Holland or Indonesia

 From hero to zero?

Quote from Bale today “Really looking forward to my trip to Indonesia this weekend! Got some exciting things lined up and hope to meet lots of fans!

Ryan Giggs Man U, in many people’s eyes that’s what he will always be known as, approximately 20 years later is Gareth Bale going to be known as Gareth Bale Real Madrid.

Giggs along with John Charles was the greatest player Wales ever had, Bale seems certain to eclipse those two.

Giggs in the Welsh fans eyes that followed them home and away will be known as a traitor, the man who played 64 times for his country, albeit not many friendlies and who eventually retired to prolong his club career. Judas, traitor are some of the words attributed to him, for ex footballers, pundits, the press he was hero who made a good decision mmm.

Bale who I saw make his debut against Trinidad and Tobago was different, he turned down TeamGB unlike Giggs, Ramsey, Bellamy and Taylor he was an icon who stood up to the pressure from the British media, albeit he said he was injured, it’s come back to bite us.

Bale who turned up injured for Wales previously was gaining respect from the loyal fans that saw him as different to our long gone friend Giggsey.

Joke?

Cue the Champions League final in Lisbon where he scored the all important goal to put the Castilians ahead, and then draped himself in the Welsh Dragon where social media went crazy with the welsh public salivating themselves. I wasn't I support Bale in a Welsh shirt not in a Spurs or Madrid one, did the pathetic Welsh public who turned up for a Welsh match and asked which one’s Giggs go ballistic when he scored for Man U ?

The much maligned Chris Coleman possibly did a mistake when he didn't pick another hero Aaron Ramsey who again draped himself in the Welsh dragon, and who was excused from travelling to Holland, about an hour’s flight not 6, 7 or 10 hours to far flung country for a meaningless friendly, this is Holland’s vital last friendly before the real thing starts on June 8^th.

Ramsey has been sunning himself in Monaco and even tweeted and I quote “Please ignore any stories about me needing surgery. They are completely false. I'm enjoying my summer and already can't wait for pre-season.”  Enjoying my summer, you should be going to Holland son.. According to one Arsenal fan who I understand wasn't defending him he’s getting married, well get married end of June then, not when there is a chance of a lucrative friendly where you can test yourself against the best in the world.

On to Bale he was picked, ready to play; we were told recently by Coleman to look at the big picture, we did, but no, a few day after his flag draping moment on the Lisbon pitch he pulls out claiming injury, many weren't surprised.  I naively was, I thought he’s the man, he’s not a Giggs, low and behold it got worse, he’s injured, can’t endure an hour’s flight to support his Welsh team mates in Holland, he’s on his way to Indonesia for a promotional tour, how long’s the flight? 

The pundits, ex pros press are out in force, and the so called Welsh fans  when they want to be all claim, oh he’s had a long season, he’s tired, he usually turns up, it doesn't wash with me.

If only him and Ramsey would have played say a half each, the 1000 loyal fans who are going over would have been content, is he another Giggs hope not.   

Tour de Marchlyn

As a seasoned cyclist whose Palmares includes some of Europe’s iconic climbs, today I cycled up a climb which I’m starting to fall in love with.

I cycled this climb in the winter with two others; well the other two were there but way ahead of me.  The weather was crap and it was cold, I didn't enjoy it but vowed to be back when the sun was out.

The climb in question is called Marchlyn Mawr and I’d never heard of it until some members of Clwb Seiclo Madog entered an end of season TT (time trial), one of them was doing a great time but proceeded to get lost in the fog. Boy has he had some stick.

It is situated above the villages of Dinorwig and Deiniolen and Marchlyn Mawr reservoir is a high level lake in Snowdonia behind Elidir Fawr Mountain.

So today was the day, the sun was shining I felt good, bar some back pain.  I decided to do a scenic route which took in the Foryd near Caernarfon; I was hugging the Menai Strait all the way to Felinheli.

My first serious climb of the day was Nant y Garth which wasn’t easy by a long chalk, but the drag after to Deiniolen is a nightmare, there is something about the road surface here, you just can’t seem to achieve any speed, it’s like you’ve got glue on your tyres!

Anyway I could see the impeding climb after turned left by Deiniolen upon which I encountered a 10-12% climb for half a mile.  Then I approached the gate which leads you to the climb. You have to lift your bike over the gate, and then clip in with support as it’s immediately into the 8% steepness. Oh no I didn’t think it was this hard. I also couldn’t remember the length of the climb, a mile two miles unsure, we cyclists now also have our GPS systems and I set the screen to the slope screen so I could understand the hell I was putting myself through.

Hairpin one, oh no 10% it’s relentless, I then had a respite, the only part, it drops to 6, 5 3 % for a few hundred yards and then to my left I saw it again oh no 10 or 12%?

Bwlch y groes near Dinas Maddwy is beating me 3-1, also by the time I’ve reached that climb I’ve done 46 miles, ( I’d done 42 today before Marchlyn)  but BYG is a monster, you can see it for miles, Marchlyn is hidden, the Bwlch says come and have a go if you think you’re hard enough, and trust me it takes no prisoners, Marchlyn is inviting, go on try me, take me on I’m worth it..... Anyway another hairpin loose slate in the road, must remember on the descent.

Oh no a walker with two dogs, I was virtually walking pace 3.9 mph then 4.5 then back to 3.9, I shouted ‘mae’r basdad yn galed’ ( it’s hard) he said ‘old age’, ‘I’m only 50’ ‘I’m 66’ he said and he walking nearly as fast as I was cycling gggrrrrr. Keep them mutt’s way I thought to myself.

After two miles of incessant, almost relentless cycling at mostly no less than 10 % I was there at the summit and boy was it worth it.

The views are stunning, Anglesey and the coast to one side, Snowdon behind, Llanberis down below, my pal with the dog arrived and he took a photo for me.

Down I went with the breaks on most of the way as it’s a very very fast decent. I was beaming, I’ve done it again, BYG isn’t my climb, Marchlyn is and I’ll be back soon.

When I got home and uploaded my stats to strava I was disappointed, my time was slower than the winter one?  Many factors could come to play here so I’ve got over it, I recommend this climb to any budding new or old cyclist you’ll love it.

Stats – my PR for this was 22. 42 today was 24. 40 - fastest on this segment is 11.41!!!!! Strava puts it at 3.7 km 286 metres elevation -  avg 8% nuff said.