On Saturday I return to the Brevet circuit (motto: "slow and steady wins the this-is-not-a-race") after an absence of 4 months, for a 300km ride from Sagamihara around Mt. Fuji, including one climb up to Kawaguchi-ko, then back down the West side, then a climb in the cooler late afternoon/early evening from 200m up to 1500m elevation on the South side -- might even need a windbreaker to keep warm on the mountain in the dark at that elevation. Jerome is planning to join.
We leave the river at Sagamihara (start between 730 and 8AM) go out via Takao toward Itsukaichi. For anyone who wants to ride along, the cue sheet can be found here (Japanese required). Instead of getting to Sagamihara for a 7:30 start (we will drive out), you could join at the first check point -- the Akiruno Togura 7-11 west of Itsukaichi (the "last 7-11" before the climb to Kazahari), which we should pass through sometime between 9:00 and 9:30, before heading up the Akigawa to Kobu Tunnel, then via Uenohara, Tsuru and up to Kawaguchi ko and Saiko. The second check point is near Kawaguchi-ko, hopefully sometime between Noon and 1PM.
I'm really looking forward to riding the low road around the West side of Fuji, along the Fuji-gawa, and climbing the Fuji skyline drive on the South side for the first time. Then again, I'm also happy that much of the route is on roads I have taken at least once before, so we won't need to focus much on navigating. Stay tuned.
... will post later, but wanted to report that Jerome and I did start the Brevet on Saturday. I abandoned after 200km. I burned up in the hellish early heat and we made it to Kawaguchi ko (109 km mark checkpoint) just before the cut off. We made it through the easier stretch and to Fujinomiya (approx 200km point), but I was done - too much punishment from the heat, too little sleep the 2-3 prior nights, so took the opportunity to grab train home while Jerome did the spectacular climb up to Fuji Skyline, rode all night and got back to the car after 4AM.
ReplyDeleteThe route selection (route 20 from Uenohara to Otsuki, then route 139 up through Tsuru to Fujiyoshida/Kawaguchiko) was really bad -- no shade and lots of Saturday traffic. Had Jerome swearing he would never do one of these again ... until he got home and took a rest, and started to rethink the idea.