Etape du Dales report

Been back home about 30 mins so here are all the raw feelings about the day. Warming glass of red in hand after a cold shower (no hot water...grrrr)...

Arrived at our hotel yesterday late afternoon and managed to get out and have some pasta and pizza surprisingly sitting in the evening sun. Slept reasonably well and the alarm went off just before 6am this morning. Usual prolonged faffing routine and then a longer than expected drive to the start so I was eventually signing on just after 7.30 - much later than I had wanted to be. It was cold and spitting with rain when I set off. Last week at the FW I had quite a good start but today I felt heavy legged right from the off. The wind was strong and cold and this made it feel like even the flat bits were climbs. This really was the theme for the first half: a howling wind either against or from the side which made it tough going. The Dales (moors?) are quite exposed at this stage and there was little protection from the elements.

I was relieved when a largish group came by and I managed to tuck in for about 10 minutes but their pace was too hot and I found myself working harder than I wanted so I dropped off the back to do my own thing. I spent what seemed like an age on my own and then a slower group came by much closer to my pace so I spent a while with them before we hit a major climb and we splintered. At some point my number came loose and while trying to re-tie it, with what seemed like a plastic twizzly thing from a freezer bag, I knocked my Garmin off. Thankfully nobody ran over it by the time I got back to it and there seems to be no damage. Not long after I had another clumsy moment when I missed the bottle cage and dropped a water bottle. Now I was really annoyed and gave myself a ticking off for being such a knob.

The first 90 km was a real slog and I knew I was struggling because I had even eaten my emergency Snickers. Loads and loads of climbing. The climbs really did go on and on. You'd think you were at the top and then there would be a short flat of no more than 50m and then the road would kick up again and again and again. The descents were wicked. Very fast and a good chance to make up some time. I hit about the 90 km mark and lost patience with my waterproof jacket so I jettisoned it. I got it when I failed to get a place in the London Marathon so I didn't mind leaving it.

From then on it was just a case of survival. There was some respite from the wind and I just kept plugging away. Coal Road is a beast of a climb and on the way up another rider asked me if this was the last climb. I said I didn't have a clue where I was and another rider said - this is Coal Road and there is one more major climb after this. The rider who asked the first question went off happy in his ignorance because I think there were at least 2 more big climbs after Coal Road.

The end when it came couldn't come soon enough. I am glad I managed to finish (8:37) but it was a hard hard day indeed. Congratulations to everyone who took part. I think the EdD is closer to how imagine L'Etape du Tour will be. It is a very challenging ride with about 3500m climbing: add in the wind and it is a true test of stamina which I just about got through.

Now where's that bottle of wine....