Ultracycling

There's been a distinct lack of mud for the past two seasons.

#fuckglobalwarming

It'll be back muddy buddy. I'm sure when England starts sinking into the see as punishment for Brexit, there will be more mud.

Corbyn would rise as our neptune/ saviour

I love that Steve A is only riding circa 8 hours a week less than Mark B. And Steve is doing it all damn year!!

Don't know if people sore that Mark came off the bike the other day and broke a tooth...apparently they decided to give it a go repairing it in the support van
https://www.adaptive-performance.com/blog/dental-day/15/7/2017/AdaptivePerformance

The joys of a support crew

He's doing well,crossed in to Asia yesterday, they seem very disciplined with the 240 miles covered each day

Apart from that crash it seems to be going well.

Anyone ever bother with sealant in their non tubeless setups? Noticed Jesse Carlson did for the TABR and had zero punctures

If he had zero punctures he didn't need the sealant. :)

I had zero punctures during TCR04 with tubes and no sealant.

People say it doesn't work, so I've never tried it.

Adrian O'Sullivan on the Red Bull Trans-Siberian Extreme:

As I've got two rest days I'll fill you in on few things.
Every rider has his own support car and crew.
It's a stage race ( shortest 313km longest 1367km )
We all start together and can draft.
We stay in hotels ( so far ) at the end of stages. Which dependent on finishing time between 6-12 hours recovery time.

First 2 days 400k each were too fast and very tough. I think it was the speed that caused the saddle sore. Trying to keep in with the front riders for as long as possible like riding a fast 100km. Your sitting on the saddle rather than floating. Your riding over the bumps rather than around. My set up position and saddle are all tried and tested. But not for 800km over 37kmph. Also on the hoods and drops no Aero bars in group riding.

When your popped out of the bunch your on your own. Yesterday they dropped me at 149km , stage 1 at 230km. When i'm in the bunch I can't keep the sweat out of my eyes. You can't drink or eat as much as you'd like it's intense, minutes seems like hours. Riding 40kmph up long drags at my limit. And descending at 79kmph. The other riders 6 of them are gentlemen they know I'm on my limit and spared me. When I get spat out it's a relief. I stop sweating put the head phones on drop onto the Aero bars and start cruising. Much more my style of riding. Trouble with that is the time limits on the stages are tight. And if the peloton keep riding at 37kmph on The longer stages like today you could see yourself eliminated on time. It's a pressure I wasn't expecting. 30kmph was the fastest I thought they'd ride over 9,0000km 😳.

Head is still positive they'll let up, my sore will heal in two days and I will ride to Vladivostok Russia 🇷🇺🚴🚂.
Rest day for my drivers too.

Rather brutal.

Peter Sandholt, 5th in the TCR last year, is now one of leading riders.

You have to come in within 5hr of the stage winner or you miss a stage? Someone will need to explain the rules for this one.

"As I've got two rest days I'll fill you in on few things.
Every rider has his own support car and crew.
It's a stage race ( shortest 313km longest 1367km )
We all start together and can draft.
We stay in hotels ( so far ) at the end of stages. Which dependent on finishing time between 6-12 hours recovery time.

First 2 days 400k each were too fast and very tough. I think it was the speed that caused the saddle sore. Trying to keep in with the front riders for as long as possible like riding a fast 100km. Your sitting on the saddle rather than floating. Your riding over the bumps rather than around. My set up position and saddle are all tried and tested. But not for 800km over 37kmph. Also on the hoods and drops no Aero bars in group riding.

When your popped out of the bunch your on your own. Yesterday they dropped me at 149km , stage 1 at 230km. When i'm in the bunch I can't keep the sweat out of my eyes. You can't drink or eat as much as you'd like it's intense, minutes seems like hours. Riding 40kmph up long drags at my limit. And descending at 79kmph. The other riders 6 of them are gentlemen they know I'm on my limit and spared me. When I get spat out it's a relief. I stop sweating put the head phones on drop onto the Aero bars and start cruising. Much more my style of riding. Trouble with that is the time limits on the stages are tight. And if the peloton keep riding at 37kmph on The longer stages like today you could see yourself eliminated on time. It's a pressure I wasn't expecting. 30kmph was the fastest I thought they'd ride over 9,0000km 😳.

