The lads, well Myself and of course Ray, Mark Kidd , John Higgins and John Dinneen have taken on this challenge, all of which did the Trans Germany earlier this year so were quietly confidant of finishing this one day event.
Here you can see Rays excitement as we sit on the runway on the smallest plane I've ever been on waiting for the fog to feck off away from the Isle of Man, so not a great start. Ray is actually sitting across the Isle from me here!!!!
The excitement soon wore away on a poorly Ray as he had the bug from hell all week!!
Mark soon followed suit as he too enjoyed his beauty sleep! This too is the only pic i have of JD its just his head though!!!
We arrived on the Island safe and sound after a gruelling 25 min flight hahaha smallest plane ever and shortest flight ever. So outside the airport the drama continues with not a taxi in sight. After a while we got sorted and we were once again on our way. We were staying in The Palace Hotel in Douglas. This is where the comedy show started. We arrived at the hotel to be told our rooms wouldn't be ready until 2pm it was now 12, ok not to bad but then she said it could 4pm....tired and grumpy after being up since 5am this didn't sit to well, so we decided to go and build our bikes, Mark started 1st and finished last, I held up his bike at one stage so he could put in his seat post which was a mystery to me why he didn't just push it in all the way like the rest of us!!...anyway standing there 5 mins or so while he decides to take of his seat post clamp and start cleaning the threads etc "Ehh Hello will put the feckin thing in, I'm standing here holding up your bike" yeh yeh hold on" hahaha he is mad that chap away with the fairy's I tells yeh!!!
So check in time 2pm "sorry sir your rooms not ready" when will it be ready "4pm sir" Ray was not a happy camper so we retired to the bar for a pint to relax him.
Eventually we got into our rooms to find this.......
Hahaha Myself and Ray looked at each other and laughed "feck it let's get changed go for a swim and sauna and chill out for a while.
Later that afternoon we went down to sign on, Stopping for lunch in a pub called Jak's....I dont know is it me or what but some people, shall we say are challanged by the simplest of requests, "Hi, there are 5 of us who want a spot of lunch is there anywhere we can park our bikes while we do " Girl behind the bar looks at me in a complete daze....now I know I'm a handsome man but Jeasus, I had to look around to see if Ray the Face was behind me,maybe she was looking at him and was stunned by his more beautifull looks but no he was outside, anyway she says "I'll have to ask"..... "no but you can put them in the lane behind" is there a gate there I said "no" Ok so I thought to myself this is not getting us anywhere so we went outside the front moved the garden furniture and put all our bike in behind it and went in for lunch not ordering off the girl behind the bar, Sign on was a breeze, except I had not organised transport to and from the start and finish, so we had to go back that evening which was grand as there was a Pasta dinner for all the riders, happy days. So later on we went back got my transport sorted and had a nice free Pasta dinner...
Fawltey Towers again as we arrived back to be told they had given us a new room with 2 beds, so we moved from our room with a nice sea view to the back of the hotel where we had a lovely view of the hotels waste....nice but at least we had 2 beds which were in the smallest room ever, one had to lie on the bed while the other unpacked hahahahahaha!! As we put our heads down for the night I was watching a bit of the tellybox, Ray was asleep, I was then suddenly awoken, startled nearly as Ray was sitting up giving me a very angry look, He told me later that i had been snoring and he woke up to move around and get himself comfy in the bed when I awoke, jumping outa my sleep and blurting out something to him, he said he was actually scared i was going to get up and kill him hahahahahahaa....I told him I was a light sleeper hahahahaha, i didnt even think I was asleep hahahahaaha!!
Breakfast, race morning, we had to order breakfast to the room as the breakfast area down stairs didnt open till 7am and we had to be at the transport area for 7.30 and you could not order any hot food till 7.30am the drama continues...so we had a continental breakfast....ie cold!! Shite coffee etc, so got ready and hit the road. Arriving to all the bikes being put into the back of 40 ft containers, the look on Marks face when he saw the bikes being put into it, he minds that bike like a baby, he handed his bike up and then pulled it back and then handed it up again he was not letting it go hahahahaha.
Here we are just before load up.......
On the bus on the way out to the start at point of eyre we had the craic slagging and egging each other on as poor Ray went into depression, worrying about his David Beckham under pants, would he last the day with out his poorly tummy giving up on him half way around the course, when we came across this chap on his MTB cycling to the start....fair play we said, then as we came up on him, there he was drinking a can of Carlsberg the mad yoke and he had another one in the plastic bag tied to his handlebars, thats taking the "if Carlsberg did" a bit to seriously....I wonder how he got on, he probably had a heart attack on the road at the start!!!
