On the way to the inaugural Cowal Peninsula Sportive, my club mate David asked how I could write about this event in a way that stood out from other sportives. The fact that we were on a fast passenger ferry to Dunoon early on Sunday morning with a crowd of other cyclists was already making it unique, and I pointed out that there would be some celebrities there to add to the atmosphere. I also suggested that he could crash spectacularly to give me something interesting to write about.
We were among the first riders to register on the esplanade in Dunoon (for a very reasonable £25). A queue of fellow ferry travellers and local riders formed behind us to collect numbers and timing chips for the two routes, with options of 31 miles and 80 miles. Around 150 were signing up in total, not bad for the first edition of a new sportive.
Event organiser Charlie was looking much more cheerful than the last time I had met him, at the Flying Scotsman Sportive on Midsummer's day. Then the temperature had actually been lower than on Midwinter day and the rain had been unrelenting. Today was looking much more promising. There were clouds but it was cool and almost windless, everyone was in good spirits.
Celebrities were indeed present, in the shape of Scottish Commonwealth cyclist Charline Joiner and the very down-to-earth cycling hero Graeme Obree. Both were chatting to the riders, posing for photos and offering encouragement. Amongst the carbon bike bling, Obree's antiquated but immaculate machine stood out in particular.
The route is a lopsided figure of eight, the first loop done by all the riders and forming the short route option. There is one steep hill on this loop but it is otherwise very flat, and I did hear a comment that it was actually a bit too short. The majority of cyclists continued on a much longer loop to the west before returning to Dunoon.
David and I set out in the company of Obree and a few other riders making good time up the length of Loch Eck. The weather was perfect and the atmosphere relaxed as we approached the first climb. It was a tough one and we straggled out in a line toward the summit, accompanied by the horrendous grating noises coming from Graeme's bottom bracket (classic bikes don't always run as well as they look).
David and Graeme topped the hill ahead of me and I looked forward to what I knew was a super descent, but as I rounded the first hairpin I found Graeme helping David out of a ditch. Although an excellent cyclist, David had locked up trying to follow the Obree line and found himself on his back in the heather. He and his bike seemed fine apart from pains in his ribs and shoulder so we continued with rather more care.
The first loop was quickly completed and we set off on the second, longer one. The road surface was superb along the long Glen and two climbs leading to Tighnabruich but this was hard going. Successive gradients of 20% sapped our energy and David was clearly in some pain. We stopped at 50 miles for the main feed station in The Tearoom at Tighnabruich to recharge and take stock.
A last-minute stand-in for the shinty club, The Tearoom was providing a very high standard of cyclist fuel in the shape of delicious creamy cakes. Graeme came in and sat with us. This type of relaxed cycling with cakes perhaps went against the grain of his legendary competitiveness but he seemed to be adjusting well. As the cafe got steadily busier, David and I set off again just as the rain began to fall.
Thankfully the route became easier toward the end. The last fifteen miles or so were a glorious blast down the Glen to the sea then round the coast into Dunoon. David was there ahead of me looking sore. Our route home was to be via A&E in Glasgow where his collarbone was thankfully given the all clear.
I had actually tried the Cowal route on a recce ride the previous month, and on both occasions I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was all the better for the friendly atmosphere of the organisers and other riders. This was the first running of the event in a crowded market but the Cowal Peninsula Sportive definitely deserves to stand out for the quality of the roads, the scenery and the light traffic. Many congratulations to the organisers for a terrific event.
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