Head is still positive they'll let up, my sore will heal in two days and I will ride to Vladivostok Russia 🇷🇺🚴🚂.
Rest day for my drivers too."

Sounds crazy. There's a bit more info on facebook today. Sounds like he has got the orgs to change rules so that riders dropped from bunch have a bit more time.

Sounds mental.

Where do I sign?

Does anyone have one of these garmin mounts I could borrow?

1 Attachment

@Thrasher Should have one. Let me get back to you by lunch tomorrow once I check the workshop.

Bruce Berkeley going for the LEJOGLE record on Monday.

https://twitter.com/cycle_dr1/status/890256519849291777

Sean Conway going for fastest european crossing which seems a bit of a niche record and seems reasonably achievable at 180 miles a day

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-gloucestershire-40718176

I hope he is planning to beat it by a good margin. It looks like this dude has just taken five days off that record:
https://facebook.com/JonasEurasiaChallenge/?refid=17&ft=top_level_post_id.444244442642282%3Atl_objid.444244442642282%3Apage_id.412925659107494%3Athid.412925659107494%3A306061129499414%3A69%3A0%3A1501570799%3A1966765622581820321&tn=C-R

He now has a live tracker running
https://www.yellowjersey.co.uk/sean-conway-cycling-world-record-attempt/

Great race report from Adrian O'sullivan about competing in Russia
https://m.facebook.com/groups/1622670444649568?view=permalink&id=1902911196625490

Don't have fb and telling me to log in. Any way round this?

Copy pasta with Adrian's thumbs up

Tran Siberian extreme
all that's needed. No red bull. No race. No bike.
It all began last year when I rode into 2nd place in the 2016 Race Around Ireland. As it was a qualifying ride for RAAM That sparked an interest from Race Across American to start bombarding me with information to enter and race RAAM the worlds best supported Ultracycling race.
This was very flattering to think you'd be good enough to ride in the worlds best long distance cycling race.
But there were two reasons I didn't want to ride.

1. Cost. Apparently £30,000. For crew, flights, accommodation, gear , food. Ect.
   
2. I'd already ridden/raced across America in 2015 on the TransAm self- supported.
   But the seed had planted
   Then two things happened
   I had a double sell out for the TransAtlanticWay race I organise with over 100 riders sighing up. Twice as many as expected and 3 times as many as the year before.
   And the TranSiberian bike race organiser Paul Bruck emailed me about Russia.
   It didn't take long before I decided to do it. Sponsored by the TransAtlanticWay
   Danielle went mad at the idea. Too long , too expensive and No no no.
   So I said ok ok ok.
   Then I was miserable without a cycling goal for 2017. I couldn't ride the TAW as with so many riders I needed to be hands on. I'd looked at the indie Pacific and deemed it too dangerousness.
   A month passed and a discount was offered for Russia, considerably cheaper than RAAM and completely Organised And I thought your only here once I'd never been to Russia and I'd always regret not doing it. It's completely different to anything I'd done on a bike. Stages.
   So I entered.
   Danielle was not happy. There's always a lot going on with 3 boys, work, ted the dog and elderly parents to look after. And I'm gone for 4 weeks during the kids summer holidays.
   It was very selfish. Don't worry honey I love you and I'll make it up to you.
   
   

My own work with my Brother I had also used up a lot of holiday time and the money and time away from work not ideal for the company either.

But I've never let money stop me. Save more work harder be smarter.

Danielle was still not happy. Some one said it's easier to ask for forgiveness then ask for permission.

So a signed up and payed up.

Over the next few months all my time was taken up by work, family commitments and the planning for the TransAtlanticWay and eventual running and directing it 3 weeks before Russia.

And before I knew there was less than a few weeks to go before the race. I'd done no training whatsoever. Ok more than most but not enough for Russia. A few 300km rides and lots of fast 200km rides as I knew I needed to increase my speed. But nothing over 450km and I still hadn't shifted my winter spare tyre. I thought I'd get a lot of riding in Ireland during the TAW but found my time was taken up worrying.

