Gauntlet, Hever Castle Bike Course Recce

[tin pot]

Finally did some reconnaissance on the bike course this evening - now I’m sitting in the Pantiles with most of a pint of Seafarers gone before I’ve sat down!

I know parts of it well, but this was the first time for some bits. I started at the Fordham downhill section about halfway around. Imo it’s pretty good mostly downhill with no major climbing from there to Hever until you get close to the castle and the road starts turning #@?#. As you climb out it’s a fair climb but as the standard course guys turn left, we turn right into the #@?# roads I will ever have raced on. I would not want to be hitting his part fast, which is fine because I’m pooped getting there

Then as it heads out toward Hartfield it gets very nice, sweeping downhills and climbs and it all seems a bit less stressful.

Unfortunately as I thought I was getting to the turn back at Blackhill, I had in fact missed a turning which added a huge climb and probably twenty minutes to my ride and all my optimism with it.

When I found Blackhill it was a lovely ridge to get there with great views and the turn back is an amazing downhill I can’t wait to do on closed roads. Unfortunately there is still a *lot* of climbing and descending to get to groom ridge and the Fordham descent.

My power meter said I averaged 193W off an FTP of 243 that’s a touch light but it was bloody hard work. I’m thinking this could be another Wimbleball disaster for me!



Anyone else know the course?
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Iron ‘17 16h11, '16 14h30
Half Iron ‘18 DNF, '17 7h39, 6h28 '16 5h53
Olympic '16 3h18 '15 3h33, '13 3h36
Sprint '16 1h17, '14 1h40, '13 2h01
Half Mara '16 2h04, '14 2h07
Trail 10K '16 54:01 '13 54:46

[fat buddha]

[hammerer]

Roads are open!

oh and not too bad? The course is relentless. Even the pro's are only hitting 2:40's If you break 3hrs you'll be doing very well. oh and then the hilly, mainly off road trail run! At the top of the forest if you head down to Marefield and back up, that's the Bastion route of 37miles! try doing that 3 times!
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Blog

[tin pot]

Oh FFS! I hate open roads. Downhilling some of those sections on a TT bike is going to be “exciting” then! Maybe stick with the roadie but it would feel like such a cop out.

Tried to do some analysis of the power file, but there are some spurious numbers that reduce my confidence in it eg Avg power for the lap was 193W on the device at the time, in Golden Cheetah it says 177W...but from my experience there’s no really tough climbs (except for my detour to Kidds Hill). I managed to hold around 200W getting up them anyway apart from a few where I decided a standing 300W was in order. I think it’s the number of ascents rather than the steepness that makes it a slow course...if that matters...I’m still 80 something kilos instead of the 60 something elites carry.

I’m going to do a run course recce next week, although I’m not sure how easy following the map will be. If it’s like the Olympic route two years ago I might remember a good portion.
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Iron ‘17 16h11, '16 14h30
Half Iron ‘18 DNF, '17 7h39, 6h28 '16 5h53
Olympic '16 3h18 '15 3h33, '13 3h36
Sprint '16 1h17, '14 1h40, '13 2h01
Half Mara '16 2h04, '14 2h07
Trail 10K '16 54:01 '13 54:46

[stenard]

Seeing as you've done the Olympic before, I struggle to see how you thought it was closed roads?
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My blog: https://stenardstuff.wordpress.com/
Random stuff and race reports

[Jgav]

Thanks for the write up on the bike course. I seem ok on hills compared to others around my speed, so a good course for me. I'll be there on my red and white TCR with clip on bars.

Is the run course, trail shoes or road shoes?

[stenard]

[explorerJC]

[tin pot]

Agree and why I posted the numbers - I find it impossible to get smooth power numbers outdoors, and I suspect it’s the spikes over 500W and intervals over 300W that wear me out.

Also my training plan has had no rides longer than 1.5hrs so I need to acclimatise from the smooth intense indoor rides to the ~3.5hrs up and down I’ll be putting out on July 8th over the next few weeks.
_________________
Iron ‘17 16h11, '16 14h30
Half Iron ‘18 DNF, '17 7h39, 6h28 '16 5h53
Olympic '16 3h18 '15 3h33, '13 3h36
Sprint '16 1h17, '14 1h40, '13 2h01
Half Mara '16 2h04, '14 2h07
Trail 10K '16 54:01 '13 54:46

[tin pot]

[stenard]

[explorerJC]

[Jgav]

Getting closer now, I'm actually off on a stag do nearish to Hever. Shame I can't take my bike with and it's probably not the best prep a week before a big race.