Stow Triple Sep 2020
Words by Madeleine Bell
As promised, a race report from the Stow Triple!
If you had asked me in Jan if I was going to do the Stow Triple this year I’d have point blank said no. if you’d have asked me a month ago you’d have got the same answer. But here we are, and I am writing a race report!!
On Sunday Adam and I headed down to Stow to take on some of the regions most feared climbs. I think we both much prefer long steep alpine style climbs and 20% gradients- but with next to nothing else available on the race calendar this year we just couldn’t miss out on this! We almost drowned in the field at sign-on and the gazebo appeared to be positioned on a wee island out at sea.
Climb one was hard. Think legs burning, lungs burning, and a resultant cough for the rest of the day leaving us wondering if we had Covid! Somehow I managed to go up there slower than last week, listening to stories, fully loaded with bags and bottles...I can’t work that one out either? Unusually, Adam suffered in the headwind (that’s my excuse normally!) and we both returned to HQ feeling rather dejected. It’s a tricky one knowing how to prep for 3 short blasts spread out over 4 hours. We took turbos with us to warm down and up on in the carpark, and fill the void between stages. We’re still not sure if it was a good or bad thing, but we felt and looked (?) Like pros!!
On to climb two and a shallower gradient- not my speciality but somehow I seemed to perform better. Stage 2 was shortened slightly due to flooding, but I managed to Knock over a minute off last years segment time despite a few river crossings! As I headed back down Adam was approaching, on the drops, out of the saddle, and climbing like a pro. Why wasn’t I on the drops!? A lot of this really is to do with practice, technique and experience, as much as anything else!
Climb three next and my favourite one of all. We should both do well here- the steeper the better!! Despite a few months of great riding and some fast times in practice I don’t think either of us performed to our full potential. I came in 4th lady on GC, behind two Team Scotland riders and the Nat hill climb champ, and knocked a minute off last years Climb three.
We should both have done better, but I am chuffed we went. The easy option was to pull out on Saturday night given the horrendous weather, or not enter at all for fear of failure when I saw the quality of the cat. 2 women riders in the field! Two and a half minutes faster than last year overall despite going slower up climb one, and a great day out in the MRCC Jersey. Adam tried his best to win the Cloudhouse cafe voucher, but alas no success.
Onwards to next year, another 2.5 minutes off and some great races in the Musselburgh kit- bring it on!! I told Adam it was hard being a woman in cycling, as only the very very best race for fear of being too slow. He assured me it was hard being a man too. The more of us that take the plunge, the easier it will become. See you at Faside next weekend if we can get an entry!!
Special thanks to Neil for the support and the advice, and all involved in making the event go ahead, as well as my training pals over the last few months. It sounds like an Oscar speech but there are no tears. Maybe it is time to buy a power meter and put a proper plan together!