I had a plan if I was riding heavy but was fit it didn't matter. The yard stick was if I could keep up with the London Phoenix Sunday morning group rides. And although I struggled I could , carrying the extra weight was like extra training. Also I knew the route was flattish some climbing but very gradually no 15% climbs to get dropped on. Also I knew I needed the extra weight over the duration. So I convinced myself the ride was long enough to get fit during it, and finish strong at the end.

So I just needed to get my mind into shape. Which wasn't going to plan. I still hadn't told my brother or booked the time off work. My eldest Noah is 13yrs s big deal in the Jewish calendar and my wife was consumed with Barmitzha fever two weeks before the race. The TAW had taken its toll , emotionally. And work was hitting a critical and very technical stage whereby you have propped up an entire house on stilts and Steelbeams and excavating underneath. And I'm due to leave for Russia in the middle of this stage.
So it's all high class problems. And a week to go my mum is in hospital after a fall unable to eat or move.

I'm pretty good at managing things. Just try , do your best , and hope for the best. And I was ok with leaving all that behind and going to Russia.i think. I knew I couldn't bring it with me. And everyone would have to cope without me. I literally had no time to prepare my bikes gear or get into a mental state to race. I just applied for the visa with a few days to go. Andy my one crew member came down the night before. I packed up what I thought I needed and were off. With no plan. We didn't need one as we had know idea what was going to happen.

We got picked up at the airport by a big man wearing a moustache and taken to the Hilton hotel in central Moscow. Ate slept , ate slept and had 2 days of photo shoots, briefings a complete health check wear we were treated like lab experiments and are DNA was stolen to be cloned for the next Olympic Games. and a press conference. Needless to say, the women , Russians and the world Ultracycling champion Pierre Bischoff got all the attention. Which was cool they deserved it. I was there just to make up the numbers. Well someone has to.
The evening before the race and I'm trying to get the riders talking and getting to know them. Difficult with Marcelo and Egor no English but everyone else was fluent. I'm trying to get everyone to make a truce in the pace maybe the first two stages, as we get warmed up and get to know each other and riding styles.
Last year they went out at 32kmph for the first stage and in all the planning and information we received in the months before the race they were talking and quoting 30kmph averages for the faster and 27-25kmph for the slower ( i.e. Me ) for the whole 9,000km. But I always thought no way that's impossible. And any way only one rider to date had ever completed all the stages. Kristoff and his average was 27kmph. And he won it in 2015. So where were they getting these ridiculously high averages from. I knew from the start I couldn't ride that fast.
So everyone's nodding and agreeing and saying yes definitely easy pace first day. Easy pace first day.

