- I'm dead.
Bloody hell.
(Speaking in foreign language) (intense music)
- Because this the part where I want to catch them all.
(intense rhythmic music)
- Aw man, form has gone to absolute (bleep)
(bikers grunting)
(intense music)
(heavy breathing)
- I've had like eight weeks off.
- You can do it!
- We've got a lot bigger Si
- Speak for yourself mate, try an stay--
- No, we, look down down the line,
how many of us there are.
The GCN presenter line up has expanded significantly,
and I think it's going to be brilliant.
(howling wind)
(intense music)
- [Narrator] We are launching an all new channel
for road cyclists, who speak Spanish.
That's right, GCN on español, has officially arrived.
But not only that, GCN is growing too.
With a larger presenting team to help bring more videos,
longer videos, and crucially, even better videos.
(upbeat intense music)
- To celebrate this expansion, and particularly,
the new Spanish language channel, we've come out here
to the beautiful sunny region of Asturias,
in Spain, to go for a nice gentle group ride,
so you can meet the new presenters.
- [Narrator] Emma it's not a ride, it's a race.
- A race?
- [Narrator] Up a climb.
- Like a proper race, up a hill.
Fantastic!
- [Narrator] Actually it's up the Angliru.
- The Angliru?
Are you sure they're going to make it up that?
That's quite steep you know.
- [Narrator] That's right Emma,
one of the most feared climbs in all of pro cycling.
Hello folks, it's me Jonny, chocolate voice, Beavan here.
The Angliru is 13 kilometers long,
and at an average gradient of 9.8%.
It's clearly steep.
However, those stats hide its real dark side.
Half of the climb is well over 10% including,
three kilometers that average 23% percent,
the record stands at 41:55, and is held by Roberto Heras,
from the Vuleta back in the year 2000.
More recently, Chris Froome rode up here
in 44:36,
back in 2017.
One thing's for sure, it'll sort out once and for all,
who the real boss of GCN is.
So without further ado, let's introduce your presenters.
Leading up GCN español it's Óscar Pujol.
- [Oscar] Hello, I am Óscar Pujol from Spain, 25 years old,
and my weight is 50 kilo.
- [Jonny] Emma Pooley.
- [Emma] Emma Pooley, 35 years old,
used to weigh 50 kilos, specialty, oat cuisine.
- [Jonny] Chris Opie.
- [Chris] I'm Chris Opie, I'm 30,
and I specialize in anything assisted by gravity.
- [Jonny] James Lowsley-Williams.
- [James] Hi my name's James Lowsley-Williams.
And I specialize in having a very loud voice.
I weigh 66 kilos,
and I'm great at taking a selfie.
- [Jonny] Ollie Bridgewood.
- [Ollie] My name is Oliver Bridgewood.
My expertise is,
I'm not sure what my expertise is, but I'm 32 and
71 kilos,
I think.
- [Jonny] Katherine Moore became embroiled in a scandal,
involving pickle juice, at the Dirty Kanza, but was cleared
to race by the authorities earlier this week.
- [Katherine] My name is Katherine Moore,
and I'm 26 years old.
Expertise, gravel.
- [Jonny] Tom Last.
- [Tom] I'm Tom Last, 29 years old.
71 plus kilograms, and my specialty is suffering.
- [Jonny] Simon Richardson.
- [Simon] Simon Richardson.
70...
kilos,
35 years old.
I'm still looking for my specialty.
- [Jonny] Daniel Lloyd.
- [Dan] Daniel Lloyd, 30-something, 70 kilograms, cheat.
- [Jonny] There look to be some nervous faces
at the start line, and there should be.
This is perhaps the most important race of their lives.
- Now this is not going to be a mass start event.
No, this is a handicap race where we're going to be starting
at intervals based on our predicted performance,
worked out as follows.
So at a top secret way, it would had been public,
but Lloyd-y put pay to that one.
We jumped on the scales, then our resident doctors
were asked to estimate our functional threshold powers.
Armed then with our power to weight ratios,
they had to preform some complicated mathematics,
work our our estimated finishing times.
Well that lads got some skills.
- [Jonny] First off, owing to that choice
of a gravel bike, is Katherine.
(lively rhythmic music) (cheering cyclists)
(upbeat electric guitar)
- [Jonny] Next, is the king of suffering, Tom Last.
(cyclists hurrahing)
(upbeat electric guitar)
- [Jonny] Ollie Bridgewood, he'll be hoping
that he's not cycling weakly today.
