And we're done

We have a finisher!

Wales never fails

Checkpoint frenzy

Finally, summer is here

Wet and windy

They're Off!

Patrick Cope

Ben Chuilon

Bruce Edwards

Louis Moorehead

Alex Thorel

Joe Le Sage

Sarah Dunker

Ian (Fuzz) Appleby

Mark Bass

Hayden Fisher

Harvey Tye

Elliot Barton

Emma Karslake

Robert Reinecke

Sean Ryan

Crew 1

Crew 2

Crew 3

Our four remaining riders all made it to the finish today, beginning with Ben at 04:00. He put in a huge final push, riding through the night to secure second place. His day had started back near CP7, but he was riding strongly all the way to the end and arrived seeming fairly relaxed. He was soon joined by his mortified girlfriend, who had accidentally set her phone on silent and completely missed his arrival!
![P1024527-01](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/4lmbrxdZXDC6Pc1f8Lq3IX/80a6e667cb20d4b9d51394fc52e46569/P1024527-01.jpg)

Next up was Bruce, who arrived just in time for a relaxed brunch at the nearby cafe. He had been struggling with soreness in one of his knees for the past couple of days and was hugely relieved to finish after the same injury caused him to scratch last year. He rode very steadily throughout and will definitely have a feeling of redemption after finally conquering the route.
![P1024555-01](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/1l7LPK3tyJbPRdgWE6b8zn/8a0ca91aa1f7e37f0965005bada03227/P1024555-01.jpg)

Louis arrived just after midday, only behind Bruce due to the former’s incredibly early start. They had both spent the night in Hereford, deciding against trying to replicate Ben’s all-nighter. Louis had been leading through the first six checkpoints, but this seemed to coincide with him always getting the worst luck with the weather. While he stoically rode through all conditions, he admitted that it did mean he missed a lot of the views that the riders just behind him enjoyed.
![P1024578-01](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/3zV1FmS2CX8nlJa01wvU0C/a332cb32f370987fe914cf410e73b178/P1024578-01.jpg)

The final rider to arrive was Alex, who reached the finish by late afternoon. He has had a rollercoaster couple of days, so it was a relief to see him make it. At CP7, he was in first place and seemingly gliding up the climbs. However, by CP8 he was feeling very unwell and was soon holed up in a B&B in Hay on Wye, unable to keep any food down.

Remarkably, he felt recovered enough to keep riding this morning and ticked off the remaining 170km with relatively little difficulty. That’s an amazing recovery and kudos to him for knowing he needed to head to bed yesterday afternoon.
![P1024616-01](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/Awwzq2WnvWsUGCgh4v878/aace2ac2da59be60acbdf8555a9d217c/P1024616-01.jpg)

With Alex’s finish, TPA23 came to a close. This year's weather made for a very different kind of challenge after 2022’s heatwave, on top of what was already an attritional route. But credit to all the riders who pushed through and it was fantastic to see 5 of the 11 starters finish.

One thing that is still missing is a female finisher, as this is the third edition where the only finishers have been male. We have only had three female starters (although more sign-ups) so the odds are not in their favour. However, it would be fantastic to see at least one female finisher at the next edition! 


TPA23 finally has a finisher, with Patrick making it home just before 9 pm this evening! He completed the route in five days and 11 hours, which is incredibly impressive given the really challenging conditions. Even on the very last stretch, he couldn’t escape one final deluge and was soaked as he arrived at the final checkpoint on the top of Cleeve Hill.

He has ridden incredibly consistently throughout and always seemed in control when I spoke to him. But he only actually took the lead last night when he passed Alex as he was sleeping. Even then, he still stopped for a quick bivvy himself, before pressing on and riding straight through to the finish. What a ride!
![P1024510-01](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/5dmKrpczDYHc6JzOeWXBqB/2f3712a7be2d341cc5e615bac267baec/P1024510-01.jpg)

At the other end of the spectrum, we sadly saw a couple more scratches today. Both Sarah and Joe decided to pull the plug this morning, as their legs were finally refusing to continue after a gruelling few days. Both had voiced thoughts of scratching on the second day, so they still showed real resilience to carry on well beyond that.

