Mille Pennines/LEL

Robert Bialek takes on a 1,000km ride through some of Northern England’s most stunning but hilly countryside. Offering 12.75 AAA points for 13,000m of climbing, it’s not a ride for the faint-hearted. So on a chilly mid-summer morning we join Robert as he takes on the…

FRIDAY: DAY 1 Finding the Community Centre in Blackpool with two hours to spare was a relief. The start was10.00am, the weather overcast, and I was apprehensive of what the undertaking would involve.

I went hell for leather for 59km in a peloton of seven to Arnside in just two hours. Rain persisted all the way to The Lakes and through Ambleside to the Whinlatter Pass control. I got back for 23.30 and the seven-foot giant, Andreas, served me with a green pasta dish. I managed just six cups of tea. In the gym I had to wait for a lilo to become available. Cramp in my right hamstring woke me – I was ready for the off at 04.30.

SATURDAY: DAY 2 It was freezing cold. My feet and fingers grew numb. I missed a turn, and had to retrace 13km to the road to Garsdale Head, turning a 27km leg into 40. I didn’t find the infamous Buttertubs a big problem. At Stanhope others were coming and going so I stopped at a bakery and had lots of pastries and cake. A mistake, as this left me parched, with lots of climbing to undertake right in the heat of the day. I found myself riding alongside Kelvin Amos, so we teamed up. Long uphill drags followed by seemingly short descents got us to the Kielder shop for 16.54 where I drank lots of juice.

Taking the lead to Langholm, Stage 8; and then Stage 9 to Penrith, the rapid 25km in just one hour gave me sore knees and buttocks. A wrong roundabout exit into Carlisle delayed us but eventually we got back on the road to Penrith.

It was 22.42 and we took a long time on the roads to the Shap area. After a slow climb we caught a bunch of five riders. After this our sevenman peloton just flew along to Tebay where four went left under the motorway and on to rough roads, but Rob, Kelvin and I continued going up, up and up on the main road eventually taking a left from where we took the long and windy lanes through woods and hedge-covered hairpins. I lost sight of the others for

MILLE PENNINES When… Friday 7 July 2017 How far… 1,007km Starts from… Bispham, Lancashire Total climbing… 13,000m (12.75 AAA) Organiser… Andy Corless, Burnley CC Website… millepenninesaudax.com

most of the time, getting glimpses of red tail lights occasionally.

Sedbergh for 01.35 … 359km with 24km extra in 21 hours. I had just fruit juice and was quickly to bed on a welcome lilo. Alas, no blankets were provided; I wore my cagoule and wrapped myself in towels for warmth.

SUNDAY: DAY 3 This would turn out to be a very gruelling day and night indeed! Kelvin and I were away at 05.00, doing the 97km to Yarm by 10.07, then on to Askrigg and Richmond. Here, on the short, very steep descent, I dropped too fast and nearly lost my front wheel on the second short bend at the bottom – I managed to control the fierce wobble and pulled up straight but then punctured.

The road to Robin Hood’s Bay had steep downs and long uphills in the heat of the day. Both of us needed a good meal. My favourite, of course, was fish and chips with plenty of tea. The very steep climb out of town was just a taster for several severe climbs today. Later on, a wrong turn took us back up a 20%, immediately after doing a 25% drop, a little disheartening.

Back on the correct route to Grosmont at the top of a badly “broken-into-plates” road, we met our “Gang of Five” again! From here we stayed together, but I fell to the back on long and very steep climbs. The road to Rosedale Abbey and the climb

was a lot further than I expected, with no water available in the valley, I got up the 1:3, just! This middle section was definitely the hardest part. A short wait at the top for the others then a descent into Kirkby Moorside for a meal at a pub. It was 20.30 by the time we left; we’d spent an hour-and-a-half there! Through Thirsk, and a long and steady climb, where I struggled to keep up. At Sutton Bank, an extremely fast descent where I had to brake excessively, before a big bend and felt the wheel wobble again. We arrived at Ripon petrol station (stage 13) at 22.52 with only 83km to Sedbergh. Leaving at 23.15 we were a “Gang of Seven” again.

Taking the A6108 to Masham and

❝… day two. It was freezing cold. My feet and fingers grew numb. I missed a turn, and at Cautley garage I was forced to retraced the 13km back to the road to Garsdale Head

34 West Tanfield I was finally dropped after half hour so I took my own pace, caught two slower riders and eventually crossed the bridge into Middleham where I couldn’t find my way out! Reaching a signpost for “Forbidden Corner”, I returned to find Ian Ryall and others had arrived and were all munching away, under the glow of street lights. I found the almosthidden Leyburn sign and diverted onto a tiny road out to Wensley.

It was raining hard, but it had no chance of reviving me! Coasting down hills and on the flats I was very sleepy. I needed the hills to wake me up. With overgrown hedges and with no fence to prop my bike against, I just imagined a wall and stood and dozed in the road until a cyclist came past. Following his red tail light to Hawes jerked me awake and the long climb out woke me up properly. Really “flying” to Garsdale Head, Garsdale and Sedbergh – I made it back for 04.10 over an hour behind my six-man team. 339km in 23 hours.

