Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Le Tour 2007 - Stage 16 to 18
It's in the bag now! All the big stages are done with only a 35 mile time trial and a celebratory ride into Paris remaining.
Stage 16 was a killer in the Pyrenees, the last day in the mountains. At 136 miles and 17,000 feet of climbing it was a test for all of us, but Amy, Mark, and I conquered. The rest day and cooler weather than Stage 15 surely saved me. Stages 17 and 18 were annoyingly long and annoyingly hilly; I think we had it in our minds that we just had easy rolling into Paris left. But we got through and the end is now in sight.
Mark has been doing such a good job with the Tour blog that I defer to him for more descriptions and excellent pictures.
http://letour2007live.blogspot.com
Stage 16 was a killer in the Pyrenees, the last day in the mountains. At 136 miles and 17,000 feet of climbing it was a test for all of us, but Amy, Mark, and I conquered. The rest day and cooler weather than Stage 15 surely saved me. Stages 17 and 18 were annoyingly long and annoyingly hilly; I think we had it in our minds that we just had easy rolling into Paris left. But we got through and the end is now in sight.
Mark has been doing such a good job with the Tour blog that I defer to him for more descriptions and excellent pictures.
http://letour2007live.blogspot.com
Sunday, July 15, 2007
Le Tour 2007 - Stage 15
Stage 15 - Foix - Loudenvielle - 124 miles
Pictures at http://letour2007live.blogspot.com
Stage 15 is the queen stage of the 2007 Tour de France. This is the stage the tour organizers have chosen for the Etape du Tour, a hugely popular amateur event where riders get to ride generally the toughest stage of the tour. This event would be two days after we ride the stage, but our campsite was crawling with cyclists working on their bikes and generally getting nervous. Stage 15 is daunting indeed. It includes five major passes, two Cat 2, two Cat 1, and one HC. While climbs are categorized on many factors including grade, height gain, and placement within stage, as a general rule of thumb I've learned that Cat 2 climbs tend to gain between 2000 and 2600 feet, Cat 1 climbs, between 2600 and 4000 feet, and HC climbs more than 4000 feet. And while we had 5 serious climbs on this day I also noticed on the profile that 4 of them occured in the second half of the ride. So, I knew this day was going to be a killer. And it was! My legs were tired from the start and the first Cat 2 climb, the Col de Port, was a struggle. I took it as easy as I could but clearly did not have any power as I had to resort to my 34-27 gearing on a climb that was only 5-7% grade. Luckily the next 40 or so miles were mostly downhill and flat so I was hopeful my legs would come around. A quick descent past the memorial for Fabio Casartelli who fatally crashed here in the 2005 Tour de France and it's on to the second climb, the Cat 2 Col de Portet d'Aspet. This climb was steeper and entirely exposed to the very hot sun, but I found an easy pace and just spun up and over it. Two climbs down, half the distance covered, and confidence increased that I would make it. Problem is, the remaining climbs are all Cat 1 and HC. The next climb, the Cat 1 Col de Menthe, was long and steep and the sun becoming overwhelmingly hot, but again I found a slow tempo and took a bit over an hour to slog over the climb. Next up after a nice descent is the monster, the Port de Bales. This climb is brand new to the Tour de France as the backside has only just been paved for the first time. This climb is a beast and is going to wreak havoc in the race. The specs on the climb are nothing special, 19km at 6.2%, but these are completely deceiving. The first 8km are hardly a climb at all, but the final 10km rise 900 meters, so a 9% average grade over the last 6 miles. But, even that is deceiving as there are significant flat stretches in that last 10K, so the climbing seemed to be always at 11,12,13 and even higher grade. For one stretch my altimeter was pegged at 16% and 17%. Now maybe it was pegged there because I was hardly actually moving! I went slowly but was making steady progress until about 5km left to go when whatever was left in my legs deserted me. The final 5km were absolute agony. I was completely shot and 5km at >10% is an absolute struggle when you have no power to put in the pedals. Finally, I crested the summit, struggled to get off the bike (collar bone and back still make mounting/dismounting a bit of a challenge) and about passed out on the ground next to Amy, who then rubbed salt in my wounds with the comment, "That wasn't too bad, huh?". I don't know, Amy. Ask the stranger who has come over to check on me, offer me water, and make sure I'm alright. Luckily Matt and Mike (a friend of Amy's who races bikes in Ireland and joined for day) were struggling as well and I had a good 20-30 minutes to recover at the top while we waited. I was completely shot, how was I going to get up the final climb of the day, the Cat 1 Col de Peyresourde? Slowly, that's how. This final 2600 foot climb was a steady 7.5% and I just pressed on, finally getting over the top and coasted down the other side to the finish. 124 miles and 16,000 feet of climbing. Nearly 9:30 of riding time for a double century, but I completed the queen stage of the tour, although I clearly went beyond my limits. Without a doubt it was the toughest day I have ever had on a bike. Now how much of this is because of the crushing heat and the fact that my legs started the day exhausted I will never know. But at the end I was completely spent and desperate for a rest day, which luckily we now get. Without it I would not attempt Stage 16. Stage 16 is another monster, the final mountain stage, and another 10/10 difficulty rating with two HC climbs and two Cat 1 climbs, plus a steep Cat 3 thrown in for good measure, and a summit finish atop the famous Col d'Aubisque. And at 136 miles the length just makes it that much more difficult. I need a miracle on my rest day!
