The Victoria Gran Fondo - Saturday June 25th.
Posted: Sun Jun 26, 2011 3:05 pm
Four TS members took part in the VGF this year (Mark Ford, Alan, Chris Watt and myself). Things kicked off on Friday evening with a pre-race dinner at the Hotel Grand Pacific. Great food, a cash bar (yes, Alan I still owe you), a chance to meet the other participants (50 in all), and a pre-race presentation from the organizers. Judging by the demographic in attendance, they could have safely named the ride the "The Middle Aged White Guy Gran Fondo." The next morning began with a full hot breakfast at the hotel at 5:45am. Beats the heck out of my usual pre-ride banana.
We rolled out at 6:30 toward Sooke along the Goose before switching onto the Old Island Highway. As predicted, Alan and Chris were quickly lost to sight with the lead group, while Mark and I sat near the back. By the time we reached the first rest stop in Sooke, Mark and I had also become separated, so I rode on in a group of six. We averaged a steady 27km/h and completed the 270km in a total rolling time of 10hrs. I'll leave it to the others to provide their own reports. But in summary...
The 110km leg to Port Renfrew includes some long ascents, notably the hills leaving both Shirley and Jordan River. Not terribly steep, but definitely long and winding. The reward, however, is a pair of memorable descents into Jordan River (at >70km/h!) and Renfrew. There were food stops in both JR and PR, the latter including hot food!
Leaving Renfrew, we headed east for about 17km along relatively flat terrain before the climbing began in earnest. This marked the highest point of the ride, and topped out at around 580m, a little higher than Goldstream Heights for those who have done that ride. Unlike Goldstream Heights, however, the climbing is nowhere near as steep, although it does go on for about 20km. The most daunting part, and the portion which accounted for most of the altitude gain, was a series of steep switchbacks across the face of small mountain. Not too long after that there began a very looonggg and (much welcomed) descent toward Mesachie Lake and then on to Cowichan Lake for...yes, another food stop.
The next 30km leg stretched from Cowichan Lake along the back roads through Duncan, Cobble Hill and Shawnigan Lake. It was mostly flat or slightly downhill, with a few rolling hills and steep kickers to keep the blood pumping...a bit like West Saanch Rd. Did I mention there were two more food stops in Duncan and Cowichan?
The last leg involved climbing back up out of south Shawnigan onto the highway. Coming as it did at about 220km into the day, it seemed pretty daunting at first. However, having now ridden this stretch a few times over the past month, and knowing what was around each bend, made it more manageable. After that, it was just the usual hair-raising descent of the Malahat, back onto the Goose and then back into downtown.
Would I do it again? Absolutely! The route was spectacular (well, except for the clear cuts) and the organizational support was superb. I may not eat for another two days. There was also a support vehicle which carried our extra gear/bags/clothing from stop to stop, and a motorcycle that was equipped with spare wheels, tools, and water for "emergency" roadside assistance.
So how difficult was it? Let's just say that anyone who has done the Malahat can easily handle the climbing sections. The bigger challenge is that of spending 10hrs in the saddle at one go! My legs still felt surprisingly fresh when I was done. Other parts of my anatomy, um, not so much.
John
We rolled out at 6:30 toward Sooke along the Goose before switching onto the Old Island Highway. As predicted, Alan and Chris were quickly lost to sight with the lead group, while Mark and I sat near the back. By the time we reached the first rest stop in Sooke, Mark and I had also become separated, so I rode on in a group of six. We averaged a steady 27km/h and completed the 270km in a total rolling time of 10hrs. I'll leave it to the others to provide their own reports. But in summary...
The 110km leg to Port Renfrew includes some long ascents, notably the hills leaving both Shirley and Jordan River. Not terribly steep, but definitely long and winding. The reward, however, is a pair of memorable descents into Jordan River (at >70km/h!) and Renfrew. There were food stops in both JR and PR, the latter including hot food!
Leaving Renfrew, we headed east for about 17km along relatively flat terrain before the climbing began in earnest. This marked the highest point of the ride, and topped out at around 580m, a little higher than Goldstream Heights for those who have done that ride. Unlike Goldstream Heights, however, the climbing is nowhere near as steep, although it does go on for about 20km. The most daunting part, and the portion which accounted for most of the altitude gain, was a series of steep switchbacks across the face of small mountain. Not too long after that there began a very looonggg and (much welcomed) descent toward Mesachie Lake and then on to Cowichan Lake for...yes, another food stop.
The next 30km leg stretched from Cowichan Lake along the back roads through Duncan, Cobble Hill and Shawnigan Lake. It was mostly flat or slightly downhill, with a few rolling hills and steep kickers to keep the blood pumping...a bit like West Saanch Rd. Did I mention there were two more food stops in Duncan and Cowichan?
The last leg involved climbing back up out of south Shawnigan onto the highway. Coming as it did at about 220km into the day, it seemed pretty daunting at first. However, having now ridden this stretch a few times over the past month, and knowing what was around each bend, made it more manageable. After that, it was just the usual hair-raising descent of the Malahat, back onto the Goose and then back into downtown.
Would I do it again? Absolutely! The route was spectacular (well, except for the clear cuts) and the organizational support was superb. I may not eat for another two days. There was also a support vehicle which carried our extra gear/bags/clothing from stop to stop, and a motorcycle that was equipped with spare wheels, tools, and water for "emergency" roadside assistance.
So how difficult was it? Let's just say that anyone who has done the Malahat can easily handle the climbing sections. The bigger challenge is that of spending 10hrs in the saddle at one go! My legs still felt surprisingly fresh when I was done. Other parts of my anatomy, um, not so much.
John
