KW - Punchbowl via Tilford

 Totally out of tune with myself.

I felt fresh after a rest day yesterday. I didn’t have any problem starting at the front, riding next to Bidders. It felt steady and easy. I was feeling optimistic.

My Garmin said we had four climbs today (yeah, I know, you look at the profile and you wonder how Garmin classifies climbs. Me too 🤷‍♀️).

The first one was Hogsback and it felt unusually “easy”. Soon I felt myself at the front with Bidders. I stood on the bike and pushed a bit. I see now I got a PB and I wasn’t really trying. Mostly because I don’t know where the segment starts. 

So I was feeling optimistic for the second climb. All the way to Punchbowl. As soon as I recognised from what side we were tackling the climb I did what I had to do. Got a gel, drank some water and soon moved to the front setting a pace aiming to take me as fast as possible to the top.

That lasted 5 minutes. At that point Bidders passed me. Behind him Rupert, GC Denis, Dan and Nigel. Not sure in what order. At that point I was blowing up. Incapable of paying attention beyond my own surprise. I had to slow down massively. I was dead.

A latte and a scone with cream and jam at the coffee stop did the usual trick. Caffeine kicked in and started to feel great. 

Didn’t have any problem hitting the front again. And, believe me, this is very unusual for me. I was back to enjoying the ride.

Third climb (according to Garmin) came. A short one, only 1km. Again, I moved to the front and set a pace that felt sustainable. 

And it was. Got to the top with Bidders on my wheel, hearing his gears changing, which is never good news, But it was a good effort, it felt good (looking at Strava now I matched my PB to the second), I was optimistic again.

The fourth climb was Coombe Lane. Rupert got a gap. That was perfect. Something to aim for. I immediately moved to the front and set a pace aiming to bring Rupert back slowly. 

That lasted 2 minutes. Bidders, again, passed me. Behind him GC Denis, Dan and Nigel. Again, not sure in what order. (let me copy and paste my words from above) “At that point I was blowing up. Incapable of paying attention beyond my own surprise. I had to slow down massively. I was dead”.

Creme Brulé, who had been doing 25 (!!!!) hill reps up and down Combe Lane rode with me and dropped me like a stone in the steep part. 

All alarms went off in my brain. Get to the back of the group and don’t get anywhere near the front. Get yourself ready for the final sprint at Esher.

From Combe Lane it is all flat or downhill until the Esher ramps. Good opportunity to recover.

The approach to the Esher sprint was perfect for my interests. Creme Brulé led the whole way and I was towards the back keeping an eye on everyone. 

After the third bump I thought this was my sprint to lose. I was in the best position and breathing was relaxed, legs were feeling fine.

I waited for my distance and launched the sprint from the back. 

Dodging it massively. 

I attacked standing on the bike. Somehow, suddenly, my bicycle was up in the air. I feared I was going to crash in front of everyone, embarrassment being my main worry. I sat back.

I stood up again. I guess I was trying to gain speed, but who knows what I was trying to do. I seem to remember that I also tried to get in better gear. 

To no avail. Rupert passed me like a missile and took the sprint by a country mile. 

I believe I was second, but let me copy and paste my words again. “At that point I was blowing up. Incapable of paying attention beyond my own surprise. I had to slow down massively. I was dead”.

A couple of hours later I am still dead. Still surprised. Totally out of tune with myself.

The ride in Strava: https://www.strava.com/activities/14941711490/

Take care of yourself

Javier Arias González

Quebrantahuesos 2025 6:43:28

I am very, very, very disappointed with this ride.

I was aiming to better my time from 2019, 6:30:03 and finished in 6:43:28. I was 13 minutes and 25 seconds slower.

I have a good explanation (aka. excuse) for this result, and I’ll write it down for the record so I remember what happened. But let me reiterate that, even with this explanation, I am very, very disappointed. I hope you understand me if you continue reading.

I lost one bottle at km 30. I hit a pothole and saw it flying. I stopped for it but couldn’t find it. It was the bottle that was still full. I was drinking from the other one.

Being the unconscious that I am, I didn’t think much of it. I will need to stop to refill my bottle but that’s not a big deal. 

I was feeling fine and I was thinking I was having a great ride. Looking at the numbers now I see I was right. At the top of Marie Blanque I was matching my times from 2019.

But there was where I made a huge mistake. 

I passed the feed station at the top of Marie Blanque without stopping and only when I was descending did I realize I had no water. Huge mistake because I knew it. I even told myself you have to stop to fill this bottle. I don’t know what I was thinking. I never end surprising myself how stupid I can be. 

The next feed station was at km 127. That was a whole hour without water. 

Worst of all is I still thought I was doing great. I protected myself in the middle of a group most of that hour. Something I’m not afraid to say I am very skilled at. When Portalet climb started I kept my own pace. I was passing lots of cyclists. Yes, I was thirsty, but I wasn’t feeling that bad. 

When I got to the feed station I drank all I could, filled my bottle and continued feeling I was doing great.

But I wasn’t. 

And water was not an excuse anymore. In the second half of the Portalet an spectator offered me a bottle in exchange for mine. Perfect timing, mine was empty. Didn’t mind mine was a better bottle than his. It was a great deal. 

I continued my merry climbing completely convinced I was doing very, very well. Don’t get me wrong, by the time you are in the second half of Portalet “doing very, very well” means you are just surviving with a sustainable pace, but I “knew” I was going to be faster than 6h:30m.

By the time I got to the top of Portalet, for the second time in the same ride, I realised how stupid I was. There was no way I was going to get from the top of Portalet to the finish in an hour. I knew I was not going to better my PB from 6 years ago.

At the top of Hoz de Jaca, a spectator gave me a bottle full of water. It was very welcome, spectators at Quebrantahuesos are amazing, but my destiny was sealed. 6:43:28

I am, of course, not happy with that time, but there are two things that really disappoint me. The mistake I made at the top of Marie Blanque and how mistaken my feeling was climbing Portalet. 

I know the depth of this disappointment is a measure of the unrealistic idea that I have of myself. But I can help it. Next year I’ll be back.

The ride in Strava: https://www.strava.com/activities/14869505706/ 

Take care of yourself

Javier Arias González