Pictures at http://letour2007live.blogspot.com
Stage 15 is the queen stage of the 2007 Tour de France. This is the stage the tour organizers have chosen for the Etape du Tour, a hugely popular amateur event where riders get to ride generally the toughest stage of the tour. This event would be two days after we ride the stage, but our campsite was crawling with cyclists working on their bikes and generally getting nervous. Stage 15 is daunting indeed. It includes five major passes, two Cat 2, two Cat 1, and one HC. While climbs are categorized on many factors including grade, height gain, and placement within stage, as a general rule of thumb I've learned that Cat 2 climbs tend to gain between 2000 and 2600 feet, Cat 1 climbs, between 2600 and 4000 feet, and HC climbs more than 4000 feet. And while we had 5 serious climbs on this day I also noticed on the profile that 4 of them occured in the second half of the ride. So, I knew this day was going to be a killer. And it was! My legs were tired from the start and the first Cat 2 climb, the Col de Port, was a struggle. I took it as easy as I could but clearly did not have any power as I had to resort to my 34-27 gearing on a climb that was only 5-7% grade. Luckily the next 40 or so miles were mostly downhill and flat so I was hopeful my legs would come around. A quick descent past the memorial for Fabio Casartelli who fatally crashed here in the 2005 Tour de France and it's on to the second climb, the Cat 2 Col de Portet d'Aspet. This climb was steeper and entirely exposed to the very hot sun, but I found an easy pace and just spun up and over it. Two climbs down, half the distance covered, and confidence increased that I would make it. Problem is, the remaining climbs are all Cat 1 and HC. The next climb, the Cat 1 Col de Menthe, was long and steep and the sun becoming overwhelmingly hot, but again I found a slow tempo and took a bit over an hour to slog over the climb. Next up after a nice descent is the monster, the Port de Bales. This climb is brand new to the Tour de France as the backside has only just been paved for the first time. This climb is a beast and is going to wreak havoc in the race. The specs on the climb are nothing special, 19km at 6.2%, but these are completely deceiving. The first 8km are hardly a climb at all, but the final 10km rise 900 meters, so a 9% average grade over the last 6 miles. But, even that is deceiving as there are significant flat stretches in that last 10K, so the climbing seemed to be always at 11,12,13 and even higher grade. For one stretch my altimeter was pegged at 16% and 17%. Now maybe it was pegged there because I was hardly actually moving! I went slowly but was making steady progress until about 5km left to go when whatever was left in my legs deserted me. The final 5km were absolute agony. I was completely shot and 5km at >10% is an absolute struggle when you have no power to put in the pedals. Finally, I crested the summit, struggled to get off the bike (collar bone and back still make mounting/dismounting a bit of a challenge) and about passed out on the ground next to Amy, who then rubbed salt in my wounds with the comment, "That wasn't too bad, huh?". I don't know, Amy. Ask the stranger who has come over to check on me, offer me water, and make sure I'm alright. Luckily Matt and Mike (a friend of Amy's who races bikes in Ireland and joined for day) were struggling as well and I had a good 20-30 minutes to recover at the top while we waited. I was completely shot, how was I going to get up the final climb of the day, the Cat 1 Col de Peyresourde? Slowly, that's how. This final 2600 foot climb was a steady 7.5% and I just pressed on, finally getting over the top and coasted down the other side to the finish. 124 miles and 16,000 feet of climbing. Nearly 9:30 of riding time for a double century, but I completed the queen stage of the tour, although I clearly went beyond my limits. Without a doubt it was the toughest day I have ever had on a bike. Now how much of this is because of the crushing heat and the fact that my legs started the day exhausted I will never know. But at the end I was completely spent and desperate for a rest day, which luckily we now get. Without it I would not attempt Stage 16. Stage 16 is another monster, the final mountain stage, and another 10/10 difficulty rating with two HC climbs and two Cat 1 climbs, plus a steep Cat 3 thrown in for good measure, and a summit finish atop the famous Col d'Aubisque. And at 136 miles the length just makes it that much more difficult. I need a miracle on my rest day!
Le Tour 2007 - Stage 14
Stage 14 - Mazamet - Plateau de Beille - 123 miles
Pictures at http://letour2007live.blogspot.com
We're in the Pyrenees. I've been looking forward and dreading this for quite some time. Analysts of this year's tour route claim that the Alps stages are easier than normal and the Pyrenees stages harder than normal. Indeed, the stage ratings gave the hardest Alps stage (Stage 8) an 8/10 difficulty, while Stages 14,15, and 16 in the Pyrenees are rated 9, 10, and 10 respectively. Needless to say, I'm frightened and my legs are anything but fresh. But, we're in the Pyrenees, so let's get started. The stage starts immediately with a 2000 foot, Cat 2 climb directly out of Mazamet. Indeed, the "neutral zone" before the race even starts takes the riders about 1/3 of the way up the hill before the racing starts. Of course, it's all the same to us, the neutral zone is just a nuisance to us as it just means extra mileage. We take it quite easy and the morning is quite warm; no need for arm warmers or vest even at 7am. It appears the cold weather is finally behind us, will we miss it? The ride is beautiful, but uneventful through 75 miles where we hit the first hors-categorie climb of the day, the Port de Pailheres. This climb is 17K at 7.2%, but with numerous flat and even downhill stretches, the real climbing is actually almost always over 8%. It was on this climb in 2005 that Lance Armstrong struggled as his entire team cracked near the bottom and Lance was left isolated and T-Mobile attacked him relentlessly. I understand why Discovery faltered - despite the relatively benign stats, this climb is hard! Whenever I looked at my GPS altimeter I saw 10, 11, 12% grade. The climb was very exposed and it was very hot, the campervan reported 37C (100F). I struggled over the top, not at all encouraged that this first HC climb of the Pyrenees was so difficult and dreaded the summit finish at Plateau de Beille which would start immediately after the descent down the Port de Pailheres. The Plateau de Beille is a famous Tour de France climb that is 16K (10 miles) long and averages 8%. Considering how I felt on the 7% Port de Pailheres and that the Plateau de Beille started with 113 miles in the legs, I was quite worried. Matt called it a day after Port de Pailheres and was driving the van and he gave me a Coke about 1/3 of the way up. Unlike the Port de Pailheres the climb was a very steady grade at 8% the entire way and I found my tempo and cruised (slowly) to the top. First Pyrenean stage finished and it was HARD. Nearly nine hours in the saddle for just 123 miles. I just need to survive Stage 15 and we get a rest day
