2014 MFP Classics Challenge - Entries Thread

Welcome to the The 2014 MFP Classics Challenge - Ride Logging and Results Thread.

Dates for the Diary...

Slightly expanded calendar this year...

08/03/2014 - Strade Bianchi
09/03/2014 - Roma Maxima
23/03/2014 - Milan Sanremo
30/03/2014 - Gent Wevelghem
06/04/2014 - Ronde Van Vlaanderen
13/04/2014 - Paris Roubaix
20/04/2014 - Amstel Gold
23/04/2014 - Fleche Wallonne
27/04/2014 - Liege Bastogne Liege
05/10/2014 - Il Lombardia

Replies

TheBigYin

Okay - spot prizes on Sunday's Liège - Bastogne - Liège

Pretty much as last year, I reckon...I liked the "Railway Level Crossing" Photo Bonus idea for 1 point in ride

for those unsure of what I mean... something like this...

- drink's a given - anything Belgian (beer/cidre - hell I'll even allow "Wifebeater"* on this occasion!)

*Stella Artois, for those who didn't get it...

- As Again, It's a bit too short notice for shopping, I'll throw the snack bonus open to 1 point only for anything mentioned on the "Belgian cuisine" wikipedia page ?? - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belgian_cuisine

- usual "climb bonus" - 1pt for each 500m of total ascent up to a max of 3pts/1500+ metres.

TheBigYin

Thread unlocked for ride submissions only... Be careful out there folks, and have a good time :bigsmile:

BigG59

77.3km and 648m climbing

http://www.strava.com/activities/134664615

Picture Bonus
They were working on the level crossing when we arrived. Quite a crowd were delayed.

Too early to drink this, will be having my "wife beater" later

TBY Edit : Food - 0pt, Drink - 1pt, Crossings - 1pt, Climbing - 1pt : Total Bonus - 3pt

TheBigYin

And to round out my "Spring Campaign" - here's the ride report for todays installment.

http://app.strava.com/activities/134739034 - 104.4km 646m of ascent.

Another freak wind day - that's 2 sundays in a row that the wind has been in totally the "wrong" quarter, from it's prevailing norm. So, it was a steady starting 30km, until the A614/A645 roundabout after Rawcliffe. I sort of decided to grab my "photo opportunities" in the slower bit, then "dig in" when the wind was to my tail.

So, here's a couple of the more scenic level crossings out of the 5 or so I traversed today...

The one with the really nice stationmasters house next to it in Womersley

Crossing #mfpclassicschallenge #liegebastogneliege by The Big Yin, on Flickr

and the frankly scary "non-barrier" one in Gowdall

Crossing #mfpclassicschallenge #liegebastogneliege by The Big Yin, on Flickr

the last 70km or so pretty much just went by in a haze of smiles and careering into corners much faster than I was expecting to... Loved every minute of it - its rides like this that make me feel like I haven't actually wasted a ton of money buying a fast bike when I haven't the engine to deserve it.

And bonus - I was home with 86km of the race still to show on eurosport!

All this and refreshments when I returned home

Afflingem Dubbel #mfpclassicschallenge #liegebastogneliege by The Big Yin, on Flickr

Modules Frites #mfpclassicschallenge #liegebastogneliege by The Big Yin, on Flickr

Now for a few beers at the local, and a bit of a rest before the Giro Challenge kicks off...

TBY Edit : Food - 1pt, Drink - 1pt, Crossings - 1pt, Climbing - 1pt : Total Bonus - 4pt

cloggsy71

27/04/2014 - 108.5km - http://www.strava.com/activities/134699207 - 1264m of elevation

Old School Railway Crossing (Wensleydale Railway)

Old School Signal Box (Wensleydale Railway)

Post ride recovery drink

The Buttertubs Pass was tough; the hills just keep coming - I never thought it was going to end! The mist was thick over the top; visibility was down to less than 20 metres - Scary at times, especially with idiots driving too fast for the conditions!

TBY Edit : Food - 0pt, Drink - 1pt, Crossings - 1pt, Climbing - 2pt : Total Bonus - 4pt

harksy

http://www.strava.com/activities/134647786
85.3km 758mtr climbed

Cidre & Belgium Beer Ham does that count?

solo ride as the club where taking in a tour in Donegal and I didn't have the time today I also didn't want to take too much out of the legs as I am off to Majorca tomorrow for 5 days of Cycling in the Sun...

So it looks like you will be taking the lead Mark!
Chapeau or Bravo! thanks for organising again..

TBY Edit : Food - 1pt, Drink - 1pt, Crossings - 1pt, Climbing - 1pt : Total Bonus - 4pt

hawkeyegal1995

Another DNS for me. I am no match for 30 plus mph winds.

TBY Edit : Food - 0pt, Drink - 0pt, Crossings - 0pt, Climbing - 0pt : Total Bonus - 0pt

cyclenut64

27/04/2014 - Liege Bastogne Liege
http://app.strava.com/activities/134983734
110.2 KM 819.9 m elevation
Tough ride today big time winds so I took to the Bug line trail, first time I have ever been on this one.

