Ian Bragg Cycling for ucare-Oxford.org.uk

Hurrah! The team arrived in Chamonix at about tea time on Friday. Exhausted, elated and ready for a beer! The last day was the most challenging with a steep climb up, then a thrilling descent on switch back roads where Ian reached ~40mph at times on the roads down. This was followed by the steepest climb up they’d faced. The support car drivers Juzz and Alison commented that the cars were struggling on some of the hills! The last rendezvous before Cham’ with the cars was at the top of the last and very worst climb!

The boys were met by a 30 strong welcome party, complete with party poppers, banners and plenty of fizz. The boys powered down into Cham so quickly they almost beat the drivers to the bar!  Then it was time for showers and a meal. Bless them, they managed to stay up til 1am despite their gruelling few days.

Well done gentlemen – what a truly amazing feat. I don’t think some of the team realised quite what they were letting themselves in for, but they made it.

The totaliser for UCARE stands at £8112 without gift aid and £9667.  Thank you everyone for all your generous support – Ian can choose whether the money goes to medical research including post docorate sponsorship into urological cancers, equipment purchase right down to test tubes and other lab stuff or education and awareness raising. Such a large amount of money will make a massive difference!  The website is http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/IanBragg for anyone who is still looking to donate, never too late!

Comments from the riders

A really hard start for Ian and Andy, leaving the hotel and straight into a monster climb up to the Col de la Faucille – no time to warm up heavy, stiff legs.  The uphill lasts for nearly 17 miles with the first 5 miles a persistent gradient of around 6%.  But where there’s an up, there’s mostly a down and the descent into Geneva was a highlight, clocking 42 mph whilst taking our lives in our hands!

From there, it was a traffic-light ridden skirt of Lake Geneva where Bernard impressed us with his bike handling, falling flat on his face from a standstill, unable to get out of his cleats in time.  We were blessed with improving weather for the 30 miles or so to the base of the final climb, staying ahead of the support vehicles who were pre-occupied with doing a more scenic route listening to the Sat Nav.  Lunch was in Bonneville with a moment of nudity for Andy (apart from socks) whilst changing to shorter shorts now that the sun was fully out.

Some quiet contemplation on the route and a quick energy gel before the long final ascent into the Chamonix Valley.  The sun was beating down at its hottest (thanks…) and it was every man for himself.  Bernard and Andy Egg kindly nursed Ian and Andy up (the latter resorting to the iPod and a bit of Nailbomb to take the mind away from the pain) and, roughly 3 pedal turns from complete collapse, we made it to the top and the entry to the Chamonix Valley.  Huge relief and a fair bit of emotion (but let’s not talk about that, we’re grown men) before the final cruise into Chamonix itself.

So, after 6 days, 604 miles and just over 40 hours in the saddle, we made it to the square and a welcoming party, most of whom were too busy chatting to notice we were there.  Andie (Andy’s wife) had kindly organised the troops with streamers, poppers and cheap champagne to spray the happy cyclists.  3 sips later, slightly light-headed and dying to sit down on a comfortable seat, it was time for a well-earned beer (or several jugs of the stuff) and for Ian and Andy to show what appalling drinkers they’ve become…  Wahay!

The “train” setting off…

The view from the top of Col de la Faucille.

Andy and Andy Egg.  Profile shots are never the best for the former…

Alison manning one of the support vehicles.

Andy Egg with Ian in the background.

I have photos!  The boys have gone down to Geneva and must be climbing up by now!  The captions have left the photos but I am too daft to work out how to fix this and the dog needs a walk!

The boys are in a ski resort.  That means they have climbed 1000m today (they’ve got to come down again tomorrow and then go up again).  The climb was quite short, over “only” 30 miles of todays 101, but that means steep hills.  Each one sets his own pace on the hills and just looks at the tarmac, never up.  They’ve had a photo taken outside a ski hire place but as there has been no wi-fi in any of the hotels and indeed none at all in the resort of Morbier, I can’t give you photos except a blurry one from a Blackberry.

I think the stats are 101 miles, 7 hours in the saddle and the 1000m ascent. 

Max was still planning to join the Chamonix party but has been dissuaded!  He has to see the shoulder specialist next week to decide whether an op is necessary as the break is really bad.  Horse pills have been prescribed for pain.   Apparently the french treat broken collar bones whereas we stoical Brits just wear a puny collar and cuff sling and get on with it. 

