Arrivée154Winter2021
Fans lure Dan to the finish line with tasty Staffordshire titbits…
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BEING A USUALLY solitary rider I’m not accustomed to roadside supporters and dot-watchers. During the four days of the incredible Pan Celtic Race I naively supposed that the people at the side of the road were there simply to wave to their loved ones. It wasn’t until well into the ride that I realised that some of these people were actually following our progress – dotwatchers who’d turned up to cheer us on! As the ride went into day three, they provided little explosions of sunshine
WORDS & PICTURES DAN CAMPELL
In July this year, Stoke-on-Trentbased rider Dan Campbell tackled the ultra-gruelling Pan Celtic Race, from the south coast of Cornwall to North Wales – and was grateful for the support of his followers, especially those who arrived with his favourite Staffordshire delicacies to entice him over the line – oatcakes and a Wrights pie
during dark moments. During the ride I’d seen a post on social media of a couple who were making cakes for the riders at the finish. Being somewhere towards the back of the field, I posted a comment saying: “Save one for me!” On the last day I heard a voice in the crowd: “We have your jam cakes!” Simply amazing. But I have to also thank the couple from Stoke-on-Trent who’d been watching my dot and had travelled all the way to the Llandudno finish line to deliver Staffordshire oatcakes and a Wrights pie – true Stokie food, and a lovely touch! So why was I, an Audaxer, having a crack at ultra-racing? The short answer is that I enjoy riding a long way but due to my weight problem I find it exceptionally difficult to arrive at the Audax finish line before the cut-off time for hilly 400km rides or greater, as I can’t maintain a high enough average speed. This constant fight with the clock takes some of the enjoyment out of my longer rides. The key difference between
Audaxing and ultra-cycling is the way the time works. In Audaxing everyone is riding against the clock, and if you arrive at the finish line before the time limit you are successful, otherwise you are not. Ultra-cycling is more about you and your journey. There are the riders who are racing for a top ten spot, and then you have the riders who are racing themselves. There is no ticking clock, just the time you cross the finish line. So, you end up with lots of mini-races within the ultra-race. So what was it like? In many ways the PCR is like an Audax event – self-sufficient, sleep where you want, controls and a finish line. But the race takes on a life of its own. For those who have ridden the London-Edinburgh-London event or similar, you will understand what I mean. However, the Pan Celtic Race has two controls and no food, unlike LEL which typically has a control with food every 60 miles or so. There are no “cycling trains” for riders to jump on to as this would result in disqualification. Solo riders ride alone –