Pictures at http://letour2007live.blogspot.com
We're in the Pyrenees. I've been looking forward and dreading this for quite some time. Analysts of this year's tour route claim that the Alps stages are easier than normal and the Pyrenees stages harder than normal. Indeed, the stage ratings gave the hardest Alps stage (Stage 8) an 8/10 difficulty, while Stages 14,15, and 16 in the Pyrenees are rated 9, 10, and 10 respectively. Needless to say, I'm frightened and my legs are anything but fresh. But, we're in the Pyrenees, so let's get started. The stage starts immediately with a 2000 foot, Cat 2 climb directly out of Mazamet. Indeed, the "neutral zone" before the race even starts takes the riders about 1/3 of the way up the hill before the racing starts. Of course, it's all the same to us, the neutral zone is just a nuisance to us as it just means extra mileage. We take it quite easy and the morning is quite warm; no need for arm warmers or vest even at 7am. It appears the cold weather is finally behind us, will we miss it? The ride is beautiful, but uneventful through 75 miles where we hit the first hors-categorie climb of the day, the Port de Pailheres. This climb is 17K at 7.2%, but with numerous flat and even downhill stretches, the real climbing is actually almost always over 8%. It was on this climb in 2005 that Lance Armstrong struggled as his entire team cracked near the bottom and Lance was left isolated and T-Mobile attacked him relentlessly. I understand why Discovery faltered - despite the relatively benign stats, this climb is hard! Whenever I looked at my GPS altimeter I saw 10, 11, 12% grade. The climb was very exposed and it was very hot, the campervan reported 37C (100F). I struggled over the top, not at all encouraged that this first HC climb of the Pyrenees was so difficult and dreaded the summit finish at Plateau de Beille which would start immediately after the descent down the Port de Pailheres. The Plateau de Beille is a famous Tour de France climb that is 16K (10 miles) long and averages 8%. Considering how I felt on the 7% Port de Pailheres and that the Plateau de Beille started with 113 miles in the legs, I was quite worried. Matt called it a day after Port de Pailheres and was driving the van and he gave me a Coke about 1/3 of the way up. Unlike the Port de Pailheres the climb was a very steady grade at 8% the entire way and I found my tempo and cruised (slowly) to the top. First Pyrenean stage finished and it was HARD. Nearly nine hours in the saddle for just 123 miles. I just need to survive Stage 15 and we get a rest day
Le Tour 2007 - Stage 13
Stage 13 - Albi - Albi Time Trial - 34 miles
Pictures at http://letour2007live.blogspot.com
Finally, after 12 stages we reach the first of two time trials. While the pros have to race this, for us it meant a short, easy day of only 34 miles. We slept in, took our time with breakfast and getting ready, and finally headed out around 9:30. Matt had purchased one of each of the official Tour jerseys - yellow (race leader), green (points leader), white (best young rider), polka dot (king of the mountains) and we chose this day to deck ourselves out in this garb. The reactions we got from drivers and other cyclists on the road was hysterical, and we had a real blast with this stage. This time trial is going to be something special and is definitely worth watching on TV. It is far from flat, and includes a long, very technical descent that I simply cannot imagine the pros undertaking on their difficult to handle time trial bikes. And, what goes down must go up, so there is also one very good climb and it is even categorized (a Cat 4). I'm not sure how categorized climbs work in time trials as it is certainly unusual, but this climb last 1.7 miles and climbs 580 feet. It should be a very interesting time trial to watch as it is certainly unusual, and is also very, very beautiful, reminding me of parts of the SavageMan course that descend into Savage River State Forest and then run alongside Savage River.
Pictures at http://letour2007live.blogspot.com
Finally, after 12 stages we reach the first of two time trials. While the pros have to race this, for us it meant a short, easy day of only 34 miles. We slept in, took our time with breakfast and getting ready, and finally headed out around 9:30. Matt had purchased one of each of the official Tour jerseys - yellow (race leader), green (points leader), white (best young rider), polka dot (king of the mountains) and we chose this day to deck ourselves out in this garb. The reactions we got from drivers and other cyclists on the road was hysterical, and we had a real blast with this stage. This time trial is going to be something special and is definitely worth watching on TV. It is far from flat, and includes a long, very technical descent that I simply cannot imagine the pros undertaking on their difficult to handle time trial bikes. And, what goes down must go up, so there is also one very good climb and it is even categorized (a Cat 4). I'm not sure how categorized climbs work in time trials as it is certainly unusual, but this climb last 1.7 miles and climbs 580 feet. It should be a very interesting time trial to watch as it is certainly unusual, and is also very, very beautiful, reminding me of parts of the SavageMan course that descend into Savage River State Forest and then run alongside Savage River.
Le Tour 2007 - Stage 12
Stage 12 Montpieler - Castres - 111 miles
Pictures at http://letour2007live.blogspot.com
After our Stage 11 experience of 112 miles straight into gale-force headwinds we were somewhat concerned about Stage 12's continued westerly direction. We were also somewhat concerned that this stage, like Stage 5, is considered a mountain transition stage - not really the mountains, but certainly not the flatlands. However, at only 111 miles we were hopeful for a relatively quick and mostly painless day. The first 40 miles were mostly unpleasant as we were on a pretty major road leaving Montpelier and fighting a headwind - not an epic headwind like the prior day but one strong enough to be quite annoying. However, after roughly 40 miles the winds died down as we were farther inland and the ride turned very nice and scenic as we rode through a stunning gorge. Beautiful and fun for the riders, less fun for Matt's wife Emma, the driver of the campervan, who had to negotiate the narrow roads with rock faces on either side and low rock overhangs. After two weeks of tough weather it seems we finally had gotten a break. This stretch of southern France should be unbearably hot, and that is what I had expected throughout, but on this day it was ideal cycling weather, about 70 degrees and sunny. Naturally it would not last. After 80 or so miles we headed through a national forest and into the Tarn region and climbed the Cat 2 La Jeanta ridge. As we approached the top we were riding in sunshine but through a mist - heaven! However, once over the top the mist turned into rain and we were forced to once again take out the arm warmers, vests, and rain capes. Who ever would have thought that on this stage for which "heat will be a factor" in the stage description, we'd ride into Castres all bundled up? All told, a moderately easy day and quite beautiful and scenic.