MONDAY: DAY 4 Leaving at 07.08, I felt okay. I stopped at a friend’s house in Thurnham for refreshment. Ian Ryall rescued me again at Pilling Junction. I arrived at Bispham for 11.48, finishing inside 74 hours!

Many thanks to Andy Corless for the lift to Walk Mill traffic lights, which saved me doing an extra 100km, leaving only 36km to get home, and easy, blissful sleep.

Starting the second day of the Mille Pennines © Dean Clementson

Robert also entered the LEL which ran very soon after the Mille Pennine. Beset by bike troubles, punctures and the weather, it turned into a desperate race agaist the clock… Here’s his report

❝The seemingly unending, slow-motion moving up and over The Devil’s Beeftub was mind numbingly boring and very tiring. ❝ I found that the high speed pace to Eskdalemuir was invigorating. ❝ The really steep bits reared up and I was in slow-mo in the heat of the afternoon

I opted for an early start time to avoid the queues, but in part due to a puncture near Spalding, I was going too slow to get to Pocklington at 10.00pm as I had in 2013, and arrived at 11.48.

The weather looked to be declining so I decided to stay for sleep. A 5am start got me into Thirsk for 09.10. Here a mechanic fixed my jumpy gearing and rear brake. Through Barnard Castle and on to Alston and I was “flying along”. I met, and left, the Quartet of VC 167 Riders Ann, Deb, Rob, and Micky Fish. Then a guy from Spain jumped on to my back wheel and we motored along to Brampton.

At Moffat I decided to go through the night to reach Edinburgh, make up time and get a short sleep. The seemingly unending, slow-motion moving up and over The Devil’s Beeftub was mindnumbingly boring and very tiring. It was nice when a guy drew up and we cycled along to near the Control. We had to negotiate cycle paths with speed bumps; going too fast I got my second puncture. Alone, with 7km to go I fixed the problem. Or so I thought!

Unhappy with the narrow, bumpy and twig-laden route to the roundabout I eventually reached the Control for 04.05. I estimated I had lost an hour from the mechanical and route-finding problems. Leaving at 07.00 I got my next puncture shortly after. Catching up with others over moorlands and going well, I got yet another! Realising that a bulging tyre wall was causing these problems, I released some pressure and continued slowly avoiding rough road bits whenever I could. I spoke to the mechanic who installed a new tyre. Later, and back on track, I caught up with other riders and found the high speed pace to Eskdalemuir was invigorating. Someone shouted “Big Vehicles!” I heard them but kept going; two Logging trucks, with trailers, forced me off the road on a right hand bend.

At the Control I was only three minutes behind my cut-off time. Here were Mike Wigley and Pete Bond, but I just didn’t have the time to have a natter or eat as I wanted to pull back more time. Cross with myself for this turn of events I stormed off into the mid-day heat.

I was tired. The really steep bits reared up and I was in slow-mo in the heat of the afternoon. The “dozies” were daunting and I decided to sleep at Brampton. I had pulled back another 1hour 10 minutes. I reasoned with a nap I might continue at a better pace.

Sleeping on the gym floor I awoke with cramp and had to get up and walk it off. Feeling hungry, I took a trip to the canteen. Nearly 12 hours had elapsed since my arrival at 16.50 and, though still in need of “proper sleep”, I decided to leave. When I arrived it had been quiet but now there was a 20 rider queue. I left them clamouring for attention and caught up with Mel Kirkland. Leaving him in Alston, I slowly but surely caught and overtook The Masses leading up to Yad Moss Summit. There, unbelievably, was a refreshment van. How did they know we were coming?

It had been windy and wet. Now it lifted and grew calmer. Reaching Barnard Castle at 09.24 on Wednesday I was less than 10 hours behind my cut-off time; 500km to go and 24 hours to do it in. I felt fed up. If I rode through the night I would catch up; but sleep was the factor I knew would ruin any plans I made. It just didn’t seem fair. Try as I might, it was just too much for me now.

Struggling along in semi-twilight between Pocklington and Louth, I tried unsuccessfully to get my computer to light up to see the distance done. A rider seeing my difficulty offered to navigate us to Louth. The rain was coming down hard before we reached the control at 23.31.

This was my fourth sleep stop. Knowing I had about 270 km to go and 10 hours to do it in, I resigned myself to being a DNF.

06.30, a clear day, and a better forecast than expected, I teamed up with Mark Lison, and Agi Palanki, and we made steady progress to Spalding. From here, I went on alone. A strong wind to St Ives didn’t deter me and I got there inside three hours, overtaking everyone on the way. The 100-hour time limit had passed; all I was concerned with was finishing inside 116 hours.

Pushing through rush-hour traffic in Cambridge I made Great Easton by 20.16. With the night drawing in and the light on my computer not working, I set off hoping to latch onto someone’s tail to the Finish. A couple came past and I tagged onto them and arrived at 23.54.

Almost 14 hours behind my cut-off time, I was relieved to finish, with my Brevet book and medal to take home as reward of being a “just-so-ran”. Sadly DNFs get no verification, so when it comes to who rode The LEL, we will not be in the list of finishers, whereas in PBP, the list is there for all to see, DNF, out of time, or otherwise.