Meanwhile, our leader last night, Alex, had a day of two halves. He was flying this morning, enjoying the Welsh climbs, but he came to a grinding halt around Gospel Pass. He was suffering from nausea and vertigo, which forced him to stop early in Hay on Wye.
![DSC04769-02](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/1AGq9Cinpy7XQmPn3we1Tx/0233954e5730d40a362c23d98f9015d7/DSC04769-02.jpg)

It’s not completely clear what has caused this, but it sounds like it may be a combination of pushing his body too far and overindulging on caffeine tablets. Hopefully, he will feel better in the morning and can tick off the easier riding to the finish without too much trouble.

Alex stopping early has meant that Ben moved up into second place. He rode late last night to pass Louis and Bruce, then was off again after a few hours of sleep. He has been climbing strongly all day and now looks to be bearing down on the finish, which he should reach in a few hours.
![DSC04843-02](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/2zTafmGLUamHlnhLPEmos4/135ae3188ea076796327981eb58c65e9/DSC04843-02.jpg)

Louis and Bruce both set off around similar times this morning and found themselves riding Devil’s Elbow together. At the top, they managed to take a magnificently synchronised selfie, which had me thinking of footballers’ pre-planned goal celebrations.
![DSC04663-01](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/3uRpKgUat03tqzwk1CVDx/f665d447d8c5947f8b3893f1d2fe2796/DSC04663-01.jpg)

From there on, they have ridden together, with both of them just wanting to finish. Bruce’s knees are starting to protest, which is not surprising with all the climbing. Last year, he was forced to scratch with knee issues on the second day, so his focus this year was just to coax them into surviving the whole way.

Meanwhile, Louis wasn’t feeling great today after a poor choice of accommodation last night. He opted for a campsite off route, which meant he didn’t manage to recharge everything and woke up cold and damp. He also overslept apparently, which likely saw him lose a few places. 
![P1024466-01](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/4zKOUPa3uMjN6UgsYIVwiF/733fe3e04091792262a19700877a8b35/P1024466-01.jpg)

Bruce and Louis riding together has also proved to be useful, as Louis’s tracker stopped working this afternoon. This coincided with him attempting to charge it with a cable that he now suspects got wet, so this is the prime culprit. He’s since bought a fresh cable and hopefully his dot will spring back to life in the morning.

That’s all for this evening. Ben looks likely to be arriving at an unsociable hour, then the remaining three riders will hopefully finish at civilised times tomorrow.

Last night we saw a contender for the most ingenious bivvy spot. Louis was caught out by a storm after Dolgellau and, with no hotels available, he opted to bivvy under a covered trolley bay in a supermarket car park. It apparently worked well and kept him dry. 

Fortunately, this morning brought better weather and the riders were out on the road early to take advantage of this. As the cloud began to lift, the Welsh views began to deliver and different riders have been raving about different sections throughout the day.
![DSC04292-01](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/4l52KMjeZEdxG7z1uUe2uV/8909d8ff5bc9cbb6d976faeecbdf1906/DSC04292-01.jpeg)

Bruce was one of the first riders to benefit from the lifting clouds, riding up to the Cregennan Lakes checkpoint as the views of Snowdownia and the estuary below began to appear. He has recovered well after his tough day yesterday, despite not managing to get any hot food last night and choosing to gorge on fig rolls instead.
![P1024291-01 (1)](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/61dvgsIEmDhl2ykjhbyQG7/15e4fe2f20d1f621949f9e5eacb7b34a/P1024291-01__1_.jpeg)

Back in England, Sarah was feeling the effects of getting drenched yesterday. Her Garmin died due to the downpour and she was left with no way to navigate other than a phone with dwindling battery. Undeterred, she headed off route to buy a new Garmin and has kept going, with the halfway point inching closer for her.
![WhatsApp Image 2023-07-19 at 07.03.54](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/2U4fmFB80FfOPPAxeLGI78/8f3fc3f8d81dd1de33b691def4ca3002/WhatsApp_Image_2023-07-19_at_07.03.54.jpeg)

At the front, we saw some late drama during the day. Louis opted to sleep early and headed off route to a campsite. After two nights bivvying, he needs to recharge his electronics, so it’s an understandable decision.

