A Very Yorkshire Race: 3 Peaks Cyclocross 2016

Weeks of planning, hours of preparation and now only minutes remain. For many a return to a familiar spot but it's my first time waiting in the drizzle gazing up at the cloud-bound summit of Penyghent. I'm telling everyone it's 'only a bike ride' and it is, but once that countdown finishes we are all going to push hard because we love to race, otherwise we'd have stayed in bed this morning instead of rising in the darkness and driving for hours.

There is nothing quite like the 3 Peaks Cyclocross Race, this was the 54th edition of the race and the Dales village of Helwith Bridge has played host to most of them. It's the kind of race that you wouldn't be able to get off the ground if you tried in 2016, it doesn't make any sense. Except that it's a proper challenge, and that is why every year the race is massively oversubscribed, the 650 riders gathered here this morning are the lucky ones. 

The countdown starts but it is barely heard in the mid pack, instead the sound of hundreds of pedal cleats clicking into pedals marking the start of the race. A commisaire's car neutralises the front of the pack and I fight my way forward to get closer to it taking every gap to make sure that I'm forward for when we leave the road under Simon Fell. There are plenty of sketchy moments as I'm not the only one trying to make it forward, as the road narrows in Horton in Ribblesdale a handful of brake is needed to avoid riders in front, my rear wheel locks and I'm reminded to allow a more space. A gentle climb out of Horton sorts the impostors from the contenders and then an open gate and the start of race proper. 

The climb to the start of Simon Fell is soft in places and many of us dismount to run rather than spin up rear wheels in the rapidly dissolving grass. I glance at my watch to check heart rate, 160bpm isn't sustainable but feels ok for now. Gears are skipping which is odd as they were spot on last night so I put it to the back of my mind instead focusing on picking a good line through the soggy fields. Legs spin wildly, arghh, no drive. Snapped chain and in a split second I'm out, no longer a racer. Tens and hundreds of riders stream past and if I'm lucky I'll be at the back of them all by the time I'm pedalling again. Chain tool out from my pack and I can't find the handle for it, a few riders ask if I'm ok but most are focusing ahead until Star Wheeler Gary stops and lends me his multitool just as I'm considering calling it a day. 

Fix complete but by now most have passed and my calves are burning by the top of the steep and tussocky climb up Simon Fell. Overtaking opportunities are scarce on the singletrack towards Ingleborough and the ones I take frequently land me knee deep in moss and peat. The descent from Ingleborough starts off rideable but I soon shoulder my bike to take more steep shortcuts from the summit. It becomes nearly rideable and I hang on for a rough ride to Cold Cotes. The violence ceases near the timing point giving way to smooth grass and tarmac, time to drink and take stock, tubeless rear tyre feels softer than it did but it's ok for the downwind section up to the Hill Inn. No time for passengers on the straight road past White Scar caves, hangers on are swiftly ejected unless they take their turn. 

thanks to Phil Hinchliffe (HCC) for the photo

Whernside is less steep but more imposing, the view back down the valley is spectacular, low light reflects off every flood in the valley whilst the cloud close above frames it beautifully. Shame I left my camera behind. Near the top my rear flats and I change it but it flats again within a few minutes on a sharp rock. Ok then; I find a sheltered spot behind a wall past the summit to fit my last tube. 'Must more ride carefully, must more ride carefully, must ride...' chants a small and hopeless voice. These steps look fun though, and no one else wants to ride them, maybe I could though? I'm soon hanging over my back wheel bouncing down Whernside's slabbed footpath. Any idiot could tell me that it's not going to end well, a loud 'pfttt' and I've just bought myself a 4 mile run to Ribblehead Viaduct. The novelty of running pushing and carrying a bike soon wears off as more riders pour past me.  Yup, I'm now riding to finish, any hope of a respectable time well and truly out the window.

A couple of spare tubes are secured at Ribblehead and I manage to ride more like a grown up from here. Road to Horton doesn't take long but the climb up Penyghent is a slog, descending riders taking the best lines on this out and back section. Hands ache on the descent and I don't envy those riding old skool cantilever brakes. The final mile or so on the road is full on, no point in saving effort now, grab some cheeky air into the finish funnel and that's it. One 3 Peaks down, perhaps more to go. 

Thanks to Saul Muldoon, Gary Jackson and Pete Dukes for support on the day

The Bike

I built this up a few weeks before the event mainly with parts I had lying around - Planet X XLS carbon frame and fork with American Classic Race29er wheels and tubeless Sammy Slick tyres. 50/34 x 11-32 gears. 11 speed Ultegra shifters and Deore brakes.