Steve Whittington reports on his great result:
The Tour Of Cambridgeshire is a UCI world series gran fondo event which has a format similar to that of a marathon, where the racing categories set off first followed by the social mass participation events. The race covered 79 miles in the rolling countryside around Peterborough on fully closed roads, under blue skies, and with fantastic crowds and a party atmosphere lining the roads in all the towns and villages along the route. It felt more like the Tour De France at times. This race was a qualifying event for the World Masters Championships in France in August, and the chance to be crowned world champion and win a UCI rainbow jersey.
With a field of over 700 riders of all abilities in my age category I was quite nervous about the potential for crashes or getting boxed in and missing moves. With this in mind before the start, I adopted some old school nouse and with my elbows out I pushed my way onto the front row. It didn’t take long from the drop of the flag for the first attacks to come, but with the high speeds and a nervous peloton, these amounted to nothing. Ever conscious of such a big bunch on fairly narrow roads, I made a point of always staying in the top 30 riders or so.
After around 20 miles the 700 strong field had already whittled down quite significantly to a more comfortable size of around 120 riders, with a good mix of continental riders wishing to flex their muscles. The Belgians were keen to use the cross winds and narrow roads to their advantage and cause echelons to break the field up, and despite some very strong riding the bunch still had fresh legs, so any lull in the speed meant attacks were going off the front but were chased hard. It was very clear by this point that the standard of riders and racing was very high, or at least that’s what my pulse was telling me!! That would pretty much set the tone for the next 50 miles, chasing attacks, attacking, working to cause echelons. During the middle phase a small group of 6 or 7 riders managed to get away and build up a good lead, One of the riders was British time trial legend Matt Bottrill, a record holder and national champion at several distances. The appetite back in the bunch wasn’t to mount a concerted chase as there were still too many riders just sitting in.
Sit In Or Have A Go?
With around 10 miles to the finish I attacked into head winds and found myself alone with a gap of around 10 seconds. It wasn’t a planned attack, in fact quite the opposite as I’d promised myself I wasn’t going to put my nose in the wind until I could see the finish line, but there I was, off the front in stupid ‘do or die’ move trying to break the elastic of the bunch. I dangled there for around 3 miles until they reeled me in. By this time I was getting the early signs of cramp, those little twinges in the backs of your thighs as your muscles begin to protest. I had 7 miles to recover and manage the cramp before the inevitable gallop. At a guess the bunch was around 60 strong by this point, but it was also clear that most riders were pretty tired. The run into the finish was fast, and with two roundabouts to negotiate with less than 1km to go and some kamikaze riding, I was holding my position in around 5th spot when we entered the arena and took the final bend onto the finish straight with 250 meters to the line. I thought I was going to cramp up but I didn’t and managed to gain a place finishing 4th in the sprint just behind last years winner Phil Giles.
My placing was enough to secure a place in the masters world championships in Albi, France, and although it’s too hilly for me to pick up a rainbow jersey, I could think of worse things to do in August than race in the south of France on closed roads!
Steve Whittington
Great ride Steve
re France Craig has just moved into his (bought) house in southern France (10km from Bergerac) just 125 miles away according to multimap 3hrs 2 min drive – but much less with Craig’s driving
Might be depending on Craig’s agenda at the time you could meet up or even stay – not mentioned to him yet but if of interest let me have dates etc for your visit.
Craig is in with local clubs etc already
Well done
John
Steve, looking at the course and the profile there is nothing too intimidating not alpine elevations or lengths – a bit longer than Cragg and not much difference in slope! or L’boro up to Blackstone – but far better roads so you can add 5mph !!!!!!!!!!