However, this meant that it was Alex who reached CP7 first, with Patrick close behind. They pressed on from there and I rode with each of them up Rhigos. Both were loving the Welsh riding and seemed full of energy.
![DSC04458-02](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/4oAhY5VMvPrFtR5Od9P7fr/5364bafd464afbfc055c19ecdfb6897b/DSC04458-02.jpeg)

However, it’s easy for all that climbing to catch up on you suddenly after a couple of hours of darkness, so we’ll see how far they push on and how long they stop for, if they stop at all. Either way, it does now seem likely we will have a finisher by tomorrow evening. 
![P1024404-01 (1)](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/52ytD0g4q9B89P4DtXzEVI/1321e5e2b3443f2632ec0deb1839be88/P1024404-01__1_.jpeg)
(Apologies for the short update, but I’m falling asleep writing it and there’s a good chance it’s mostly gibberish at this point anyway!)


We’re into day four and the riders are really starting to feel the miles now. Sadly, we had another scratch late last night. After battling valiantly all day, Fuzz finally came to the realisation that his Achilles injury was a game-ender. He was struggling to even unclip his foot and definitely made the right decision to stop.

For the other riders, however, there was the warmth and comfort of the only manned checkpoint to look forward to. All of them except Sarah were on track to make it before the close tomorrow and our first arrival was Louis, just before midday.
![P1023901-01 (1)](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/5AF9Y43dP6rrfz5RaOc1Tp/125ab8c19d84abbbef50f3546499c5d5/P1023901-01__1_.jpeg)

Louis has been leading for a couple of days now, so it was fitting that he was first over the threshold. However, Patrick was hot on his heels, arriving shortly afterwards. Alex was a little further back, but soon all three riders were cocooned inside as the rain descended.
![P1023885-02 (1)](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/7sfs4OeftaqW8rvpeSG87j/d44db6241b9062a659280ff5ba62f0d0/P1023885-02__1_.jpeg)

All of them were clearly tired, but Alex had definitely had the worse day. Not only had he needed to visit a bike shop in Llangollen to fix a loose cassette, but he also punctured on a corner and ended up clipping a van. Fortunately, it was a relatively minor crash and he seemed pretty much unhurt. His bike also survived intact, with only the handlebars knocked out of alignment.
![P1023956-01 (1)](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/5wFtWptxc0CfH8ntzMgVSq/3d9ab749b05ad8c16563f3de178ece4a/P1023956-01__1_.jpeg)

Eventually, Louis managed to drag himself outside and set off to tackle the series of passes that take them towards the coast. Patrick and Alex soon followed, albeit with more reluctance to leave the checkpoint’s comfort.
![P1023943-01 (1)](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/4zS789Yy35Pa5oErlJMcXO/b6ebae007d74de8f5daed9b4b2d9ca16/P1023943-01__1_.jpeg)

Bruce arrived not long after and was followed an hour later by Ben. It was a tale of contrasting moods for them. Bruce was visibly exhausted and blaming poor sleep and poor fuelling for a rough day, whereas Ben had shaken off a slow start to find his rhythm and stopped only very briefly.
![P1023991-01 (1)](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/3QhxAigWCw651WoPngeHpc/618666720d2ef31def289ca8b9ddb712/P1023991-01__1_.jpeg)
![P1024077-01 (1)](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/5aXLWfzhWSr863pSvWJcKM/e88e19ed56bfbe9a7cf26288abc4ff88/P1024077-01__1_.jpeg)

