Dragon Ride report and results by rider number

A group including Ben Scott, Philip Domville-Musters, Adrian Pearce and Paul Martin put in some early graft (Dragon Ride)

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The Dragon Ride, billed as the UK’s premier cyclosportive, took place at the weekend in what proved to be better than forecast conditions. Around 2,800 start numbers had been issued but on the day 1990 riders set off on an event which offers a choice of 120 and 180km routes, involving either 2,300m or 3000m of climbing, through some of south Wales’ most attractive landscapes.  

New start and finish arrangements were in operation this year and despite a significant bottleneck as riders filtered along a narrow path to the starting kite, dry weather helped keep the spirits high before participants were released in groups of 200. However, this slow start combined with a delay in releasing the first batch of riders due to traffic congestion, meant that many didn’t hit the road until after 9am, well beyond the scheduled 8am start time.

Feed stations were well stocked with bananas and electrolyte drinks and there was cake at the first stop, but the lack of choice outside of these staples was a talking point for some. Motorbike safety outriders did a fine job of  keeping order among the general Sunday traffic and the overcast conditions gave way to bright sunshine shortly after noon, though a gusting westerly provided a stiff test for some Gran Fondo riders out in the exposed reaches of the Brecon Beacons.

Most people completed the course without having to resort to wet weather gear and many would have been surprised to learn that not long after they had vacated the area in the morning, the start/finish point was hit by a deluge of rain and hailstones. The general lack of precipitation out on the course did, however, help keep incidents to a minimum with a broken arm being the worst injury reported.

Speaking to BikeRadar, event director Lou Lusardi declared himself to be generally happy with how the day unfolded, while acknowledging that there are tweaks to be made to ensure the event meets the highest of standards - something which could see it added to the UCI’s Golden Bike world sportive series. He also held out the tantalising prospect that next year an extra 20km could be tacked on to the Gran Fondo route, while at the other end of the athletic scale, it appears that a new 40km ride could be added to the mix.

The organisers are keen to hear feedback from participants and you can join in the discussion about this year’s Dragon Ride on this forum thread and even put forward your suggestions about how the 2009 edition could be improved. To see pictures of yourself on the day visit www.sportivephoto.com.

Meanwhile you’ll find results by race number listed below with a link to results by gender and time.

Results - by race number     Display results by gender & time

180km

120km