So just one day to go…..what an acheivement already!

Comments from the riders

At breakfast, the contingent was completed with the arrival of Matt, aka Bernard, Andy’s business partner from Mountain Base, who had driven up from Chamonix at some awful time of the morning.  6 of us set off towards the hills, soon after a strict lecture on “not getting carried away and stay of the pace of the old boys”.  However, the team worked well and we set a strong average pace of nearly 18 mph.  The terrain and smooth roads were in our favour, so much so that we were some way ahead of the support team who had been trying to upload photos back at the hotel.

A quick stop just outside Auxonne by a lake and a comedy photo call for Andy in front of a “Restaurant Pinocchio” sign.  Hilarious.  There’s nothing wrong with a big nose.  Anyway, onwards we went through open countryside and on quiet roads, allowing us to cycle two abreast and chat away.  It was more like a holiday ride than 5 days into a cycle challenge, but the roads became rougher, the headwind picked up slightly and it was back into 6 man in a line formation, with the new boys doing the work at the front.  A different backside for Ian and Andy to follow, the conclusion being that grown men shouldn’t wear white lycra (Cam). 

Lunch was in another layby with a crowd of onlooking cows, before we set off towards the hills and the inevitable climb to the finish for the day.  The first climb was a pleasant gradient (but long), up through some woods.  Ian and Andy were overtaken by a bloke with his trousers tucked into his socks, plus 2 grey-haired old boys, but the excuse was that we were saving ourselves for later.  Erm.

Emerging from the woods, we were back onto the main roads and rolling countryside towards our final destination and a big climb up towards Morbier.  The climb was long and rose several hundred metres through switchbacks, up towards Saint-Laurent, steep at first, levelling off to a more gradual ascent towards the end.  The Col de la Savine marked the top, at just shy of 1000m, where we all belted down the road towards Morez, knowing that every metre of descent added to the climb for tomorrow.  Huge traffic jams coming into the town through roadworks made us glad to be on bikes and finally to our hotel for the night.

The hotel was the only one not chosen by Alison and it was, erm…in need of modernisation.  A lovely host (although slightly mad) pointed us to a place to eat, where word had got around town of our arrival and meant free chips for all.  Again, shandies were had and a typical glass of freezing cold red wine, purely for relaxation purposes.  Too much confidence?

Today’s ride was nearly postponed due to a massive  storm that raged overnight but had cleared by the morning.  Andy and Ian set off in the morning and were joined 35 miles later by Eg (an Iron Man, you know those nutty mega marathon things) for the rest of the journey.   So the stats for the day are 106 miles, average speed 15.09 mph and 7 hours 1 min riding.  Andy is supplying very accurate stats!  No altitude details since losing Max I’m afraid. 

Ian’s legs are very tired now, in fact he sounded shattered when I spoke to him but he hadn’t eaten dinner by then.  He is now bored of all the carbs!  A strong head wind was a big problem today and in spite of some of the flattest terrain they’ve encountered, at some points they were only managing 10mph.   

A new support driver, Juzz, has joined the team and is champing at the bit to get supporting!  Maybe he should massage some legs… I wonder if anyone did get a leg wax?!

I cycled 4 miles today, the first “proper” cycle ride since I smashed my shoulder – I was pathetic.  How do they keep these >100 mile days up?  Hats off to you gents!  I made some more cakes though and still had stamina to eat one of the marshmallow cornflake ones.

Comments from the riders

After the storms of the night before, that went through most of the night, it was actually not raining when we finished breakfast and we were able to get underway.  We carried full waterproofs just in case, but progress was slow with strong headwinds just as we’d finished the night before.  Both Ian and Andy were feeling tired and the persistent struggle against the wind hardly raised the spirits.  The uphills seemed endless!

A couple of hours in though, we got word that Andy Egg had met up with Alison and the riders all got together around 35 miles in.  The first time that Andy had ever been glad to see Andy Egg, a fairly dull accountant friend from Chamonix (only joking…).  Immediately letting Andy Egg take the front (how kind), we set off into the wind again with a sense of relief.  Egg had remarked the night before how tired we sounded and he wasn’t wrong…!