Last to arrive, in the early evening was Joe, who has opted to sleep at the checkpoint. Despite finding some very well-equipped public toilets to sleep in last night, he can definitely consider tonight’s arrangements a significant upgrade. He’s currently relaxing in a bathrobe, having just finished his second dinner.
![WhatsApp Image 2023-07-18 at 21.49.06](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/6GqV0YUARBO4Sj0zRTao08/e47b170c32e7357f39857671a7079d3c/WhatsApp_Image_2023-07-18_at_21.49.06.jpeg)

Further back, Sarah has had a very tough day, with the weather much worse to the north. She conquered Hardknott early this morning and made her way out of the Lakes. But the persistent rain dampened her spirits and she has opted to stop early on the edge of the Forest of Bowland.
![WhatsApp Image 2023-07-18 at 08.37.01](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/4S8K6BySGcR6DnOyVyYiMy/9af099afde18100f7c70deebf30291a3/WhatsApp_Image_2023-07-18_at_08.37.01.jpeg)

Bruce and Patrick have similarly stopped relatively early, treating themselves to hotels in Llanuwchllyn and Dolgellau respectively. Alex and Louis are still moving, with Louis having already conquered the Cregennan Lakes checkpoint, followed by the challenging gravel after it.

It seems unlikely that either will push on too far tonight, given the succession of challenging climbs that they have already done and the ones that lie ahead. From Bala all the way to Gospel Pass, the route is relentlessly up and down. This 500-kilometre section contains 9,000 metres of climbing, so it’s too early to start thinking about finish times yet!


Day three began with weather that almost felt summery. The absence of wind and rain had clearly spurred on the riders. They were all up early and soon tackling the first climb of the day. For Louis, this was Hardknott, making him the first to reach CP3, maintaining his lead since day one.
![P1023598-01 (1)](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/4GgswH1avOEvaGMh8RhmMq/553effff8f39b1788d3af1d9921970c3/P1023598-01__1_.jpeg)

Slightly further back, our cluster of riders had once again compressed, with early bedtimes generally corresponding to early starts. The exception to this was Joe, who had dropped back after a tough day yesterday. He told me this morning that he very nearly scratched after the descent off Hartside, so it’s good to see him soldiering on.
![P1023644-02 (1)](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/4QogXHNFJT2D2lScA1hqIF/bdb19b35c3b3e3188428230e39982b4d/P1023644-02__1_.jpeg)

Fuzz is nursing a sore and swollen Achilles but still seems to be making good progress. I need to correct the record on his sleeping arrangements, as he did not, in fact, stay in a campsite last night.
![WhatsApp Image 2023-07-17 at 13.26.59 (1)](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/gq64oOXY9To84b0FHVNcH/f46e9bbf7641a8f1abbbd05d80318539/WhatsApp_Image_2023-07-17_at_13.26.59__1_.jpeg)

He tried to sleep in a bus stop but found that too cold, so he headed to a nearby pub for a hot drink. Here, he befriended the locals and they were aghast at the idea of him sleeping in a bus stop in the rain. One of them mentioned an unlocked shed that doubled as an outdoor gym and soon enough Fuzz had snuck in and bedded down for the night. He was still gleeful about his upgrade when I met him this morning!

All of the riders except Sarah are now out of the Lake District and past the savage gradients that it brings. By evening, they had all ticked off CP4 in the Forest of Bowland and are heading into the gentler riding that lies between here and Wales.
![WhatsApp Image 2023-07-17 at 16.37.52](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/4MWsKWXYlXVq79GIBPhjwz/f2d1965fd8a56561bccee1f257c93940/WhatsApp_Image_2023-07-17_at_16.37.52.jpeg)

One rider who has certainly had a strong day is Ben, who stopped early last night but was already climbing Honister at 04:00 to compensate for this. Despite starting the day 90km behind Louis, he has reduced this to less than 20km, also opening up a little gap to the riders behind.

