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
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Keep up the good work, man.
I hope the quad fixes itself. Assuming you get to finish the rest of the stages, you will definitely have an epic story to tell. Hell, you already have one!
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I hope the quad fixes itself. Assuming you get to finish the rest of the stages, you will definitely have an epic story to tell. Hell, you already have one!
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