[Palomides]

Amazingly, I managed to win a competition for a weekend doing the Time-Megeve Mont Blanc sportive with GPM10 - so off to the Alps with it in a few weeks time. Then La Marmotte later that month, and hopefully around Lake Como in September.

Wow! That's a nice prize. Just be careful through the tunnels, there were a few nasty crashes last year.

I'd hate to hear of anything happening to your bike you 

[chappers]

yeah,  those corporate fashion victims contacted my club to do a ride over here in cheshire 

more to the point...weds 15th june. Peak RC stoney time trial. 17 hilly miles. £7.

Typical joie de vivre response from a time triallist 
You wouldn't want to be enjoying yourself on the bike would you ?

lets get this straight, this is the first (and only) time trial i have entered. (i do not want to get a name as a tester!!). But it is the furthest thing that you can get from a traditional time trial whilst doing a time trial...that make sense?? no? this is not a flat drag along a duel carrageway - have a look at the route and tell me you dont want in! i think percy did it last year??

I am top of the list of people who are only out for a good time on a bike believe me! cyclocross all the way!!

(Still not a fan of Rapha). 

[Stubbs]

cyclocross all the way!!

That would be type 2 fun then? 

[Dolly]

yeah,  those corporate fashion victims contacted my club to do a ride over here in cheshire 

more to the point...weds 15th june. Peak RC stoney time trial. 17 hilly miles. £7.

Typical joie de vivre response from a time triallist 
You wouldn't want to be enjoying yourself on the bike would you ?

lets get this straight, this is the first (and only) time trial i have entered. (i do not want to get a name as a tester!!). But it is the furthest thing that you can get from a traditional time trial whilst doing a time trial...that make sense?? no? this is not a flat drag along a duel carrageway - have a look at the route and tell me you dont want in! i think percy did it last year??

I am top of the list of people who are only out for a good time on a bike believe me! cyclocross all the way!!

(Still not a fan of Rapha). 

Waddage for your empasioned anti testing stance mate 
Just needed a bit of reassurance

[Percy B]

I did do it last year - a revelation! I'm not doing it this year though, as I've been out on my bike less than 5 times since the birth of the second sprog (I'll be back, though)!

So, its not a typical time trial - very lumpy course. Obviously the majority of competitors were hardened testers (miserable bastards  ) with their shite £250 cars and their amazing £5000 bikes in the back wrapped in duvets... but it was cool, in an insanely painful way. I turned up totally unprepared, and entered the 'athletes competition' for gimps on normal road bikes without any low-pro adornments, and basically put myself through it like you wouldn't believe for the best part of an hour, whilst a bunch of proper bicyclists shot past me like I was almost stationary (which I almost was)! Defo a two tier event, with the obvious serious competitors (with the odd pro in there to spice it up) and then the lower echelon of punters like me who just want a bit of a challenge.

All that said, if I was anywhere near fit enough for getting around the course in under an hour I'd be back in again this year...!

[tlr]

If the weather is anything like today then it will be a very unpleasant hour indeed.

This morning was some of the least pleasant 4 hours I've ever spent on a bike. Luckily I had a group to shelter in though. Give me 35 degrees and sunshine any day.

Good luck Chappers. 

[Yossarian]

I'd hate to hear of anything happening to your bike you 

Well, I had a crash on the new bike today.

Roundabout.  Old bloke entering from my left, didn't look - drove straight across my path.  I braked very hard, started locking up, started rotating then began to fall over.  I swear I was sure I was going under his wheels.  In that split second I had already accepted that a broken leg or pelvis would be bearable, as long as I could keep my head up and away from danger. 

I think I just clipped the back of his rear door before hitting the ground.  He drove off, and no-one got his number. 

By some absolute fucking miracle I managed to escape with barely a scratch.  The bike is pretty much fine - the bar tape and hood on one side is a little scratched, and the saddle had taken a bit of a wallop, but apart from that it's all ok I think.

I was fucking shaken up though - still managed to get to the end (I was about 95 miles into a 106 mile sportive) but I was not feeling good at all... The guy behind me who stopped to give me his details just in case said that he'd thought I'd had it.

[Dolly]

Fucking hell Yoss - hope you (and your bike) are OK
Are you sure he saw you ? - I mean did he deliberately drive off afterwards knowing what he'd done ?

[Yossarian]

I think it's more likely that he remained oblivious throughout the whole thing.  There was a big four-wheel drive behind me, so it wasn't as if there was a bike and nothing else he should slow down for.

He just drove straight across - I think he didn't look at all.  The driver behind said he had nearly overtaken me before the roundabout, and he was convinced that guy would've driven into him too. 

