Giro de Pilipinas 2015 Day 1

Guest SaddleDrunk Rider/Writer Daniel Carruthers report back to us the first day of the Giro de Pilipinas 2015 from Subic Bay,Philippines.Photos Credit to Jennifer Carruthers.

As part of the re-invention of the Subic Bay Area, this new event Giro de Pilipinas has been staged at a perfect time to raise the awareness of cyclists in this beautiful part of Luzon Island and help stake the claim Subic Bay is becoming the cycling capital of the Philippines.

 

It is a short flight from Hong Kong to Clark airport and the transfer is only one hour on virtually traffic free smooth roads, a far better option than flying into Metro Manila. The location of this new event could not be more perfect for riders from around Asia wishing to experience the style of Filipino racing and hospitality; there is a vibrant racing scene here and the level just keeps improving with each year I’ve been coming to race. I’ve been racing in the Philippines for six years now, beginning with the Tour of Luzon in 2010, followed by the Tour of Larrazabal on Ormoc Island in 2011. Subsequently I’ve been invited to provide media coverage for the Tour of Matabungkay for the last five years. Unfortunately, culminating with the tragic circumstances involving the Kenyan Riders, the Matabungkay Tour has been cancelled and removed from the race calendar. However, the Giro de Pilipinas replaces this Tour and is organized by the same Baterna brothers.  This event has kicked off with a great start with more than 250 riders across all the categories participating.   There is more for cyclists here in Subic Bay with plenty of good restaurant options and hotels to stay in. It is a proven training ground for many of the Filipino tri-athletes as there is ample flat road riding as well as many climbs to choose from. The new Giro de Pilipinas has arrived with impeccable timing and will help serve to spearhead the growth of cycling in Subic Bay. 

The Racing

 

Coming off the back of an intense 7-days of mountain bike racing in the Himalayas, where I was riding 6-7 hours each day in the saddle, one would expect me to show up with some tired legs. It proved to be true with a lackluster performance in the 39.2km ITT for stage one.   I had a few mechanicals to sort out before the start of the ITT, which I was one of the first to go at 6.02am! I rolled up to the starting ramp with a couple of minutes to spare without any warm-up and my previous ride was stage seven on the MTB in the Himalayas! The countdown was on and I was off on my time trial. Immediately, due to lack of marshals at that time, I took two wrong turns before I found myself back on track.  Because the first section is largely flat with a few rollers, I was able to get into a nice rhythm and was averaging about 340 watts according to my JouleGPS. But as soon as the road went up-wards, I started to struggle and the legs did not have the same snap that I am used to.  Overall it was quite a lumpy time trial course with three 150m climbs and an interesting forest loop on narrow roads. During the forest loop, a large monkey popped out of the forest and checked me out as I flew by on the descent.  

Eventually, I was caught by my minute-man who proceeded to draft me. It seems whenever I race in time-trials in the Philippines, I always see blatant drafting; riders don’t seem to understand that it is an individual time trial: you versus the clock and nothing else. So, in order to get rid of the rider, I stalled my pedaling but the Filipino would not come past me. So I turned and pulled him past me and gave him a pinch too! That jolted him and he was on his way. A few minutes later I was caught by two more riders and they were working together! They caught the guy I pinched and the three of them started lapping it out and opening the gap on me. So much for an individual time trial. I also saw riders coming the opposite direction on the way back, also drafting.  In the last five minutes I had a late rally and was able to increase my power to finish on a strong note. I headed straight to the hotel and took a well deserved nap to recover in time for the afternoon’s 105km stage. 

Stage two – 105km

 Feeling groggy with sleep, I had a quick bite of a vegetarian sandwich and a pineapple shake literally just 30minutes before the start of the stage. The neutral portion of the stage was 15km, rolling out from the Subic Naval base area out onto the traffic infested roads of Subic. I was in the large wave of 35-45 age group and we rolled along at an easy 25km/h, allowing time for my food to digest before the racing began.

