The Fred Whitton is regarded as the hardest sportive in the country. I’m sure there are sportives that are longer or have more climbing, but it is the sheer severity of the climbs and the rolling nature of the rest of the course that really saps the strength.

For most it is also one of the hardest to gain entry to. It sells out in double quick time so my friends who live in the lakes print off their entry, then hand deliver them to “Lofty’s” door (the organizer).

I have done the event for the last 2 years now and for me it’s really special. My family come to watch and help, and for those who have never been to the lakes this is a showcase of what the area has to offer.

The route starts in the lovely town of Coniston, where you can set off at any time between 6 and 9 am. Actually you park on the football pitch where I played many a game in my football career.
From Coniston you roll towards Hawkshead Hill – this isn’t long or steep, but it settles everyone down nicely as you climb gently towards the famous Drunken Duck Inn.

The route then rolls to Clappersgate, then back towards Windermere, where you pass the Low Wood Hotel. You then take a left and find the small gears for the sharp climb into Troutbeck village. It’s at this point that I begin to wonder if setting off with the elite pack was a wise idea. Troutbeck’s post office will make you teas, and the Mortal Man pub is great for food, but not today!

As you drop into the climb of Kirkstone pass all the nervous chatter has stopped and everyone is concentrating. This is possibly the longest climb at 3 miles and the highest point on the route, but it is by no means the hardest.

The descent needs caution. Last year some poor guy took it to fast, collided with the wall and had an open chest wound.

The next section is where you can relax a bit, take in the beautiful views as you pass through Glenridding and marvel at the stillness and tranquility of Ullswater.

In getting over Kirkstone with the elite pack you can be safe in the knowledge you can get a bit of a tow through Keswick to Honister Pass, mentally a good barrier at roughly 45 miles, a third of the route done. But then you hit Honister – 25%. I described it to my dad that it was like some one had dropped a hand grenade into the pack, some people seemed to be climbing with apparent ease, some started going backwards and some sideways.

Heart rate maxed out, every sinew straining you fight to keep the bike moving forward. My head drops, checking to see if I’m really in my lowest gear (34-28). Once you get over the cattle grid the gradient eases, you can compose yourself a bit and make your way to the top.

Now this descent needs extreme caution! For the last two years I have descended here to find somebody getting a close up view of the Lakeland dry stone walling (hope it wasn’t the same guy!)

Roll on a bit further and you’re at the first feed stop, refuel but go easy on the cakes, and then after a few hundred yards you turn right onto my personal favourite climb of Newlands. Not sure why I like it really but I find it suits my riding style.

With the sharp Classics-style kick complete at the top of Newlands you can enjoy this fast, 51mph descent. Just a sharp hairpin and a tight bridge to be mindfull of lower down the road.
The climb of Whinlatter is next and it has to be said I don’t really get this climb. It could be the constant change in gradient or it could be that once you get to the top, the route becomes a rolling mental battle.

At the top you receive the biggest cheers from the biggest crowds on any of the notable climbs.
On you go past Loweswater and through Enerdale. It is here that the more secluded and remote parts of the lakes reveal themselves.

If you’ve expended to much energy early on it’s Cold Fell that will let you know. The views of the Western coast remind you of the miles that you have put in your legs and the feed stop at Calder Bridge can’t come to soon.

Now you can only think to what lies ahead.

The roads that lead to Hardknott are pretty non-descript, you hit the odd little incline that only serves to tail off people that are sitting on your wheel getting tow.

As you get nearer you have the feeling that the valley is closing in on you, almost coaxing you in, tempting the naive, waiting to break another person on the steep slopes that are Hardknott and Wrynose.

The heart rate starts to rise now – not because I’m on the slopes yet, but because I know the tight right, then left over the bridge will lead me to the last part of the valley road before Hardknott reveals itself.

And reveal itself it does, you look up and see the initial ramp and wonder if those dots are people littered on the road. Stretching your eyes further you strain to see where the road might possibly break through the mountain.

Already in the small chainring you pass over the cattle grid. My odometer says 98 miles.
The twinges in my legs are telling me that cramp is imminent and I’m trying everything to stop this from happening. I climb seated, then standing, then over compensating with the left leg, then the right.

Grown men are sat at the side of the road looking drained and confused. Some are stretching, some shouting in pain. It’s strange how seeing others in pain and broken gives you the extra edge to carry on.

After the initial steep section the road flattens. It’s here you compose yourself and gather your depleted energy for the steepest sections of Hardknott – the hairpins.

The shouts of encouragement are dulled, the vision narrows and the heaving sound of your breathing echoes louder as the body starts to shut senses down. Strangely the acrid stench of cars clutches becomes stronger, your only hope is they don’t cause you to stop because getting going again would be impossible.

You crest the top to see the mountain rescue team looking at you like a pack of hungry wolves, wondering if you’re one of their victims.

The descent here cannot be described as a road, it’s more like a mountain bike singletrack.
Without the time to gather yourself you are on to the drag climb of Wyrnose, with its steep kick at the end.

Again caution on this descent, the fatigue makes your reactions slower and it would be a shame to can it now.

You have one little steep dig out on to the Coniston road, then it’s a couple of miles back to the Start/Finish where friends and family are waiting with smiles and pats on the back of proud accomplishment.

This is just my recollection of the Fred Whitton sportive as a keen cyclist.
Thought should go to the reason why the event exists, the charities having all the more poignancy this year after my Mum having been diagnosed with cancer.

Keep smiling, Keep cycling, but most of all stay healthy.