Pictures at http://letour2007live.blogspot.com
After our Stage 11 experience of 112 miles straight into gale-force headwinds we were somewhat concerned about Stage 12's continued westerly direction. We were also somewhat concerned that this stage, like Stage 5, is considered a mountain transition stage - not really the mountains, but certainly not the flatlands. However, at only 111 miles we were hopeful for a relatively quick and mostly painless day. The first 40 miles were mostly unpleasant as we were on a pretty major road leaving Montpelier and fighting a headwind - not an epic headwind like the prior day but one strong enough to be quite annoying. However, after roughly 40 miles the winds died down as we were farther inland and the ride turned very nice and scenic as we rode through a stunning gorge. Beautiful and fun for the riders, less fun for Matt's wife Emma, the driver of the campervan, who had to negotiate the narrow roads with rock faces on either side and low rock overhangs. After two weeks of tough weather it seems we finally had gotten a break. This stretch of southern France should be unbearably hot, and that is what I had expected throughout, but on this day it was ideal cycling weather, about 70 degrees and sunny. Naturally it would not last. After 80 or so miles we headed through a national forest and into the Tarn region and climbed the Cat 2 La Jeanta ridge. As we approached the top we were riding in sunshine but through a mist - heaven! However, once over the top the mist turned into rain and we were forced to once again take out the arm warmers, vests, and rain capes. Who ever would have thought that on this stage for which "heat will be a factor" in the stage description, we'd ride into Castres all bundled up? All told, a moderately easy day and quite beautiful and scenic.
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
LeTour 2007 - Stages 9 - 11
Pictures at http://letour2007live.blogspot.com
Stage 9, Val-d'Isère - Briançon, 100 miles
The final Alps stage and this is one I really, really wanted complete. The climb over the Telegraphe and the Galibier is an epic in cycling, and indeed, the 35km haul is rated as the #7 toughest climb in all of cycling. I was hopeful the three days of rest would cure my quad ailment.
To my ignorant eye I was hopeful the stage would not be overly brutal. It was rated only 8/10 on difficulty scale, and of 100 miles nearly 70 of that were descending. However the other 30 miles were 2 HC (hors-category or above categorization) and 1 Cat 1. So, even with 70 miles of descending in this 100 mile ride, there still were over 10,000 feet of climbing. Yikes!
The day started off straight up the HC Col d'Iseran, a 15km climb at just under 7% average grade, rising 3300 feet and peaking out at 9100 feet. This is very similar in profile to the already completed Col de Columbriere in stage 7, however the col d'Iseran about killed me. Laura, Amy, Mark, and I summitted it together in just over an hour, and then enjoyed nearly 50 miles of downhill riding. The headwind didn't even bother us as we were going down, down, down. Then it was time for the col d'Telegraphe and the Galibier. The Telegraphe is "only" a Cat 1 climb that climbs 800 meters in 12km, another climb just under 7% avg grade. Then a very short 3km respite and the 20km Galibier awaits. Oh that was brutal, as it gets steeper and steeper towards the top. I thought my 34-27 granny gear was for the steep stuff in the Pyrenees, but the final 6km of the Galibier are nearly 10% and I kept it in that 34-27 and wished I had more. Finally we went over the top and enjoyed a 25 mile descent to Briancon - in a downpour of course.
All told, it was an exhilarating day and extremely challenging. The profiles of the Pyrenean stages are very daunting. I was quite pleased that my quad held up; at a few points on both the Iseran and Telegraphe I was concerned as I could feel some pain, but it never escalated as in previous rides.
Stage 10 - Tallard - Marseille - 143 miles
We're out of the Alps! And we're rewarded with a long haul south to the Mediterranean coast at Marseilles. We've been faced with constant headwinds (usually accompanied by rain) as we've ridden south through France, so the concept of a 143 mile day straight south was concerning. But, after a long 50 or so mile transfer to Tallard we arrived at our campground to a beautiful, warm (though windy) weather. Perhaps the weather god thoughts we tried to deceive him by driving south as he punished us overnight with a massive storm and we awoke to familiar rainy weather. However, the rain only lasted for the first 30 or so minutes of the ride and then we had glorious cool weather and not a touch of breeze. For the first time this tour we made good time, averaging over 18 miles per hour and the rolling terrain was beautiful. The run-in to Marseilles includes two Cat 3 climbs, which is simply rude after nearly 140 miles. The first was nice and scenic and almost enjoyable, but the 2nd occured after we reached the Med, took a right (west) and had the pleasure of climbing the seaside cliffs straight into the prevailing winds. Ugh! A final descent into Marseilles completed a very long, but very nice stage. And, unfortunately, this was the final day for Laura, who capped an excellent week of riding with her longest ride ever.
Stage 11 - Marseille - Montpellier - 115 miles
This stage should be one of the easiest of the entire tour. At 115 miles it is relatively short and is nearly entirely flat with only one Cat 4 climb. Unfortunately our bad luck with the weather continues, and today it was the wind that turned one of the easiest days into one of the toughest. The prevailing winds along the coast are west-to-east, so we knew there was a strong possibility of a day of headwinds. But, we were not expecting constant 30+mph winds straight in our faces for 115 miles. That, however, is what we received. Well, no, that's not entirely true. The stage ended up being only about 111 miles. And for some stretches the wind was only partially in our faces and partially hitting us from the right. The gusts were bending trees, shredding flags, and shaking our bikes. After a long day of 11-13 mph riding we were happy to overshoot our exit for the campsite and were rewarded with about 1/4 mile of tailwind as we returned for the finish! This 110 mile day took as long as yesterday's 143 miler! A tough day on too heavily trafficked roads, very close to the sea, but not so close that you could enjoy it. Surely there are nice back roads to cycle on around here, but this tour stage does not use them.
Tomorrow is Stage 12. We continue west, but a little further inland so we hope the winds die down. It is a deceptively difficult stage, although short at 111 miles, and I am concerned as my quad started to act up again towards the end of Stage 11. The Pyrenees await. Stages 14-16 are monsters. I am scared.
Friday, July 06, 2007
Le Tour 2007 - Stages 5 to 8
Pictures at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/kyleyost/sets/72157600685944637/
It's Friday July 6, and we are enjoying our rest day in Tignes, a cozy ski village in the French Alps. We are now in the heart of the Tour and in the heart of the mountains, and the bland, heavily trafficked stages of England and Belgium seem like ancient history.
