Ok I’m back safely in the Morbihan hideaway and here is the debrief.
In a nutshell, the “trace” as the French call the route was way, way harder than I had anticipated. It consisted of multiple sections of muddy steep single track linked with some lumpy road bashing, cobbled farm tracks, forest roads etc. The single track was what I would describe as hiking trails where you put some boots on, take a stick and set forth with a map and a backpack. Indeed most of them were marked with the red and white painted signs as part of the French randonee’ network.
Often down an escarpment to a river or similar they would become ambiguous as the path would split as previous travellers have made their way around fallen trees, to avoid a swampy section etc. The breadcrumbs would often drift a bit in the woods so it wasn’t totally clear if you were off route or not. The more experienced riders in this sort of stuff would, Im sure be able to stay on their bikes pedalling for longer. I was frequently off the bike (which weighed in at about 60lb and likely heavier as it became more caked in mud.) hefting it over r mossy rocks/logs/streams etc. It was incredibly fatiguing.
Descents were often bone jarring and I ended up sore in places that don’t normally register on regular endurance rides.
I would have called it serious mountain bike territory, but there were a good few all road bikes out there too so lets say its inexperience from this rider. I’ve not done anything like the Dale Divide, so nothing to compare it to really. I did ride Unbound Gravel Stateside a few years ago. Very different! Champagne gravel as one of my mates called it.
I put in 2 solid days, initially, moving time about 12 hours. They felt like 15 plus hour road rides mind you. I was pushing on where I could and kept the average speed to about 15kph or a little more.
Day three I broke camp and headed for the first CP. It was pretty horrific going almost off the bat. Bushwacking down forested paths etc. A couple of wrong turns not helping. I arrived at the checkpoint in a pretty sorry state and my average speed for the day was about 11kph. You need to cover about 175km a day to finish the Brevet in the required time and there was no way I was going to make it up. Riding in the dark on those paths, for me, would be foolish.
Just prior to CP1 the route crossed the Nantes Brest canal, so I made the decision to turn off the tracker and had back tourist style along the canal to Redon, up the Vilaine to just South of Rennes then across the hills to the start to pick up my van.
If I was forced to do an event like this again, because I won’t be! A suspension fork and a lighter set up. I’m not too sure what you would leave behind though. A bivy over a tent perhaps, but I did get a good kip night 2 in my tent and a minimal bivy in the woods? No thanks!
Some or the riders were travelling light. MTB, small back pack.
Physically, I’d equate the 3 days on this event to how Ive felt in the second week on the likes of TCR.
My wife illness last year has undoubtedly refocussed some of the drive and priorities, but TBH I don’t think I would have had it in the locker to finish that event in any frame of mind.
There was no bitter disappointment rolling back along the canal, more a feeling like Id escaped form some sadistic reality game show
