Day 6: Sheltering the flame

Words by Stuart Downie

Photos by Liz Seabrook, Andrew Phillips, and Tomás Montes

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“It is one race and we talk about the Pyrenees as a whole. But in one day you pass from one culture to another. The way of living, the way of thinking, the way of speaking, the way of seeing life – it is absolutely different.”

– Juan Miri (093)

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Whether it is your first ultra or not, the opportunity of revelation or transformation is here in the Pyrenees. If you’d like something to get you started at home, try this: take a look at Follow My Challenge, and click on the replay feature. Watch the dots at 3-4x speed. Imagine yourself a minor Greek god, if you will, sat in a fluffy cloud with some time to spare. Observe as the scurrying points embark on their own journeys. They enact a relatively recently emerged ritual: riding their bikes to the point of utter exhaustion. The other people they encounter find them strange, but their endeavours please you, like a cool gateau de riz taken under the shade of a broad, old tree.

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So, what has happened since yesterday? 

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All along the Pyrenees, riders are having to contend with worsening weather. On the upper slopes of the Tourmalet, Sophia Attwood Apperley (063) has been opting to dismount and push her bike, changing muscle groups instead of gears for some variety. The walk should give her knees a bit of relief, and if she finds, in her words, “a poncy outdoor shop to buy some overpriced gloves”, maybe her frozen fingers will follow suit. Instead of adding insult to injury, however, she’s capitalising on her situation and intends to submit the final 600km as a DIY audax – why not?

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In Luz-Saint-Sauveur, Graham Steward (028) has ordered not one but three coffees. The server has laid them out as if he’s waiting for two friends. He is not. Unfazed by the conditions inside and out, Graham is determined to keep up the rhythm and see the task through – coffees and all. 

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The rain has invited itself to the party, Garcia Gregory (100) proclaims. Rather than be disappointed by this, Garcia has instead welcomed the weather like a wine pairing on a particularly lengthy tasting menu. He’s not yet worse for wear, relishing the fuller experience, and even though he didn’t sleep last night due to rain – everything is wet – he’s determined to finish and honour the Spirit of the Race.

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Juan Miri (093) is stopping for his second time in Luz. As we've seen, he’s become introspective, a pedalling philosopher of sorts. The rain has been picking at him, however, and there’s an itch building that he wants to scratch. He’s set his sights on the Tourmalet and then the Hourquette d’Ancizan, and is listening to Argentinian radio to distract himself, which reminds him of his childhood home. Whichever route you choose, Juan, you’ll be home soon.

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In the early evening, 18:22 CEST to be exact, Jocelyn Roth (055) finishes 4th having ridden 5 days, 11 hours and 22 minutes, and a total distance of 2036.24km. Jocelyn’s route is only 2km shorter than second-placed Naimi, and his moving to stopped time ratio is the same as third-placed Manuel Rudaz. Here you see how fine the variables can impact shorter distance ultra races like these, and how routing can have an effect on your average speed. Jocelyn rode the Raid Parcours – in part – in both directions, whereas Anatole avoided it entirely until he had to. These decisions of course come down to rider preference and ability, but at the end of the day we still have objective metrics that will explain a rider’s performance. Jocelyn also did not realise that he had to ride Parcours 4 before CP4 until he arrived at the Control Point. Errors like these happen, and they can derail morale, but they may not even be errors in the grand scheme of things. 

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TPRNo3 veteran Samuel Thomson of Acier Coaching offers some more insight: “TPRNo4’s results are a clear indication of the ever-increasing standard in ultra-distance self-supported racing. Of course, it is difficult to compare year on year with differing routes, especially with the impact that hike-a-bike has on overall speed. There were more optional, but evident off-road sections last year, too.”

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For those looking to expand their thinking and up their ultra game, we’ll hear Samuel’s takeaways in a coming report.

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Fifth place is Marco Stalder (039). We see him at Cadaqués around 18:00 CEST, riding around the border of the inky bay under an ominous sky, he seems – at a glance – to be quite serene. He has completed Finish Parcours A, and like every rider before him, is heading to the gravel shortcut to Parcours B. The skies open less than an hour later, and Marco rides the last four or so hours in the rain, finishing at 22:59 CEST having ridden 1970.18km in 5 days, 15 hours and 59 minutes. 

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We cross into a new day and Christian Dupraz heralds it at 00:54 CEST, riding 1965.15km in 5 days, 17 hours and 54 minutes. Christian came with a sizable saddle bag, and concerns over his shifters before the start saw him carry spare bar end shifters and cables with him – just in case. He needn’t have worried, and he and his bike put in a strong performance in spite of several of the dreaded p words. 

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Fiona Kolbinger (004) has had to contend with the same rain that has plagued the midpack. We see her just over the border, riding in torrential rain. Fiona is enjoying the Race a little less than the last time Race Reporter Tom Probert spoke with her on the Aubisque, but her determination is still evident. At 19:30 CEST we speculate as to whether – with another 9-10 hours of riding left – Fiona will follow her established strategy of stopping indoors to dry out, or weather the storm.

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Kolbinger shoulders the wheel and finishes in 7th place at 04:55 CEST, for a total time of 5 days 21 hours 55 minutes, riding a canny 1930.49km – the shortest route we’ve seen so far. Sleeping indoors for a change has been a small revelation, in part because of the range of people you encounter as a result. At her last stop in Escouloubre Fiona is delayed in arriving until close to two o’clock in the morning, but still finds herself enthusiastically met and subsequently served a three course meal by her host, Cédric, a recent convert to cycling. Welcome to the fold, Cédric: you’re in a great place to ride a bike, and you’ve just made dinner for a living legend in the ultra cycling scene. If you’d like to avail yourself of a Koblinger approved cycling stop with rider-friendly check in times, you can find Notre-Dame d'Escouloubre here.

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At this point, Control Car 2 has had five bedtimes in the last two days. The weather has improved into the new day, blue skies above the Finish Line, which will be quiet for a few hours. For now, Fiona and Christian are enjoying a chat in the square, comparing highlights of the route. There is a gap to the next rider on the road, Molly Weaver (009), and behind her is Sylvain Arhancet (047), both of whom we expect to see later today. It might be another late night or early morning, depending on your angle of view, before the top ten is rounded out.

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SCRATCH REPORT

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Anders Ryman (088)

Andreas Klause (067)

Andy Booth (079)

George Kitto (056)

Damien Delbergue (065)

Juan Miri (093) 💔

Lee Jackson (036)

Conor McKenzie (040)

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