Did I make some comment in my last post about having ridden out of the worst of the cold and rain? Well, I take it back. I was fearing scorching temperatures approaching 100F, but I have learned my lesson. July in France apparently means heavy rain with temps in the upper 40s to lower 50s with strong winds from the south. Oh, and we're riding from north to south, of course.
Stage 5 - Chablis - Autun; 115 miles
Stage 5 was a 115 mile day (120+ after all of our inevitable miscues) through the Morvan National Forest, and it was absolutely stunning! Between cloudbursts there was the occasional sun and numerous chateaus as we rode on remote roads through the beautiful forest. This stage had the first real challenging terrain of the tour as we encountered 8 categorized climbs, including the first Cat 2 of the tour. The constant headwinds and frequent rainshowers were not enough to diminish the euphoria of such a beautiful ride, and this stage will be an interesting one to watch on tv as it will likely be the first stage with some excitement and something other than a bunch sprint finish. The final Cat 3 climb of the day occurs just 5 downhill miles from the finish so there is certain to be some shakeup. Laura, Amy, Mark, and I rode this stage together while Matt went ahead at one stop and we never saw him again. A solo breakaway that stuck. Of course, his GPS showed 13km short, so perhaps he found a shortcut.... :) A troubling development began for me somewhere in the final 1/3 or so of the ride as my right quad started to pain me somewhat, but not so much that I gave it a 2nd thought. By the final Cat 3 climb near the end it was becoming quite painful, but by then my mind was on the approaching finish so I thought little of it. All told, it was a great day - 120 miles and 11,000 +/- feet of climbing, and the back has definitely improved and the collar bone is giving me little trouble.
Stage 6 - Semur-en-Auxois - Bourg-en-Bresse, 125 miles
Did I mention the wind was from the South? Well, to add insult to injury we had to drive 50 miles north to the start of stage 6, just so that we could get hammered by the same headwinds even longer. Everything that made Stage 5 enjoyable was lacking in Stage 6: the occasional sunshine, quiet roads, nice scenery, scenic categorized climbs. We started out in the cold rain, taking turns pulling into the headwind. Within 5 miles Laura had a puncture which we struggled to change with shivering hands. By 10 miles my sore right quad muscle had reappeared and I recall thinking that it was going to be a long day. By 20 miles the quad was more than an annoyance, it was legitimately painful and I was starting to clearly favor my left leg while pedaling. At this point I was happy to have skipped Stage 3 because I knew I should stop this stage at the first rest stop and this would be much harder to do if I hadn't missed a stage already. By Mile 30 I was in real trouble. I could no longer pedal with my right leg and the quad muscle was in agonizing pain from about 12 oclock to 6 oclock of the pedal stroke. At this point I just hoped to be able to make it to the van near mile 40. By Mile 35 I was in desperate straits. I had pedaled one-legged about halfway up what we thought was the Cat 4 climb at the top of which we expected the campervan to await us. However, the GPS soon showed we were off track and we had to retrace our steps. At this point I knew I was not going to make it 5 miles up a Cat 4 climb to the van, so had to call the van down the hill to come get me. Laura stopped with me at this point as well, steady cold rain and a headwind on heavily trafficked roads was not what she had in mind either. Amy, Mark, and Matt went on to persevere through the tough conditions to complete the day.
My quad is quite concerning. It starts as a general soreness near the muscle insertion with the kneecap, but gradually increases to where it feels with each pedal stroke like I'm pulling the muscle off the bone. I suspect it's related to the injury to my back sustained in my crash which is causing me to somehow or other pedal slightly differently than normal, but how have I ridden well over 400 miles thus far with no problem? The source of the pain is right under some of the deepest road rash I have, so it is possible that I damaged something in the crash itself. Regardless, this is a disappointing development as the tour is about to enter the mountains, the stretch of the tour I really want to ride.
Stage 7 - Bourg-en-Bresse - Le-Grand-Bornand, 123 miles
We're in the mountains! This stage is a gentle introduction to the mountains, as the first half of the stage is kind but ends with a Cat 1 climb up the Col de Colmbriere, a climb that by all metrics (grade, distance, and placement within stage) should be an hors categorie climb. I sat this stage out, hoping a days rest would help my quad. Amy, Laura, Matt, and Mark made good progress through the stage and every now and then the rain capes even came off when the sun would peek through. It was clear the Alps have seen an extraordinary amount of rain as the rivers and creeks throgh the valley were overflowing and small waterfalls out of the mountains were raging.
At the final rest stop, around 80 miles and in the sunshine, I decided my quad was ok and that it was a fluke in the cold wet weather of yesterday and that I would ride the final stretch with them. This stretch included a Cat 4 climb right out of the rest stop, a nice descent and flat stretch, and then the climb up the Col de Columbriere. I figured if my quad hurt immediately up the Cat 4 climb I would bail out, and if it hurt going up the Columbriere I could always call the van using Mark's phone. Well, long story short, I made it about a quarter of the way up the 4100 foot climb before the quad starting acting up. Naturally Mark and the cellphone were well up the road, so I was in it to finish, like it or not. Laura and I crawled up the 10 mile hill in our 34-27 gears, and for the last half hour or so I got in some excellent one-legged climbing work as I could not press at all with my right leg. Finally we summitted a hill that was surely steeper than the advertised 6.8% and were thrilled to see the van at the top, as at 1650 meters it was cold and we were wet and not looking forward to a freezing descent. Amy, Mark, and Matt bundled up with dry clothes and undertook the frigid descent while Laura and I bundled up and drank hot coffee!
Stage 8 - Le-Grand-Bornand - Tignes, 105 miles
This is the big alpine mountain stage, with 3 Cat 1 climbs and 16000 feet of climbing in just over 100 miles. This is what the tour is all about - up and down the toughest mountain passes the organization can find. And I get to sit it out in the van. :(
The day started as miserably as can be imagined. The rain was absolutely pouring and it couldn't have been warmer than 45 when we got up. There was talk of swapping rest days, but Amy, Matt, and Mark put on all the clothes they had (and a few donations from me!) and saddled up and started the day with a 1000 foot descent. Tough stuff! Laura joined for the 4000 foot climb over the Cormet de Roseland, which had snow at the peak. This does not bode well for the Galibier which is over 3000 feet higher. Matt had to call it a day as his legs called it quits on him and he was obviously completely spent. Mark and Amy continued on, conquering the very, very tough stage and looking quite strong, although both claim to be quite tired.
