Tony Rees and Kerry Lewis participated in the Brecon 100 Cyclo Sportif on Sunday 8th August. The event is part of a nationwide series in support of the Action Medical Research charity.
The pair set off from Caerleon at 8.30 am on a fine morning and towed a group of eight other riders through the lanes to Usk, Govilon, Gilwern, Llangattock and on to the feed station in Llangynidr. The refreshments were excellent but not too much could be consumed as the toughest climb of the day was imminent. This proved to be a good test on a full stomach but the views from the top towards the Beacons and Llangorse were a good distraction. There was a bit of a descent through Beaufort and into Brynmawr before the short, sharp climb onto the old Blaenavon road.
After taking in the views across the valley to Big Pit it was another descent through Blaenavon, Abersychan and into Pontypool before a series of quiet, hilly lanes that led back to Caerleon. There was a nasty sting in the tail just after the '5 miles to go' marker when some riders were seen pushing their bikes up the hill. On arrival at the finish the pair discovered that they were in 8/9th place for the 100k event which they had completed in 3 hours and 45 minutes. It was a well-organised event with great signs/directions and a much too good feed station that nearly caused Tony a 'colourful problem' on the following climb.
A previous news item reported on the rides done by Paul Griffiths and John Hughes in the Welsh 12 hour event in which both were pleased with their distances and John became Club 12 Hour Champion. Here is a personal account of John's half day in the saddle.
WELSH 12 HOUR CHAMPIONSHIPS
A BEAST BESTED
It's been like an open wound in my competitive spirit, the memory of that day 10 years ago when I pulled out of my first attempt at the Welsh 12 hr Championships with a knee injury, but deep down I've been asking myself " Was that the real reason or did I give up ?" Well, I can tell you it might as well have been giving up, DNF! Did Not Finish. A blot on my cycling CV.
With the date of the 12 hour being brought forward to July this fitted perfectly into my yearly race schedule so it was all systems go. Training up to the 12 had been hampered by the flare of the ITB band in my left leg, reducing my power output by roughly 25%. Regular massage and stretching saw a gradual improvement,so much so that the Wednesday before race day saw me do a short 22 mid-week 10 mile TT, but most promising was the power output, a personal best of 323 watts, my highest 10 wattage ever, so things were back on track.
One thing I've learnt from long distance racing is that no matter what level of fitness you are, if you don't plan your race nutrition correctly you are in for either a long, painful day in the saddle or the ignominy of a DNF. After racing Ironman Triathlon for seven years I've been lucky enough to find out what works nutritionally for me, and that is small sips every 15 mins of liquid food, formulated to my own guidelines. This, along with salt replacement tabs in my water bottles was to be my mainstay nutrition plan. Also, to break up the monotony, I'd planned a couple of cups of coffee and biscuits at around the 100 mile mark, this being my treats to look forward to.
Goals ? Well first off, just to finish, secondly I secretly wanted to get to 225 miles, but that was wishful thinking. I told myself that just to finish was good enough but the thoughts still persisted. 225 miles, it even sounds a good number.
Race day
Arrive nice and early, it's a cool morning with a brisk, blustery wind. My feed plan was to start with 2 bottles for the initial 50 miles to Hereford and back then pick up another 2 bottles at the Hardwick pub for the next two 25 mile Chainbridge laps off my team support ( Colleen my wife ).
5,4,3,2,1 and I'm off. Right, my race plan was to start real easy and build into it but what is "real easy", well it's between slow and very slow. Well, after 4 minutes No 27 blasts past me having put a minute into me, he was flying. It goes like this for the next 25 miles, a stream of riders passing me, I think I passed one and that's about it 
On the return from Hereford at mile 30, Mr Mark Andrews of Merthyr CC passes me having put 13 minutes into me in 30 miles. Now me and Mark are normally evenly matched in all other distances, I now start seiously thinking I've gone way too slow, in fact I thought of packing as it all semmed heavy going with my legs feeling terrible with the awful headwind a constant menace.
Arrived at the Harwick pub at mile 50 at what was supposed to be a quick hand up of fresh bottles but I felt so low that I stopped at the car and got off, feeling awful, sat down for a cuppa and had my first cup of coffee and biscuits. Feeling better I started the first Chainbridge lap with hope that at least I might have a tailwind but no, constant headwind, arrrgggghhh. Mile 75 and the Hardwick pub approaches, noooooo, bloody puncture, pull into the layby and decide it's good time for a cuppa, ah, cup No 2. Quick wheel change and I'm on my way, I'd replaced my normal wheel with my full carbon disc, don't know if this was the placebo effect but immediately I'm feeling faster and stronger so off I go, the next few laps fly by and I'm feeling stronger with only one bad patch between miles 140 to 172 but my spirits have been kept high by my support crew providing me with crisps and croissants, not my normal race food but it sure tasted nice and hit the spot.
I've now been ushered onto the 15 mile finishing circuit and I'm feeling great, so much so that I'm now going quicker than at any point beforehand. In fact I flew pastMerthyr's Mr Andrews so I'd clawed back that 13 miles and by the end I'd put another 7 miles into him, but it's not only him I pass, I'm passing people as if they are standing still, hey maybe I'd not gone off too fast ??
Mile 200 tics over, it'sa great feeling, the furthest I've ever cycled and all my fears about cramping have gone as I stomp on the pedals, honking out of the saddle, shouting at all who care to listen, " I'm just warming up". Onto the final lap now and hour 12 is counting down, I'm closing in on mile 220 and my mind is calculating how fast do I have to go to get to 225, come on John, pedal, pedal, I'm on the A40 towards Raglan roundabout and I'm pushing hard, "come on!! come on you can do it". I pass timekeeper No 8 at a couple of minutes to 12 hours, can't stop I've got to get to the next timekeeper, 12 hrs passes but I've got to keep going," push boy push" ! Finally I pass timekeeper No 9 and pull in, I'm totally spent, Mrs Hughes my support crew has been magnificent and helps me to the car as I can hardly stand let alone walk, up runs the timekeeper with a chitty with my mileage 225.01 I'd done it !!! My target reached, in fact beaten, as my main goal was just to finish. The feeling is like no other I'd ever felt racing my bike, I immediately said " Roll on next year, 240 here we come !!"
