Today’s ride I shall entitle “Belvoir Blast 100”......
So today was the day for the 2018 Belvoir Blast sportive, a ride I have been anxiously waiting to do for 5-6 months. I’ve been told by various sources that it was definitely one to do because the feed stops were amazing and boy, they weren’t wrong!!
There were six of us due to do it but for various reasons one by one they pulled out so I was a Billy-No-Mates! Setting off just after 8am it was through a few familiar lanes for a couple of miles that I had previously covered through another sportive and also on forum rides. Just 2 1/2 miles had lapsed before the first climb started out of the vale (I believe it to be called Harby Hill) which I would hazard a guess at its steepest was around 10%ish. As I was still warming up at this time there was minimal effort but it still pushed the HR up to max! A left turn at the top and a bit of flats followed and then it was down Stathern hill which I’d covered a month or so ago on a forum ride.
I weaved through a couple more lanes again familiar territory ast Dove Cottage but turning right just before the cafe I had visited a few weeks ago with the chaps off the forum. It was a this stage I encountered a couple of chaps who were riding at a pace I liked and they kindly let me tag along with them. They were very friendly indeed and we all got on really well and stayed together for the remainder of the ride (well, 2 of us anyway but I’ll get onto that in a bit!)
I did splinter off for a short while through Barkestone and it was coming out of here I could see what was to be major climb no 2. Looking in the distance I could see the all too familiar silhouette of Belvoir Castle and what I thought was a long straight road.
Turns out it wasn’t that straight......
It kicked up very gently and I had an inkling there was a climb imminent and so I dropped off pace wise in anticipation of this. As I approached the wooded area it kicked up but being the naive soul I am I ground it out in big gears hoping it wasn’t all that.
Turns out it was “all that.” And then some! The bloody thing went round a bend and kicked up again! In fact it kicked up to 14% and I was spent as my legs were on fire and my HR had hit 192 which is 12bpm above my max!!
Dropping quickly to granny gears I just totally relaxed and in doing so got up it, even though I’d have been quicker getting off and walking! On reflection it turns out I’d just done one of the UK Top 100 climbs which
@13 rider had kindly pointed out to me upon analysing my strava stats so to do that was a hell of an accomplishment.
Passing through Belvoir village it was time for the first feed station at Woolsthorpe and time to test these cakes that people have raved about so much. Everything was homemade and there was no fancy gels/ bars in sight- just damn good cakes!
I regrouped with the other two fellas I’d met earlier (although one did saunter past me on the big climb only to stop at the top and wait for his mate) at the feed stop and had 10 mins or so in cake heaven with them!
We set off for the next 30 mile stint and it was an immediate climb out of Woolsthorpe and it gently eased off once we crossed the A607 at Croxton Kerrial. This 30 mile section was quite easy by comparison- mainly flat- and the only real slog was around
Rutland Water and to the feed stop at Wing. One of the chaps was really struggling and we took it in turns to tow him around. Turns out he’d been out the night before til 4am to celebrate his sons 16th, I was impressed he actually turned out at all!!
^feed stop at Wing.
Setting off again we embarked upon the hardest section of the ride coming out of Rutland back into Leicestershire. To say this section is lumpy is a gross understatement, add the fact we were heading west for a bit into the wind as well and it made for tough riding indeed. Climbing out of Braunstone we got split up a bit but regrouped and it was at this stage one of the chaps had enough, and said to the other to carry on and once we’d worked out his route back me and the other fella continued on our way. More ups and downs followed but before long we were at feed #3 having done 82 miles. As the other shorter routes merged by this stage the place was quite depleted of cakes but there was enough to satiate our appetites.
I pointed out to Ian that there was about 18 to go and it should be pretty steady now as we had to head back into the vale. And so it was- a nice drop into Long Clawson preceded a tough flat section into a cold headwind but once we’d done that we changed direction back into Hose village where the end was and so for the last 5 miles or so the wind was behind us.
We ran down a few riders who left the last feed a good 10 minutes before us and crossed the line in 6 hours 19 having done a total of 100.1 miles and both spent. The other fella Jonno was there waiting to see us cross the line and pick up our medals and goodie bags.
This was everything I’d hoped it would be and more and I will definitely do this one again, hopefully with better weather!
Anyway, that’s enough s**te from me.
https://www.strava.com/activities/1875733634
https://www.relive.cc/view/1875733634
but boy was it cold
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That did make me laugh!! I personally find the way in from Merrylees to be a bit of a killer, but I’ve gone in and out from all ways and none of them are easy!
instead of wanting a paramedic
