Solstice Sprint 1000km Ultra Race | Part 1?

The Solstice Sprint, a 1,000km cycling ultra race that takes part over the Summer Solstice in the UK.

Racing and cycling non-stop or bikepacking your way round the route that starts and finishes in Warwick and traverses the challenging terrain of Wales.

The choice is yours.

Find out how I got on in this race…

#cycling #bikepacking #race #ultra

[Applause] woo some a soltice baby well that clearly didn’t go to plan did it here we go again the solstice Sprint 2024 we picked up a few more Riders this year compared to last year I think it’s fair to say we’re about to start in 20 minutes um we’ll be lining up along the drive behind you you can see our lovely flags at the end there happy birthday dear happy birthday to [Applause] you oh yeah so we’re about 20K in to the solstice Sprint which is an ultra race of 1,000 km starting in Warick working its way down south before crossing the river 7 and then going straight up three Wales to Clan DMO and then somehow back down to Warick this is a bit of a mystery to me lots of RADS I’ve never ridden before but hopefully lots of fun climbing up Burton datet which is checkpoint one of 10 only about 30 2K into the route yeah there are 10 checkpoints dotted around the course I think there’s a bit of a longer distance to the next one which is Kum jibit guess down towards Andover Way my next stop is going to be a petrol station in farington just rolling into banur not been here for a long time last time I was doing a road race that’s probably only about 100K not 1,000k not 100% sure what my ambitions are for this ride just yet part me would love to get back Saturday night so I’ve got a longer time before I have to go back to work but I didn’t have a very good night last night a bit of a bad stomach for some reason so takeing some of the modium hopefully that will settle things back down again it’s about 10 K to farington I’m going to stop at a petrol station for some more water probably some coke struggling to eat which is a bit annoying feeling a bit sick I’m just going to carry on going hopefully it’ll pass but the weather’s lovely we got some nice roads and scenery so far so we’ll keep plugging on Arington home with the petrol station oh it’s warm 24° not ring this temperature for a while so I stopped at the Morrison daily rather than the petrol station got some more water had a can of Coke some emergency Doritos which I’m already eating see if that sorts me out a bit there’s the garage not for me next checkpoint is Kum jibit 155k in about to take over 111 so not too far it’s that little marker [Applause] 24 awesome cheers mate thank you thank you about 5k away from Kum jibit and I can see a big hill looming in the distance think it’s going to be a big in here we goit boys you right yeah how’s it going oh some mik’s having a yeah it’s going well oh that was a beastly climb bit worried about what my gearing’s like now though because I was in my easiest gear and it was proper grind standing up now we’re on these lovely quiet country roads still pretty warm about 24 25° on this little Loop which sort of heads back round to Hungerford and then I think we dropped down into mbra which is about 2 7K I’m going to hopefully get some food there see if I can keep it down whoop whoop to Wilshire next 2 hours of entertainment is being provided by England Denmark come on England about 4 or 5K away from Mell where I’m going to stop I’m going to try and eat something like a sandwich or something like that see if makes me feel any better I stopped at waitrose and had a chicken wrap got some more water but my stomach’s really not feeling much better at the moment um not 100% sure what to do but I think I’m going to ride about another 100K take meide the brist of area and then I might grab a hotel premiering or something around there and uh go to sleep and then just see how I feel in the morning if I’m feeling better then maybe I’ll decide to push on but at the moment not feeling superb and still yeah struggling with the food coming through a BRI which is quite fitting as it’s the summer soltice I think we’re about to go past the stone circle party time oh it’s a lovely day though just coming into devises I had planed to stop for a Domino’s but no I don’t think that’s a very good idea right now caution wow wow wow awesome Sunset hope his tabard is engaged as we enter the night the night Cy checkpoint 3 castle Kon so I booked a hotel in Bristol and I hopefully have a good sleep but this ride might turn into just an adventure really I think the whole race thing’s out the window if I feel okay in the morning perhaps I’ll do the rest of the route maybe like 150 150 120 a day finish on the Sunday rather than Saturday night this is cool though 10 p.m. and it’s still light summer solstice baby Premier Place of Dreams so I’ve slept on it but I’m still not feeling very good still feel sick um stomach’s still bit dodgy and I think if I push on it’s going to be a proper struggle and not a good struggle and I guess my head’s not in it now so I’ve decided that I’m going to scratch and head home maybe it was too soon after the Great British Escapade or maybe I’m actually a bit ill I guess I’ll work that out over the next coming days but I did have a nice ride yesterday it was still 200 miles it was still lovely and sunny and a nice way to spend the summer solstice so yeah hopefully bit of time to process this and then go again someone else I guess well that clearly didn’t go to plan did it but I think I made the right choice cuz I was simply riding myself into a bigger and bigger hole and I think if I had have carried on I would have made myself proper ill but now it’s been a few days and I’ve had a bit of time to reflect I’ve got a little plan in the next few weeks if the stars align I’m going to go back to where I left the route near Bristol and finish it earning my Solstice Sprint cap properly getting to ride some of those great roads I was looking forward to in Wales so there was a reason why this video was called part one because hopefully part two will be coming in a few weeks time