As we slowly ate through the miles, the average speed continued to tumble and the wind was getting to us more and more.  I think this was probably the low point of the ride as far as energies went and a long awaited rest and lunch was taken.  Cue energy gels from Egg.  As we set off again, we got some protection from the wind as we were amongst trees and the energy seemed to return.  The roads seemed smoother and, despite a minor map-reading blunder which took us over an extra hill, we were in much higher spirits when we met Alison for the final stop, having to wake her up…

The final 20 miles absolutely flew and we were cruising in fine formation at a steady 20mph+ to our destination in Is-sur-Tille.  A great end to a long, tiring day and 2 converts to the power of energy gels…

Poor, poor Max. He has broken his clavicle and made a mess of it, further injuring an old problem. He is currently (1640) buying a train ticket to Paris and then heading to the Eurostar for home. After all that training and build up, I feel so sorry for him, particularly as a fellow shoulder injury sufferer. He’s all strapped up and in a great deal of pain. A “bone doctor” in England is to be sought. I have recommended my surgeon and wish him a speedy recovery.

Ian and Andy are nearly at the end of their day. Alison has been a star looking after Max.

Update at 2010.  Andy and Ian have completed another 115 miles but today was really tough.  They are both shaken and upset by Max’s injury and Andy nearly came off his bike during the incident too.  There was a huge hill coming out of Reims which went on forever. 

Further details on Max’s injury sound grim, he will have to visit the “bone doctor” daily to have his brace tightened to winch the clavicle back into place.  Eurgh.  The party in Chamonix won’t be quite the same without him and his family.

Comments from the riders

After a fairly poor night’s sleep again in the heat, we set off from St Quentin and faffed about for a good half an hour trying to get out of the town, relying on instinct in the end!  Keen to get some miles under the belt before it got too hot again, we put in some decent pace and quickly got 35 miles in and arranged to meet Alison a little beyond Laon.  Unfortunately, we then had Max’s accident – it all happened very quickly and we’re still not sure why it happened, but a moment’s lack of concentration when moving back into the “peloton” meant that Max clipped his front wheel on Ian’s rear wheel and over he went, hitting the side of the road very hard on his shoulder.  He was dazed and more than likely in shock and we knew instantly that it was the end of the road for him.  Very sad and a huge shame that we were going to lose him for such a tiny incident, but with big consequences.

Ian and Andy had to carry on whilst Alison took Max to hospital, both a little shaken by the reminder of the dangers of following a wheel closely, particularly on busy roads with cars and lorries whistling past all the time.  Although the French drivers show so much more respect to cyclists than the Brits, they’re never too far away and despite the tiredness, concentration has to be maintained.

Anyway, we made it to Reims for lunch, the champagne capital.  There was no sign of the heat subsiding and lunch was a sweaty affair, with the waiter throwing ice over his Harley to keep it cool (?).  On we pressed, with the energy seeming to disappear, making the final 50 miles quite a slog.  At last, the weather was turning and the heat went out of the air as we got closer to our destination.  With 20 miles or so to go and surrounded by rain and thunderstorms, we were joined by Tom and Juliet, friends from Chamonix, who were driving and motorbiking back from the UK.  Always a morale boost to see some friendly faces, they guided us into Vitry-le-Francois and our stop for the night.  The weather had brought a growing head wind with it, so the last miles were hard work and seemed to go on forever, not helped by Tom’s haphazard descriptions of how far there was to go…

That night we headed into town for dinner and outrageously, a couple of shandies.  As neither of us had slept particularly well, we figured this might relax us!  Come the end of the meal though, the heavens opened as if we were in the tropics, ripping open the restaurant’s canopy.  With no choice, the 5 of us sprinted for the hotel but were soaked through to the pants within metres.    Not exactly boding well for the morning, there was chat of postponing for a day, but perhaps that was just tired bodies talking…

A long hot day – 11 hours with breaks. The boys rode 115 miles and Ian drank 6 litres of water. It was a bank holiday in France and our calorie burning team could have starved as all the shops were shut, save for the quick thinking Alison! She found a pizzaria – well pizza is bread and cheese isn’t it!

Andy reckons the hills they climbed today are steeper than the approach to Chamonix so confidence levels for the “hilly” days have been boosted.

Stats just in: 115 miles, 7 hours 20 mins riding, 15.7 mph average speed, total ascent 1800m. 

I’m sorry there’s still no photos, I’ll take some of the cakes at the school cake sale to raise money for UCARE on Thursday instead!