[Well done Paul, and I'm sure lots of us hope to join you one day on this most epic of epic rides - http://www.fredwhittonchallenge.org.uk]

Paul Troughton rides second claim for London Phoenix and we’re really lucky to have him. He’s one of our most talented riders, is a gifted writer and to top it all off he’s one of the nicest guys you’ll ever meet!

Originally hailing from the Lake District, Paul’s first club is Team Wheelbase where his teammates include the legendary Rob Jebb (seven time winner of the brutal Three Peaks Cyclo-Cross race and the UK’s top fell runner).

Although a mtb’er by instinct, Paul sometimes takes to the road and this year he completed his 2nd Fred Whitton Challenge, finishing 24th out of 955 riders. To find out what the UK’s hardest sportive is really like, read on..

Isabel Cashman describes the success of the recent mountainbike marathon training ride

Four London Phoenix mountainbikers headed for Amberley on the Sunday morning train from Victoria to conquer the South Downs. Abi, Geraldine, David and I launched ourselves with vigour on the trail only to encounter the first ‘mechanical’ 20 metres from the train station! My shoes would not clip in – and refused to for the remainder of the ride. The patience of all was tried in that first hour as we progressed slower than anticipated but once we had our momentum, there was no stopping us.

Abi was driving us to attack those hills and she was a mine of information on technical and historical aspects throughout the ride. Geraldine was on top form and ascended as fast as she descended, overtaking us all on hills. There’s no phasing Geraldine as she even made a spectacularly swift recovery from a fall at speed. David set a swift pace throughout the ride and rose like a Phoenix out of every valley! I had more time to appreciate views on the hills as I mounted, so I saw model airplanes, kites, paragliders, deer, rolling hills, long-horned cattle, mansions, forests, druid forts, Leith Hill in the North Downs on the horizon and the huge expanse of nature’s virtue, all in good company and narrated by Abi.

We did have to cross the odd dual carriageway and watch out for the Bank holiday hikers, especially their dogs but it’s what we all do it for – the variety of challenges, phenomenal views and the ability to be fit while enjoying the most beautiful countryside on a magnificent sunny day. I left the group when we came back near Amberley as the next steep climb promised by David would have been too much for my unclipped legs – that was at 3pm and they did another 3 hours!

I can’t wait ’til the overnight off-road to Brighton!

London Phoenix riders Robert Moore, Matthew Harper and Stuart Jones have been putting their winter training to good use and are now racing on Tuesday nights at Crystal Palace, and getting great results. Robert Moore, whose sprint has been known to set off small earthquakes, had this to say after last night’s race:

“Another action packed evening at Crystal Palace, this time with Matthew Harper. With five laps to go Hugo (Lee Valley Youth CC legend) flew off the front with me and one other, but we were eventually dropped on the hill and went back into the group to recover. I managed to ground my pedal again, this time on the scary fast blind tight corner at the bottom of the hill on the final lap. My back wheel swung out about 2 ft and gave everyone behind me a heart attack, but this time my chain and me stayed on and I managed to grab a wheel behind the two people at the front of the group.”

“In the final 200 meters to the finish I put the hammer down and sprinted like a mentalist, completely clearing myself to the front! My sprint counted for a very happy 2nd place! Oh yeah!”

Well done Robert, we salute you and your giant bike!

LP had twelve riders amongst the 3,700 who took part in this year’s “Etape Caledonia”, which was held in beautiful Perthshire. But in an unexpected twist worthy of Miss Marple, Britain’s only closed road Sportive descended into chaos when local saboteurs scattered tens of thousands of carpet tacks on a 20km stretch of the route. The event had to be halted at the top of the Schiehallion Pass for almost an hour as the roads were made safe, and we were eventually led back down the mountain with a police escort.

However despite all the drama, the stunning scenery, fast and flowing roads and warm welcome from the hundreds of locals lining the route meant a great time was had by all. All that is, apart from Guy, who had a spectacular 30km/h crash that destroyed his front forks, helmet and resolve. Luckily for him he fell on his head, so no lasting damage was done.

Paul Wixon, who was putting in a storming ride before the ‘a-tack’, said: “even with the tacks and the stoppage atop Schiehallion this was still an amazing day out. And remember, you ride faster when you’re trying to get away from bag-pipers!”

Another massive weekend for London Phoenix with spec’tack’ular drama, wild weather and great results…

Saturday

Robert Moore and Sam Bullen braved the elements and got great times in very challenging conditions at the Lee Valley CC 10 mile TT. The gale force wind meant Rob was able to average 35mph on his return leg, while Sam, upon whom gravity has less of an effect, was forced into the drops in an effort to keep his bike on the road.

Sunday

Sunday kicked off with Stuart Jones putting in another impressive performance on the road, getting in a promising five man break, before mounting a solo attack and going for a full lap of the blustery and wet SERRL road race in Woodchurch. However, the elements took their toll and Stuart was eventually caught, but finished comfortably in the main bunch.

The sabbath also saw LP’s favourite satanists David Murrell and Andy Nash compete at the CC Ashwell Primavera road race. This was their first event on real roads, and both put in strong performances. David used a combination of his giant brain and oddly shaped legs to great effect and finished 5th for 4 glorious BC points, with Andy not far behind.

Richard Lam and Robert Moore also raced, this time at the Goodwood road race circuit near Chichester. However, an early flat for Robert and an especially strong gust of wind for Richard meant their destiny was set before the race finished. Better luck next time guys!

Next Page »