The influence of Spanish lessons in cycling style

 Back on the bike after pretending (and failing) to be a runner for the last couple of weeks.

I shouldn’t have had that coffee in the morning. 

All I wanted for today was to sit at the back of the group and enjoy the ride. 

The morning coffee got me too excited and before I realised I was at the front, riding parallel to GC Denis. Sometimes I can’t believe how often I fail to follow a perfectly designed plan.

Somehow I still managed to get a decent first half of the ride. 

I was able to hold GC Denis’ wheel going up Effingham despite all the help I gave him in the form of very strong moral support and admiration for all the work he was doing at the front. 

I took the very important sprint at Holmbury St. Mary attacking from the front, deploying an explosion of power that no one was able to match and that allowed me to celebrate with arms in the air such a great win.

Finally I did a decent job leading the pack in the last climb before Seale. Richard L. took the Seale sprint proving that learning Spanish also gets you into Spanish riding style. 

I say finally because that was it. Got to Seale, got a coffee and scone and realised I was tired. Dead. Finito. Kaputt. 

I sat towards the back of the group the whole way back. I struggled quite a bit. On a few occasions I was tempted to drop and let the group go. The pace was nothing crazy, just too much for me. 

By the time we got to Cobham I told everyone I was not going to sprint. I was destroyed.

But I changed my mind. 

It is not that my word can’t be trusted when it comes to sprinting, it is just that the approach to Esher was slow enough for me to believe I could take the sprint. 

That’s not my fault. 

What else could I have done if I found myself at the back of the group with a clear view on who was ready to sprint.

…flesh is weak.

So, from that privileged position I made my calculations and decided Jack, Nigel and Richard L. were the ones to look out to. I also decided to wait as long as possible and attack from behind, passing everyone and taking the (second) win.

Richard L. screwed everything though.

Once again, he showed the influence of his Spanish lessons and he went a bit too early.

A bit too early for me.

That was the moment when I realised that going at the back of the group was not that great. It turns out you have to close a bigger gap. Not ideal. 

I didn’t win. That’s probably all you want to know about the sprint.

But I’ll tell you that Richard L. took it. 

I am very, very, very happy. I mean, very, very happy. That the second most Spanish rider of the group won the final sprint.

Now you know. If you want to be a sprinter, start taking Spanish lessons.

 The ride in Strava: https://www.strava.com/activities/15579819367/

Take care of yourself

Javier Arias González

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

KW - Amberley

 Didn’t have coffee in the morning. Didn’t think I needed it. 

In my mind we were going to start riding easy and slowly progress into a steady ride. 

In fact I said it out loud as we were starting to ride. “Let’s start easy”.

Next thing I know The Pope is at the front smashing it. And when I say smashing it I mean that by the time we were in Cobham, 10km into the ride for those of you not into Surrey’s geography, I was thinking there was no way I was going to keep up with this pace. I believe GC Denis was thinking the same. My brain was shut down by the effort but I seem to remember that he even said out loud. 

The Pope led all the way up Effingham. A steady pace that put me in a terrible position (remember, steady is not a synonym of easy).

I could either (try to) hold on to his wheel, something that didn’t really feel very appealing (or possible). Why on earth would you want to do that to yourself?

Or, let him go, but risk GC Denis following him and both of them dropping me. 

What do you prefer to punish, your body or your ego?

I decided to punish my body. 

Wrong decision because as soon as we got to the road that typically marks the top of the climb The Pope looked left and right, shouted “Clear” (I was dying and he was able to shout!!!), crossed the road and kept riding at his steady pace (remember, steady doesn’t mean easy). 

That was enough for me. Had to let him go.

Luckily for me my ego was saved because GC Denis also let him go. 

We were 25km into the ride. It was going to be a long day (and it will probably be a long ride report).

Second story of the day happened at Horsebridge Hill. 

The Pope quickly disappeared uphill leaving me and GC Denis to decide who was going to be last in the climb.

I felt pretty confident in my chances and set my own tempo. But something felt wrong when I saw GC Denis passing me. 

What is he doing?

I knew the climb. I knew there was still a fairly long way to go. 

I found myself in a terrible position. 

Again.

What do you do? Follow GC Denis or trust your knowledge of the climb even if a few kilometers ago you didn't know where you were, the Garmin is telling you the climb is finishing in 800 meters, and GC Denis NEVER gets a climb wrong?