Morning of the race I'm cool I'm happy I'm excited. We have a pretend start in red Sq. And while all the speeches, TV interviews , photo shoots and rubbing of legs , bikes and ect I take a quick 15 minutes cycle around the centre of Moscow to see the sights. I wasn't missed. As up till then we'd only seen the inside of the Moscow Hilton which was very nice.
Then we're packed into are own racers van with are names on them. a VW caravanella racks on the back for spare bikes a small plugin fridge two young none English speaking Russia drivers Artim and demtrie , two boxes of water, coke, snickers , bananas and red bull. Driven 15km outside of town to the edge of the motor way and dropped off. 2 minutes into the ride it's apparent to me from her riding style Thursday isn't that fast and I'm thinking OMG. We're all together and the vans are following behind with a lead out van in front and a police escort in front of that. Talk about feeling like pro's. Then a little faster and a little faster still only 15-20kmph
And Thursday shouts out I'm going to need your wheel to me. I immediately slow down and give her my wheel ( i.e. Let her ride in my draft ) when she's on I steadily increase and look behind and she's not on. I repeat the process and she's still not on. She's just tooooo slow. I watch the peloton disappear over the brow of the motorway. I turn to Thursday and say " I've got to ride ahead and catch them, I'll tell them we've dropped you and we'll wait. " in a panic I might have lost the peloton I dropped into the Aero bars and TT up to them. Out of breath I can't talk for a minute or two. Then ride up to the front waving my arms about and making the usual riding gestures " come on lads we're all in this together it's the first day, she's spent a lot of time and money getting here. We can't drop her in the first 5km. " speech. They all nod and agree and carry on pushing even harder. Peter says everyone has the right to ride exactly how they want Adrian. And I understood and totally agreed with him. Alexey asked how far back she was. I said a long way and told him honestly even if we did wait she wouldn't be able to keep any pace.
So from that moment the race began. Shangrila kept up for a good 60km far play but then dropped back. The pace gradually built and built. The 3 Danes all looked super strong like sprinters while Pierre, Alexey and Marcelo we're leaner. Egor was out the back pretty early. After 200km it got very intense up the long drags. I did my best to spin up at 100 cadence. The Danes churning out massive power in big gears and low cadence , experience told me they weren't going to last 9000km. The intensity made it hard to drink or eat as much as you'd have liked. As your on the limit having to drop back wave your arm , your van pulls up if it can squeeze in between the traffic as the lead car and police escort only gets you out of town then we're on are own. You shout out water or coke or juice or snickers or dates above the sound of constant lorries. You get one on the list but not always what you wanted. Then your off the pace and have to chase back on. Relentless. The sweat is running into my eyes unchecked I can't watch the wheel in front and wipe it out at the same time. Soon it's like hydrochloric acid burning into the back of my eyeballs
I thinking one more I'm one more km of a 9,400km race. A bit early to be thinking like that I thought. then Marcelo pops, and is out the back door. And I'm thinking every Km now is time between me and Marcelo. They start pushing even faster. There seeing who's going to crack who's going to drop. Another 50km and it starts to steady I feel my body just survived trail by fire. I feel it adapted to the situation I feel I can do this I can sit with them. I thought

A bit like when charlton Heston got captured buy the Romans in Ben Hur and chained to the oar of a gallon. Two choices row hard or die.
Or
Arnold Schwarzenegger in Conan the Barbarian where he's chained to a giant mill wheel as a young boy. Two choices push hard or die.

Then cramp first in the right thigh I wave goodbye to everyone and drop off. So much for classic movies and delusional thoughts of grandiosity Then Cramp in my whole right leg. It's agony I've straightened it out and unclipped and I'm peddling with left leg only. The left leg cramps my whole body starts cramping. I shout for 2 pain killers and a banana loads of water. I dare not stop. I need to keep moving ride it out. I'm getting into all sorts of funny positions on the bike its coming hard and strong then going then coming. I feel I can ride it out very slowly I'm in my smallest gear no force on the muscles only movement I'm confident it'll go if I keep off the power. It eventually goes after about half an hour. And I'm kind of glad it happened as it stopped me crucifying myself for another 125km I've ridden 250km with the peloton all I need to do is spin in the last 125km which I do.
I don't ride with a garmin or Heart rate monitor so just ride but the stats for the first 375km stage of a 9,300km endurance race was the winners crossing the line together with the first 5. rode it at nearly 40kmph. I finished 6th at 37kmph. I don't think I've ever ridden that fast for so long. Not as unfit as I thought.
That night it was apparent I might have cut my own throat trying to mix it with the big boys. Experience told me I'm in for a pay back for that kind of effort.
Thoughts of the day were , we all started ( I can exclude the women from this as they don't play these kind of games. ) as grow mature men some with family's, all agreeing to keep a steady pace. And as we took turns out the front some where someone went a little quick then someone else thought I can go as quick as that and someone else thought I can go quicker and before you knew it were all 16yrs of age racing flat out to Vladivostok on a motorway.
And as hard as it was it could be up there with one of the best days on a bike.