Given we’re only just approaching the halfway point, it will be interesting to see how this plays out, especially once the riders enter Wales and the climbing ramps up again. Louis appears to be sleeping longer, so should be better rested, but we have a long way to go yet.
![WhatsApp Image 2023-07-17 at 08.10.07](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/2nBXWymBY34parNZazLHk/914c1b0c709c2e76ae4e52752575cc0d/WhatsApp_Image_2023-07-17_at_08.10.07.jpeg)

Meanwhile, our lanterne rouge, Sarah, conquered Great Dun Fell this morning, in much better conditions than yesterday. By afternoon, she was into the Lakes and definitely benefitted from the best weather so far.
![P1023710-01 (1)](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/4SDJFYFhk9SWv9DoabVXdN/927fbd5167431a7656789c4643b81d33/P1023710-01__1_.jpeg)

I rode with her over Honister and Newlands, which were sunlit in all their glory. Despite having to walk good chunks of both climbs (as everyone has), she said the views made it all worth it. She was also making much quicker progress in the better weather and had already reached her B&B at Ennerdale by early evening.
![P1023739-02 (1)](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/1a9y4KaBsrt5JTLakS672z/2204fe91a4bd388ac78ff85c68e214cd/P1023739-02__1_.jpeg)

Sadly, we also had another scratch earlier today. Hayden hadn’t recovered overnight and had no choice but to scratch. Judging from his stories from yesterday, that was the right call and hopefully he will feel better soon. 

Looking forward, however, we expect our first arrival at the manned CP at some point tomorrow. But who will it be?


We’re into the second night of TPA23 and the riders have certainly faced a challenging time so far. The storm continued throughout most of last night and everyone wisely chose to take shelter wherever they could.

However, that is easier said than done when you’re in Kielder Forest. Alex managed to find a country house hotel, while Patrick put his tarp to good use and made his own shelter. Joe had pinned a promising-looking bus stop during researching the route, which served its purpose.
![P1023320-01 (1)](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/7zoBGj4NNKmpu1Cu38tgr2/5df63cb5f06397ca2aa523e785998146/P1023320-01__1_.jpeg)

Unfortunately, the bus stop only had room for one, which left Hayden having to ride on in search of shelter. By the time he found a place out of the rain outside a cafe in Bellingham, he had been riding through the storm for six hours and was shivering.

I found him in Haydon Bridge in the morning, where he was still shivering and waiting to check into a B&B to try to recover. Hopefully, a proper sleep and some food will sort him out.
![P1023413-01 (1)](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/7bjNZbJtSkqZ4dChaKxQlJ/f550c6bf19a6e6003274ab6b190ea15d/P1023413-01__1_.jpeg)

Behind him, Sarah and Mark had both stopped in Hawick and escaped the worst of the rain. However, as Sarah found out, this meant they tackled the gravel section when it had been thoroughly saturated, making it slippery and muddy.
![P1023426 (1)](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/DN6QqilPX27Qtc1g4yjEv/b08fa239d21d4dcd226c421baceb5a18/P1023426__1_.JPG)

But today was all about the wind for most of the riders, with the rain forgotten. A howling headwind built up strength throughout the day and made some of the descents very sketchy.
![P1023368-01 (1)](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/1IKRV1kPIdtVUzpoiXI3R6/e92d649d3dd8b18b6fc7254d27e2df8d/P1023368-01__1_.jpeg)

The six riders behind Louis all hit Hartside at possibly the worst point during the day. The cloud and rain had descended, with the wind blowing at gale force. The road swings south as it descends, making the westerly a crosswind for the riders. They all described it as terrifying and almost unrideable.