At the official starting point of the stage, the traffic needed to be cleared before the racing could start. The hot tropical sun was beating down on me and I was perspiring like mad. I refueled on the ice-cold vitamin water that was provided by sponsors and the stage began.  We faced a short climb of about 1.5kms, which was done steady and I was near the front.  On the descent, three riders shot clear and had a decent gap on the bunch. Just before the next township, another three riders sprinted hard across and the breakaway became six riders. I sensed the danger, but I was not handily placed to make the jump across myself, besides due to the large 100 plus rider peloton, I thought more riders would start jumping across. But this did not happen and much to my chagrin, the whole bunch slowed down to a 30km/h pace – much like a Sunday afternoon easy bunch ride. This ensured the break group was well and truly gone. I tried several moves to rally the group but I was shut down each time, mostly by the Sante Monte guys in green, with jersey’s that proclaim “I’m on Grass”. I was constantly marked by the “I’m on Grass” guys and I am mystified at their style of riding – they had no one in the breakaway (or I could be mistaken) and they have two sprinters, so they should be amping for a sprint finish. I tried at least six random attacks and some of them were double-attacks as I found that if I coasted, the guys in green would coast also. The double-attack failed to throw them off. I waited for opportunities to go with others, but each time was reeled back in.

 

The roads here at the Giro de Pilipinas are great, not perfect, but good enough for fast racing and also offer plenty of interesting sights along the way. We passed by brilliant green yellow rice fields harvested by cart-drawn water buffalos against a backdrop of green-covered mountains. It is brilliantly colorful here in the Philippines with wispy white clouds and blue skies, the colorful Jeepnies, and moto-taxis, a smorgasbord of signs proclaiming different things, like “home of the most beautiful women” or “Playboy ice-cream” were two that stuck with me.  The traffic control is markedly better compared with previous years I have raced here in the Philippines. The marshals and the police did a great job of keeping the notoriously bad traffic under control.

I saw an opportunity. It was about 20km to go and the bunch was strung out and breaking up. I was moving towards the front and checked behind me and saw the gaps and also saw the riders in front of me starting to soft-pedal. I attacked hard and in the process, my helmet was kicked sharply backwards by a tree branch that was hanging awfully low by the road-side. Luckily it just skimmed me and I continued on with my attack. I caught the lone rider just up the road and we traded pulls together. Our gap to the peloton grew and we quickly put them out of sight as the bunch hesitated. I soon found that the Filipino rider I was with was not pulling strong enough so I did longer pulls on the front to ensure he would get recovery and pull enough so I could recover for a few seconds. He would pull through and immediately flicked his elbow and soft-pedalled. Regardless, we seemed to be doing enough to keep the gap constant. As the kilometers ticked by, I began to feel we were in for a chance to get to the finish before the peloton and was motivated to keep my pulls hard and steady.

With six kilometers to go, we were still in front but my companion seemed to be getting weaker. He overshot a corner and this gave me a gap of about 30m to the rider. I continued to pull hard like I was doing but he managed to claw back to my wheel and this told me he had been conserving all along. With four kilometers to go, he did a big surge and I had to dig deep to get back to him. I told him not to do that again, little realizing that the peloton was in sight behind us and was rapidly closing on us. Three kilometers to go we were swept up into the fold.  It was going to be a large bunch sprint.  Singapore based Brian Jensen (Matador) launched a big attack right on the final short climb and strung the pack out over the climb.  I surprised myself with enough power to launch back near the front and just focused on staying near the front for the sprint finale. 

It was all game on with riders in the large peloton all-jostling for position but no one really taking charge. This can spell doom for a bunch of this size as with less than 1km from the finish, we were all spread across the road and waiting for the first one to sprint. It was a little hair-raising for me but my sprinters instincts took over and I was moving with the flow and making sure I was not swamped from behind.  Right when the sprint was opening up, a rider two over from my left started to go but looked behind and somehow crossed wheels. He went down heavily and took out the rider next to him. The domino effect nearly took me down also, but I was able to “ski” out of the danger. I was coasting and taking an evasive line out, barely missing the carnage. A whole cluster of riders hit the deck just 300m from the finish, leaving just a few of us to contest the finish.