Re how to acclimatize and ride it is worth contacting Craig with him living local and for years living on the continent and riding 10’s of thousand miles per year inc many racing
re cramps I suffer a lot from cramps in my right calf but the answer has been ensuring water bottles have a High5 or SIS electrolyte tablet or powder in – can get with caffine added – you will definitely need in sth France for you will sweat out a lot of minerals etc
Craig is away tomorrow from is hse nr Bergerac – flies to Milan from Bordeaux
Then doing some riding in the Dolomites for a week, then in Annecy for a week and then he is either at the Maratona or taking a group to Ventoux for a few days (which in July will be 35 degrees). Back either the 3rd or 4th July
He did all last year also inc taking a group up the Ventoux up all three routes in one day
Drop me a line if you want more / catch up / Craig’s contact (he will be contactable daily)
Craig flies Bergerac (a small airport) to Liverpool by Ryan air but can fly to Mcr with Easyjet – picking his flight (and I have done this) can do for 19 euro each way
cheers
John
I agree John, it’s more of a tough mans course than a pure climbers course. At 85kg however, in a race with some of the worlds best riders in my age category, even something like Blackstone Edge is more like Alpe D’Huez!!! Anything over 3-4% and I go backwards compared to guys carrying 5 or 10 kg less. I have a few strategies up my sleeve though so I hopefully don’t go there and embarrass myself!!! Thanks John!
Steve, Craig has just messaged me that he was based in Albi for 3 months and says that it is great rolling countryside
John
Is one of the strategies a widget bought on ebay that you drop down the seat tube if so do not skimp on costs so buy duracell batteries they last longer than any others batteries! (so they claim – not tried them myself)
Hahahaha!!! Unfortunately the only strategy I have so far is to cut down on the amount of beer I consume to lose some weight!!!!
Could cut my toe nails as well, that’d give me another half a kilo….! Marginal gains!!!
with my 90kg there is more than a marginal gain when I go down hill
Are you going to the bowling club / club night tonight?
(just me there last week)
No John, I do the open 10 mile TT every Wednesday on Rainford and don’t get back in time…
Steve, have you got this weeks CW – article ‘how do I … ride my best 10 mile TT’ –
Crit de Dauphanie came over a climb today I have done in both directions twice the Mont Du Chat – a bit of a hill !!!!!!!
John
Steve, Craig is riding the Stelvio today leading a tour ride group up – so will have a back pack on with spare tubes and tool kit – 30C deg +, I think it’s his 4th time in 12 months.
Also as part of the ‘tour management riders’ is my daughters long term partner he is 28 yr old and a Doctor of Science in Sport performance and nutrition and lectures it at Westminster University so could also tap into him – Mike has ridden with me and Craig in the Alps doing several 2000mtr summits in a week inc the Col d’Iseren at 2770mtr (4th highest in Europe)
If you have any questions for them let me know
John
John, could you ask him if it’s possible to drink 5 pints a day and lose 5kg in 3 months?
Joking aside, I do need to lose 4-5 kilo’s but need to train quite hard too…..Always tough getting that one right!!
Great ride Steve, well done!
Steve, I cannot find a GPX file for download on the official website , I was going to suggest that you could ride the full course if you had and if you had an Elite Real turbo
(generating a geo route file that mimics a true ride of the course does not take too long)
I have got one and when you hit an ascent the pc sends a signal to the turbo and it increases proportionally the resistance and simulates the real world as it levels it eases off and downhill it becomes a ‘motor’
Its a fantastic bit of kit and great simulation – I downloaded my actual Garmin ride up Cragg to the turbo and my turbo time was with 20 sec of actual, and power and HR traces very very close to my actual ride
On the likes of a ride up Alpe D’Heuz it is so good that through the hairpins the resistance eases off as per real riding it ( the d’heuz file for the elite is a video with the geodata files so your pc view is the road and scenery has you progress)
worth looking up on the Elite website
John
Steve, are you on for the event? if so have you sorted your travel arrangements out yet? Craig’s the master of finding cheap travel he got us return flights for £34 to Bergerac from Liverpool
Subject to Craigs workload (his cycling work) and him being back at his house close to Bergarac I might look a coming across for a few days or a week and waving the Centreville supporters flag ( and throwing a few packets of drawing pins down at select times to slow the opposition)
If you are looking for accommodation etc let me / Craig know for I am sure Craig knows places and people living close by and having been based in Albi
Also local knowledge for spares / kit / food / legal supplements / etc
Route files are now available to download on the official site now
John