With this in mind, there was a lot of understandable concern about going up Great Dun Fell. However, the conditions improved as the day wore on and, although the riders were told to only go as far as they felt safe, all of them made it to the barrier close to the top and some even went to the very top.
![IMG 9665-01 (1)](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/4LTsxnhzRUjlJDC90isJjc/dda718ed0cd9bd48c2de69324ca161cf/IMG_9665-01__1_.jpeg)
![WhatsApp Image 2023-07-16 at 15.15.35](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/5MB55ekWS8nILt7DD7jO4C/8cf782c4e0d0ad645bf75e61d1c5ef8f/WhatsApp_Image_2023-07-16_at_15.15.35.jpeg)

After leaving Great Dun Fell, there’s a little respite from the hills, as the route crosses over to the Lake District. Louis kept up his solid pace and was into the Lakes by late afternoon. A cluster of six riders were only a few hours behind him, but the tough day had clearly made left its mark with both Joe and Ben choosing to stop early near Keswick.
![WhatsApp Image 2023-07-16 at 21.16.42 (2)](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/1rprl8M1HWKNMKyg8HTfao/ea8548c1e74b4918a53fcea08e19a689/WhatsApp_Image_2023-07-16_at_21.16.42__2_.jpeg)

This left Patrick, Fuzz, Bruce and Alex to tackle Honister - the first of the iconic climbs in the Lakes. However, the rain returned with a vengeance to make things truly miserable. Bruce got a hotel in Buttermere, while Alex and Patrick pushed on over Newlands to another hotel. Fuzz managed to tick off Whinlatter, before finding a campsite.
![P1023513-01 (1)](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/6OjCgP8fqgLc4WfnUQcJux/c1edb58526700c44af3ccd7ead83466d/P1023513-01__1_.jpeg)

Meanwhile, Louis has found a pub near Santon Bridge and is approaching Hardknott. If all goes to plan, he should be out of the Lakes by mid-morning tomorrow.

Further back, sadly, Mark has had to scratch. He was hit by a hailstorm descending Hartside, which was unsurprisingly the nail in the coffin after a gruelling couple of days. 


TPA23 has begun! The riders rolled out at 09:00 this morning and a dry start meant everyone was in good spirits. Of course, it wasn’t long until the first shower hit and waterproofs were quickly pulled on just 30 mins later.
![P1023159 (1)](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/6fE0lQdTe9kfeQJnwuWY0A/40ec75e8e64403240f35fe085ffeeaa3/P1023159__1_.JPG)

The route initially heads north to begin a loop of the Borders, before it swings south. This meant that there was a strong tailwind for the first section, but all the riders will have known what this meant for when they swung back around.
![P1023191-01 (1)](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/603l68ZpPdFmCAGjqWxaL7/3ea0224b23366be64dc541ce2592a6ed/P1023191-01__1_.jpeg)

The only thing to slow this fast initial progress was a flooded section of road that was apparently knee-deep in places. Mark had the misfortune of dropping his chain as he was riding through, leaving him with the unusual challenge of putting a chain back on underwater. 
![WhatsApp Image 2023-07-15 at 10.46.33](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/3HYE27tKDVky98hdu304mH/a887af0e46578484d389f9ac9a81b359/WhatsApp_Image_2023-07-15_at_10.46.33.jpeg)

As the front riders pressed on, it was Sarah and Mark who dropped back first, sensibly riding their own pace. However, Sarah has also been hampered by her fear/dislike of cattle grids, which is due to previously crashing while riding over one. She is very hesitant to cross them and will try to find a way around if at all possible, which is already costing her time.
![P1023262-01 (1)](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/2cteSNPYSIFdBtsue3CUih/2aa17463dfb3e94c509de0a04500671c/P1023262-01__1_.jpeg)

Meanwhile, Hayden had to divert to the bike shop in Peebles to deal with some loose spokes. He’s back underway now after a short delay, so it’s safe to assume they sorted the issue pretty quickly. 

The afternoon brought worse weather and more persistent rain, which combined with the strong headwind, made for pretty grim riding. A lot of the riders appear to have hunkered down fairly early and who can blame them?
![WhatsApp Image 2023-07-15 at 20.27.16](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/2w0jaP2LutIe0AkgyvOF2U/de9ab2d631f60eca7dee1d0b9c912db8/WhatsApp_Image_2023-07-15_at_20.27.16.jpeg)

Remarkably, Joe and Patrick appear to have opted to bivvy, which is impressively stoic in these conditions. Our early leader, Louis, has bedded down at a bunkhouse just past Haydon Bridge.