I had great legs and I was ready to open my sprint at least 100m before the crash happened, but was boxed in and had to wait patiently for an opening. After emerging from the danger unscathed, I launched my sprint from 250m out but guys who had more momentum on the far right side already had the gap. The Excellent Noodles winner from two years ago at the Tour of Matabungkay took the bunch kick while I came in forth.  I was relieved that I was not taken out considering I have a lot more racing coming up back in China.

It was a 15kms ride back to the Subic Bay Naval base area as the warm-down to the hot stage!  That evening was a nice dinner put on by the organizers on the beach front together with the award ceremony.  A group of fire dancers treated all of us to a fine spectacle of energetic dancing and some big flames! 

Stay tuned for Stage three’s action!

Thank you Daniel from SD TEAM.

Supporting the New Para National Road Champion

SaddleDrunk Team is pleased to announce the start of an amazing relationship with Alex Jones the New Para National Road Champion.

We have asked Alex and his mother few question about Alex's cycling career.

Introduction

What an amazing trajectory it has been for 17 year old Alex Jones, since he started cycling competitively only 3 years ago! Having been spotted by British Cycling's Talent Coaches winning gold at the London Youth Games TT in 2012, he has been on the Olympic Talent programme Regional schools of Racing,  learning the trade on track and road - and the levels of hard work, sacrifice and discipline that it takes to succeed.  Born with mild cerebral palsy, last year he caught the eye of the Great Britain Cycling Team para coaches and after a successful first Road World Cup in Italy in June he has gone on to become 2015 National Mens para Circuit series winner and National Mens para Road Champion, a remarkable acheivement for a Junior rider. He has also medalled in each of 5 track events at the UK Games and is looking forward to competing with Paralypmic greats at the National Track Championships at the end of this month.  

History

Alex always enjoyed sports as a child but developed an interest in cycling at the age of 14, joining the Kingston Junior Cycling Club. The coaches there advised him to trial for the London Youth Games, (where he won Gold for the following 3 years) and he was spotted by revered British Cycling Talent and Regional Development coach Graham Macnamee who remains an influential mentor and voice of experience.

Mac nominated Alex for BC’s prestigious Regional Schools of Racing, part of the Olympic Talent Programme where over the next 2 years Alex learned the foundations of competitive road and track cycling and the high standards and hard work expected not only on the bike but off the bike too including nutrition, organization, preparation, discipline and the dedication required to be a top rider. Along the way he was supported and encouraged by his clubs (Twickenham CC, HIllingdon and Prestige), family and school, particularly by his PE Teacher and International Triathlete Mark Yeoman, who showed unwavering belief in  Alex’s potential.

Alex’s passion for riding grew, fuelled by fantastic experiences such as meeting the Team Sky riders and Shane Sutton on a training camp in Majorca where he rode up Mount Lluc with them and being taken behind the scenes at the Tour de France with Chris Boardman, Ned Boulting and Gary Imlach.  Off the bike, Alex is a BC level 1 coach and regularly helps teach young riders at Hillingdon CC.  His other interests are cars and music.

Alex did well in regional events but due to his mild cerebral palsy affecting his performance at an elite National level, he missed out on a place on the Olympic Apprentice programme. However, in a stroke of luck for Alex, he had caught the eye of his current coach, Andy Pitt who offered to take him on a one to one basis in July 2014, starting a fantastically motivating working relationship.   BC’s para cycling programmeidentified his potential and  nominated him for his first para Road World Cup in Italy in June this year where he was classified by an International panel as a C5 rider.

Following an impressive performance at his first World Cup, Alex went on, under the effective guidance of Andy Pitt, to win the National Men’s Para Circuit Series and after an amazing season has become National Men’s Para Road Champion in his category.  He has just returned from the UK School Games having medalled in each of his 5 events and is looking forward to the National Track Championships in Manchester later this month where he will be competing with Paralympic multi-medallists such as Jody Cundy and Jon Allan Butterworth.