Today is a rest day and tomorrow we had planned to do the Marmotte (a race/event that climbs 4 passes including Galiber, Alpe du Huez, Croix de Fer, and has 17,000 feet of climbing in 105 miles. Mark is still considering this, but I am not, meaning I get 3 rest days to hopefully allow my quad to heal. Sunday, Stage 9, is the last day in the Alps, and is a real beauty of a stage and I would really hate to miss it. It starts with a 1000m climb up the Col d'Iseran, the highest point on the tour at nearly 3000m, and then there is a 50 mile (!!!!) descent. Then a 2000m climb up the Col d'Telegraphe and the Galibier before a 25 mile descent to the finish. This is a stage that I must do! I do hope my quad injury is not serious and 3 days rest will heal it.
That's all for now. Better descriptions and pictures are available at Mark's blog, http://letour2007live.blogspot.com/
-Kyle
It's Friday July 6, and we are enjoying our rest day in Tignes, a cozy ski village in the French Alps. We are now in the heart of the Tour and in the heart of the mountains, and the bland, heavily trafficked stages of England and Belgium seem like ancient history.
Did I make some comment in my last post about having ridden out of the worst of the cold and rain? Well, I take it back. I was fearing scorching temperatures approaching 100F, but I have learned my lesson. July in France apparently means heavy rain with temps in the upper 40s to lower 50s with strong winds from the south. Oh, and we're riding from north to south, of course.
Stage 5 - Chablis - Autun; 115 miles
Stage 5 was a 115 mile day (120+ after all of our inevitable miscues) through the Morvan National Forest, and it was absolutely stunning! Between cloudbursts there was the occasional sun and numerous chateaus as we rode on remote roads through the beautiful forest. This stage had the first real challenging terrain of the tour as we encountered 8 categorized climbs, including the first Cat 2 of the tour. The constant headwinds and frequent rainshowers were not enough to diminish the euphoria of such a beautiful ride, and this stage will be an interesting one to watch on tv as it will likely be the first stage with some excitement and something other than a bunch sprint finish. The final Cat 3 climb of the day occurs just 5 downhill miles from the finish so there is certain to be some shakeup. Laura, Amy, Mark, and I rode this stage together while Matt went ahead at one stop and we never saw him again. A solo breakaway that stuck. Of course, his GPS showed 13km short, so perhaps he found a shortcut.... :) A troubling development began for me somewhere in the final 1/3 or so of the ride as my right quad started to pain me somewhat, but not so much that I gave it a 2nd thought. By the final Cat 3 climb near the end it was becoming quite painful, but by then my mind was on the approaching finish so I thought little of it. All told, it was a great day - 120 miles and 11,000 +/- feet of climbing, and the back has definitely improved and the collar bone is giving me little trouble.
Stage 6 - Semur-en-Auxois - Bourg-en-Bresse, 125 miles
Did I mention the wind was from the South? Well, to add insult to injury we had to drive 50 miles north to the start of stage 6, just so that we could get hammered by the same headwinds even longer. Everything that made Stage 5 enjoyable was lacking in Stage 6: the occasional sunshine, quiet roads, nice scenery, scenic categorized climbs. We started out in the cold rain, taking turns pulling into the headwind. Within 5 miles Laura had a puncture which we struggled to change with shivering hands. By 10 miles my sore right quad muscle had reappeared and I recall thinking that it was going to be a long day. By 20 miles the quad was more than an annoyance, it was legitimately painful and I was starting to clearly favor my left leg while pedaling. At this point I was happy to have skipped Stage 3 because I knew I should stop this stage at the first rest stop and this would be much harder to do if I hadn't missed a stage already. By Mile 30 I was in real trouble. I could no longer pedal with my right leg and the quad muscle was in agonizing pain from about 12 oclock to 6 oclock of the pedal stroke. At this point I just hoped to be able to make it to the van near mile 40. By Mile 35 I was in desperate straits. I had pedaled one-legged about halfway up what we thought was the Cat 4 climb at the top of which we expected the campervan to await us. However, the GPS soon showed we were off track and we had to retrace our steps. At this point I knew I was not going to make it 5 miles up a Cat 4 climb to the van, so had to call the van down the hill to come get me. Laura stopped with me at this point as well, steady cold rain and a headwind on heavily trafficked roads was not what she had in mind either. Amy, Mark, and Matt went on to persevere through the tough conditions to complete the day.
My quad is quite concerning. It starts as a general soreness near the muscle insertion with the kneecap, but gradually increases to where it feels with each pedal stroke like I'm pulling the muscle off the bone. I suspect it's related to the injury to my back sustained in my crash which is causing me to somehow or other pedal slightly differently than normal, but how have I ridden well over 400 miles thus far with no problem? The source of the pain is right under some of the deepest road rash I have, so it is possible that I damaged something in the crash itself. Regardless, this is a disappointing development as the tour is about to enter the mountains, the stretch of the tour I really want to ride.
Stage 7 - Bourg-en-Bresse - Le-Grand-Bornand, 123 miles
We're in the mountains! This stage is a gentle introduction to the mountains, as the first half of the stage is kind but ends with a Cat 1 climb up the Col de Colmbriere, a climb that by all metrics (grade, distance, and placement within stage) should be an hors categorie climb. I sat this stage out, hoping a days rest would help my quad. Amy, Laura, Matt, and Mark made good progress through the stage and every now and then the rain capes even came off when the sun would peek through. It was clear the Alps have seen an extraordinary amount of rain as the rivers and creeks throgh the valley were overflowing and small waterfalls out of the mountains were raging.
