Lanzarote mtb 4 day stage race

[Sylv]

Day 1 35km - crazy fast start 250 riders got caught by top 3 women tried keeping up but couldnt - hr higher for first 30min than a cx race. Later on caught up Sally Bigham from uk who is also guiding the training camp. Helped her get back to top 2 woman incl XCM world champ. Finished just ahead of them to see them sprinting they finished within 1sec

Day 2 60km. Fast again. Sally dropped back but i got caught by world champ. Tried to drop her but it took a while. In the end finished a minutes just ahead, Sally lost 3min.

Day 3 today 20km uphill TT. World champ started 2 min ahead of me and goal was to catch her. Did it and took 2min35 off her time. Sally won the woman just 45s behind me and is now sitting just 1min 15 behind World champ and is 3rd. I came 3rd in over 30s today (4th on both previous days) and sitting in 4th overall, looks like it will stay the same unless disaster (or miracle). Top man was a crazy 8,30 ahead of me in under 57 min - mental (they are world class standard),

tomorrow final stage 78km with some tough climbs. Wind has been crazy and best to ride in a group but not always possible towards the end. Its been awesome so far and La santa is big training base complex, seen the likes of Alonso Massa Brownlee Jenkins etc at breakfast and diner.

[Keith]

Is it just me, or are any other TG regulars beginning to get nervous of Sylv's return?

Glad to hear you're doing really well out in Lanzarote Sylv.

[quote="Keith"]Is it just me, or are any other TG regulars beginning to get nervous of Sylv's return?

[Daniel Gee]

Ha- it sounds to me like he's just out there for the sunshine and to check out the MTB Honeys.

I can't understand why anyone would rather do that than spend endless cold rides staring @ Ghaleb's bum

[John G]

[quote="Keith"]Is it just me, or are any other TG regulars beginning to get nervous of Sylv's return?

[Ghaleb]

[quote="Daniel Gee"]I can't understand why anyone would rather do that than spend endless cold rides staring @ Ghaleb's bum

[quote="Ghaleb"][quote="Daniel Gee"]I can't understand why anyone would rather do that than spend endless cold rides staring @ Ghaleb's bum

[Daniel Gee]

[quote="Ghaleb"]Since you mentioned that I might be up for a cold night ride this thurs. if the weather is not as cold as today, although the forcast says it will be freezing!

[Paul H]

Hope she can duck and dive

[Ghaleb]

[quote="Daniel Gee"]The weather report shows -2C in Gatwick for thursday eve; sorry Ghaleb, I've made alternate plans to get drunk with a blonde. I have yet to decide whether your bum or hers is nicer tho

[Sylv]

http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/club-l ... tos/205901

i finished 3r overall : )

[Andrew G]

To quote Keith " " .

[Grahame]

[size=200]Hat![/size]

[Sylv]

The last stage was possibly the most epic - actually over 80km in length, with everything from neverending climbs, lava rock fields descents, flowing coastline track, sand etc. I tried to stay for longer with the 20-odd front group but the start was real tough with some climbing. Ideally I would have liked to help Sally get some more time on the GC (she won the uphill TT by about a minute) but the world champ seemed to have a better knack at going real hard for the first half-hour and getting withing a good group of men - the way to win for women in those events where everyone starts together.

So as in previous stages within 10 minutes I'd found myself in a group with her, this time with about 6 other guys. We drilled it for the next 50km, doing through and off on the long sandy straight and wind-exposed sections. A few guys were not doing any turns. As it went Annika who had sat in a bit started doing more and more work, to the point where at times nobody could come through. A couple even dropped off.

Then we hit the main climb of about 7km long. One guy who looked like he'd dropped of the front of the race, either mechanical or more likely waiting for her, rode with us and slowly these two started to pull away. I had to dig real deep to stay with them, and soon enough everyone else had been dropped. It was unbelievable! I knew there was just 20km left, mainly downhill and flat after the top, and that I had no choice but to get back to them before the top if I wanted to finish with them. I was 50m behind and had to give it all, slowly grinding a big gear out of the saddle. Just made it, then not long after we hit some crazy lava rock fields at breakneck speed - I thought I could have a rest there but there was no chance these two were motoring. Was preying for no puncture on my lightweight tires.

At the bottom we hit a flat fireroad and not long ago I felt the dreaded feeling of a quickly deflating tire. It was weird that it would happen on that road. I kept going for a while but soon the unavoidable was to have to stop and I waved them goodbye .. assessed the situation and it turned out I had a big nail through my rear tire - pretty annoying to say the least, much more than puncturing on a rock. Took it out and tried to get the latex to seal with air canister .. in retrospect might have better left it in but it was leaking around it. It held for couple mins but then had to stop again and fit a tube instead, with my tiny road pump .. lost some 9 min and watch many ride past including Sally who was on her own unfortunately but only a couple minutes down.

Got going again and was pretty disappointed, but still feeling good so drilled it in the mostly tailwind. Caught up some groups but they were knackered so better carry on than lose time drafting with them. Finished 5th in the over 30s, not actually losing a place because of flat, and gaining a place on GC.

Overall it was a fantastic event and I'll probably sign for next year. Added to that the training camp based at the awesome Club la Santa facility, with top riders coming on rides with us.

[John G]

[quote="Sylv"]The last stage was possibly the most epic - actually over 80km in length, with everything from neverending climbs, lava rock fields descents, flowing coastline track, sand etc. I tried to stay for longer with the 20-odd front group but the start was real tough with some climbing. Ideally I would have liked to help Sally get some more time on the GC (she won the uphill TT by about a minute) but the world champ seemed to have a better knack at going real hard for the first half-hour and getting withing a good group of men - the way to win for women in those events where everyone starts together.

So as in previous stages within 10 minutes I'd found myself in a group with her, this time with about 6 other guys. We drilled it for the next 50km, doing through and off on the long sandy straight and wind-exposed sections. A few guys were not doing any turns. As it went Annika who had sat in a bit started doing more and more work, to the point where at times nobody could come through. A couple even dropped off.

Then we hit the main climb of about 7km long. One guy who looked like he'd dropped of the front of the race, either mechanical or more likely waiting for her, rode with us and slowly these two started to pull away. I had to dig real deep to stay with them, and soon enough everyone else had been dropped. It was unbelievable! I knew there was just 20km left, mainly downhill and flat after the top, and that I had no choice but to get back to them before the top if I wanted to finish with them. I was 50m behind and had to give it all, slowly grinding a big gear out of the saddle. Just made it, then not long after we hit some crazy lava rock fields at breakneck speed - I thought I could have a rest there but there was no chance these two were motoring. Was preying for no puncture on my lightweight tires.

At the bottom we hit a flat fireroad and not long ago I felt the dreaded feeling of a quickly deflating tire. It was weird that it would happen on that road. I kept going for a while but soon the unavoidable was to have to stop and I waved them goodbye .. assessed the situation and it turned out I had a big nail through my rear tire - pretty annoying to say the least, much more than puncturing on a rock. Took it out and tried to get the latex to seal with air canister .. in retrospect might have better left it in but it was leaking around it. It held for couple mins but then had to stop again and fit a tube instead, with my tiny road pump .. lost some 9 min and watch many ride past including Sally who was on her own unfortunately but only a couple minutes down.

Got going again and was pretty disappointed, but still feeling good so drilled it in the mostly tailwind. Caught up some groups but they were knackered so better carry on than lose time drafting with them. Finished 5th in the over 30s, not actually losing a place because of flat, and gaining a place on GC.

Overall it was a fantastic event and I'll probably sign for next year. Added to that the training camp based at the awesome Club la Santa facility, with top riders coming on rides with us.