The Etape Caledonia 2012..........what a day......what an event......what a result for GGCC!!
This high profile,closed road event is the jewel in the Sportive crown and GGCC certainly delivered in terms of participants!!........by my count GGCC had 12 of its members taking part in this event!!
If you have never experienced a sportive event before then this is the one for you...........with its lovely rolling closed roads, beautiful scenery, great organisation and cracking atmosphere it’s a sportive definitely worth aiming for and ticking off your list.
The day started at a bleary eyed 4.30am for some of us that had to travel from various B&B’s and hotels dotted around the outskirts of Pitlochry……..we made our way to the town, parked up and started getting ready for our 6.38am start time!
Bike…..check,spare tubes and pump……check, food and drink……check…..oh yeah……..waterproofs!?!?.....double check……..the forecast was not good at all!! We made our way through the crowds of bikes and supporters to ‘wave E’ and waited for the starters horn!......’goodluck, have a great ride’ were the shouts and ‘3’…..’2’…..’1’….we were off!
‘Right legs,here we go………81 miles to go’……..the pace was, well………..’blistering’ and we saw the first 20 miles off in exactly 1 hour. It was tough as there as a real strong headwind and to make it even tougher there was a small group of ‘crazy’deer in a field that decided to get spooked and run towards the group and knock a guy off his bike!!?? The GGCC crew just missed it and charged on towards the Loch!!
The pace settled and we were knocking along at a great average of 20mph + and working well in large groups of tidy riders, jumping from group to group, pushing forward all the time.
At the end of the Loch, the forecasters predictions came true……the rain came down!......we took shelter by riding in an echelon……..’let someone else take the wind and rain’ we thought……..the GGCC boys had worked hard enough up to this point!
We turned at the end of the Loch and everything went still and quite…….’THAT’S MORE LIKE IT’ we shouted……..a tailwind…….we were flying!! The speed picked up……..we looked down and 30mph was on the speedos! Superb…….time for some food……gels, bars, bananas and wine gums were on the menu! ‘mmmmmmm nothing like a cyclists lunch!!??’
We chain-ganged on and there it was…….Schiehallion……..’here we go’……..’king of the mountains is mine!’…….down a gear……down another gear…….down yet another gear……..the sharp left hander loomed!!.........out the saddle and it flattened out……’phew’……a few more false summits and done……’we are at the top’………definitely NO king of the mountains for us!!.......but some excellent GGCC results never the less!!
Now for the descent……….’hang on this isn’t right!!’……..pedalling downhill……oh yeah……that headwind…….and what a headwind!!
Our support crew shouted ‘well done’……..’superb, keep it going’…….’you are doing really well’……..just what we needed…….we dug in and picked up the pace!
BANG!!.....no...not a puncture……..just one of the most brutal headwinds we have experienced!!!......7 miles of barely 10mph on the flat!!.......’someone come through and do some work’ we thought!!........it was wheel suck central and the GGCC boys were yet again at the front doing the club proud!
We turned for home……….what a final 20 miles…….beautiful road surface and a tailwind……..the group we were in was up at 35mph……sitting an inch off the front wheel…..tidy…….tight……..all the GGCC club run practice was paying off!!......we felt like pros!!
The pace was relentless……we made good time……..a sub 4hr was on the cards……..then it hit us…….the final ‘small climb’……..the sound of grating gears and jumped chains from the unsuspecting riders was all around us……….we knew it was coming so got prepared and sprinted up the hill………then the next one……….then the next one…….forgot there were 3 final climbs…..the clock was ticking!!!!
3hrs 59mins was on the speedo as we came around the final corner……..’push, push….dig in’ we thought!!......we turned into Pitlochry………ANOTHER climb up through the town to the finish line………’come on legs……work!!’………………4hrs 1 minute as the line was crossed………..DONE!!..............and we were!!
Our support crew came over and it was chocolate muffins all round! …….and a wee stretch of the legs!!
What a day……..what an event……what a result for GGCC!.......here’s to Etape Caledonia 2013!