The French Challenge /// Day 04

Stats: 

Day 04: Les Croisettes Saleve (1379m), le grand Bornand (948m), col de la Colombiere (1618m) 148km 

Route: http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=5575254

Difficulty: Hard.  3 medium cols in a day with different reliefs. The first one is short 

but tough followed by 2no of long but steady hills. it's a long and straight back home

on flats and hard with a front wind. Relaying essential. 

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Last day of our French challenge brings us to a second attempt of le col des Croisettes on the Saleve which directly overseas Geneva. Short, steep and painful, this is a category 01 on the tour de France 

charts. We make it up there and carry on the other side, riding through a beautiful road which leads us up to the Grand Bornand. 

There, we have a lunch break and head off for the ultimate climb of the trip. Le col de la Colombiere 

along the easier side. Still, 11km of steady climb in the heat and a difficult descent into the valley as the 

road 's crash barriers seem to be lovely concrete pylons on the side of the road. 

We reach the valley and head towards Annemasse, with a heavy head wind to fight against. This is when you are glad to be cycling with a great cycle companion and our relays pay off massively by switching pretty much every 2-5 km. The previous day's efforts start to pay off, I think we would have 

really struggled to accomplish this had we started off with this. 

We were glad to get back home again and fill the stomachs full of amazing food and wine. Thanks Mom and dad, your welcome is always amazing!!! 

Tomorrow, we rest, pack and set off. This is the end of the French challenge. This was a very physical challenge. I think next year we might be talking about redoing a bit more of a cultural challenge like we did in Vietnam. 

Let's see, we'll keep you in touch. Ciao for now. 

The French challenge /// Col de l'espinouze Day 03

Stats:

Challenge: Col de l'Espinouse (1124m) 84km
Route:  http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=5622142
Difficulty: Easy/Medium, Soft climb to the col in a beautiful and hidden country side.
A real feel on how the vegetation changes with Altitude.

 

 

 

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We set off again to go further south towards Bezier.
We were most welcome by Jack Harriet Wendy and Bob to a superb
house in a small hamlet called Mezeilles. Bob already had a cycle
route in mind which we happily tried out the next day.

We crossed the Orb river and ascended into what is the southern edge of the
Massif Central. The scenery, the roads, and the change of climate made this
ride spectacular. Again, we were blessed with perfect weather conditions.

This ride was more about the scenery rather than the actual challenge of climbing.
The inclines are gentle and consistent really allowing you to set your own rythm and
recuperate whilst smiling at the view of ever changing sights.

A big thanks to Wendy and Bob who were mega hosts.

The French challenge /// The Mt Ventoux day 02

Stats:

Col du Mt Ventoux (2x1912m), one climb from Bedoin, the other from Malaucene 114KM
Route: http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=5575258
Difficulty: Hard, the Mt Ventoux is a Hors Categorie climb, the first climb felt good, but on the
second, the southern french sun made its appearence and things became a lot harder

Day 02: 

Right, we are off at 7AM from a town to Carpentras to attack the big beast of Provence. 

15km on the flats to warm the legs up and we arrive in Bedoin for a pre climb breakfast. 

I can't apologize enough to the lady serving us: I released a nervous silent and deadly fart 

which gave us a good excuse to get cracking. 

Ben and I set off, the temperature is perfect and there is no wind. We climb gradually taking it 

very easy. We heard so many stories about this climb that for once, we were very cautious and 

expected the worse around every corner. We overtook quite a few people on the way up, which 

in all honesty does boost your moral up in quite a pathetic way (it's not a race, but if it was I would be alright..haha). 

Ben completed the climb in 2hours 10 and myself a good 10 minutes after. It was a good and comfortable climb, so we decided to do the decent and start again, this time from Malaucene. 

After some food and the purchase of a new back wheel, we set off again this time at 11:00AM. 

However this time round, conditions had changed. The southern sun was nicely spreading its heat, and 

the legs quickly reminded us of the first morning's climb. It became difficult. 

But we made it up there (we do not have a timing) and it felt fantastic. 

We would have wanted to do the third climb, but unfortunately, ran out of time as we needed to be 

somewhere before a closure. This is the first but not the last time we do the Ventoux, next time, 

we might try it. 

30 minutes of downhill into Bedoin, followed by a massive pizza for evening meal. 

This is a must do climb but without a minimum of training it would not be much fun. 

Next stop, Bezier. 

The French challenge /// Le Jura, Day 01

The Stats: 

Day 1: Col de la Faucille (1323m), Col du Marchairuz (1449m) 141km

Route:  http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=5398976

Difficulty: Medium. Individually, both passes are pleasant and not too hard, 

but it's on the flats, from Nyon back to Geneva that you find out if you really 

managed to spread your effort wisely throughout the day. 

We fly to Geneva where we are welcome by my parents and fill up of food ahead of the challenge. 