What do you prefer to punish, your body or your ego?

I couldn’t possibly punish my body any more so I decided to punish my ego. I was going to be last anyway…

We were still 60km into the ride and I already had punished my body and my ego more than I like to confess.

A very much needed coffee and a scone at Amberly. Sitting outside. Making plans about our training camp in Asturias and The Pope confessed he had two coffees before starting the ride.

We need to establish the rule of sharing in the WhatsApp group how much caffeine everyone is having before the ride. If only to know in advance how hard the ride is going to be.

The caffeine did its usual effect and I felt much better on the way back. 

I was able to contribute to the pace. I even took the Horton sprint. 

And then, when I finished the ride, the Garmin gave me the ultimate punishment to my ego.

My FTP had decreased to 263w.

I need to have a word with Garmin’s product manager.

The ride in Strava: https://www.strava.com/activities/14519090955 

Take care of yourself

Javier Arias González

Tour of the Isle of Wight

 Habemus Papam.

We need a new nickname for the mountain goat of the group (Looking at you TY).

Something related to the noises of his bike perhaps. Although, in this ride Tommy’s bike was making even more noises than Ed’s. With this trend soon our rides are going to start sounding like an out of tune orchestra. 

I was thinking bread-eater due to his peculiar nutrition choices but if someone has to have a nickname related to his peculiar nutrition choices, as no nutrition at all, that would be JFW. The final, let’s call it the mother of all bonks, didn't really compensate for the fact that he did the whole ride in the big chainring.  

Maybe Elizabeth can suggest something now that she has ridden with him for the first time. A shocking experience no doubt, but we can really use a fresh perspective here and we can’t count on GC Denis for that. Not exactly his first ride with Ed this one. Also, he was the best prepared for today’s rides, the one that organised everything, the most consistent rider, it wouldn’t be fair to ask him to do more for the group. 

DD could suggest something to us in Polish. The short Polish grammar lesson we had over dinner (a topic that can be only justified by the combination of tiredness and alcohol) showed potential for very great sounding, creative nicknames. 

My personal bet for the best new nickname would be it will come from Dai. His usual chattery, occasional grumpiness, and incipient Polish is the best combination to come up with a good one.

The rides in Strava:  

• To Southampton: https://www.strava.com/activities/14440094414

• Tour of the Isle of Wight: https://www.strava.com/activities/14440171885 

Take care of yourself

Javier Arias González

Tenerife - Masca. The other way

 First three climbs felt very hard. Especially Monte del Agua climb. Almost 12 km at 5.7%. Not really a hard climb but I felt tired and unable to put any power. 

50 minutes of questioning my training, my recovery, the carbonara I had for dinner yesterday, and, of course, the bike (are the brakes rubbing?).

By the time I got to the top I said it out loud. “I’m cooked” 

I was really worried. Not only did I still have to go up Masca. 4 km at an average of 10.8% but I was also puzzled with how I was feeling. I couldn’t spot a reason for it.

I crawled Masca and welcomed every time I had to put a foot down due to the amount of cars up and down that narrow road.

We stopped for lunch at Santiago del Teide. Two cokes, a “bocadillo de tortilla francesa”, and a “café con leche” and I started to see the world with different eyes. 

In fact I also said out loud. “I’m feeling much better”

And that feeling became true as soon as we tackled the small climb out of Santiago del Teide. Not that we pushed the pace, but at least I was not struggling.

The miracle happened on the last climb of the day, Subida la Guancha. 10 km at 4.2%. An easy climb. But a climb that allowed me to set an easy pace and start to ride following my heart rate with GC Denis and TY. I pushed the pace to allow my heart rate to go up gradually. The pace wasn’t anything spectacular, we are on the fifth day of a training camp, but we were getting faster and it felt like a sustainable effort. I even allowed myself to sprint for the last 100m.

At the top of the climb GC Denis and TY were kind enough to praise the work I had done at the front and, with that, allowing me to get a bit of morale boost after a terrible morning and finish this training camp with a positive note. 

I’m sure there is an explanation for such a change in feeling and performance. There is probably a lesson to be learned there. But I have no idea what it is.

The ride in Strava: https://www.strava.com/activities/14127191023

Take care of yourself

Javier Arias González

Tenerife - Anaga National Park

This picture says it all. The Pope taking pictures and having the time of his live. GC Denis making an effort and me seconds before blowing up in pieces half way up the climb.

