Well did Velothon Wales for the third time, the first on my own, and picked a rather fine day to do it. Too fine for my liking, with temps hitting 30 degrees on the course at one point.
Even as I set off for the start, it was 22 degrees at 6.50am...
View attachment 418806
View attachment 418807
The first 30 miles were uneventful, just getting into the swing of things, and trying to dodge the multitude of water bottles laying strewn across the road.
The first big climb up to Celtic Manor was a grind and was the point at which i kinda thought I'd bitten off more than I could chew. The heat was getting to me, and the sweat band in the helmet was starting to leak down onto the glasses, something I had to constantly manage.
Just before Usk an unofficial water stop by a well meaning local caused a major road blockage that went on for some half hour. A little annoyance as the main stop was only a few KMs further along.
The main Usk hub was busy, but some locals also were working tirelessly filling up water bottles from their adjacent house.
View attachment 418808
View attachment 418809
After Usk my legs felt heavy, never really getting into a right gear, the heat was too much. On aprevious ride I had stopped to take a photo and the bike fell, and I think this also affected the gearing, maybe a slight bent hangar which was another thing I was managing.
The Tumble...well I had hoped after all my Peaks riding to do it in one go as I had the last time, but it was too much for me and despite some great conversations on the way up I stopped 5 or 6 times to catch a breath, barely beating those who were walking up the hill.
View attachment 418810
View attachment 418811
At the top the "extra" water stop (which used to be a main hub en route) had run out of water. So half a can of diet coke later I set off down the fun side of the hill, and as I approached the hard left at the bottom I spotted a fire station with officers outside offering water. After a very grateful refill I set back off and picked up my pace through the south Wales countryside.
View attachment 418812
When I hit the dual carriageway towards Caerphilly my legs decided to go to jelly again, and felt every bit of the 7% gradient on a very long and quite dull stretch of road. A voice came from behind me and thinking it was something wrong with my bike I slowed only for the fella to tell me excitedly that he'd spent 70 miles trying to spot another Dolan and mine was the first he'd seen. Same colour scheme too, so obviously a man with impeccable taste.
At Caerphilly a quick stop at the castle as I'd never taken a pic there before, and tbh I needed to dowse my helmet!
View attachment 418813
Got a lovely back wash via a woman with a bucket of water only too happy to pour over the cyclists, then set off with great gusto for the mountain...
....Only to get right off and said "yeah this isn't going to happen".
I wasn't the only one...
View attachment 418814
Kudos to everyone who made it up that hill in one go in that weather, after 70 miles.
A guy fell off the bike trying to get up, and his riding partner (dunno if it was his wife) gave absolutely no encouragement other than to get back on the bike and get up the hill with her as she rode off lol. Rest of us were asking if he was alright....she was "COME ON! GET UP THE HILL!"
Saw another fella getting up in the most zig zaggy fashion possible. Probably gained about 2 foot per swivel. Hey it don't matter how you do it, right?!
At the top I wandered aimlessly between the food and drink stops, not entirely focused on what I wanted to achieve...but eventually filled up with orange juice and set off for the last stretch.
Found a decent group to ride with for the last 12 miles or so, and kept a decent pace up to the finish,
View attachment 418815
Really tough route, made much tougher for me with the weather. I prefer a bit of cold and even a little rain to unending heat and sunshine.
From Usk onwards though, the support was incredible, the hoses across the road were most welcome, and the number of people going out of their way to provide water to the riders even at the back end, where I was, really was a thing of beauty, and I've posted in every conceivable social media group representing the towns of south wales thanking them for their support, it probably saved injury to somebody.
https://www.strava.com/activities/1691495678
Must have smelled amazing, riding past.
out there, (I was distinctly under-dressed, hence the bailing out for a longer ride) and had a pesky headwind that made things a bit of a grind. 
But hey ho, I got out on the bike. 
