Gore Bike Wear TransWales
Day One: ‘An Upward Curve’
Matt Skinner/Transwales / 14.08.2011
Builth Wells to Knighton
Total distance: 75km
Climbing: 2100m</b>
At 9am on a dry mid-Wales morning, the GORE BIKE WEAR TransWales, powered by Mercedes-Benz Vito Sport got underway as hundreds of riders saddled up, clipped in, and pedalled away from the start line to begin their epic journey - all 536km (333 miles) and 15,260m (1,758,530ft) of climbing of it.
With riders coming from from as far afield as the USA, Spain, Slovakia, Luxembourg, Germany, New Zealand, Switzerland, Australia, Belgium, Ireland, Holland, and also Nepal in the form of Ajay Chhatri, the multiple winner of the Yak Attack in the Himalayas – this year’s race is a truly international edition.
Under fair and improving skies, the day’s linking stage would include the first special stage to really get the competitive juices flowing and set the TransWales in full swing.
Initially the massed throng of riders were lulled into a false sense of security before the sedate warm up abruptly gave way to the most brutal of special stages, a hill climb that took saw them ascend 150m in of vertical in just 1km.
The setting for the leg and lung burning effort was the former National Points Series venue, Fforest Fields just east of Builth Wells. The course for the special stage was a mix of loose and – in parts – steep dirt track with gravel and sizeable slabs of loose rock thrown in for good measure. The gradient eased off before a left hand turn spat the riders out onto a moorland section that ramped up to the finish line. Wiggle-sponsored and reigning UK and European 24hr solo champion, Matt Page, was one of the first riders to tackle the course. Having earlier spoken of his concern of whether he’d have the speed or power in his legs for the short, sharp special stages, Page lay his fears to rest and absolutely buried himself to announce his intent for the overall title in emphatic style.
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