Mallorca training camp

some pics:here

We saw a pig in a field.

We took our rental bikes off-road - dura ace etc!

We saw two huuuuge black vultures.

We met some nice spanish mtb'ers.

Ramon bought some white shorts...mmm.

Juanita loved her carbon massi rental bike....mmm.

Pablo did a million miles!

Adventure Racing

Me and Jane have been thinking about doing one of these for ages. I have found one nearby!

Multisport Classic: here

The 'lite' version looks good to start with: 2 miles Kayak, 6 miles run and 10 miles mtb

28th of July may be a bit close to The TransSchwartzwald though?

Mallorca training camp

One week to go and the excitement and fear is rising. Gary 'the blob' Smith has lost a few kilo's and is causing a ripple in the peloton with his new-found climbing skills!

There will be a lot of emotionally crippled people on the hills of Mallorca when they get 'blobbed' in style by the blobmeister.

The man in the picture 'Luciano', has never recovered from being blobbed on the climb to Valledemossa.

Blobbed.. definition please..

Sunday Ride

The Mighty Dinsdale made it for a ride today......hurrah!!

A classic sundayriders Sunday ride.

Weather: very sunny 26'

Terrain: dusty and loose.

Distance: 50km steady

Riders:

Ramon: smooth and confident

Janey: climbing well

Mighty D: getting there.

Facer: creaky.

crashes: none

punctures: facer on the train, ffs!

meeting of the day: the bluebells are out!!!

The Ride:

lots of singletrack and climbing.

Paul's race

A bone dry course, there was even sand in places. It was on a sandy section that I lost contact with Nicky Craig and the four front runners. The guy in front of me lost traction in the sand and we lost their wheel. Admittedly they were in the process of lapping us but they did so on an open firetrack section and so we'd held their wheel for half a km. But then they were gone.

On the south side of the road the course took me to places I had not been before in Thetford forest. And this was no bad thing. A swoopy singletrack course. Even the singletrack through the forest that ascended swooped and could mainly be done in the big ring.

In fact the only thing slowing me down was going too quick into some of the tightest berms. This meant braking and losing momentum coming out of the bends. Perhaps I should have read a quote from Sam Hill before the race. Sometimes slow is quicker.
I even had some guy behind me at one point telling me I was taking good lines. Or maybe he was talking to himself.

I set off almost at the back. I cursed for not going to the start line earlier but the start was quick and there actually seemed to be no slackers so it was a good pace from the off. But without being at the front I didn't have to go hell for leather immediately and perhaps this is why I didn't blow up before the end. I did fade but I didn't die. Also I managed to sit in and behind two guys who went at exactly the right pace for me. One, a Chelmer Cycles rider faded after 5 laps but he was replaced by an RAF rider on a single speed. It was he who lost the front runners wheel in the sand, but without his wheel I wouldn't have been so quick anyway.

The 50k and 25k riders set off 2 hours after us so the course got busy for the penultimate lap as fresher faster riders came past. I managed to knock only one of them off. It wasn't deliberate honest. He just went past on a sharpish bend in the singletrack. But he seemed okay and set off again choosing not to go back for his dropped bottle. Young people these days, rush rush rush. And those that did pass seemed to be twenty years younger. Perhaps that's the effect of speed. If I ride faster I'll get younger. It's a relativity thing. And Einstein did ride a bicycle. Must ride faster.

I did wonder if they'd altered the course in the last half of the last lap as there seemed to be a steeper longer uphill section that I didn't remember. Well, I didn't remember it being so long and steep anyway. And that was all that I really suffered. I was glad to have finished, but even happier to have broken five hours. 4:53:22, I was 7th in the vets. Three minutes slower and I'd have been 10th. 6th place though was quarter of an hour in front so I timed that to perfection almost.

A great race and thanks to Chelmer Cycles rider and RAF singlespeeder for pace making.

The Mighty Dinsdale

The Mighty Dinsdale almost made it for a ride today, R4 gave up 1km away from Dorking. Then a man came and took them both away.

Trek marathon series round 1

Pablo takes a very creditable 7th in the Vets at sunny Thetford.

An excellent result, top ten when all of the big boys were out in force.

Jules' write up on the BCF website here: BCF

Rumour has it.............

...that the mighty Dinsdale is to make an appearance on Monday!

Not content with crushing the souls of men on a bicycle, she is now training for a marathon!!

She will beat Lance's time easily, he won't be able to respond when she returns the glance he gave to the Jan on the mountain long ago.

Mallorca

A nice video of Sa Calobra on here: Sa Calobra. You'll need broadband.

Pain is temporary, quitting is forever.............L. Armstrong.

I am soooo sore, I hurt more than it is possible for a body to endure. How will I do this for eight days?

Cycling can never hurt me to this degree....ramon