I set out to try to pace myself so there was none of this tearing off with the fast guys then regretting it later. The climb up to Clows Top near the start was fun as was the descent, then a team time trial with John Spooner across the flat section before we arrived at the airfield control to see Judith Swallow just leaving.
The next bit was where the undulations began as promised, but the climb before Builth Wells was relatively easy, and the descent was fun, and I got there with about 1h30 in hand. That was a nice control and then we were off into the real meat of the ride. The climb up to the checkpoint was OK, I had to stop for a comfort break. Met some kids on mountain bikes on the way up and chatted to one of them. I noticed the climb through the trees on the approach, thought "that looks interesting". Had some of the jelly babies, oiled my chain, Alex arrived and we started the climb together. As we rounded the corner into the forest Alex spotted the climb for the first time and announced something along the lines of "Oh, fuck". We started climbing, I got round the first hairpin, and halfway up the next leg before deciding I was going to explode/throw up/die so swallowed my pride and walked the remainder. Then it was a short descent before another steep climb which Andrew Uttley was in the process of walking, I walked with him for a bit but didn't have to walk after that. That was by far the hardest section. Then once we'd made it over all the undulations it was down to Tregaron. Despite being warned I'd lose time on this section, I didn't so I arrived there with 50 minutes in hand that I'd had when I left Builth Wells.
Off again into the wind and Alan Vance was too fast for me to hold onto so I rode with John Spooner and Andrew for a bit til I stopped to remove the jacket, then started the climb towards the Red Kite road. That was the steepest of the remaining climbs, once that was done the climb up the valley was relatively easy. Got hailed on briefly in an apparently clear blue sky. At the summit of that section I was riding with the wind, at the same speed as the wind so it was perfectly silent. All I could hear were the birds. The sun was quite low now and it was brining out all the colours. I hit 73kph on the descent to Rhyader which is a new record, got a bit cold though. That was a lovely Cafe, and I spent an hour there so was 20 minutes out of time on leaving. Thus I time trialled (by my standards) over to the next control, making up 1h20. I think I overtook 5 people on that section.
On one of the long, straight roads there I had a car pull alongside with the window down, "uh-oh" I thought. "Are you doing an Audax?" asked a female voice. "Yes." "Oh, good for you, is it a 400k". "No, 300, going back to Kidderminster". "Oh, well, good luck" and off they went. smiley
John and Andrew were at the Kingsland control having left me behind at Rhyader. I left there with about 30 mins in hand. On the next climb I got snowed on a little - very tiny flakes. Caught Rust Bucket at the bottom, his chain having broke for the 2nd time and then dropped him and someone else near the bottom of the climb back to Clows Top. I saw some lights ahead, and it was John and Andy again so I reeled them in by the time we got to the descent, but used them for navigation through Bewedley. Got in, in steady rain at 02.15. No-one else arrived til about 02.45 and the last I saw arrived at 02.55. Rust Bucket had had a 3rd chain breakage, apart from those issues he'd have been well on to beat last year's time.
I did a rolling average of about 20kph and an overall average of 15.9, which had been as low as 14.5 due to the slow control at Rhyader. Considering The Dean was 14.7kph overall, that'll do for now. Unlike The Dean, I don't have aching thighs today, which is nice.
