Early start on a warm Sunday morning for me, Dave, Nige, Paul R, and unconvincing Paul Nicholas impersonator Wout van Aert.
Steady ride out towards Caerphilly via a few new lanes before the climb up Van Road. Van Road? Ayresome Park, Middlesborough in 1966 is where North Korea beat Italy in the World Cup. The Community Stadium, Brighton in 2015 is where Japan beat South Africa in a different World Cup. And Van Road is of course the place where Dave beat Angelo up a hill.
Clearly overwhelmed by the memory, and tired of our lazy pace it was here that Dave also took the opportunity to peel off and look for an alternative route.
Utilizing a fascinating series of pedestrian over and underpasses we traversed Newport before being spat out on to lovely, rolling lanes through Usk, Raglan and on to Monmouth. Quick Shell garage pit stop and then followed the valley to Tintern. Sure I remember this being a gentle downhill, but it does in fact drag up all the way.
Sizeable baguettes and optional even more sizeable custard slices in the shade at Tintern. It was noticeable that Wout shunned food at this stage, and it can only be assumed he is solar powered. Over the Wireworks Bridge (grade 2 listed, don’t you know), and a short gravel section to the bat cave. A dark, wet, hole, the Tiddenham Tunnel is often mistaken for Treoes, but today was fairly pleasant respite from the sun. And you get to play, “Guess where the other people are walking?” through the almost entirely unlit route.
Chepstow, as it transpires, has some fairly stingy hills but these were a mere aperitif to the strengthening westerly we found as soon as the road flattened out. Wout was putting in some monster turns on the front through Monmouthshire and across the Gwent levels, where despite frequent 90 degree turns we never escaped the wind. Never have 2nd or 3rd wheel been so concerned with who is behind them. “Sorry Wout, you’ve dropped everyone again. I myself was just about to take a turn but now we have to wait a couple of minutes for everyone to regroup”.
Even more wind through Wentlooge and into Cardiff where Wout left us, presumably to head for the Jumbo team bus. 2nd / 3rd coffee stop for the rest of us before the uneventful spin home.
Uneventful apart from Nige cramping in that amusing / clearly very painful way people cramp. Then after I diverted us up a steep footpath through my inability to translate a small picture of a road on my head unit into something spatially useful, Nige cramping while trying to set off up a steep hill, toppling over and doing something unfortunate to his rear mech. After that it was just sitting on the wheel of a big-boned youngster on an eBike who towed us through Llantrisant and home.
Good day out. Good bat cave. Bad Wout. Exceptional route planning.
