Ian To (Cap 20) wins the Solstice Sprint 2023

Ian To

James Gill

Mark Aldred

La Tartaruga

Andrew Dumbill

Dries van der Kleij

Benny Wallace

Tom Fitton

Ingeborg Oeie

Ben Bollans

Paul Watts

Tim Castle

Christopher Hughes

Steve Large

Jonathan Walford

Lars Orth

Andy Cater

Luke Holdsworth

David McNamara

Edward Milbourn

Stefan Thomas-Bache

David Scrivener

Daniel Ambrose

Pete Smallwood

James Brown

Will Angsten Clark

Sean Ryan

Alex Andrews

David Taylor

Brad Harsant

Usman Omar

Cheryl Reid

Mark Moroney

Han Lu

Phil Marchant

Glyn Hanmer

Paul Redbarnes

Tom Lightbody

Mike Ford

Joseph Walker

Carlos Abrahams

John Adamson

Alex Williamson

Peter Timson

Simon La'Moon

Logan Mills

Tim Doole

Graham Spiller

David Hitch

John Hunt

George Salmon

Rhys Clarke

Abe Millward

Jamie Layland

Jonathan Abbott & Benjamin Whiston

Richard Rose & Charlie Peake

Joep Croonen & Ad Mulders

Gary Smith & Russell Coleman

Fraser Pressdee & Neil Battison

Giovanni Roveri & Cristina Perotti

Ian To (Cap 20) has won the Solstice Sprint 2023, completing all 10 checkpoints and returning to Warwick in 1 day, 17hrs and 13 mins.

Congratulations Ian!

A quiet night by all accounts - sleep has happened! However, it hasn't changed anything at the front. 

Ian To stopped for a couple of hours but continues his march to the finish. As at the time of this update he is on CP10 and will finish today (Saturday). James Gill is behind having passed CP9, which Mark Aldred now approaches. It seems our podium is set perhaps?

There is a large blob of riders around CP7 and CP8 between Salisbury and Swindon - the rest of the riders are spread across Devon and Dorset like some kind of swarm of locusts munching mileage as it goes. 

Plenty of time for ice cream updates people, don't worry. 

If everyone survives the muggy heat of today, we should see around 40 finishers over the course of the next two days. 

Morning update

We approach the second evening on this inaugural Solstice Sprint, with another full days riding completed. 

Most of the pack tackled Cheddar Gorge in the early hours and on to Porlock Hill (Phil Marchant rightly called this hill a b*st*rd earlier today) as the sun rose. We've heard stories of accidental gravel from John A and Han Lu taking a detour through a cider apple orchard...she's blaming the Garmin, but...We did say this was a route of scenery and happily she did find a cafe after. 
![Unexpected gravel](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/ym74rEI1mjwDHw8hSkCJQ/b07de51b80effbbf80dcdc98315d7adc/IMG-20230623-WA0002.jpg)
![Apple orchard](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/4nGXOZfd3kIIpQKepaMI13/45a8356caca7a11c3dbf68f74f06f879/IMG-20230623-WA0001.jpg)

It's been a warm one by all accounts and Tom L made the most of his stopping time to refuel on ice creams. Personally, his choice of a Calippo is somewhat inspired genius - cooling on a hot day, but a refreshing juice at the end - a double whammy to power him on. James Gill opted for what appeared to be a Magnum - high-calorie option, but that cream may sit heavy...let's hope not. 

![Tom and his Calippo](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/4S82d5LlFxi3KQdu2QpomX/791090ca4f094e264cafb1b1cd166996/IMG-20230623-WA0004.jpg)

Less genius however was Tom F who descended into Woolacombe from the wrong direction meaning he had to climb Parcour 5 the wrong way in order to make sure he could come back down it the right way. That's the dedication it takes to get the extra mileage award. He hasn't been alone, Steve Large and Will Angsten Clark have both found a few extra hills to climb (and walk) on their self-plotted routes. 

Ed Milbourn's social media feed has been like watching someone at an all-inclusive buffet - they do say endurance cycling is a marathon of eating and Ed is proving this case in point. It's frankly been a joy to watch - controversially, he ate a pasty, in Devon, with a knife and fork. 

The riders are now completely strung out across Devon and Dorset, but the front 'group' remains the same. Ian To continues his march on in front, he's about to hit the most southerly point at CP6 - Portland Bill. Thankfully, there's no wrong turns at this one, go wrong and you're in the sea! James Gill and Mark Aldred aren't far behind, currently soaking in the view of Chesil Beach as they chase Ian down. 

A cross tailwind will reward the riders as they push on the 'flatter' end of the race now, towards the Salisbury Plains. 

The start of the race was dictated by who'd turn left or right from the start (95% turned left apparently) - tonight and therefore tomorrow's race will be dictated by sleep. Who can make it to full dark before stopping and who's the best micro-napper. Having seen Ian To's bike, I'm guessing there's no bivvy being carried and he'll be banking on a 20min bus shelter nap...we'll see tomorrow...

A total of 4 scratches (3 solos and 1 team), as I said in my last update - if they can get through tonight I'm going to hedge my bets on the majority being able to finish. The weather is with the, yes it's hot, but surely this will give them a boost through the evenings and nights. 

I'll keep you posted with all the important news, I'm currently canvasing the rider WhatsApp group to see who's had the most ice creams. 

