I arrive home at just before 10pm, feeling slightly out of sorts due to sun prickled skin and the unsettled feeling that only a hastily scoffed service station KFC can provide. The KFC felt like a good idea at the time. A quick sugar, salt, fat and protein fix intended to replenish the fuel tanks for the remaining hour or so to be spent on the Motorway. This was in addition to the sandwiches and tea that provided an immediate patch to tide me over at the finish in Apperley, where I was welcomed by the organiser, his helpers and the rather sun flushed faces of other riders. U.N.Dulates was kind enough to point out that I'll have to go out and do a similar ride 4 times before I get to the finish of the Mille Cymru. A sobering thought. But if the views are as good as yesterday, I'll have no complaints and will be eager to hit the road again.
The journey to the finish control was a straightforward affair after Hoarwithy. Gradually undulating landscape that felt rather relaxed after the exertions of the afternoon, the hills being well trailed by looming on the horizon and then passing under wheel. It also helped that by that stage, Apollo had started to plummet towards the horizon and withdrew some of the infernal heat that had made much of the day a battle of mind over body. The sensation of cooling temperature took hold on chatting with the friendly controllers at Hoarwithy - although that maybe had something to do with my decision to soak my cap in cool water and plonk it on my head. Ah, evaporation, your chill effects were my friend!
I really needed that dunking as, unexpectedly, the penultimate stage from Pandy to Hoarwithy turned out to be the most challening. Not only was the temperature something to be endured rather than enjoyed, necessitating some stops in shade to take on fluids and to cool down, but a series of hills that whilst not particularly long were either thigh burningly steep (out of Pandy or about 10km after Grosmont) or came out of the blue. On another day I might have said unrelenting, but as I finished the ride in reasonably good shape I can best describe them as in abundance.
The climb out of Pandy was done on a stomach that had been sated with pasta with sauce with a garnish that is best described as desicated chicken gently reheated to the consistency of rubber. And a half of bitter. The latter was a grand recovery tonic for the blistering heat that the Hay-Pandy stage was done. UNDulates was witness to my reaction to the temperature when he cycled past me recuperating against a wall with a can of Lilt just before the climb away from Hay. His words were something like "I know how you feel" - what he didn't realise was that I was pretend recuperating having overheard him outside the Spar in Hay saying that the climb out of Hay was a beast. As this man knows hills, I took this as a forewarning of pain and suffering. His oracular skills were proved right and the climb in question was probably the single most challening one of the day (not helped by the extraordinary tar bubble forming heat, which I'm sure I've mentioned elsewhere in this report).
At the Hay Spar (surely one of the most used and abused unofficial control in Wales) I was filled with the joys of descending off the Gospel Pass in nigh on perfect conditions. What views across Wales and into England. Jaw droppingly gorgeous, something that the many day trippers who had chugged their family cars up to the plateau clearly anticipated. Climbing up the Gospel pass I was very much "I can't see what the fuss is" and "these types of climbs are ten a penny in Scotland". But the summit, did I mention how good the views were….
The climb up to the Gospel Pass was relatively straightforward, gentle and benefitted from tree cover. Continually up but a pretty constant gradient (bar the bit before the cattle grid - why do farmers always seem to put these just before the steepest bit of a climb!) that meant an altitude gain of around 350m in 8km (from memory). A special climb then and worthy of a 200k that exists mainly to take in it's grandeur.
Leading up to the Gospel Pass was mile after mile of verdant countryside, crossing various valleys which only got to be hilly on the run up to Pandy. There were, however, a couple of long drags through the Forest of Dean, taking an A road that I hadn't experienced before - a very long climb followed by a very very satisfying descent reminiscent of some in the Pyrenees. And on well surfaced roads allowing a bit more "risk taking" than narrower country lanes permit. Before that, the first 30km or so was relatively flat and saw the faster riders (wow, I managed to keep pace for once) form a stringy peleton out of Apperley that was topping out at 35km/h or so on the flat and 25km/h on the lumps. Well, we managed to keep together until we hit long stretches of gravelled roads around 15km in (plus point no potholes, minus point grit tacular opportunities for skids and toppling over) at which point the more determined riders decided they'd had enough messing around with mere mortals and headed off into the annals of audaxing anonymity (it's not a race, dear...)
It was clear in the car park at the start that there was a "racy" element to the field. Lots of fit looking whippets chomping for the off. And pleasingly a high proportion (for an AUK event) of women entrants to the 200. Admittedly around 10-15% and didn't quite stretch to double figures, bit still, it's a start.
That I slept over in the hall meant I awoke fresh and so ready to tackle to course with gusto and enthusiasm. This despite the previous day being spent crunching around 3Peaker's rather jolly Cotswold Corker perm (with a start in Northleach, which turns out to be a great place to start the ride, despite the worst of the hills being in the last bit when legs are starting to grumble a little) which left me feeling suprisingly fresh. Guess all those miles are beginning to pay off and bodes well for the Mille Cymru.
Muchos gracias to 3Peaker and his comrades in brevet card stamping duty for their time and efforts putting on the Gospel Pass 200. Much to recommend in this ride, particularly for those who enjoy grimping, quiet countryside routes and views aplenty.