Tim Krabbé expressed like no one else. “Hell is the pace of the others”.

Today, for me, hell was GC Denis’ pace going up Pico de los Pasos.

A stunning climb. Probably the most beautiful we have climbed in this training camp. Steady, with great views, fantastic tarmac, and the last kilometres surrounded by trees that cover the road, my personal definition of beautiful road.

It sounds impossible but it was all downhill for me. From “I’m going to lead all the way to the top”, to “let’s share the work with GC Denis, 1k each at the front”, down to “let him do most of the work and beat him over the line” to giving up and having to slow down to a more sustainable pace.

I still pushed as hard as I could all the way to the top. I’m still happy with my effort.

So happy that by the end of the ride I was reflecting on the privilege that is to have a group of friends like these to ride with. 

Everyone needs a group of friends that makes him feel like this group makes me feel.

There is pleasure in visiting hell if afterwards you go back to heaven.

The ride in Strava: https://www.strava.com/activities/14116789276/

Take care of yourself

Javier Arias González

Tenerife - Teide loop

In the end we had no choice but to declare the stage void.

Everyone but GC Denis and myself was (very) late to the start of the ride.

Everyone but JFW and myself refused to ride down to sea level to do a proper sea level to Teide climb. 

GC Denis decided to attack his own team when we were all working for him.

TY took another shortcut. This is becoming so common that his name is now “Shortcut” TY. 

The Pope decided to do hill reps up Teide.

JFW jumped on the wheel of a FDJ pro-rider. All the respect he won by riding the whole Teide in the big chainring lost in the less than 30 seconds he managed to hold his wheel. 

The weather didn’t play ball either. Very windy in the descent and reports of higher temperatures in London made us wonder what we were doing here. 

The Pope broke the group discipline not following the great pace I was setting with the aim of making the last climb enjoyable for everyone. 

GC Denis took a town sign sprint. I don’t want to remember which town. All I want to remember is that he attacked when I was taking one for the team and doing, for a second time in the day, a great work at setting the pace for him and The Pope.

The Pope didn’t allow me to take the final KOM. That was particularly malevolent after sitting on his wheel the 10km of the climb, listening to all the noises his bike was producing and the magnificent attack I launched. Yes, it was a bit too early, but the noise was getting in my brain. 

I must report the occurrence of a few cramps but I won’t name names (Javier wasn’t one of them though) to protect the privacy of those involved. The one I witnessed looked painful.

With less misbehaviours race organizers cancel stages nowadays. So the only option was to forget about sprint and KOM winners (I didn’t get any of either) and focus on the great day we had. 

Tomorrow’s stage will be great though. I'm sure at the very least we will start riding on time.

The ride in Strava: https://www.strava.com/activities/14089037818

Take care of yourself

Javier Arias González

KW - Extended Milk Churn

 You know that feeling when you are at the front of the group, putting an effort to keep the pace of the group and you hear someone in the group chatting effortlessly?

Well, you know your day is going to be a hard one when the opposite happens. 

That is, someone is in the front, ie. Dai in this ride, chatting effortlessly with Robbie, while you are sitting on his wheel out of breath and fully focussed on not losing his wheel.

The sting is when you realise he is riding on the big chainring. Which wouldn’t be anything special if it wasn’t because we were climbing Effingham. And yes, I know Effingham is not the steepest of the climb but I was on the small chainring from even before the climb started. 

I knew I was definitely up for a hard day. 

So hard that GC Denis smelled blood and started to go for the intermediate sprints.    

Almost killed myself to stay on Dai and GC Denis’ wheel up Leith Hill and they beat me up Juniper by quite some margin.

Still, the best sign that I had a bad day is that GC Denis finished the ride with more sprint points than me. 

It is going to take a long time to recover from this. 

The ride in Strava: https://www.strava.com/activities/14020182697/

Take care of yourself

Javier Arias González

Sprinters

I imagine it will be different for pros, I haven’t studied that fauna yet. For club riders, in particular for Kingston Wheeler riders and being very specific for the Saturday Gang I have the hypothesis that there are two types of sprinters.

Machine guns and snipers.

That would be it. Easy to understand, isn’t it. I’ll add some colour for those not cyclists among you.

A machine gun sprinter is a sprinter that sprints for every single town sign. 

It doesn’t necessarily mean we are talking about a good or strong (two very different qualities) sprinter.