After an exciting first year competing as a para cyclist alongside his regular racing commitments, Alex is now undergoing assessments  and training with the Great Britain Cycling Teamand his fierce ambition is to continue to learn and improve and earn the opportunity to ride for GBCT at the 2016 World Cups and World Championships and start BC’s four year preparation cycle for Tokyo 2020. Alex is also a Level One BC coach and spends his spare time teaching young riders at his old club.

From next month Alex will be wearing the national champion colour cycling kit made by SaddleDrunk after being approved by British Cycling. 

Good Luck Alex.

SD Team.

Do not forget to vote for us at the Time Out Love London Awards.



Trempe' Velo a Paris.Part 1.

Ciao a tutti,I hope you are well and enjoying the summer with plenty Kms in your legs,and the virtual cabinet loading up with badges.

Last Friday we departed from London to Paris again with our second group. This time was challenging. Hence the fact that today guest blog riders/writers are Craig Skinner & Chris W. two  of the "Magnificent 7". 

Craig celebrating his arrival at the Eiffel Tower

Craig celebrating his arrival at the Eiffel Tower

Why did you do it?

My primary reason for doing the London to Paris ride was to raise money for Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research, but also to push myself as a cyclist.

I began raising money for Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research through cycling challenges following a diagnosis my sister, Kirsty, received of Leukaemia in 2012. She's shown an incredible amount of bravery in the face of everything that's been thrown at her and I'm so unbelievably proud of her. She went through so much chemotherapy and in 2013 she had a peripheral blood stem cell transplant, with a donation from me. This was successful and she's now doing really well.

Research into new treatments is so important and donating money to charities such as Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research can really help save lives. At the time of writing I’ve raised £751.74 from the London to Paris ride and would like to thank everyone who generously donated.

The weather radar before departing

The weather radar before departing

What did you do to prepare for it?

Lots and lots of cycling. Often joined by lots of wonderful fellow Saddledrunk members. That, and I baked a big batch of flapjacks.

How did you find it?

The weather was the biggest challenge on the ride, leaving me shivering and with my teeth chattering for quite some time. Sadly the extreme weather conditions meant that we couldn’t complete the entire UK side of the journey as it was too dangerous but we pressed on regardless, hitting more bad weather when we arrived in Dieppe. Around the 100km mark in France the sun came out and slowly but surely we began to dry off and warm up.

Everything was very well organised by Papa Stef and he took care of us incredibly well, even handing out extra clothes from his heavy rucksack to those of us, like me, that hadn’t prepared for quite such bad weather. He also had pre-planned stops where we could load up on croissants and espresso. The countryside was also very pretty and the roads are nothing like those in the UK. No potholes!

In Newhaven at the Ferry Terminal.

In Newhaven at the Ferry Terminal.

Would you do it again?

Absolutely. Especially as we sadly had to cut it a little short. In fact I think my last words to Stef before riding home were, ‘I want to do the whole journey again’. The ride also left me with a burning desire to cycle abroad more - this was my first time - and my head is full of possible ideas for future rides.

What was going through your mind during the ride?

I can’t say it was always good things as the gusts battered us, the rain beat down and grit flew up in my face flying down the Avenue Verte but cycling with a really nice group quickly banished any negativity from my mind and for the most part I was just so happy to be part of the ride. And to know that my doing it had led to so many generous donations.

Arriving in Paris was a thrilling and wonderful experience too and one that was made even more special by the surprise appearance of my mum, who had got a passport and travelled to Paris from Cornwall to meet me at the finish. I had absolutely no idea that she was going to be there - her and my girlfriend, Katy, had managed to keep it a secret for some time - and was incredibly surprised and moved.

Andrew raising Money for Tommy's Charity

Andrew raising Money for Tommy's Charity

Next on line is Chris W.