Day two
Similar to day 1. Only I was bit more smashed and only lasted 150km with the big boys. Marcelo hung on till the end so put time back into me and Egor finished last again. This was important and a boost that I was hanging in and wasn't totally blown away in the first two stages. Which had been a very present worry weeks before knowing I couldn't ride those speeds and thinking your out of your depth Adrian.
After getting dropped around 150km I realised the cut off time was easy to achieve as it was 4 hours after the winner on all short stages up to 400km.
And time was completely irrelevant for me now and survival my only focus. I span in the last 230km very conservatively thinking of the long game constantly. And knowing tomorrow was a 600km long stage that I could be eliminated on a time penalty.
The time penalty we were all aware of but I never really gave it much thought. And I didn't think the winning speeds would be that much over 30kmph. If they ride the next 600km at high pace 35kmph I could be eliminated on a time penalty.
So eat sleep ride repeat.
But in the morning on awakening I felt and then saw a large puss filled blister about the size of a golf ball in my saddle area. I'd never had this before and didn't want it to pop in the bibs on the ride so gave it a squeeze. And the puss all oozed out and I lost the skin covering it. Which left a red raw patch of skin the size of a 50 pence piece. I know how important it is to look after your undercarriage and it can see you out of a ride immediately as I don't do that kind of suffering. Thats not me. I like to enjoy the ride.
So I thought that's it this will see me out of the race. I knew exactly why I got it. Riding too fast and hard. 400km riding with the pack over the bumps rather than around them. Driving into the saddle when applying power. Rather than dancing on the pedals Constantly up and out and back down on the saddle, Also riding in the peloton no Aero bars allowed and my seat and whole set up was dialled into riding in the Aero bars mostly. So I had 2 hours to make a decision before the start of stage 3. The doctor looked at it and shook his head. He knew as I did this was only going to get worse. He applied some white spirt. Ouch is an understatement.
I decided if I rode the next stage and it got worse. then the next stage or the one after would see me out. I don't do that kind of suffering 20 hour rides increasing to 30-40 hours you need to be completely 100% any weaknesses will split you down the middle.
If I scratched this stage which I was allowed to do you can scratch two stages then your out on a third scratch. It would give me 2days to try and grow some skin and to let you in on a secret my legs had been wrecked by the high pace of the first two stages. I could hardly walk. If I hadn't had the saddle sore as a excuse not to ride I'd have been out on a time penalty anyway. Being out on a time penalty wasn't out of the race just demotion to minor instead of general classification.
So the decision was made I had to start but after 20km I pulled the plug. I double bibed at the start and Michael Knudsen lent me his infinity saddle. It was super comfy and didn't rub the sore. But I new it wouldn't heel in that environment. So pulled anyway. A tactical decision which didn't sit well with me.
The legs recovered and the red sore dried and started to heal.
That 694km stage from Kazan to Perm was terrible roads. It was a long journey even in the van and parts I was holding onto both straps above the doors to steady myself and stop my arse from bumping up and down on the seat. Poor Egor rode 460km of the stage and was pulled in the time penalty. They went and road 700km on some of the worst roads I'd driven on at 33kmph.

Looking after my arse meant applying white spirt every night which nearly made me faint with the pain then in the middle of the night after I'd let the sore dry out and get lots of air I'd apply sudo cream. Just before the ride , germaline and asso saddle cream.

Stage 4 the following day I was a bit embarrassed they'd ridden 700km and I hadn't. I kept a low profile and knew if I wanted to get to Vladivostok my arse had to become my primary purpose. So that meant no fast riding. I double bibbed and applied all my lotions and potions. Michael asked for his infinity saddle back as he destroyed his undercarriage on the last stage. The nose of my seat was pushed down so I wasn't really sitting on it more leaning against it. I couldn't risk any contact, pressure or rubbing on the sore as they were two days of short 300km stages the time cut off was very doable but I started making my thoughts about the unfairness of the system to paul and Alex the race organiser and official.
I rode this stage very calmly and stopped regularly to adjust the saddle forwards slightly, then backwards slightly then more pointed down until I hit a sweet spot of no rubbing or pressure on the sore.
Problem was the accute angle of the saddle pushed me forwards onto my feet and hands shoulders and neck. But I just sucked it up aware of the extra strain and managed it. There was a lot of standing, sitting , shuffling anything to just get one day further in the healing process. It was a very wet start with torrents of rain sweeping across the motorway and all the spray coming off the lorries made it dangerous. The peloton had stopped for a pee break and when they got going again and ramped up the speed they'd forgotten Michael and he couldn't get back on. I meet him up the road and he was so angry they'd done that. He was really mad. I said jump on I'm planning to ride steady and calm all the way if you want my wheel take it you don't have to put your nose out front for the whole day. I knew he must be reeked from the 700km at 33kmph and I was going to ride alone anyway and plus I didn't want him out front changing the pace. I said any time I'm going to slow just ride on. He didn't and we spent the day together relaxed which was nice. We talked and he even took really calm turns in front too. He realised maybe losing time on the others today was a good thing it put him out of the pressure zone and into the ride to Vladivostok zone which after the first day I very happily accepted. Getting back late that night meant we missed the hotel dinner and this would become a reoccurring theme. I had confidence I could ride alone without the pelotons protection and the sore was still healing. So my plan was working.