At the final rest stop, around 80 miles and in the sunshine, I decided my quad was ok and that it was a fluke in the cold wet weather of yesterday and that I would ride the final stretch with them. This stretch included a Cat 4 climb right out of the rest stop, a nice descent and flat stretch, and then the climb up the Col de Columbriere. I figured if my quad hurt immediately up the Cat 4 climb I would bail out, and if it hurt going up the Columbriere I could always call the van using Mark's phone. Well, long story short, I made it about a quarter of the way up the 4100 foot climb before the quad starting acting up. Naturally Mark and the cellphone were well up the road, so I was in it to finish, like it or not. Laura and I crawled up the 10 mile hill in our 34-27 gears, and for the last half hour or so I got in some excellent one-legged climbing work as I could not press at all with my right leg. Finally we summitted a hill that was surely steeper than the advertised 6.8% and were thrilled to see the van at the top, as at 1650 meters it was cold and we were wet and not looking forward to a freezing descent. Amy, Mark, and Matt bundled up with dry clothes and undertook the frigid descent while Laura and I bundled up and drank hot coffee!
Stage 8 - Le-Grand-Bornand - Tignes, 105 miles
This is the big alpine mountain stage, with 3 Cat 1 climbs and 16000 feet of climbing in just over 100 miles. This is what the tour is all about - up and down the toughest mountain passes the organization can find. And I get to sit it out in the van. :(
The day started as miserably as can be imagined. The rain was absolutely pouring and it couldn't have been warmer than 45 when we got up. There was talk of swapping rest days, but Amy, Matt, and Mark put on all the clothes they had (and a few donations from me!) and saddled up and started the day with a 1000 foot descent. Tough stuff! Laura joined for the 4000 foot climb over the Cormet de Roseland, which had snow at the peak. This does not bode well for the Galibier which is over 3000 feet higher. Matt had to call it a day as his legs called it quits on him and he was obviously completely spent. Mark and Amy continued on, conquering the very, very tough stage and looking quite strong, although both claim to be quite tired.
Today is a rest day and tomorrow we had planned to do the Marmotte (a race/event that climbs 4 passes including Galiber, Alpe du Huez, Croix de Fer, and has 17,000 feet of climbing in 105 miles. Mark is still considering this, but I am not, meaning I get 3 rest days to hopefully allow my quad to heal. Sunday, Stage 9, is the last day in the Alps, and is a real beauty of a stage and I would really hate to miss it. It starts with a 1000m climb up the Col d'Iseran, the highest point on the tour at nearly 3000m, and then there is a 50 mile (!!!!) descent. Then a 2000m climb up the Col d'Telegraphe and the Galibier before a 25 mile descent to the finish. This is a stage that I must do! I do hope my quad injury is not serious and 3 days rest will heal it.
That's all for now. Better descriptions and pictures are available at Mark's blog, http://letour2007live.blogspot.com/
-Kyle
Sunday, July 01, 2007
Le Tour 2007 - Stages Prologue through Stage 4
Pictures at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/kyleyost/sets/72157600685944637/
Time and bandwidth are in short supply, but a quick update.
I've decided to try and ride through the broken collarbone and various other ailments and have successfully ridden the prologue and stages 1,2, and 4 - wisely, I think, taking a pass on Stage 3. The collarbone has not been giving me serious problems - I just need to make sure I don't go down again. The back is making life hard, both on and off the bike, but is definitely improving. I finally had a good nights sleep last night! And, now the road rash injuries are the worst of all - nasty messes those things. How I'm going to keep them out of the sun the next weeks I have no idea. Days are long. There is little time to do anything post-stage but clean up, eat, transfer to following day start and go to sleep.
Here's a summary of the week written for Mark's blog: http://letour2007live.blogspot.com/. As we have very limited bandwidth, only his site will have any pictures, and his site will likely be updated with content much more frequently, so check there for latest updates. Amy also has a site at http://amsadventures.blogspot.com/.
Update 7/1/2007
Today was an outstanding day of riding – definitely what I had in mind when I pictured riding in France and a far cry from the stages in England and Belgium. Laura, Amy, Mark, and I worked well together into a steady head and crosswind for the 125 mile stage, and the roads were remote, scenic, in excellent condition - and we passed more than a few sunflower seeds with the sunflowers in full bloom – an awesome sight! Other than stage 2 in Belgium, little is actually flat as both Stage 1 (122 miles) and today (125 miles) have had over 6000 feet of climbing. Certainly not bad, but not exactly pancake flat either. Tomorrow the real climbing starts with Stage 5. Although not a true mountain stage, tomorrow’s stage is considered the toughest outside of the mountains at 125 miles with four Cat 4 climbs, three Cat 3, and a Cat 2 climb which is a 3000 foot ascent over Haut Folin. This should be our first real sampling of just how bad the climbing will be. The little Cat 4’s we’ve encountered so far and which have only been thrown in to distribute some minor King of Mountain points and give someone the jersey for the early stages certainly have seemed like “proper climbs” to me. I fear the real mountains may be a bit more than I’ve anticipated.
For those wondering about my injuries and my crash. I decided on Wednesday that I could ride one-handed and at least manage the 5 mile prologue. The thought of missing this epic stage in London was too much for me. Well, this stubborn idea was a bad one, but luckily it worked out with no crashed or further damage done, but riding one handed in rush hour London traffic in a downpour navigating buses and taxis driving on the wrong side of the road was not on the agenda. So, like it or not I was forced to really test the back and broken collar bone on the bike, and surprisingly it wasn’t such a problem. I could hold the bars and brake and shift without pain, but my back was the biggest problem. I survived the prologue and figured I’d start the 127 mile stage out of London the next day and see how it felt. It was tough and I was in a good deal of pain and any bump or crack in the road was to be avoided or the impact absorbed with the legs, but I got through the day. I held up the group a bit and was in a world of hurt by the end, but I got through it. Stage 2, a 110 mile slog in Belgium was simply miserable. Cold, 30+ mph winds and a steady rain made for a miserable day as I had no booties or long-fingered gloves. And the roads chosen for the stage may have been fine when closed for the 200 person peloton, but for a group of 4 it was not fun as we were primarily on shoulders of major roads with trucks and cars flying past. One of our Tour magazines gave the stage a 2/10 scenic rating, but with a caveat: 0/10 if it’s raining. Well, it was cold, windy, and pouring. Not fun, and the day ended with my 2nd puncture of the ride. We’d more than covered the stage distance (having ridden from the campsite to the start) and just called the van to us to end the day. I decided it may be prudent to skip Stage 3 as my back gave me great difficulties on the first 2 stages and was preventing me from sleeping nights. I still needed assistance getting on and off the bike and out of bed and in/out of the campervan, etc… and the 148 mile stage looked to be on more heavily trafficked miserable roads and the thought of bumping and bouncing around for that duration seemed a poor means to help the back heal. And, as Laura was arriving that day and the campervan needed to be diverted to Brussels to pick her up, I jumped at the excuse to skip the unappealing day in the saddle. The choice turned out to be a prudent one as my back improved nicely with a day off the bike.