London to Paris had appealed to me for quite sometime after witnessing friends and work colleagues complete the pilgrimage to the Arc de Triomphe and the Eiffel Tower. So when the opportunity came about to do it with the SaddleDrunk guys I couldn't miss out, especially arriving in the city on the final weekend of the Tour de France.

I had been keeping a close eye on the weather in the build up to our own grand depart and the forecast was not in our favour, the great British summer decided to drop a months worth of rain in one day. The conditions were so bad a decision was made to get the train to Brighton for safety reasons. 

Having only managed a small amount of riding on the first day in some terrible conditions, the real riding started when we arrived in Dieppe. Fuelled by coffee and croissants following our first pit stop, the sun finally made an appearance and we could really appreciate the beautiful countryside and pot hole free French roads. We really put in the effort and the kilometres were passing by in no time. It was a welcomed change to see how respectful the French motorists were of cyclists, giving us plenty of room when overtaking. 

We had a lot of laughs and jokes along the way and there was a great sense of achievement when we reached the capital. We felt as though we were the stars of the TdF with tourists asking to take our photos underneath the Eiffel Tower! We capped off a great couple of days with well deserved beers and wine over dinner. 

Stretching at Gare Du Nord.

Stretching at Gare Du Nord.

I have to give a huge thanks to Stefano for organising the whole trip (and assisting with that puncture at 5am!!), I have taken some great memories with me and I look forward to doing more Saddledrunk organised trips in the future! 

ook out for Part 2 of the ride.

Thank you to Craig & Chris.

A very well done to the riders.

SD Team

Chris,Stef,Craig,Ale,Val,Derek,Andy.

Chris,Stef,Craig,Ale,Val,Derek,Andy.

Testing Oakley Sunglasses & Prizm Lenses

Nearly 6 weeks ago I was approached by Oakley Sunglasses through a SaddleDrunker (James M.).

They invited me to road test the Jawbreaker & Radar models, this was before the public launch.

I felt really pleased to have given the chance to try those before hitting the shops but due work commitment I could test them.

Uranium Collection Prizm Road Radar 

Uranium Collection Prizm Road Radar 

Finally I met with Geoffrey in Regent Parks to have as we say a "Meeting on Wheels". Geoffrey is the European Operation Co-ordinator for Oakley, where he explains to me everything about the 3 models he had with him for me to try.

Nothing to say that the first impact I had with the glasses were just fantastic.

Jawbreaker with Prizm Road

Jawbreaker with Prizm Road

We then set off with the Jawbreaker Prizm Road Lenses, the same as Mark Cavendish. The Frame of the Jawbreaker gives you an extra protection compare to glasses with the only top frame,which personally I prefer. Another point at first wearing  in my disadvantage was the width of my view was restricted on the side by a big piece of plastic where there is the big O.

After few minutes of riding, my visual perception drastically improved making the test ride more enjoyable. The lenses were really amazing bringing light to my ride and making a crystal clear view of my surroundings.

Jawbreaker with Prizm Trail

Jawbreaker with Prizm Trail

Next on the cards to try was my favourite model of sunglasses, the "Radar". The lenses were the same but the frame completely different. The Radar Frame is not bulky as the Jawbreaker, it is stylish & skinny. The combination of colour also sits very well to be seen during the hours of darkness. A good selling point is the reasonable price.

The last to try was the Jawbreaker with Prizm Trail Lenses built for Mountain Biking. Which I believe it is not still available in the market at the moment but it will be soon. 

The frame was as the Jawbreaker but those lenses made such a big difference. Those, I would say that they could be ideal for the British weather during cloudy & grey skies. They enhanced the lights and with sunset settling down my vision was perfect.I had the feeling I was riding in a sunny country during lunch time.

My test time was up, Geoffrey & I had to returned to our loved ones. It was nice meeting Geoffrey, and we (SaddleDrunkers) will be able to meet him again @ Oakley HQ to work together for a SD Special Edition Oakley Sunglasses.

More info to follow. Please get in touch if you like to visit Oakley HQ during our visit.

Thank You Oakley & Geoffrey & James.

Ride Safe, Share the Road.

SD.