There are machine gun sprinters that sprint for every town sign just because they know where they are. They leave the discipline of a perfectly formed riding group to get the ephemeral glory of crossing first a line only they knew existed. They even celebrate the non-contested sprint for a split of a second before their legs become jelly and they end up swallowed by the efficient group. Embarrassing. 

They are not the worst though. The worst are the desperate machine gun sprinters. Those sprint for signs that are not town signs, or the town sign doesn’t have the speed limit sign. Some of them even sprint for no sign at all. Desperate for sprinting points, they just cross an imaginary line and celebrate. They might be bad sprinters, weak sprinters, or tired sprinters. Losers really. 

The snipers couldn’t be different. The Kingston Wheelers Back For Breakfast gang are probably a very good example. A route published in advance. Three or four sprints are clearly spotted, a one pager detailing each sprint sprint is shared so everyone knows how long it is, the profile, and, obviously, the sprint line. Almost pro level.

The Back For Breakfast gang are my north star, my inspiration. After every ride they publish a ride report where they detail the outcome of each sprint. I always read them with interest, fascinated by the intricate strategies of those clever and strong sprinters.

I don’t join Back For Breakfast rides. My declared reason is that starting the ride at 6:30 is way too early, the fact that the rules are a bit too clear and fair for me to have any chance at getting any of the sprints might also be a factor. 

After all I am a machine gun, sniper wannabe sprinter. 

I only know where a handful of sprint lines are and, as a very good sniper, I don’t have any problem hiding for ages at the back of the group waiting for my opportunity to strike at one of those sprints. I did that twice successfully today. 

But the reality is I was a bit of a desperate machine gun sprinter today. Jumped out of the group for a couple of sprint signs. I celebrated with big fanfare such prestigious victories and when Diego, eager to join the sprinting competition, asked where the next sprint was I had to confess I had no idea. 

Wherever you see me going first and celebrating that was a sprint line is the only right answer.   

ps. I wasn’t the only desperate machine gun sprinter today and, yes, that is a consolation to me. 

The ride in Strava: https://www.strava.com/activities/13963323063/

Take care of yourself

Javier Arias González

One Of The Best Cycling Strategists

 I am one of the best cycling strategists.

Give me a route and I’ll create a plan that will optimize my performance for the route and very often will end up with me taking the final sprint. 

My only flaw is that I probably should study Saturday’s routes a bit better.

For reasons I can’t explain I thought in today’s ride we had Whitedown as the final climb. 

Whitedown. A climb I don’t like (too steep) at the end of a never easy ride (https://www.unbiciorejon.com/2018/10/you-need-to-read-this-if-you-are.html).

I rode all day with that final climb in mind. 

And, of course, the final Esher sprint. 

Imagine my surprise when I realised we were heading towards Juniper. It would be difficult to find a hill more different to Whitedown. 

And, of course, to the Horton sprint. It would be difficult too to find a sprint more different to Esher sprint.

Being one of the best cycling strategists means I can adapt quickly to the circumstances. I welcomed the change. Suited me well.

Juniper was perfect. GC Denis led most of the climb. Cameron on his wheel. Me sitting comfortably on Cameron’s wheel. Dai, on tired legs after spending most of the day at the front, on my wheel. Difficult to find yourself in a better position.

As we were approaching the final ramp I sensed Dai’s attack. 

Perfect. This is too far away. I let him go and stayed on Cameron’s wheel.

Being the great cycling strategist I am, I knew Dai wouldn’t go far and Cameron would close the gap with me on his wheel, setting me up for a perfect KOM win.

A shame that Cameron didn’t try to close the gap and Dai just kept making it bigger and bigger.

I, of course, tried to close the gap to Dai. For a split second I even believed I was going to close it. But Dai kept pushing and making the gap even bigger.

To make things worse Cameron passed me just before getting to the top. 

Not great.

But the Horton sprint was my real opportunity to show everyone how it is done.

Somehow I found myself in the perfect position. In the final straight, with Peter L in front of me and with Cameron on my right.

The perfect position to admire the sprint between Dai and Cameron.

And I say to admire the sprint because seeing how those two animals sprinted, I knew there was no way I was going to take that sprint. 

I am, without a doubt, one of the best cycling strategists. But it doesn’t matter how good you are at cycling strategy if everyone else insists on doing what they shouldn’t be doing.

The route in Strava: https://www.strava.com/activities/13953990566/

Take care of yourself

Javier Arias González