I bumped into Louis just after the Kielder gravel section and he seemed completely unfazed by the conditions. Riding with his legs out, he assured me that it was still quite warm despite the rain. Clearly, we’re made of different stuff.
![PXL 20230715 195117708 (1)](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/38UuvWPm1YJZ5wm8gNzK8a/f5f1e2eee5407640510e3bac129b29d9/PXL_20230715_195117708__1_.jpg)

I expect all the dots still moving will stop to sleep soon, but perhaps one of them will spring a surprise and press on. Either way, it seems fairly certain that no one will be attempting Great Dun Fell on night one this year and that is definitely for the best.

UPDATE: As I was posting this, Harvey messaged to say he has sadly had to scratch due to a recurring back injury


I know, it’s very confusing. There’s rain in the air, the government isn’t advising people to stay inside and the tarmac is oddly solid. But despite that, it is almost time for The Perfidious Albion 2023 to begin.

Welcome to Dotwatcher’s commentary with me, Rob Gardiner, as we have a look at what lies in wait for the riders on this year’s edition, which begins at 09:00 on Saturday. It’s not just the weather that is different either; we have some changes to the route and format as well.

## A Quick Reintroduction to The Perfidious Albion
Beginning in Lockerbie and ending in the Cotswolds, The Perfidious Albion covers 1,600 kilometres. It may not be the longest ride, but the route includes 24,000 metres of climbing.

And hidden beneath these numbers, it is the calibre and steepness of climbs that make it so challenging. Riders are treated to a succession of British classics, such as Great Dun Fell, Honister, Hardknott, Devil’s Elbow, Llangynidr Mountain and Gospel Pass.

Just to keep riders on their toes, there are also a handful of gravel sections scattered throughout the route, although this is still very much a road bike ride.

## New For This Year
![5533fbad-d45c-4b24-a3df-e3d506676c15 (1)](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/RPTdf2YUqE8iSRhMBY0G7/1be1cb9ab79c9673547bf44e16df554e/5533fbad-d45c-4b24-a3df-e3d506676c15__1_.jpg)
There are several notable changes for this year’s edition, beginning with the addition of our first-ever checkpoint. This is an off-grid cottage in north Wales, around the 900km mark. At slightly over halfway, it gives the riders an intermediate target to aim for.

They have until Wednesday morning until the checkpoint closes. And those who make it in time can sleep, eat or shower here. Or, if they’re feeling really brave, take a dip in the lake to flush out the lactic acid!

From the checkpoint onwards, the Welsh section of the route has also changed, to incorporate some new climbs and mix things up a little. This adds a touch more gravel than before but removes a particularly rocky descent to balance things out. We expect the Cregennan Lakes section to be a real highlight, with amazing views over the Mawddach Estuary and Snowdonia.

Finally, the end location has also changed, due to Wild Carrot at Chavenage sadly having to close. The riders will instead aim for the Gateway Cafe in the Cotswold Water Park, which is just next door to the start/finish location that we used for this year’s Wild West Country.

## The Route in More Detail
![IMG 0705-01](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/4pf7Jivi2Yv3UZD0gzJKQT/93b612099d9a050851ffb2f21ed3c356/IMG_0705-01.jpeg)
The Perfidious Albion begins in Lockerbie, in the Scottish Borders, a region often overlooked. The riders will head north for a loop around a series of dramatic reservoirs, before swinging back south and into England towards Kielder Forest. Here, they will get their first taste of gravel south of the reservoir, as they cross into the North Pennines.

They climb up into this barren landscape – which regularly crosses 500 metres in elevation – before hurtling back down, only to do it all again with the biggest climb of the ride. This is where they tackle the dead-end climb of Great Dun Fell, which is spectacularly beautiful on a clear day but tough work if the weather closes in.

