L'ETAPE DU TOUR 2006 July 10th, Stage 15 of the Tour De France, 187km from Gap to Alpe d'Huez, 3500m of vertical ascent.
(And I have decided to do it)
Route Profile.
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Etape Targets
Training schedule leading up to Tour of Wessex, The Dragon Ride (Welsh mountains) and finally L'Etape du Tour. Very probably sneak in an Etape recon weekend prior to the event, compete in London duathlon and enter the Tour of the surrey hills for some extra suffering. I have now incorporated some rest weeks (100km) as various people have suggested. A good idea as my legs need to repair themselves. The Etape includes 3,500m of vertical ascent so being a fat bast-ard means some major weight loss is essential to get over the mountains as well as endurance, hill climbing and altitude training. If you want to lose weight - see above - blip over xmas for pies- otherwise fairly proportional to milage - but more importantly I'm on target.
The first slight incline, the Col d'Izoard ...
... followed by the Col du Lautaret ...
... and finishing with the legendary Alpe d'Huez.>
Analysis of my first attempt at Alpe d'Huez on a Tacx simulator ...
... With this photo having been taken soon afterwards.>
2 months on, with some miles in the legs I take on the Alpe instead of going out on the beers.. the last 25% was painful, just as well i was hallucinating.
A few thousand km's down the road and this is where i'm at. 16kg's lighter, legs turning into weapons of mass destruction & climbing the Alpe in an hour.
Very much doubt I could acheive this in reality but pleased with simulation. Nice 90 rpm cadence. Decided to start with HR around 140 so I didnt batter myself at the begining.
Nearly broke the hour trying 4 minute kms, digging deep eyes closed last few kms. Suffering.
Ripped up the Alpe in 57:20, felt supercharged, 252 Watts @ 165 Bpm. Progress. Training has worked.
Descending the Col D'Izoard on a recent Etape Recon weekend. Charlie with the camera taped to his handlebars and me in red getting involved with cars
You need some inspiration ?, click above, stunning display of Power by the Big Man.