Here we are sitting around waiting for the start.......
The Start, there we were all 1500 of us, 100 seeded and the rest in the second wave, 3 ,2 ,1 Barrrrrp clunk click FFS get outa the way, C'mon hurry up, Hahahahahaaha I was laughing me hole off as all the loonies trying to get going and in a mad panic, I thought we have 75k to go and they are already loosing the plot before we even crossed the start line, 2 mins into the race, crash bang wollop in front of me 2 riders went down in a heap, I just kept going passing people left right and centre, I felt really good my legs were rested and thought ok this is going to take 4.15 to 4.30 hours, get settled and just keep plugging away, but as usual the race head took over as Myself Ray and Mark got to the front of our group and chased the lead group of 100, we soon caught some of them and tagged onto the back, but then passed them onto the next group till we caught a fast group and sat and worked together eventually catching the head of the race,the head wind was brutal and any time you got to the front you didnt stay there long, then it turned off road at 23km
I realized, Ooops, I went far to hard at the start and blew me lights half way up the 1st 400mtr climb of the day, so I just dropped into granny and worked my way to the top of the climb passing and being passed, Ray and Mark were in sight but slowly pulling away, the climb continued up onto the top of the mountain out in the open and the gale force wind, Jeasus this is going to be a long day as I peddled along the open grassy section, I fooking hate riding on grass, it zaps any energy you have and leaves you wrecked after riding it, soon though it turned down onto some nice single track where of course skinny Goobers who can climb but cant ride were walking all over the place, being me I just let out a yell, get outa the fookin way.... rider up hahahahaha as I made my own route through the forest passing them all and hitting a drop off onto another one styling it for the crowd as I have been known to do.The lads must have been close cause they herd the marshell saying lads get a move on there are some nut jobs on the way hahahaahaha, they knew it was me...deadly!!!
As I said I fooking hate riding on grass especially when this yoke goes by you!!!! Not only did it pass me, it also passed Ray and Mark WTF......
The fun was over far to soon for my liking as the fire road begun to rise again in front of me, as I started climbing I felt that most unwanted tingle in my legs, the Cramps, Jeasus 30k in and 40 odd to go, I dont believe this is happening again after taking cramp tablets all week, drinking Dioralyte all week too and no beer except for the 2 I had yesterday......please no, please holy baby jesus no, but then bang AAAARRRGGGHHHHHHH the pain in my groin was killer I was in a heap as I kept pedaling like I was having some sort of a fit, I could not push at all, I had to just spin away until it went, I knew then it was a matter of just getting to the finish and my self predicted time would go out the window. At 32k the 1st feed station was supposed to be there or there abouts, so no water and 4k later there it was, just after a really fast descent, I filled up and drank loads and off I went again into the clouds and mist yet another climb.
Climb over and still unable to push hard, I just kept a steady pace when the trail headed down into a valley and you know what comes after the down into a valley... Yup the up, as I approached the end of the descent and was looking ahead at the climb I saw a familiar goat like figure pumping like a mad yoke at his back wheel, it was Ray he had got a puncture, I asked him was he ok he was so I just kept going as I knew he would be on me in no time, as the climb started the cramps returned with a vengeance in both legs at the same time, the pain OMG the pain was horrific, I could never be in the secret service cause I would just blab everything straight away no bother, just no more pain please baby jesus. Ray soon came up behind me, he was a bit tired and decided to ride with me for a while I told him " Go... just leave me, I'm not worthy" he laughed and stayed for a while, we both missed the 2nd feed station and had to go back as the crowd was in front of it.... Dopes!!
As we followed the road, it turned into a little lane, by christ it just went straight up 45 degrees I tells yeh ,of course goaty boy headed off up with me in his tracks soon losing my momentum as Ray just kept going with the claps coming form the crowd and a nice lady, as I looked at her pushing my bike "I wish I was his size the skinny fecker" which got a good laugh and gave Ray a giggle too.He soon got tired of waiting for me and pushed on, in fairness I was glad cause I couldnt ride at this stage and had to keep walking for ages until the legs settled, there were people cramping everywhere I must have passed the same chap pictured above 10 times lying on the ground screaming hahahahaha he kept cramping and then get on his bike a bate along until it happened again.
