Great insight from team rider Graham Wood into the toughest Cycle Cross race in the world. 52nd ANNUAL 3 PEAKS CYCLO-CROSS Sunday 28th September 2014 A Race to the summits of Whernside (2,419ft.), Ingleborough (2,373ft.), and Penyghent (2,273ft.). On a sunny morning as the sun came up over the North Yorkshire Moors whilst out training with my regular cyclo cross training partner Matty a random conversation turned to why don’t we both enter the Three Peaks race. Matty who had completed the race the previous year was keen to coerce me into this clearly ridiculous event convincing me that we are in this together ( hmmm where have i heard that before ). So delirious from lack of oxygen on returning from my ride the entry was in and the plan was hatched.. Or so I thought. Weeks went by with the excitement building as 1500 registrations went in to the organiser with a current Palmares. There are only 650 participants and Priority is given to people who have done this before and have a pedigree in the event and those marshalling the event from the year before the rest are selected by the organisers to form a competitive field. Those in the know were eagerly waiting for confirmation emails those playing the odds secretly hoping not to get selected were booking their holidays. It was an evening some time in May when an email arrived i was confused it was an email inviting me to enter my application. Not knowing quite what was going on i submitted it. I looked on Twitter (its like the news but funnier) and saw several exited applicants rather happy they had been accepted it looked like I was one of them now too (time to change those holiday arrangements) . At this point and over the next few days Matty informs me he has not received his email ( I now question whether there ever was an application ) It was real the training began in earnest the with help from previous Three Peaks entrants the snippets of info came trickling in. My early morning regime throughout the Summer was helped by dry weather and early sunrises with late sunsets allowing time aside from the working day to put the necessary training in. Training well with hindsight i now know riding your bike up and downhill fast or slow will not help significantly as the bulk of your race time will be spent carrying your bike on your back up and down impossible to ride stoney muddy greasy slippery tracks. should have practiced throwing my body unexpectedly at hard things that hurt. Still I will say that constant reps up and down Roseberry topping helps but you do get some strange looks. The Day was upon us up at 4AM to travel 2 hours to the start, sign on and psyche and fuel yourself up for the 0930 start. Th weather was fantastic dry with not a lot of wind as i was lining up to start i heard a lot of discussion about PB’s I would be pleased to get round. The start was cramped but a great atmosphere are the countdown started 10.9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1, Gunshot we were away a keen pace everyone with the same idea make up early ground and for some the sound of squealing breaks snapping carbon and shouts meant that the race was over before they had started a big crash only a mile in. Focus and be smart i thought i made up ground on the outside the crowds were supportive easy to get carried away with the excitement. 5 miles later the first hill looms and I mean LOOM 640 riders at the bottom of a grassy hill named Simons Fell i don’t know what angle this thing was but my heart was pounding out of my chest pick your own route theres no path grabbing anything to steady yourself good support all around and photographer to capture the grimness it seemed an age to get to the summit a steady section on the bike then the finale to the summit we were now on a track of sorts with a clear route down this is where i thought i could gain with me enjoying the downhill more than the up of course i was wrong with limited overtaking opportunities the only option was to go off line to overtake…… Crash number 1 a mild affair only ending in a bloody knee and a bent lever. Ok lesson learned ! aAt the base of Ingleborough comes a decent road section with adrenaline flowing after my crash I was away a flat section of good road i was overtaking plenty of participants then we arrived at Whernside a mandatory dismount and drinks station then onwards and upwards a relentless carry up the highest peak I cramped half way I had made a massive effort to eat and drink too just keep going one foot after the other a sting of riders ahead and no real way of making up too much ground. Then the downhill Ive walked up this way so thought i knew the route well so let myself go a little and yep you guessed it crash number to over the bars and bike flying down the hill very scary but it seemed sort of normal by now. There is a set of large stone steps down whernside so i decided to ride them I was pleased with my effort and a round of applause at the bottom helped too. A fast decent and two more minor offs although they hurt now and on to the next road section. I must say i was fling here on the way to Pen y ghent passing several more competitors but i was hurting badly now my left calf cramping i slipped my foot out of the pedal and rode one legged whilst stretching and the arrived agh the foot of the final climb. As soon as i alighted my bike for the first bike carry of the climb a comedy fall into a late bush in front of the spectators my left leg had locked up i was almost in tears several rushed over and tried to pick me up i just needed to stretch it and i was off again with more great support. A horribly long tortuous climb to the top made worse by watching others coming down on their way to the finish. Near the top { made a mental note over a brow where i had seen two riders fall I dibbed my timing device at the top with a big smile and headed down over the brow id remembered and found myself overtaking again off line exactly where i shooed Avvvvooooid with a spectacular crowd pleasing over the bars face-plant dazed and confused when my bike wasn’t working very well i realised i had no rear brake and gears for the descent but i was nearly there. A very treacherous descent where the front brake whilst better than none was more dangerous than helpful i managed to get down in one piece I really do not know how. Then a short road section to finish i was in a big gear so buried myself picking up a few more places passing cramping riders at the side of the road and into the finish a great crowd and a wonderful moment i won’t forget i was so pleased to have made it. I made it round 15 minutes inside my target time and I didn’t trouble the leaders but none of that really mattered i was now part of the history of this amazing event . One thing is for sure though I won’t be part of its future. I highly recommend doing it check it out on You Tube but for me Never again I’m done !!! Thanks to everyone who helped with advice and massive cheers to Matty Cooper who regardless of his own entry met me every time on the North Yorkshire moors to train.
Posted on: Wed, 01 Oct 2014 19:57:51 +0000
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