed it so much. Chapeau indeed. (Just found out it means 'hats off':biggrin:) It is a fabulous course with the best views on the long loop, interestingly.

Terribly bad luck Jacklad. Come back next year and kick the Dragon in his coals. I'll hold your coat.

Hello to the two gents from Hawick CC that I kept bumping into, btw. Hope the cramp eased off properly before Bwlch2.....

I shouldn't worry too much LL. Unless it was your lad I dropped at the top of the hill.

Sorry about that. :angry:
 

Banjo

Fuelled with Jelly Babies
Location
South Wales
jacklad said:
my first one too, unfortunately iwas the sorry sight on bwlch 1 sitting by the side of the road with a snapped bolt in my peddle crank. all over for me then.

i was gutted.

Bad luck there espec ially on your first one. I am doing the Merlin soon as my first and can understand how dissapointed you must be.
 

Banjo

Fuelled with Jelly Babies
Location
South Wales
515mm said:
The long one, as I recall Banjo. Make sure your nutrition is tried and tested!

I'll be there.

Best have a chat at the start as I dont expect to see much of you after that :angry: Looking forward to it but not concerned about time just getting around the course. Have ridden over the Blackmountains a couple of times now so not frightened of them just respectful:biggrin:

Have just bought two 750mil bottles to increase the fluid capacity, will be topping up on salt to avoid the dreaded cramps and scoffing lots of food on the way round.
 

Scoosh

Velocouchiste
Moderator
Location
Edinburgh
Nuun tablets are your friends :angry:. Good electrolyte stuff, comes in a convenient-to-put-in-your-back-pocket tube and not sickly sweet either. :biggrin:
 

jacklad

New Member
bike all fixed now so, the tour of pembrokeshire on sunday. then the merlin in july. not wasting all that bloody training for nothing
 
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