Climbing, climbing, climbing for what felt like an age and at 55k or so it started going down with a few small kickers just to keep you on your toes and mess with your head, it then started down a proper and off I went, so there I was flying along when I was literally flying, in the air off the bike and landing in the gorse, as I looked up saw this marshal running towards me "OMG mate you ok" Ahh yeh not a bother good luck I says, "be carefull its a rocky ahead" Nice man he was...Anyway the rocks over and the boards walk safely ridden, I was rolling along when I tried to go up onto the big ring and it wouldnt so i just kept rolling when i hit this........
Yeeehhaaaaa wasssupp beeeeatches!!!!
Soon after this i got to a gate and onto a road section where I got off the bike and tried to fix the gears 5 mins later I realized the cable in the shifter had snapped so I was stuck in the small ring on the front, not ideal as the last 5k or so would be on the road, and I was on a fast descent through fields, I couldnt pedal any faster my legs were spinning like mad. Fields over and back onto some fire road the 3rd and final feed at 65k once again further than it was supposed to be was a welcomed sight, I stuffed some more water into me and stuffed a load of fruit pastilies into me too. 10 k or so to go, I just trundled along not caring where i was 4.30 mins or so done, I hit the road and then the swines put in a nasty climb to the finish, screaming and shouting as i went along with the cramps and the all over body pain I was like a traumatized turrets person let out for the day on me bike "arrghhhhh fuck wank bollox where is the finish, fuck bollix wank the buggie" its just up there " Thanks fuck bastard wank" hahahahaa, I was never so glad to see the finish although it does not look like it here......
Daragh Smith 72k Done in 4.45 and 191st overall and 67th Master not great but not the worst either!!!
Ray Doyle 72k Done in 4.36 and 147th overall and 53rd vet, great result for the man who spent the week on the toilet.
Mark Kidd 72k Done in 4.21 and 86th overall and 25th vet and he knew it, smiling the sicko!!!
John Higgins 72k Done in 4.51 and 225th overall and 21st Grand Vet, Savage Result!
John Dinneen 72k Done in 5.35 and 463rd overall and 172nd Vet, getting better Buddy!
(could not find photo's of the John's crossing the finish, if anyone does please send me the link)
Found one of JD......
All knackered and bikes in the transport truck, we then had to sit there for over an hour waiting for the bus and truck to fill up, it went by fairly quick as we had a laugh and a slag. On the road back to Douglas we had to stop twice for some poor chap, who had a problem with his bottom and couldnt hold in all the gels, you could see Ray felt for this poor chap he was also smerking to himself as he was glad it wasnt him. Back in Douglas we unloaded the bikes and headed back to Fawltey Towers to shower and change for food and beer, Myself and Ray were 1st to arrive.......
Ray looks locked after 1/2 a pint but its just not a great pic of him, for once hahahahahha!! Then Mark joined the Fun in his brokeback mountain shirt...... looking very very pleased with his result.....
So 1st pints went down, not well but down they went all the same, with a couple of bowls of chips, the 2 johns arrived and we soon set off into the booming metro city that is Douglas......not!!!! Back to the same pub we had lunch in the day before, it was Karaoke night and the beers were flowing, when we turned around and met this chap......
Elliot Baxter winner of this years End to End with a time of 3.18 beating four time winner Nick Craig by 8mins, well done, so we shared some tips on how to be deadly.....eehhhumm and drank some more and talked crap as you do, when Ray and Mark slid off together, Marks shirt must have worked on Ray ;-)!! then the 2 Johns headed off, I was left with the lads slagging and having the craic, when I too decided i was tired and headed off to Fawltey Towers.
Verdict of End to End Race....
Im glad I have done it, would I rush back to do it again I dont know, but I know I am capable of getting top 100 so I think I will do it again just to get that off my back. The course was good and tuff at the same time, show me a MTB race that is 70k odd thats not tuff, The feed station were a problem especially when you only have one bottle, with 2 of the feed stations being nearly 5 further than expected, your head starts playing mind games "did i miss it jeasus i have no water". It was well marked and marshelled but the crowds and supporters were fantastic, they really spurred you on with the clapping and cheering and having a laugh, also running over to help any rider that was in trouble, so the Isle of Man supporters get a big thumbs up from all of us. If your thinking of doing a race away this is one to consider, its 25mins away on a "small" plane and your there and back in a weekend which wont break the bank. The Island itself is very quite with everyone in Douglas about 70 years old, i would not go there for a weekend unless the TT was on or to do this race.
Well done again to the lads, another one ticked on the bucket list and we all finished safe a sound no drama.
Happy to be on the way home......
Told you the plane was small.......
