2020 6-gap Century Recap

As the story goes, 2020 is providing us with different racing opportunities. We feel extremely lucky that we have options for races. Although there aren't a lot to choose from, we have been able to get into different race environments which has allowed us to scratch our competitive itch and be around other athletes. After the Tugaloo Olympic triathlon two weeks ago and the Upstate open water splash a week ago, it was time for our bikes to Dahlonega for the 32nd Annual 6-gap century ride.

This was our 2nd time participating in this event. Our last time was in 2009 - eleven years ago! We haven't been back since so it was a ride down memory lane as we did our course recon ride on Saturday (we did 3 of the gaps - Wolfpen, Woody and Neils on the day before the event - 39 miles). If you would like to read my even recap blog from 2009, you can check it out HERE. I found it to be extremely entertaining as I've come sooooo far with my cycling skills and endurance. I was joking with Karel the other day that I should not have been allowed to do the event in 2009 as I had very poor bike handling skills and I was deathly afraid of descending. Now, I can enjoy the fun that comes after every climb and ride safely and confidently on the downhills. I have to thank Karel for always (safely) putting me into uncomfortable riding scenarios, which have forced me to stretch my comfort zone and improve my skills.

I booked an Airbnb in Blairsville, GA which was around 26 miles (~40 min drive) away from the event venue in Dahlonega (at Lumpkin High School). We shared the house with our friend Al and a friend of a friend from Jacksonville. The house was tucked away off a country road (next to a farm) and it was very peaceful and quiet. The house was also on the bike course, which was great for our recon ride on Saturday. We always prefer houses over hotels as it allows us to prepare all of our meals in a kitchen (and have space).

The check-in process for the event was very smooth. It was a drive-thru process and took less than 10 minutes. The volunteers were amazing for this event (there were over 400 of them over the course of the weekend)!

Here are a few pics from our recon ride on Saturday.

On Sunday morning we woke up at 4:45am and left the house at 6am. We prepped our bottles the night before so all we had to do was pump the bike tires, eat and put on our cycling bibs and jersey. Although we did not feel nerves for the event, we knew it was going to be a challenging day. Even though my bike fitness has drastically improved over the past few years (thanks to our incredibly challenging terrain in Greenville), this doesn't make climbing (or group riding) any easier. You just go harder and suffer more. ;)

I want to give a bit of love to my new NS1 Ventum (received in February) as it's such a dream to ride. I love the disc brakes, the handlebars and brake/electronic shifter set-up (thanks to Karel), my Alto carbon wheels and the responsiveness of the bike. I feel very comfortable and confident on the bike. It's so fun to ride....Plus, it's super pretty.

The event started at 7:30am and we arrived around 6:50am. The line for parking was getting rather long so I feel like we timed it just right when we arrived. We slathered on the Amp cream before we left so all we had to do is put on our cycling gear, grab our face masks, stuff our pockets with some nutrition and take a quick bathroom stop. The weather was perfect - it started in the mid 60's (cloudy) and approached mid 70 as the morning went on. We had little sunshine, a little wind and a lot of clouds and fog (and a bit of a mist of rain).

Yannick, Alvi, Karel and I lined up near the mid to the front of the first wave. And before we knew it, we were off. As for the plan for the day, we each did our own effort with the goal of staying safe and having fun. Oh and let's not forget the suffering that was needed to get to the finish line.

As for the event itself, it was a challenge. The first 18 miles were a pure endorphin rush as it was a fast pace in a large group. We went up and down hills and I was sure to stay alert as there was a lot of slowing and accelerating and a few sketchy moments where I was careful not to crash.

The featured 6 gaps were (in ordered):

Neel's Gap
Jack's Gap
Unicoi Gap
Hogpen Gap (K/QOM timed)
Wolfpen Gap (K/QOM timed)
Woody's Gap

The ride was 103 miles and covered over ~12,000 feet of elevation. I managed to stay with a strong group through Neil's Gap but after the descend, I struggled to stay on the wheels when the road became flat. I was super proud of my descending and I was able to stay with smaller groups on the climbs. I found myself bouncing from one group to the next group (behind me) as I couldn't stay on the wheels of the riders after the descends. I gave it my all throughout and tried to be strategic as to when I pushed and when I looked for opportunities to save energy. But even when I rode with a group, it was still really tough. The descends were awesome - they had a nice rhythm to them, the roads were well paved throughout the entire course and nearly every turn was a sweeping turn (not tight). The only tight turn was after the road about after the long descend from Woody's gap. Karel stayed with the front group through the first half of Neil's gap and then he cracked and struggled. He spent most of the ride by himself as he dug a hole pretty early trying to ride like his old self 11 years ago. He's ok with it as he loves riding his bike and it's just his nature to want to suffer and dig as deep as he can (his past bike racer mentality). His back was also bothering him which made it hard to get low on the descends. But he was still glad he did the event. He also enjoyed seeing some familiar faces that he hasn't seen in many many years from way back when in his bike racing days.

We both made our one fuel stop at the top of Hogpen and the volunteers were awesome. The entire 6 gap organizers, police, medical/safety staff and anyone else who helped with the event was amazing - it was truly a safe, well supported, fun event. And for the 32nd year, I think they nailed it once again - especially during a pandemic.

As for the specific stats of the ride (from our Garmin bike computers, I estimated the distances as I am not sure exactly where the gaps start, except for Hogpen and Wolfpen which both had timing mats):

Neel's Gap ~7.5 miles
Marni - 33:27
Karel - 30.11
Jack's Gap ~6.46 miles
Marni - 25:57
Karel - 25:22
Unicoi Gap ~2.6 miles
Marni - 15:17
Karel - 13:11
Hogpen Gap (K/QOM timed - the most difficult climb) ~6 miles
Marni - 39:42
Karel - 39:07
Wolfpen Gap (K/QOM timed) ~3:02
Marni - 22:01
Karel - 21:58
Woody's Gap ~1.28
Marni - 9:40
Karel - 7:08