After flying back down Great Dun Fell (dodging sheep along the way), the riders will head west and into the Lake District. Here, they begin a counterclockwise loop that takes in the passes of Honister, Whinlatter, Newlands and Hardknott. The last of these is one of the UK’s most infamous climbs and the 30% ramps will test their gearing choices.

After a brief foray into the Forest of Bowland, some easier cycling offers the riders a little respite as they transition from the north of England into Wales. Passing over World’s End, they soon find themselves at the manned checkpoint, just before Bala.

From here, the climbs continue aplenty. The route takes the riders up into Snowdonia, then across to Lake Vrynwy, before swinging them back to the coast - along the beautiful estuary bike path - and up to the Cregennan Lakes on a stinging climb that leads to some challenging gravel.

This flirtation with the coast doesn’t last long and the route soon takes them back inland via the aptly-named Machynlleth Mountain Road. Next up is the Elan Valley and the incredibly remote area surrounding Llyn Brianne, often referred to as the “Green Desert of Wales” because it is so sparsely populated.

In southern Wales, they hit the Brecon Beacons, where a few more gravel sectors await. This year’s route also works in the stunning climb over to Treorchy, before they tackle Llangynidr Mountain and descend The Struggle, finishing with Gospel Pass – the last big climb on the route.

From the flatlands of the Severn Valley, the riders will climb up onto the Cotswold Escarpment via a slightly unusual grassy cut-through. They will then swing south and through the idyllic Coln Valley, finishing in the Cotswold Water Park, just south of Cirencester.

## The Riders
![IMG 0494-01](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/6UrtcG59KZ6Lfh6P438rWi/7a7165de0813c53f2932ccef611939ac/IMG_0494-01.jpeg)
From an all-time high of 20 sign-ups, it looks like we now likely have 11 starters. Given this small field, let’s quickly run through who they are:

__Bruce Edwards__ is returning having been defeated by a knee injury last year. Whereas __Ben Chuilon__ and __Hayden Fisher__ are vying to become only the second and third riders ever to complete both TPA and WWC (after Joe Tresadern did this in May by finishing WWC23).

__Alex Thorel__ and __Sarah Dunker__ are our first non-British riders, although Alex lives in the UK. Sarah is coming from Germany and is travelling overland, which is a (noble) mission in itself. Both have previously completed challenging ultra races in Europe, so let’s see how the UK matches up.

__Harvey Tye__ and __Joe Le Sage__ finished within a place of each other at PCR last year, so we anticipate some healthy competition between them. The absence of ferries to sleep on may prove a shock to the system though.

__Ian “Fuzz Kit” Appleby__ brings guaranteed entertainment, as well as plenty of experience in attritional riding from his exploits at Two Volcano Sprint and Hell of the North West. He has undoubtedly packed his marigolds with this forecast.

__Louis Moorehead__ is a veteran of both Dales Divide and All Points North. And with his family living close to the start, it seems like he could have a home advantage for the first section.

__Mark Bass__ is relatively new to unsupported ultra-endurance cycling but appears to have gifted himself a place on TPA for his birthday. I’m not going to tell you the milestone birthday, but perhaps you can guess from the fact our caps are usually assigned alphabetically. 

Finally, __Patrick Cope__ is converting from the world of Audaxing, which ought to have endowed him with many of the skills he will need for TPA. Having ridden LEL before, he should be undaunted by the distance.

Route & Rider Preview

Rob Gardiner

The Perfidious Albion 2023 Tracking + Commentary: A very Great British adventure from the North to the South of the island through Scotland, Wales and England, tackling iconic British climbs.

The Perfidious Albion 2023 Tracking

A very Great British adventure from the North to the South of the island through Scotland, Wales and England, tackling iconic British climbs. Riders will need to take photo selfies at a series of checkpoints.

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The Perfidious Albion 2023

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