(cyclists hurrahing) (upbeat electric guitar)
- No. (chuckles)
Oh, just trying not to go too hard on the opening bit.
Really got to save something for the steeper sections.
(lively upbeat music)
- [Jonny] Simon starts next.
(cyclists hurrahing) (upbeat electric guitar)
- Wow, okay at the moment, sticking to a pacing strategy.
Which if I've got my estimations correct,
it should work out.
Heart rate 163,
nice and controlled.
Enjoying the view.
Beautiful climb.
- [Jonny] Chris and James, James and Chris.
(cyclists hurrahing) (upbeat electric guitar)
- [Jonny] Emma. - Three, two, one.
Go!
(cyclists hurrahing) (upbeat electric guitar)
- [Chris] James! - Yeah Chris, what's up man?
- [Chris] I want to have a quick chat about this.
Well, about getting about getting up there really,
about the race.
Cause I... - Yeah I mean,
I'm not looking forward to it either.
- I feel good. (loud exhale)
I actually think I have a chance here.
It's a flat finish.
I can do flat finishes man.
- So what are you thinking tactic wise?
- Well-- (loud hushing)
- How about you.
Yeah, sorry.
How about you just leave out for the finish.
You know 500 meters pan flat.
- Yeah but dude.
It's 3 kilometers, damages 23%.
- I think, let's be fair.
It's quite unlikely I'm going to make it over,
3 kilometers, of 23%. - Dude.
- But! - You never know.
- With that mind, how about I lead you out up there.
How about I give everything I've got until I blow.
- Alright sound. - Cause you know,
you're like 12 kilos lighter than I am.
- Let's do it. - Cool.
- We're going to beat them all.
(shushing)
- [Jonny] Oscar. (upbeat music)
(lively rhythmic music)
- Okay, the climb just start.
I am about 3 kilometers done.
It's the softest part,
I know, it's coming
the hardest part.
And I will save a little bit of energy
because this is the part where I want to catch them all.
(upbeat rhythmic electric music)
- Now, you see that guy there?
That's Óscar Pujól.
There he is.
He is a true pro, because he knows the importance
of getting sleep before the big test.
I think he's still tapering.
- That's why he hasn't got these yet, Si.
- Yeah that's right.
(lively upbeat music)
- [Jonny] And finally, surprisingly, it's Daniel Lloyd.
- Five,
four,
three,
two,
one.
And we're off.
And we're clipped in straight away.
(lively upbeat music)
It's a solid start from Lloyd.
The perfect training, the perfect taper.
And now the perfect time for Lloydy.
(lively upbeat music)
- I'm in my easiest gear.
And the steep section started,
about 30 meters ago. (heavy breathing)
And according to my Wahoo,
this ain't the steep bit yet.
(lively upbeat music)
- [Jonny] Hello folks, it's me again.
At the three quarter mark we've got Si-borg
at the head of affairs.
Still holding his initial pacing strategy,
heart rate at a steady 181 beats per minute,
and trying to keep the power in check
on the steepest sections.
Behind James and Chris, or is it Chris and James,
are in pursuit, so are Óscar and Emma.
(lively upbeat music)
- I think the phrase is,
(speaking in foreign language)
(grunts)
Crawlin'!
This is the speed that Emma Pooley,
said she could run up at faster than.
(lively upbeat music)
- Alright, I am really nervous about climbing the Angliru,
and although they say it's supposedly a race,
first and foremost, my number one goal is
just get up without walking.
Unfortunately, I've got this absolute weapon of a bike
to help me do that, so no excuses on the bike frame.
Canyon ultimate, super light, got zip 404s on it as well,
because arrows still matter on the climb,
and also got 32 cassette dinner plate, that I've got--
- [Man] Ohm, Ollie, that was great.
But this camera now.
- Oh, oh yeah, sorry about that.
So yeah, I have got a dinner plate, 32 cassette on the back.
And she's pretty cool, because I've not done this before,
but Dura-Ace is supposedly only available to go up to
a 32 cassette, but by winding in the B limits screw,
I've actually got a 32 to fit on there,
and I've still got full use of all the gears.
So it does work, it's a sort of hack, if you need to do it.
So, all I need to do now,
is ride this
amazing bike up the Angliru and hopefully get it up.
I've got no idea how I'm going to come
against the other guys, but I'm going to do my best.
