First Sportive of 2012

Not wishing to repeat too much from last year I have been waiting for something to write about but conscious that those who did the L2P last year should pass on experiences etc..

Yesterday I completed my first sportive of 2012 in Bristol known as the Mario Cipollini Grand Fondo. Four of us from Jersey went over on the Saturday and had the opportunity to join 100 others for the pre-ride gala dinner with the Italian legend. Despite not being fluent in English we were all able to enjoy his stories and engage in the passion he has for cycling. The event organisation was terrific and to a similar standard of of the Hot Chilli L2P of last year which sets the benchmark. I was fortunate to have pre ride massage before breakfast which is something i missed out on last year during the L2P. Book very early to have any chance before and after the ride! Peter was the master last year at being top of the list. The early bird etc. I stuck to my usual routine of having a full bottle of SIS PSP22 Fuel before breakfast. This achieves two things. Plenty of liquid in case you have problems drinking on a bike (you will learn but better to be prepared) and secondly according to the SIS marketing the powder provides everything to charge the batteries. The team captains are aware that many riders take on more fluid than normal before the ride so there is always a stop after the first hour! For the newer team members you will be provided with sachets at the start of the event but it is worth trying different flavours before hand to make sure they agree with you. Zpvit is a good alternative (Chain Reaction) stock both. Its important that you try different energy bars etc to see what's good for you. When riding I tend to eat bananas (easy to peal and eat quickly) together with the Zipvit energy chews. Gels are great but variety is important and flavours are very personal.

Being a UK Sportive there is no official mass start as the roads are not closed, however all the cyclists are keen to start as early as possible. Two hundred yards down the road Ian from our group had a full blow out in the back tyre. Better early on as he had spare wheels back in the car. There were support vehicles just as there will be in L2P but it was quicker to go back. Having been close to the lead out groups we were now firmly at the back. The ride was split into 3 with feed stops at 40km and 80km and refreshments at the finish 115km. Although not as long as an L2P stage the climbing partly made up for it at 1650m. The first stage was relatively flat, cold and windy but at a a nice steady pace. Not so part two! The rain came and with it Burrington Combe and the Cheddar Gorge. Not ideal after a feed station so the food intake was low despite numerous temptations. Cycling in rain uphill is not enjoyable but coming down the other side at speed isn't either! In France if it rains you will be obliged to wear a yellow top (what runners use or similar) so might be worth trying to borrow one in advance rather than the last minute panic we had last year.

The second feed stop was unbelievable as we had a choice of so much food. Unfortunately one of our group had cramp and as we were all soaked through and cold, and two of us had a plane to catch, we decided to press on. The sun came out briefly and we began to warm up but with 20km to go the heavens opened up once more. The light was so low I could barley see but as i use prescription sunglasses I had no choice but to carry on. Having started at just after 9 we arrived back at about 14:15. Average moving pace just over 27km which is acceptable in view of the conditions.

My next Sportive is the London Revolution May 19/20th. I know Steve will be riding but it would be great if anyone else from the L2P team could join us.

Hope you are all putting in the miles, as time spent now will ensure that you enjoy the experience. If you can ride in a group you will benefit not only from understanding the etiquette of the peleton, but you will find your average speed will gain about 2kph from riding on your own.