Stage 5 saw me back on the peloton and riding till the food stop At 150km then dropping out for a steady finish I also chose not to ride in front. One I didn't need to as it was a race and I was basically out and in the minor category and two I wasn't strong enough. And its at times like this your touched and humbled As the peloton pulled me along looking after me. Alexey at one point pushed me up a hill during one of the school boy attacks that took place so I wouldn't be dropped, Pierre would drop back from time to time to almost just check on me. This wasn't a Sunday morning club run. This was the most brutal fastest longest stage race in the world unfolding before us and there taking time to keep me in the game.
I got in a respectful 1 and a half hours behind them. Averaging 30kmph over 330km.

Stage 6
And the legs had come back to me and I was confident all the TLC I'd given my arse had worked and that Vladivostok was a definite in my mind. I needed to hang onto the peloton for as long as possible if I stood a chance of getting in in under the 5 hours cut off for a medium stage 5-700km. We made the first feed station at around the 270km mark at 34kmph and Pierre says "10 minutes ya " in his aristocratic German accent. So after 8 hours non stop flat out there stopping for 10 minutes. I loved this and laughed out load. I have to look after myself at the stops as when your as low down in the pecking order as I was your vans at the back. Some times 3-4 km at the back. So by the time they've changed feed rubbed and pampered themselves there back on the bikes when my van is pulling up. I didn't mind I helped myself to a big bowl of scrambled egged sausages and chocolates. All I needed was a big hand full of saddle cream and we were away. Before I new it we'd ridden through heavy traffic jams across ripped up roads over fly overs and into the darkness. 470km I was still going strong with the group but needed time alone to still mess with my saddle and set up as 3 days leaning on a slopped saddle had taken its toll on my feet and arms, shoulders and neck.and my sore was holding up. And if I was going to ride with the peloton tomorrow I wouldn't have time to mess about they never slowed and only stopped for pee breaks every 100km maybe for 1 minute maximum. I needed to chance flatting the saddle again and mess about with my position.
I cruised in to a beautiful sunrise on a very flat Siberian plane covered in wild flowers and insects. Beautiful but brutal at the same time. Not some where you'd go with the family camping. It sheer size and lack of anything was unfathomable.
Position seemed to be working.