By the trail name you probably have to keep your mouth closed in the summer months, I found a Lannon Stone quarry along the trail.

The rail road crossing

My wifebeater

Some Chocolate bars.

TBY Edit : Food - 1pt, Drink - 1pt, Crossings - 1pt, Climbing - 1pt : Total Bonus - 4pt

Jakess1971

Just a leg loosener after a decent week on the bike for some points on the board:

http://www.strava.com/activities/134903857 - 17.8km

TBY Edit : Food - 0pt, Drink - 0pt, Crossings - 0pt, Climbing - 0pt : Total Bonus - 0pt

Spatialized

DNS - tired of playing in the wind and the wet (needed to take a 2x dose of HFTU but am all out of GAFs). I did however, drink a Belgian beer.

TBY Edit : Food - 0pt, Drink - 0pt, Crossings - 0pt, Climbing - 0pt : Total Bonus - 0pt

katozdad

Here is my ride for the Liege Bastogne Liege challenge ride.

http://www.strava.com/activities/134846282 46.5km 424m

It was a short ride compared with the other day to check the fit of the saddle that TBY so kindly loaned to me. It felt good, a lot more comfortable to the stock saddle that had come off a sub £200 bike from JJB sport over ten years ago. I decided nose of the saddle needed to drop by a degree or too afterwards, and if anyone wants a great app that can measure the angle, let me know. I've dropped the nose by 2.5 degrees.

Here is the in-ride photo of the level crossing.

I succumbed to stroopwaffels for my snack too.

And finally I got a nice beer to round off the day as well as my weeks holiday.

Once again big thanks to TBY for organising what has been another fantastic challenge. Once I get a better saddle saddle and feel more capable of doing the 100 milers without keeling over, I hope to put a stronger appearance in in future challenges.

TBY Edit : Food - 1pt, Drink - 1pt, Crossings - 1pt, Climbing - 0pt : Total Bonus - 3pt

TheBigYin

And that's it folks for this installment - results to follow shortly

TheBigYin

Provisional Results now in...

2014_Ride9_Results by The Big Yin, on Flickr

full announcement to follow in the discussion thread.

TheBigYin

Okay folks - just a reminder - the traditional "curtain closer" is this Sunday the 5th October.

TheBigYin

05.10.2014 Giro di Lombardia

The Giro di Lombardia (English: Tour of Lombardy) is a cycling race, in Lombardy, Italy. It is the last 'Monument' of the European calendar, and also one of the last events in the UCI World Tour, making it potentially decisive in that competition. Its nickname is "the classic of the dead (falling) leaves" (Italian: la classica delle foglie morte) because it takes place in the autumn.

The first edition was 1905. It was then called Milan-Milan. It gained its current name in 1907. The route has changed many times. Milan, Sesto San Giovanni, Bergamo, Varese, Monza, Como have been start or finish place. In 2004 the race started in Mendrisio in Switzerland, and ended in Como. The most famous obstacle is the Madonna del Ghisallo climb that appears in the latter part of the race. A shrine there has a small museum containing religious and cycling objects.

Fausto Coppi won a record five times. Frenchman Henri Pelissier and Irishman Sean Kelly are the only non-Italian riders to win the race three times.

This race has a certain significance to me, I’ve been lucky enough to ride quite a bit in the area around Lake Como, and obviously, as someone with a certain amount of respect for and interest in cycling history, a “pilgrimage” up the Ghisallo was just one of those things that had to be done – Bikes ridden by Coppi and Bartoli, Moser and Merckx – plus the crumpled bike that Casartelli was riding when he crashed on the Col de Portet d'Aspet during the 1995 Tour de France.

I even got “Madge” blessed for me while I was there…

There's the usual great information on LaGazetta's website, regarding the Race Route, climbs and so forth at
http://www.gazzetta.it/Speciali/GiroLombardia/en/

TheBigYin

"spot prizes" for this one...

Photo Bonuses - 1pt each for "Autumnal Leaves" pictures or "Roadside Church/Chapel"

In Ride Bonus - 1 point for 500m of ascent, 2 points for 1000m, 3 Points for 1500m or above.

Food Bonus - 1 point for picture of... well - anything Italian basically

Recovery Drink Bonus - 1 point (as with Food - so Glass/Bottle of Chianti, Peroni/Moretti Beer, Espresso... you know the drill by now!)

TheBigYin

Today appears to be a 2 Coffee Morning....

First to get the heart started... (so not qualifying as "recovery" for the ride - just recovery from yesterdays plaster-a-thon!)

and then something a little more rounded whilst eating breakfast...

(good god, that worktops filthy... combination of being full of cold and doing building works has left the entire house like a midden!)

and so to the ride...

http://www.strava.com/activities/203564456 - 93.9km, 540m elevation.

