I’m really looking forward to not-racing and actually properly watching, having a ride round, enjoying the day and maybe ringing a cowbell or two at passing riders.

🙂

Good luck everyone!

I’ll be dibbing you in at the finish; good luck!

Weather is looking excellent, not sure how dry under foot/wheel it will be but otherwise great.

Chris

Busted bike.. 😕

Bent rear mech into wheel. Tried to fix it then bust the hanger 😛

Well done to all of you who entered this year. I marshalled at ColdCotes and welcomed most of you into the finishing tent to collect your dibbers at the end. Superb effort from all of you. Amazing how most of you still had a smile at the end of such a gruelling ordeal. Hope the people who were rescued off the course all heal quickly

And what wonderful weather!!!

I think I heard that joke just before the top of Ingleborough – was that you bantering with the photographer? New BB needed, shoes split and bendy, twisted mech to check for bodgeability. Quite an expense race on bike and body.

Anyways, just snuck under 5h which is frankly rubbish. But as a kindly mate pointed out, everyone’s a hero and I’m putting it about that I’m in the Top 500 IN THE WORLD. Marshalls and helpers were utterly superb and seemed more plentiful than ever. Thanks for making it happen.

Well, I’m going to say it was mentally frikin hard.

A day of mixed emotions…

I started well enough, paced off until the first real Fell (I think it was a fell, who knows!!) and tried in vein to make up some time where I could see a gap or space to ride.. I entered a small gap between two huge stones and the front got bogged then almost 15 riders pilled in to the back of me, the nearest bloke behind hopped out of the way leading to chaos and a clatter of bikes and groans.
Busted I tried to get going again to find my mech bent into my rear wheel, no spokes busted so pulled over and with adrenaline running pulled too hard on the jockey wheels to bend it back and snap. Shite. Such a simple “take your time moment” could have saved my ride.

Called the Mrs, car and wife arrived.

Took me bloody ages to get calmed down, I was furious with myself. To say I spat my dummy out was an understatement. All that pent up training and expectation, jeeze. 🙄

I think, next year I’m going to spend more time riding up there in the fells and hills just to get more an idea of conditions.. I’ve been doing well riding in the NYMoors over the last year thinking this would be enough practice but hey, shite happens.

It’s the biggest event I’ve ever ridden in, on the start line I’m normally calm and relaxed in a “yeah whateva, just a rideout” attitude, but I couldn’t settle.. Watching all the other riders made me nervous as hell.

Glad to hear some good stories, really hope you all enjoyed it.. and sorry if I spoiled your race by causing some unwanted chaos.

The saving grace was watching Sagan win on the iPad whilst being driven home on the A1…

😕

The problem is that there’s really only 2 sections you can ride outside of the actual race. The lower half of the Whernside descent (from the stile junction where the FP joins the BW) and Pen-y-Ghent lane.

Every year I’ve raced I’ve done at least one walk/run over Whernside and a couple of rides around on the roads. It’s rarely done me much obvious good (I kind of hang around the 4hr mark most of the time so I’m a good hour behind Jebby!) but it can’t do any harm.

Funny thing that race, you do it and think never again and then 10 minutes later you’re thinking “hmm, if I’d have taken that line off here…” or “if I did some running practice…”

But then as you say, all the training can be undone in one puncture or breakage, one day of dreadful weather.

It was nice to watch it though, I think taking a year out was for me mentally the right thing to do.

Some great times as I only managed a lowly 6 hours on my first attempt!
Last guy at the cut off at Pen-y-ghent which I was pleased about!
Throughly enjoyed it apart from an exploding tyre on the road after Ingleborough.
Big thanks to the lady in the car who lent me a track pump rather than use my mini pump!
No thanks to my helper who make me sink 7 pints in Settle on Friday nite!
Max

Edric you will have seen me marshalling at PYG lane and also the van tour this morning at the bridge hotel. Good to meet you.

Edric 64 I spoke to you a couple of times I think,you had cramp?
Saw you going up pen-y-gwent as I was coming down?
Said you were doing your own race?
Still kept soldiering on,great effort!
Max

Various photos have popped up in my Twitter feed, none more impressive than that of John Dowell, 80 years young who completed the race. 😀

I’ve just checked the results – he finished in 5hrs52 and wasn’t last.

A great weekend. It’s a big trip for me to come over, but not as big as some: I did PYG and finished just ahead of a guy from NZ. Ayyway from the airport my head was in such a better place this year. Last year was pretty disastrous and I was all over the place from the airport!

Had a great day on Saturday chilling out in the field (1st tent there!). Met some great people, rally good vibe. As Chipps said : ” Village Hall atmosphere”. Spot on.

The race went really well. Slow descending off Ingleborough. Like a whippet on the road to Whernside. Legs felt heavy on Whernside but ok. The upper sections of PYG were a slog as ever. Great hammer to the finish. No mechanicals. Best finish time yet (by 5 mins…) Perfect weather. No particularly dark times in my head….. But oh so disappointed with not getting my goal of 4h45. Came in 5h04. Oh well. Best get ready for next year!!!!!!

Well done all. Please be proud. Racers and volunteers. Chipps: stand on the correct side when dishing out jellybabies! I so wanted some but couldn’t find the energy to move over to the other side. Luckily someone higher up had some too!

Talking to a friend at the gym today who’s dad did it with him as support. Sounded like a great day with the weather and all but I heard about the nasty crash, something about a guy just heard a snap come from his neck so just lay on the ground awaiting assistance as he didn’t dare move. I hope everything was ok and it wasn’t too serious!

Loads of 3 Peaks photos here.

Chris Meads has some photos from Ribblehead