Comments from the riders

Whoever said this stage was flat is an idiot (Andy). 

The day started fairly badly as Ian had set his alarm on UK time, so Max and Andy breakfasted alone until he was forcibly woken up.  But it was soon time to set off and get back in the saddle.

After the potholes of Kent, the roads were bliss to start with, smooth, tree-lined, straight and gently rolling countryside.  Without any wind, we were flying along until our first puncture, after Ian went over some glass.  Luckily, Alison was close by to give us the big bike pump and we were on our way again swiftly.

However, soon the terrain changed and the cool of the morning disappeared.  It was sweltering and windless and the “rolling” countryside became more and more rolling, every downhill into a village meaning a punishing ascent out and they just seemed to get bigger and bigger.  Anyway, on we went and met Alison for lunch just outside Therouanne, amongst a mass of cars parked wherever they felt like, it seemed.  Without much of an alternative, we then headed into the town to be met by what must have been several thousand people at a “brocante” fair, the French equivalent of a car boot sale in a street market.  The place was literally mobbed and it took us close on half an hour to get through the crowd and out the other side of the town.

Lunch was in Arras and a nice pizza in the square, which was heavily cobbled and a test for sore backsides.  A friendly waiter topped up the water supplies and we were off again with a fair way to go still.  They certainly build their roads straight in France where they can, only the horizon stopping the view of the end.  Still not sure whether this is depressing or a boost!  With no let up in the heat, we pressed on to St Quentin with dinner in the square and a chance for Alison to impress us with her blossoming French.  Safe to say, when you ask for the bill and you end up with the dessert menu, there’s some work to do.

It’s been a hot slog for the boys but a very impressive start. Cumulative height climbed 1,100 miles. Average speed 16.8 mph. Distance 75 miles.

A lovely welcome party of the Ness family (who had the riders and driver to stay overnight), Matt-Bernard’s brothers (M-B is joining the gang for the big hills), Max’s family and Ian’s parents all the way from Sussex. Thank you all for sending them off – Ian was really touched. I am told that a junior Ness stacked his big boy’s bike next to all the racing machines over night!
The road to Folkestone was a lot hillier than anticipated but all riders achieved their goal of fish and chips on the ferry. Ian also had a head, neck and shoulder massage on the boat from some entrepeneurial girls.

Bagels, malt loaf and litres of water have been the order of the day, supplied by Alison. The car had a little kiss with another car while in her care, but nothing serious!

There are the beginnings of some interesting tan lines coming along. Mrs Cheese suggested a “sure tick” on the cyclists’ backs to see if anti-perspirant really does work in the heat!

Ian is on his way to pick up “Symo” from Lu’on airpor’. Good ol’ Sleasy Jet, the flight is delayed. I can imagine Stelios having palpitations at the thought.

Ian has visibly gained weight this week. It’s actually amazing, a bit like watching a pregnant bump grow but faster. He has eaten double portions all week and not sat on the bike once. This is know as carbo loading in the racing world or just being greedy here.

Bike Knight came to replace his tyre, fix a puncture on Lara’s bike but refused to fix Ian’s gears as the Knight had to park on double yellows and didn’t have the time! Let’s hope those gears behave.

Ian and Andy are going shopping in Boots this afternoon for suncream etc – I wonder will they share a basket in a best bike buddy sweet sort of way?

Ian cycled to Irchester near Wellingborough with Max on Sunday. By all accounts it was do-able, ok, not so bad but it was the golden 100 miles. I don’t think it was the nicest bike ride though, having busy roads.

I took a picnic and met up with my brother and his family. Ian came to watch his son, daughter and two nephews trying out “Jungle Parc” which is like a mini Go Ape or climbing in the trees, while wearing his full lycra and silly bike shoes.
This week he is mainly eating (carbs), stretching and not cycling. Most of the bike bits have been purchased. I think it’s sun cream and plasters on the shopping list now!

Our friend Fi has offered an extra £50 sponsorship if Ian gets his legs waxed. Another friend Louise is keen to help wax…..Go on Ian, just think how much faster you’ll go!
Ian received a parcel of cycling goodies yesterday including arm warmers. Very practical.
Tomorrow he’s going bike bit shopping while the rest of the family go to cub camp. Ian will join us for the hog roast – does that surprise anyone?