eden-magazine-issue-26-summer-2015

Stage 2 – Hitting the wall...From here we endured and enjoyedin equal measure 15 miles of peacefulbut painful pedalling throughnetworks of high-hedged countrylanes, a mixture of short ascents anddescents, passing through picturesquerural hamlets and small villages suchas Tregony and St Ewe. Cyclists werebunching up now in forced pelotons ofgrimacing faces, occasionally watchedby buzzards perched on telegraphpoles.Testing out the route at Eden.At mile 42, having cycled throughthe picturesque village of Veryanwith its chocolate-box houses andpretty village green we hit the threePs: Portloe, Portholland and finallyPolmassic. All of us were unpreparedfor the hill out of Portholland at mile45; it made the Portmellon climb looklike a speed bump and I could havesworn its summit was obscured bycloud cover. Again, many cyclists ofall abilities dismounted in the face ofthe gruelling ascent and some foundthe walk equally challenging. Kneesand backs were starting to feel it in the20extreme at this stage. One of the worstexperiences of a steep hill climb isbeing in the wrong gear, or even worsesuffering an abrupt chain snap or slipwhen the gears are under pressure.The result can be a painful tumbleor an eye-wateringly hostile meetingbetween groin and cross-bar! I nearlysuffered the former but managed tostay on saddle to the top.At mile 50, it was Heligan taketwo: I for one was happy to be met bythe warm embrace of the place, andits coffee and cake, once again. I wasexhausted but happy, my friends also;the route had been a mixture of beautyand the beast so far and we were allfeeling the strain and fatigue as wetried to work up some energy for thefinal 12 miles.The fast and the finish...I always think of the final stageof a sportive as a heads down, keepbreathing, get the job done sort ofstage. My peloton of friends kept ongoing, pounding the roads with 600other battle-weary cyclists – knowingthe end was in sight. The huge halfmiledescent into Pentewan wasa wonderful sprint; no pedallingrequired at all.The final few miles to Eden werea mixture of main road and minimountainslike Tregorrick Hill, beforeplummeting down at breakneck speedthrough Duporth village and on toCharlestown with its tall-ships andhistoric harbour. With 5 miles to go,huge trains of cyclists grasped thatenergy that sits in reserve when theend is within reach and pushed on tothe finish line at Bodelva.Waiting for us in the arena at thecentre of Eden’s Outdoor Gardenswere crowds of supporters cheeringand chanting, photographing andembracing cyclists as they crossed thefinish line and were met with medals.‘Eden is about people rising tochallenges, like transforming a ruinedenvironment into a theatre of plantsand people,’ says Gordon Seabright.‘The Eden Classic 2015 was anotherexample of the power of people risingto a challenge – a very long and hillyone!’My family cheered me as Icrossed the finish line with myfriends, exhausted but smiling. TheEden Classic 2015: a remarkableachievement for all involved.For more information on the recent Sportiveand to see a video of the route visit:www.edenproject.com/visit/whats-on/eden-classic-sportive-cycling-event