Etape Caledonia

The rain has done its job overnight, and stops just as I leave the hotel to go down to the start point. Unlike the Etape Loch Ness, there is no mist, just a lot of grey cloud. The first part of the route is not timed, so we have a fairly nice ride to Logierait, which is just as well as the road is soaking after the overnight rain. We cross over the start of the timed section heading west. It was quite strange heading up the Tay valley through Dull to Fortinghall before heading back to Keltneyburn and the Schiehallion climb. The climb is longer and higher from the south side. I do the climb, which is timed separately, in 19 minutes 01 seconds. I was not too bad on the descent, then got in to group heading west along Loch Rannoch, an bit of light rain at this point. At the far end of the loch we use the Tummel Bridge and head back to Pitlochry along the north shore. There's the B847 for the final climb and head back down to Tummel Bridge. The road on the north shore of Loch Tummel is quite lumpy and it is quite strange climbing up the roads we normally descend on, more light rain. Once over the Garry Bridge, there's a short sprint section before the end of the timed section of the Etape at the Faskally Camping and Caravan site. The ride from here to the finish in Pitlochry is not timed. The sun has come out.

The route can be seen at Relive here.

It was easy to beat my bib number of 1444. I came 362nd out of 2121 participants. Official time of 4:22:35 means my average speed over the timed part of the route was 31.26kmh over 136.81km or 19.42mph over 85 miles. For comparison my average speed in 2019 was 29.21kmh or 18.15mph. Obviously doing the Etape Loch Ness in August gave me the extra bit of fitness to do a fast ride.

I don't hand around, instead choosing to head straight back to the hotel to wipe down the bike and get rid of the muck of my legs and face. I have a lovely lunch in a different café then yesterday before heading back to the event village to get my blip. I stay a while to then cheer on the slower riders at the finish point for an hour or so. Then I head back in to town for a coffee before heading out to Loch Faskally for my extra photo.

Pizza for tea, a nice afogato al caffe for dolce. Then head back to my room to watch a bit of TV before an early night.