An Englishman, An Aussie and a Canadian Walk into a Bar

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pistonbroke
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Re: An Englishman, An Aussie and a Canadian Walk into a Bar

Post by pistonbroke »

Finished at 3pm, won the battle of the old codgers. Been neck and neck with Peter Force, a Canadian who lives in Girona and is just over 60 as well. Early start worked today, the 500m gravel climb after Pico Valeta was an unwelcome sting in the tail.
redefined_cycles
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Re: An Englishman, An Aussie and a Canadian Walk into a Bar

Post by redefined_cycles »

pistonbroke wrote: Thu Sep 10, 2020 7:51 pm Finished at 3pm, won the battle of the old codgers. Been neck and neck with Peter Force, a Canadian who lives in Girona and is just over 60 as well. Early start worked today, the 500m gravel climb after Pico Valeta was an unwelcome sting in the tail.
Duncan... truly inspiring, and off the back of this I'm thinking I might give the horrible Peaks200 ITT another go in December... So thanks for the encouragement/inspiration as some of it (Peaks200) might as well be desert from when I've looked mid attempts!

Would you say this was one of the tougher rides you've ever done and will there be a write-up :smile:
redefined_cycles
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Re: An Englishman, An Aussie and a Canadian Walk into a Bar

Post by redefined_cycles »

*from yourself
pistonbroke
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Re: An Englishman, An Aussie and a Canadian Walk into a Bar

Post by pistonbroke »

I'll try to cobble together a report when I'm recovered. Currently suffering numb and blistered hands and will spend the morning searching Granada for a rubber ring for the drive home :shock:
My abiding memories will be riding in the deep canyons of the Gorafe Desert as dawn broke on the second morning, pinballing across a boulder field at 3,000m on the climb up Pico Valeta today and the rollercoaster singletrack along very unstable sandy ridges in the Tabernas Desert in fading light with a dying GPS 2 days ago. The trouble with this route is that these photogenic places are interspersed with miles and miles of rubble strewn nothingness that just serve to wear you down, there are too few places to replenish supplies, what bars there are are totally unprepared for more than 3 people to turn up at once and there's not enough water to resupply. I spent 4 days with a mouth resembling the bottom of a budgie cage.
pistonbroke
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Re: An Englishman, An Aussie and a Canadian Walk into a Bar

Post by pistonbroke »

Sat here at home studying the time splits, the final checkpoint was at Pico Valeta then the route fell 1,500m before climbing 500m on a forest road to descend back to Granada. It was torture as I could hardly grip the bars due to blisters and numb fingers and rode standing up due to reasons I won't expand on. My time was 3hrs 12 minutes, Lachlan Morton did 3hrs 14 minutes, on that basis I was closing on him and would have won if the race had lasted until December :-bd
https://www.efprocycling.com/the-long-way/
Education First have interviewed him about the event, it's clear from the photos that he was worried that I was catching him.
lune ranger
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Re: An Englishman, An Aussie and a Canadian Walk into a Bar

Post by lune ranger »

Nice work.
On that basis could an ageing Bikepacker win something like the TDF by keeping on going vs the World Tour Pros who keep stopping every night to kiss podium girls and have their legs rubbed by burly Belgians with pockets full of pharma?
If you are going through hell, keep going.
WSC
redefined_cycles
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Re: An Englishman, An Aussie and a Canadian Walk into a Bar

Post by redefined_cycles »

lune ranger wrote: Sat Sep 12, 2020 4:17 pm Nice work.
On that basis could an ageing Bikepacker win something like the TDF by keeping on going vs the World Tour Pros who keep stopping every night to kiss podium girls and have their legs rubbed by burly Belgians with pockets full of pharma?
:lol:

Nice work btw Duncan... you smashed (well, 'beat') his time (on that segment)... :-bd
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