Stage 7
Writing this I'm surprised I got so far with a saddle sore the size of Siberia
Another 600km with a night start. The road out was so rough and we ride it so fast it was the first inclination I didn't like this it was stupid we didn't need to take this road , we should of ridden it slowly. It was the first sign of negative energy the entire race. Through out all the previous problems of going too fast sweat in the eyes , saddle sores aching shoulders no food at the hotel nothing fased me I had a solution for every thing. I reviled in it. But riding into the night on that road I wasn't happy. It didn't last long and soon the peloton was attacking each other and the km flew by. dawn approached and we had a food stop around 280km. Some of the TranSiberian helpers 90 or so involved , started patting me on the back and tacking selfies with me. It was the first time they had done this with me. They were starting to acknowledge what I was achieving staying in the game day after day. I was first back on the bike and whistled out to everyone to get a move on. 10 minute rule. They got it. Today they decided enough of riding on the hoods. And who ever took the lead would drop down on the Aeros. OMG immediately the pace went from 35-39kmph instantly. And before long I was on the limit like day one. The road opened up 3 stages ago to the E22 or M7 and it was flat straight and even in the peloton it was a head fuck. Alexy said he liked the night because you couldn't see it , you couldn't see that road straight out flat for 1,000 of kms I didn't last long at the increased pace although I tried my best. Again for me it felt like a matter of life or death I dropped off around 330km which left me around 270km to do on my own. Mid day and I watched the temperature rise from 28 to 37 degrees instantly. And my speed Fromm 33kmph to 27kmph.
I've mentioned distances and average speeds a lot and it's not me. When people ask about rides, it's usually from this place to that I rarely know the distance and speed is measured in time. It took 2 days or 7 hours. I'm not big on data. But this ride was all about knowing how many km's you had left your current average speed and working out when the peloton would finish to work out if you'd make the cut off.
No
end to the horizon no reason to change a gear or position on the bike. Just torture. I new there and then in an instant this ride was over for me. And it felt ok. Up till that point I'd managed all the obstacles and struggles and no matter how tough it got I sucked it up I don't now how or why but I was happy to endure it and I wanted to endure it.
But like a moment of clarity I knew I didn't want to get stuck out alone off the back of the peloton on a daily bases for 12-14-27 hours at a time on a long straight flat motorway with nothing and I mean nothing in it. I did not want to endure that. Except cars and trucks. The same motorway every day. The hours with the peloton were intensely tough but I enjoyed it. The hours alone on that road unbelievably unbearable. I started to think long and hard. The last 130km I pulled over and spoke to the crew. I wanted them to talk me into continuing part of me wanted to continue but only for a good enough reason I needed an euphony. I had an answer for everything nothing could sway my mind. The only thing I came up with was my kids. Noah was following every day and I knew he'd me more disappointed than me. But that wasn't good enough I couldn't endure hours of soulless riding every day for the next two weeks. 1000km yes but not 6000km like we had left. Yes the added zeros aren't a mistake. Every ride has soulless moments but you just put one pedal in front of the other and the situation usually changes. It became apparent this situation or rather road wasn't going to change. I couldn't endure that unhappy just to make Noah proud of me. He'd learn a lot from me quitting. It's ok to fail it's ok to quit something you don't like. And you have to learn to live with disappointments. I wanted to stop there and then but needed to prove to myself I could still suck it up even when I wanted to quit and wasn't enjoying it and also finish the stage as even though I was 100% sure I was quitting I knew not to make that call till I'd eaten and slept on it. Askey had scratched due to a knee issue and taken a time penalty like me it meant he was out of the race and into the minor category.but they'd already given him a time for this stage. During one of my many stops along the last 100km I noticed they'd published his time and I worked out I might beat it if I got a move on. The racer had come back and suddenly I was flat out sweat pouring into my eyes stinging like acid. Letting the last energy out slowly over the last 30km saw me beat his allocated time by 4 minutes.
Back at the hotel I desperately wanted to phone to Danielle she'd sacrificed a lot and had to work extra hard when I was away. She was dead against me going from the beginning and I knew she'd be mad as hell I quit not because I had to but because I wanted to. I kind of thought that conversation might have forced me on but there was no wifi it was late I was done. I woke the next morning still ok with my decision I didn't need to prove to myself or more importantly anyone else I needed to finish this. I was free.
I managed to ring Danielle that afternoon and explain the situation. She came down on me like a ton of bricks. There was no sympathy she was furious I'd quit for no other reason than I wasn't enjoying it she made me feel awful. I couldn't explain it , until Felix are middle son who's 11 came on the phone.
" don't worry Dad your still a hero "
Was all he said.
The tears bursted out then Danielle burst into tears and suddenly everything was right.

The next few weaks will be a process and part of me is disappointed but not the part that counts. My soul said it was ok to quit. My soul wasn't enjoying it. I'm at peace with my decision. And that maybe was why I needed to enter and fail and learn and have the most amazing adventure and meet some incredible people. And grow from this experience.
But your soul isn't always in charge and as I sit on the plane home frantically putting into words what just happened my ego is whispering to me " maybe next year Adrian we could finish it "
THE END.

I'll ask Adrian if it's OK to share it on here...

Edit - already been shared above..

Oops, seeing it's posted on a public Facebook group, hopefully he won't mind

Happy to delete if you see it an issue?

Edit - Adrian said its cool to share