Evening update

The race started and immediately the 'up front checkpoint' nature of the event showed it's hand - the sheer variety in the routes taken to CP1 was quite surprising. Ian To and Sean Ryan appeared to have missed the memo and went much further South than everyone else, before cutting back across to hit the wall of the Malvern Hills.

I'm sure the riders were more surprised by the monsoon on top of the Malverns though, I'd imagine. Apparently, there was a bit of a scramble to find shelter under tree's as the light began fading and the rain fell. Despite the variety in routes the majority of riders had passed CP1 by 10pm - the top 8 riders all within 30mins of each other. 

Ian To has struck out an early lead, at the time of writing one of only 4 riders to have passed through CP4 and the disgusting Porlock Hill. He is clearly, a man on a mission - maybe he's got plans for the weekend he needs to get back for? 

Benny Wallace, James Gill and Mark Aldred and still within reach of Ian, so I think we've got an interesting day ahead for the top 5 to 10 riders - will they make it through the day without sleep now is the big question. I'm sure most will be hoping to get to the evening before they do need to find an audax hotel or a decently-sized bush to crawl under. 

Dries van der Kleij has taken another wildly different route down to CP5 - maybe he's trying to minimise the climbing or he simply wants the extra mileage award?

Of the pairs, Johnathan Abbott and Benjamin Whiston are riding strongly with 360km's under their collective belts, which they will need to tighten ahead of the next Parcour - Porlock Hill. 

An honourable mention to John Adamson, he's just messaged to say he's officially scratched - he's had knee issues and had called it a day at Bridgewater completing just over 300km. 

And the riders are off and the first ever Solstice Sprint is go!!

We'll hopefully bring the drama as the race unfolds over the next few days.


And they are off

Long days mean long rides - that's the essence of this inaugural edition of the Solstice Sprint, a 1000km ultra-distance bike race. So what will the riders have in store over the 10 Parcours spread across the South and Midlands in the UK?

The race starts at Warwick Sports Club and heads straight for the Malvern Hills for the first of the ten mandatory Parcours. At 65km and a fairly flat start there should still be a strong group of riders together to tackle this on the first evening, it's a tough technical climb so expect to see that peloton string out from here. 

From Malvern, it's into Wales and the famous Gospel Pass and just over 6km of climbing out of Hay-on-Wye, depending on what time the riders hit this climb and subsequent descent will dictate whether they are rewarded with the stunning views. 

From here the riders head further South into the Mendips and arguably one of the best climbs/descents the South has to offer. Rather than the typical climb, riders will enjoy the dramatic cliffs and switchbacks as they descend Cheddar Gorge on what will likely be a busy day 2 for most. 

From the best to the worst, riders will track along Devons North Coast to tackle Porlock Hill, parkour number 4. The climb is intense from the get-go, with an initial 25% gradient, some sweeping turns and a fair amount of traffic building up behind the creaking rider. Mercifully it's short at 3km and the riders will be rewarded with the sweeping views over Exmoor. 

A short stint further along the coast to Parcour 5 and Challacombe Hill, riders will enjoy a descent into Woolacombe before another savage, narrow climb that reaches 23% in places. Riders at this point will be halfway and hoping the worst climbs are now behind them. 

From Devon the riders will head to the most southerly part of Dorset, leaving them closer to France than the finish point back in Warwick. The lighthouse at Portland Bill marks the end of the parcour and the start of the route home. 

For those worried about Parcour 7, don't it still there! Gracing Salisbury Plain for centuries you couldn’t organise a Solstice race without hitting Stonehenge now could you? A relatively flat Parcour with some graded gravel should provide welcome relief before getting back to the main roads. 

From gravel to canal paths for Parcour 8 and Caen Locks near Devizes. A gradual downhill run on what could be a busy footpath by day will no doubt provide a stunning backdrop for a few insta-worthy photos. 

Riders will traverse the North Wessex Downs from here to the next checkpoint at Henley-on-Thames at the bottom of the Chilterns. It's a short but sweet Parcour, taking in the iconic bridge over the river Thames, before almost turning back on themselves to head north to the final Parcour. 

At Edgehill, the riders will have a modest climb, with a few sights including The Castle at Edgehill - a hotel that looks like, well a castle. Shortly after which they will descend into Kineton and if they get their timing right, a coffee stop at Gilks Café may fuel their final push back to Warwick. 

Final thoughts

Liam, the organiser, has created a route jam-packed with both savagery and scenery. If the riders can haul themselves through the first half of this race then they will surely have the strength and confidence to finish before the weekend is out. 

That said, the weather will surely have a part to play. Thursday and Friday could see temperatures in the high 20's and the potential for some overnight rain on Friday, could make things interesting. Hopefully they've packed sunscreen? 

Weather won't be the only factor affecting the riders, 1000km is probably too long not to sleep. Tactics and training will win the day on this front, those riders who can minimise their stopped time will be best placed, will some try and ride 500 - 600km before they have to sleep or will they opt for more often, but micro stops? 

Solstice Sprint Race Preview

Solstice Sprint 2023 Tracking + Commentary: In this inaugural free-route event, with 10 checkpoints scattered across the South West of the mainland United Kingdom. Enjoy everything the area has to offer, sea-scapes, gorges and plenty of hills.

Solstice Sprint 2023 Tracking

In this inaugural free-route event, riders will leave Warwick to pass through the West Midlands before popping briefly into Wales before reaching the rugged South-West where things get a little bumpy for a while. The route flattens out en route to Stonehenge before returning to Warwick.

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