| Here's Keith White's report on the 2009 Rault:
What a great weekend. Had a bit of everything, some cracking performances and the usual hi's and lows of any trip.
The eager travellers met up on the Friday morning for the longer than usual boat trip due to engine problems (again).
The weather didn't look too fantastic and in fact, compared to the previous day, it was pretty horrible. Thankfully, the rain halted enough not to bother us too much. We picked up Kenny Patrick and his mate Paul Cowieson on the boat. They were going over to do some riding and a quick conversation, a phone call via John Derrien to the Hotel and we were 2 crew more for the Rault. The cars kindly took the bags for the riders on the road. We all decided to split the road trip and 16 1/2 miles in at a town called Plancoet, we had coffee, light snacks and the beer started to flow across a few dry lips. After a short while we made the short hop down to Lamballe at a brisk pace.
The Hotel was perfectly suited to our needs, easy to find, pretty good rooms, a very nice lockup area for the bikes and literally 300 yards from the start line. Most of the guys went straight over to register post checking in whilst a few of us went to St Brieuc to check out Decathalon. 7pm saw us all relaxing in the square in Lamballe sipping the local nectar and planning eating. Thankfully, a few yards away, a pizza/pasta house sorted us a table for 12 and we were accomodated with both decent food and a regular flow of wine. No one really went over the top and bed awaited ready for the anticipated tough ride the next morning.
Sat morning:
A few slightly groggy faces graced the breakfast table but most looked upto the task at hand which for most was the 157 kilometer ride across the rolling countryside of deepest, darkest Brittany with just over 5000ft of climbing. See attached Garmin 705 profile. There was 1 climb (over 9 miles according to the data at the 58 - 70 miles markers) that seemed to go on forever but the steepest i can find logged is 11% which was short and sweet thankfully.
So, back to the story. We nearly missed the start proper and i think we owe it to Gary De Gruchy who spotted the Sportive start was ahead of the main bunch in the square. The numbers were good, 1263 riders squeezed into the square opposite the Lamballe Fire Station, the atmosphere brilliant and we all awaited the countdown....
Those countdowns always get the heart pumping, or was that Bob Banks pumping up his rear tyre only seconds before the off after Mike Gardener had questioned something to do with Bob's tyres. Preparation is everything.
Then..
We were AWAY...
Beep, Beep, Beep over the matts and ..
Sharp left turn down the hill, already guys off the bikes in the side of road. 100-200 meters further on, sloooow down, tight bridge. John Derrien, Gary De Gruchy and Phil (ginger) Huelin were away. Bob got caught up in traffic whilst myself and Mike some yards back had to wait for a moment to get through but it seemed an age. 1 guy had slipped into the brook down the side of the bridge and pedalled away with wet legs
and a bruised ego. Now Bob was a whole group off the lead and i was about 4 groups back. No matter, i wasn't racing anyway as i enjoy the whole spirit of these events. However, its nice to ride at a good clip and all the riders did exactly that.
The road course was brilliant, not massively hilly but very rolling and with some death
defying sections more suitable for motocross riders i think. Seriously, 1 section was a 7% down gradient over a mile in length but 1/2" or more deep in loose gravel. Only the very sparse patches of real tarmac visible sporadically would save the most cautious of riders, me included. I was told this is were Bob Banks after making his heroic group jump somewhere before this point descended with a fury and threw caution to the wind placing skillful bike handling and a good time into the cooking pot. As you'll see, it was a decisive move.
John Derrien unfortunately wasn't so lucky at this point in the Sportive and punctured.
On tubs, many have said they are a disadvantage, but he stopped, pulled and replaced the afflicted tyre in mere minutes. In total, he thinks he lost maybe a minute or two on the actual puncture but the reality of loosing your fast moving group is where the toll is
taken. This cost John 7 minutes all told by the race end. Unlucky but, it happens.
I think Noel Hayden suffered 3 punctures in a recent French Randonnee.
Anyway...
Gary, Bob and Phil are still out there. For Phil of course, this is his first ever 100,
first sportive and i'd guess he'd be nervous. In fact, he did remarkably well but like
many of us, misjudged the demands upon water/drinks and had to stop at the last feed
station to replenish lost stocks. A wise choice indeed (safety wise) and whilst it cost him ultimate glory, he had a fantastic race time of 4:38 on a par with John Derrien a very experienced sportive rider all said and done.
