Wiggle Dragon Ride 2013. 210K & 3,355 meters of climbing (130 miles & 11,000 feet).

Had a great day with the EVO team (and everybody completed the race), although things didn't quite go according to plan. Most importantly I wanted a better experience than last year where I bonked badly during the race and finished it completely spent (and cold). I also hoped to be able to improve on my time from last year.

We had absolutely perfect weather on race day. Blue skies, sunny, not overly windy.

However, after less than half an hour I had a puncture on my front wheel. Tried to fix it by injecting Vittoria sealant into the tubular - but the cut was too big. So had to fit a new tubular. So lost 10 mins there and got completely dropped by the group I was riding with. Could also feel that if I pushed too hard, my right calf and both thighs would cramp.

So my goal to finish the race in 7 to 7.30, including stops, went out the window. Instead the focus was now on having a great day and really enjoying the race. Which I did. Lots of power throughout, except for the last 5-10K where I didn't have much left in the tank.

As usual I got dropped on the hills since I'm a slow and heavy climber. With Dragon Ride it's really about patience. Get into the groove on the hills and just keep going. The long ones aren't overly steep, but they are LONG!

All in all, my actual riding time was 7.49 (only 4 mins better than last year!), while the total time was 8.23. This included the puncture, stops at the feeding stations - and a long wait on one of the descents due to a really nasty crash, which stopped the race momentarily, while ambulances and a helicopter assisted the riders who had crashed.

Might as well do it again next year!