Alright. (lively upbeat music)
- I'm dead! (heavy breathing)
- Huh, bloody hell.
(bleep)
(lively upbeat music)
(heavy breathing)
- Allez, allez.
- Ah, he's attacking me?
- I'm just, hurting all over, clinging on.
Trying not to walk. (loud grunt)
(lively upbeat music)
Last-y attacking me back there.
I just did my Chris Froome, Tom Dumoulin,
kept at my own pace, all be it much slower.
(lively upbeat music)
- So while the other boys are putting compacts
on their bikes,
I've gone for the aero,
wheels, what do you make of that?
- [Ollie] It's rather you than me.
I mean you're a brave man than I.
- [James] Do you think anyone has climbed
with 80s on?
- I think you could be the first,
you could set the record today.
First person to summit the Angliru with--
- I mean if I summit - 80s on. (chuckles)
- without walking.
- Ah, it's great to catch up with Last-y.
Old teammate,
he was waiting for me, legend.
We worked together for a kilometer or so,
and then he's gone back down to wait for Lloyd-y,
fellow teammate back in 2012.
So yeah, good lad.
Do you know where Katherine is?
She must be flying.
I can't see her.
She's properly giving it some.
- Now what the guys don't know is that when I found out
we're doing the Angliru, one of the hardest road climb of all time,
I decided to to my research because you know,
little old me,
ex-professional road cyclists.
So I put in some hours at my computer and came up with this,
that's right, the off-road route up the Angliru
and it has been spectacular.
What you might call the scenic route,
probably took about twice the time,
but you never know, might just meet them at the top.
So yeah, back on the road now,
and see if I can catch them at the summit.
(flickering electric current)
(lively upbeat music)
- We are getting into the steepest parts,
then,
now,
I just want to keep my speed
and don't kill myself.
If not,
I will be out of my bike, and have to walk.
- I quite wonder how Lloyd-y's going on you know.
- Oh, it's already biting.
I don't think
this is the 20% bit just yet.
(lively upbeat music)
- Hey, hey where you off to.
No, no stay with--
Stay with me!
(rewinding scratching record)
- I'm going to do my best.
(lively upbeat music)
- [Jonny] We're into the closing stages now,
and Óscar is making his way through the field.
The question is, will he make it back to Simon in time?
(lively upbeat music)
Yes, it would appear so.
Who's this in the background?
It's Lloyd-y, what an electrifying performance,
going so fast it looks like he's got a motor on his bike.
He's up with Oscar, with just one kilometer to go.
And the climb is flattening off.
The last few hundred meters are down hill,
and they're really motoring now.
Well, Lloyd-y is at least.
(lively upbeat music)
Oscar is countering though,
he's got the the measure of Lloyd,
he's going to take this.
The new boy form Spain has toppled the boss,
and he has better hair.
What an upset. (lively upbeat music)
Yay!
(cyclists cheering)
So here are your standings, with the handicaps in place.
Oscar Pujol with a sparkling debut,
besting Daniel Lloyd in that two up-sprint
to clinch the victory.
However, if you take away the handicaps,
and look at the pure standings based on
actual times up the climb, we see some stark differences.
Emma shoots up the rankings to third,
perhaps a victim of a somewhat
merciless handicapping system.
And what can we say about Lloyd-y,
on closer inspection by the UCI scanners,
he gets a big DQ next to his name
for bringing an e-bike to the party.
Disappointing, but not surprising.
- Come on guys!
(cyclists cheering)
- [Together] Yes!
Cheers!
- I have got my excuses for the finish
because I have been working really hard on steep climbs,
I just didn't have the speed in my legs at the top.
So as soon as it went over, (chuckling)
I mean, all I got, was gaining, gaining, gaining,
like I caught Oscar at the top,
but as soon as it went over 25 k now.
The power and speed wasn't there, yeah.
- It's funny cause seems like you had just enough,
for a lot of the climb, - I did, yeah.
- But yeah, you came across me flying.
That white bike looks amazing as well.
I think we need to through to GCN in español, don't we?
- [Everyone] Yeah! - So make sure
you check out, GCN in español.
Make sure you subscribe, share,
show your support, because, Oscar's going to do a great job.
- All right let's go-- - [Everyone] Cheers!
- What do you say in Spanish?
- Salud. - Salud.
- [Everyone] Salud!
(speaking in foreign language)
(cyclists cheering and laughing)