It’s been one week since my crash and Stage 5 is tomorrow. I am far from being back to my old self on the bike, but I’m far better off today than earlier in the week. The collar bone is giving me surprisingly little trouble and pain (aside from the occasional jolt of pain on some bumps), and the back seems now to be mending quickly. I still cannot generate much power and cannot get out of the saddle, but the improvements are noticeable by the day and I hope to be at full power by the mountains next week. Today was the first day where I felt like I was riding and not just somehow or other forcing the pedals around. Thanks for all the well wishes and I plan to keep the rubber side down from here on out! Wish me luck!
Time and bandwidth are in short supply, but a quick update.
I've decided to try and ride through the broken collarbone and various other ailments and have successfully ridden the prologue and stages 1,2, and 4 - wisely, I think, taking a pass on Stage 3. The collarbone has not been giving me serious problems - I just need to make sure I don't go down again. The back is making life hard, both on and off the bike, but is definitely improving. I finally had a good nights sleep last night! And, now the road rash injuries are the worst of all - nasty messes those things. How I'm going to keep them out of the sun the next weeks I have no idea. Days are long. There is little time to do anything post-stage but clean up, eat, transfer to following day start and go to sleep.
Here's a summary of the week written for Mark's blog: http://letour2007live.blogspot.com/. As we have very limited bandwidth, only his site will have any pictures, and his site will likely be updated with content much more frequently, so check there for latest updates. Amy also has a site at http://amsadventures.blogspot.com/.
Update 7/1/2007
Today was an outstanding day of riding – definitely what I had in mind when I pictured riding in France and a far cry from the stages in England and Belgium. Laura, Amy, Mark, and I worked well together into a steady head and crosswind for the 125 mile stage, and the roads were remote, scenic, in excellent condition - and we passed more than a few sunflower seeds with the sunflowers in full bloom – an awesome sight! Other than stage 2 in Belgium, little is actually flat as both Stage 1 (122 miles) and today (125 miles) have had over 6000 feet of climbing. Certainly not bad, but not exactly pancake flat either. Tomorrow the real climbing starts with Stage 5. Although not a true mountain stage, tomorrow’s stage is considered the toughest outside of the mountains at 125 miles with four Cat 4 climbs, three Cat 3, and a Cat 2 climb which is a 3000 foot ascent over Haut Folin. This should be our first real sampling of just how bad the climbing will be. The little Cat 4’s we’ve encountered so far and which have only been thrown in to distribute some minor King of Mountain points and give someone the jersey for the early stages certainly have seemed like “proper climbs” to me. I fear the real mountains may be a bit more than I’ve anticipated.
For those wondering about my injuries and my crash. I decided on Wednesday that I could ride one-handed and at least manage the 5 mile prologue. The thought of missing this epic stage in London was too much for me. Well, this stubborn idea was a bad one, but luckily it worked out with no crashed or further damage done, but riding one handed in rush hour London traffic in a downpour navigating buses and taxis driving on the wrong side of the road was not on the agenda. So, like it or not I was forced to really test the back and broken collar bone on the bike, and surprisingly it wasn’t such a problem. I could hold the bars and brake and shift without pain, but my back was the biggest problem. I survived the prologue and figured I’d start the 127 mile stage out of London the next day and see how it felt. It was tough and I was in a good deal of pain and any bump or crack in the road was to be avoided or the impact absorbed with the legs, but I got through the day. I held up the group a bit and was in a world of hurt by the end, but I got through it. Stage 2, a 110 mile slog in Belgium was simply miserable. Cold, 30+ mph winds and a steady rain made for a miserable day as I had no booties or long-fingered gloves. And the roads chosen for the stage may have been fine when closed for the 200 person peloton, but for a group of 4 it was not fun as we were primarily on shoulders of major roads with trucks and cars flying past. One of our Tour magazines gave the stage a 2/10 scenic rating, but with a caveat: 0/10 if it’s raining. Well, it was cold, windy, and pouring. Not fun, and the day ended with my 2nd puncture of the ride. We’d more than covered the stage distance (having ridden from the campsite to the start) and just called the van to us to end the day. I decided it may be prudent to skip Stage 3 as my back gave me great difficulties on the first 2 stages and was preventing me from sleeping nights. I still needed assistance getting on and off the bike and out of bed and in/out of the campervan, etc… and the 148 mile stage looked to be on more heavily trafficked miserable roads and the thought of bumping and bouncing around for that duration seemed a poor means to help the back heal. And, as Laura was arriving that day and the campervan needed to be diverted to Brussels to pick her up, I jumped at the excuse to skip the unappealing day in the saddle. The choice turned out to be a prudent one as my back improved nicely with a day off the bike.
It’s been one week since my crash and Stage 5 is tomorrow. I am far from being back to my old self on the bike, but I’m far better off today than earlier in the week. The collar bone is giving me surprisingly little trouble and pain (aside from the occasional jolt of pain on some bumps), and the back seems now to be mending quickly. I still cannot generate much power and cannot get out of the saddle, but the improvements are noticeable by the day and I hope to be at full power by the mountains next week. Today was the first day where I felt like I was riding and not just somehow or other forcing the pedals around. Thanks for all the well wishes and I plan to keep the rubber side down from here on out! Wish me luck!