Cool, Crisp, Clear and actually quite pleasant, once my lungs had got used to the air-temperature.

No shots of fallen leaves, the relatively mild weather we've had recently has pretty much meant that the only fallen leaves are the ones that have come down with the Conkers from the Horse Chestnut Trees.

I did however manage to get a shot of a roadside church (a bit bigger than the chapel in my last years attempt...)

"refreshment" shot

TBY Edit: Elevation - 1pt, Food - 1pt, Drink - 1pt, Leaves - 0pt, Church - 1pt : Total Bonus - 4pt

Kupe

Got a spring ride…..happy, happy, happy

http://app.strava.com/activities/203364376 - 131.5km 371m ascent

Dinner - Standard Sunday night in the Kuper house

St Augustine's Parish - Little Church across the road from where I work. Built in 1870

St Paul's Cathedral - Melbourne

TBY Edit: Elevation - 0pt, Food - 1pt, Drink - 1pt, Leaves - 0pt, Church - 1pt : Total Bonus - 3pt

cloggsy71

Cold start this morning [Brrrrrr!]

05/10 - 40.2km - 178m - http://www.strava.com/activities/203467070

Roadside Church - Bedale

'Fallen Leaves'

Another Roadside Church - St Andrews - Great Fencote

Food/Beer/Wine piccies to follow later

TBY Edit: Elevation - 0pt, Food - 0pt, Drink - 0pt, Leaves - 1pt, Church - 1pt : Total Bonus - 2pt

Jakess1971

05/10 - 84.1km - 549m - http://www.strava.com/activities/203545680

So just about made the first elevation target.

So here's a pic with some Autumnal leaves:

A spooky church pic (well it's not far from Halloween after all):

Some recovery food, Italian style:

TBY Edit: Elevation - 1pt, Food - 1pt, Drink - 0pt, Leaves - 1pt, Church - 1pt : Total Bonus - 4pt

harksy

05/10 94.1km Distance 3:17:54 Moving Time 713m elevation
http://www.strava.com/activities/203530044

only one pic for me today
raise a glass to Dan!!

harksy

All the talk of Italian food I had to go get a Pizza (even though I have already devoured a three course roast dinner today...

TBY Edit: Elevation - 1pt, Food - 1pt, Drink - 1pt, Leaves - 0pt, Church - 0pt : Total Bonus - 3pt

hawkeyegal1995

56.4 km 2h28 m 12 s 223 m

http://app.strava.com/activities/203869043 http://app.strava.com/activities/203869052

Made the mistake of using the iTouch which I have not used for a year to take pictures and can't get them to upload. Good thing I wasn't in the running for anything!

TBY Edit: Elevation - 0pt, Food - 0pt, Drink - 0pt, Leaves - 0pt, Church - 0pt : Total Bonus - 0pt

cyclenut64

31.86 km 1:23:27 95 meter
http://www.strava.com/activities/203903939

TBY Edit: Elevation - 0pt, Food - 0pt, Drink - 0pt, Leaves - 0pt, Church - 0pt : Total Bonus - 0pt

BigG59

Sorry, I didn't get a chance to take any photos of food or drinks.

88.3km 3h01m:08s 551m

http://www.strava.com/activities/203509620

TBY Edit: Elevation - 1pt, Food - 0pt, Drink - 0pt, Leaves - 0pt, Church - 0pt : Total Bonus - 1pt

KitTheRoadie

A DNS from me! :sad: :sad: :sad:

TheBigYin

Okay folks - provisional results for this installment (and the overall) are in the spreadsheet.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1B2Sn-Pidrs4Gy-YP76sj9uwDnVxpBy7zAUZYVsyu5UI/edit?usp=sharing

Congratulations to Brett (@Kupe) - making the best of some Spring weather with by far the longest ride booked this "race"...

Rest of the podium was a close run thing, with barely 200 metres separating Alan (@harksy) and Me - which proved to be a very valuable 200m for the overall.

And, so to the overall competition. I'd said before it was going right down to the wire, and so it proved.

At the end of 10 Classics, with over 6,700km covered between us, it was impossible to separate me and Alan on points. So, it all goes back to distances covered, and therefore the worthy winner this year is...

Harksy - Congratulations Alan

TheBigYin

As mentioned in the discussion thread - and as obvious to anyone who looks in here, LOTS of the entries have been lost in the move over from the old forum. I'm keeping this thread "stickied" for the moment, as I've reported the loss, and "they're working on it" - confidence levels chez yin are not massively high

TheBigYin

TheBigYin wrote: »

As mentioned in the discussion thread - and as obvious to anyone who looks in here, LOTS of the entries have been lost in the move over from the old forum. I'm keeping this thread "stickied" for the moment, as I've reported the loss, and "they're working on it" - confidence levels chez yin are not massively high

Okay - I'll admit it, I was wrong - and a big thankyou to the MFP elves behind the scenes who rescued the missing posts...