I have never ever been as fucking terrified, resigned to serious injury, and experienced such a horrible eyes streaming rage emotional reaction before... Fucking cunt.

[chappers]

Im really sorry to hear that yoss. gutted.
shit driving pisses me off so much, i saw a motorcyclist narrowly avoid getting killed today. these idiots need to be stopped!

[clm]

including the tit who thought it was ok to squeeze through between me and the oncoming juggernaut on double white lines yexterday

[Stubbs]

[jfw]

Font - but not as we know it....

http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=15247

[Palomides]

Back on topic:

I shave my legs twice a week. It's hard the first time you do it. But I'm very lazy. For a team photo in December I just did the fronts.

 David Millar

[Dolly]

I'm very excited.
I've just been to see Nigel Wilson at JF Wilson cycles http://www.wilsoncycles.co.uk/shop/index.php about a custom frame build.
I talked through what I wanted and how best to get it and I'm going in next week to be measured up for it.
Plain gun metal grey with just a little postage stamp sized JF wilson kite logo on the top of the head tube, a slightly larger diamond at the bottom of the seat tube with the kite and the words "Handbuilt in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, Great Britain" No other logos, stickers or anything.
Apparently I won't believe how good it will be 
The downside is that it will take 2 months

[chappers]

anyone after a tacx sirrus soft gel turbo trainer??
who is up for some punishment??

seriously though, im moving to canada, and the weight/cost ratio of this does not work out too well.
great condition, (tiny spot on the cable where the wheel rubbed it once but still works perfectly). £130ish new.

offers...

chris.

[Yossarian]

Rode the Marmotte on Saturday...

Missed gold by an hour or so - didn't have much choice about the speed i was going all day - more a case of survival!

Glandon and the Alpe were bastards. Telegraphe / Galibier were much more enjoyable.

Rode up Ventoux twice last week too - probably not the most effective tapering programme, but an amazing hill.

[mr__j5]

Effort.

I've only ridden the climbs individually, not all on the same day, but I found the first time I went up the Glandon, it was total hell. Second time around, when I knew the profile and what to expect it wasn't as bad.

As for L'Alpe. I love it, but it just hurts so much. Especially when it ramps up again briefly going to bend 8.

All these things add up to the fact that I'd never ride the Marmotte. I'm too weak in the head to sign up for guaranteed suffering.

[Yossarian]

I didn't know what to expect from the Glandon, and I wasn't feeling that great mentally either - couldn't stop worrying about all the hills still to come.  Plus there was the usual crazy French / iTalian hordes going berserk from the start (and probably blowing up later), which convinced me I was even slower.  Losing altitude twice was a bit depressing too.  Still - it was quite cool towards the top...

I raced up the Telegraphe - must've overtaken four or five hundred people.  The descent to Vallois was pretty miniscule though - thought there was going to be more time to recover there!

The Galibier went on and on, but I had a load of goodies stuffed in a bag in a van at the top, so was quite happy to push on relatively hard.

Bloody contact lens fell out entering the first big tunnel on the section back to Bourg - same thing had happened on the descent of Ventoux too.  I thought I was going to die - had to put sunglasses back on, so was riding through the bloody tunnel with blurry headlights flying in the other direction.  It felt like I was floating - had no idea how close I was to the RH wall!

Anyway, vaguely fancy it again, but I would plan on being at least 10kg lighter and a good deal more powerful too. Would be nice to go under 8 hours...

[mr__j5]

Those tunnels are pretty scarey when you can see properly.

[tlr]

We've just come back from watching the Tour up Alpe d'Huez, had some big rides planned too but we both come down with a cold (well, I had man flu obviously), so only managed to drag myself over the Galibier once and up Alpe d'Huez once.

I loved the hills, riding Alpe d'Huez with 100s of others and 1000s of spectators lining the road was brilliant despite the overdose of Beechams and Lemsip, just so gutted I couldn't do more.

Atmosphere in the town was brilliant all week too; every vaguely flat bit of grass or dirt had a tent or motorhome on it. I reckon the hill was actually full when we arrived a week before the tour.

The Podium


The pain of Alpe d'Huez after 3500km of racing.


Hero Hoogerland looking well heeled.


L'autobus

[chappers]

great photos there, thanks!

[Mark Lloyd]

I've just signed up for this charity ride on 16th Oct organised by Claremont Sports Medicine in Sheffield and the Downing brothers. http://csmapc.co.uk
Might be of interest to sheffield roadies

[Yossarian]

Finally got the Enve 6.7 wheels on it...

[tlr]

Ok, yep, that's pretty nice.