Rain, Hills and a Ride for Jim - LRC at the Tour de 4
Sunday 6th September dawned exactly the way the forecast threatened: gloomy, overcast, and raining hard by the time our group rolled off the start line at 9am outside the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome. It kept raining for the best part of two hours. The Tour de 4 route was always going to be a decent test - 56.5 miles with around 1,000m (roughly 3,300 feet) of climbing along the way… but Glasgow's weather made sure nobody got it easy.
typical scottish weather - any month!
The first stretch was stop-start by nature rather than by pace, threading traffic lights through the city's east end and north side before finally shaking free around Springburn and up towards Moodiesburn. Roads weren't closed for the event, so it was normal Sunday traffic, wet tarmac and plenty of grime and spray to go with it. What it lacked in closed-road luxury it made up for in atmosphere - streets lined with supporters, a fair few familiar faces from sport and media out on the road among over 1000s of riders taking part, and even passing drivers tooting horns in support, mostly.
Mercifully, the wind sat at our backs for the first 15 miles or so, which is when the main event arrived early: Tak Ma Doon, just out the back of Kilsyth, climbing around 920 feet on its own. Rough surface and steep ramps on the lower half give way to newer tarmac higher up, though the gradient never really lets go until the top. Getting the big climb done and dusted that early was good though the wind had other plans for us later.
(Route on Strava for anyone curious: strava.com/routes/3531333692572187848)
LRC had a good turnout on the main group departing together at 9am: Billy Ramsay, Kevin Owens, Ken Batty, Mark Flanagan, Dougie Fergeson, Douglas Watson and David Robinson. There was also a quieter, more meaningful presence on the day – as David was there riding the number of Jim Sutherland, long-standing and well-liked LRC member who sadly lost his battle with prostate cancer in July. Little needed to be said about it out on the road, everyone knew it was a big part of why we were there and it added a weight to the day that went well beyond finishing times and made sure the rotten weather wasn’t putting us off, we all showed up and why the fundraising mattered that much more. as Billy put it: “that climb would have suited Jim”.
Feed stops came and went: we skipped the first before the climb, regrouped at the second with Billy and Ken, and Mark missed the shout to stop and (stupidly) carried on solo, eventually stopping alone at the third feed station in Strathblane. The rest of the group leap-frogged past while he was there, and they didn't cross paths again on the road - Mark rolled into the velodrome a dozen or minutes behind the others, muttering about cramps. At least that was his excuse.
Meanwhile, repeat misbehaving duo Billy and Kevin were reported ring leaders in a late breakaway near the end of the route (forgetting the ‘easy pace’ mantra, again) with Douglas and Ken swept along, leaving Dougie F and David to maintain some dignity and bring it home in more civilised pace - blaming traffic lights, or speed cameras or some such. :-)
(L to R) Dougie F, Ken, Billy, Kevin, Dougie W, David
In addition to the main group, club members were out in force earlier and later in the proceedings. John Gemmell rode with fellow member Oliver Newton on the 8:30 start, and John McCracken took on the route later with the 10:30 group. John also put together an excellent video of the day…Well worth a watch: youtu.be/OmN2smasVbQ
Tough conditions, tougher climb, but the vibe all day was about something bigger than the ride itself. Club members have collectively raised in excess of £3,000 so far - likely more once everything's counted - towards a headline event Tour de 4 total already past £2.5 million. A fitting way to remember missing friends, and to show support for everyone who's had cancer touch their own lives.
Donations can still be made to the LRC fundraising via this link https://gofund.me/785d5ef77