Now, Bob says he won, Gary said he won by a '£200 red sidi' toe as he pushed his foot out across the line. I do seem to remember Bob crossing the starting matt later than Gary so he must have outdone Gary on 'realtime' but i guess only those two will ever know what truely happened. I was too far back to see what happened by many miles.
In fact, i stopped for water with old Jersey ace Brian Lidster who was too riding the
full 157 km. This guy can ride a bit for a 60 year old and we, along with Mike Gardener
all decided from the 70 mile marker to ride it in together, no man or machine left out
to the wrath of the vultures which were circling overhead. I think we finished in around 5:09 though my garmin insists it was 5:06:52. It matters not.
These would wait for Kenny's mate Paul Cowieson who whilst having no fixed abode club wise, was a great and quite welcome addition to the weekend and he finished in a VERY brave 5 Hours 55 minutes in what was by now, very warm conditions. It is said that he took medical assistance at one of the feed stations due to cramping etc. Fair play to Paul and I've the best respect for his valiant effort.
The girls faired extremely well. 5:15 on the road for the full 157 kilometers. Sarah Henderson and Jim Davis had driven down in the car but had fully intended to ride well. Indeed, thier performance shows you that gender matters little in such events. As a matter of record, Jim and Sarah were first ladies in the 18-39 ladies category.
They hadn't had quite enough it seemed as they rode very early on the sunday before we all departed for Cancale to have a well deserved lunch before the boat home.
Rab York, a club member who rode with us on the last event over in France was again in attendance. He had a good ride down to Lamballe ( we all did, quite quick it was ), but unfortunately, on the Sat, he took a wrong turn and ended up only doing 56 miles instead of his planned 157 km ride. A real shame and you may think a hard thing to do but it isn't. Loads of riders around you, signs flash by so quickly... Don't believe me ?
Ask fast and experienced road racer Kenny Patrick. Kenny made a very similar mistake in fact and was flying by all accounts and yet found himself heading back for a record time 100 miles only to suddenly realise he'd followed a very fast group of shorter event riders !! Unlucky Kenny.
After a few flowing glasses of the local beer we sat and waited for most to come home across the line and all talked about the events of the day in the food tent provided in the square. That night, Brian and Paul Lidster joined us for a Vietnamese food fest which was at times quite hard going but in the end, the owner got the idea of 'bring food and wine a plenty' to 14 hungry cyclists and we'll settle up later.
The food was actually, pretty good.
The riders did a further 100kms on the Sunday via Cancale in beautiful weather and tired legs again became dry lips and throats.
The group enjoyed a fine few hours in Cancale wining, dining and nursing sore legs. We did the De Gruchy training ride on the way back from eating and i was left wondering again how Gary lives with himself sitting in Div 3 ? Three of broke away on the 14 mile run back to St Malo via the scenic route working away like nutters. Perhaps it was the pure enthusiam of returning to sunny Jersey after such a great trip ..yea right.
But... All was not over... Around 20 minutes from the boat leaving i started to feel under the weather... Lets just say i had the best seat on the boat and it didn't have a corresponding number.
All in all, a brilliant venture away again. Thanks to all for thier efforts and i look forward to the Bigaut.
Times i have..
157kms / 96.5 miles
http://www.lajeanfrancoisrault.fr/course-cycliste/6/parcours-157-km-cyclosportive-ou-randosportive.html
Winning time overall was Jean-Philippe Ribault, a cyclist from Dinan with a 157km time of 3:57 ' 50 '. I believe he was one of several young professional riders riding the Rault that day. Thats 24.3447 mph average !
Our Guys...
Bob Banks 4:31 ( average speed 21.3653 mph )
Gary De Gruchy 4:31
John Derrien ( 1 puncture) 4:38
Phil Heulin (1 Stop) 4:38
Mike Gardener 5.09
Keith White 5.09
Sarah Henderson 5:15
Jim Davis 5:15
Kenny Patrick ??
Rab York ??
Brian Lidster (came over with me so i presume 5.09)
Paul Lidster ??
Paul Cowieson 5:55 ( First Randonnee )
Man of the match was...according to Bob...
Bob.
Events as depicted above are quite possibly fictitious and may in no way represent reality. Find out at the cafe or on the the club runs, what really happened. [KW]
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Jean François Rault 2009
Jean François Rault 2004
Jean François Rault 2003
Jean François Rault 2002
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