The first day is a warm up in the Jura region before we pack the bikes and head south to Provence 

(Carpentras) and try out the all mighty Mt Ventoux. 

It's a track we tried out over Easter, but this time the weather and temperature were in our favor, 

and knowing the route always makes it easier in the mind as the effort distribution is a lot easier. 

All in all a good performance with a lovely view onto lake Geneva. Back home we watch the tour de 

France and remain in a state of shock when we compare the pros stats with ours.. (it's the bikes they have of course...). Bags are packed, the car is ready, tomorrow, we head South. 

Pico Veleta /// Spain 2012

Hi gang,

As some of us headed down to the south of Spain (50km from Granada) to get 

some heat ham and sun, we thought it would be rude to try out one the biggest 

passes in Europe named the Pico Veleta with a road reaching 3394m (11 135ft)

in the Sierra Nevada. 

We started off at 6AM on the outskirts of Granada in order to avoid the crushing 

afternoon heat. The climb took about 4.5 hours on the saddle, passing through the 

Sierra Nevada ski resort, and an hour flat out for the descent. 

We could not have picked a better day for the climb, the weather was perfect

and we maintained a good temperature as we went higher and higher. We feared 

for the lack of oxygen as we would reach the 3000m but it did not hinder us too much.

As opposed to the steeper climbs we usually try in the Alps, this one was surprisingly

even with a comfortable gradient. However, it is without a doubt the longest climb 

and one to be taken slowly and very surely. 

A selection of the best pics below with some video to footage to be posted shortly. 

Route: http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=5538844

 

 

Amstel Gold CLASSIC///150 km ride

This year, we were 14 of us  to try out a classic ride and got signed
onto the Amstel Gold 150km classic ride starting in Holland and
running through Germany and Belgium.

It's a slow and and flat start to begin with, but as the day goes on,
the hills get steeper and more frequent. Aa a result you have a nice
finish on a hill with a good bunch of riders and an Amstel beer as
you cross the line. Final time: 6:28:30

Top fun and top day.
The day was organized by Onwards and Upwards.

Geneva /// April 2012 3Day etapes

Well well, the sun is back and Spring is well on its way,
we've been riding Surrey hills pretty much every weekend
since the beginning of the year, and it has proved to be good training.

Ben Dom and I headed to Geneva from which we did 3 days
of cycling, testing out our legs on some mountain still partially covered
with snow and closed roads.. The verdict? Tough but incredibly beautiful.

Some of the routes in the mountains were still closed, but we managed to
find a gap between showers and were even rewarded with 5 hours of sunshine
when we got to the top of the col de la joux verte, just off Morzine.

Passes and altitude completed:
Col de la Faucille in the Jura at 1323meters  11.8km long on 7.03% av gradient
Col du Marchairuz at 1449 meters
Col de la joux verte at 1760meters 11.6km long on 8.5% av gradient
La cote d'abroz (road was closed) we got up approx 1350meter
Les Croisettes (Le mont Saleve) 1379meters 4km stretch at 12% av gradient

Routes and pics below:

Day 01: http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=5398976 136.5km
Day 02: http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=5398983 90km
Day 03: http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=5398991 62km

Surrey hills 10 March 2012/// And again

We have not been off the pedals since the beginning of the year,
quite the contrary, we've been pushing up and and down our usual
training ground which is Surrey hills, but I thought I would avoid posting
the same route again and again..

However, here is a pic of a first glimpse of sunshine at the top of Boxhill.

Please click the link for the route.
 http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=5344112

Richmond Park /// Hello Winter

This Saturday, we met up with part of the group Onwards and Upwards (http://onwardsnupwards.tumblr.com/)
with whom we're doing the Amstel Gold Race. We split at Richmond
park with a handful heading to Windsor and back, whilst Ben Mat and
did 3 laps around the park.

The crisp morning sun mixed with a layer of white frost allowed for some spectacular
views of London and the park. At times, with the deers in the mist, we could hardly believe
we were still in London. Unfortunately, my phone seized up many times as the temperatures
were too low for it to operate, so the picks are limited but should give you an idea of the beauty.

The route: http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=5256497

Climbing the classics /// A book to get hold of

If you enjoy the mountains and want to know about Europe's most infamous climbs,
have a look at this book - ‘Mountain High: Europe's 50 Greatest Cycle Climbs’ by 
Daniel Friebe, with photographs by Pete Goding.

There are some exceptional shots and lovely descriptions about the challenges and
history of Europe’s most notorious climbs from 50 to 3000+ metre passes.

Stay tuned, we’ll be trying a couple of these this year without a doubt.

2012 /// The cycling plan

Right, we've been hard at work planning for 2012 and here are the challenges ahead in

chronological order:

Some Surrey and Richmond Park training at the beginning of the year to get the legs

warmed up. Towards Feb/March, we should be planning a weekend in the Cotswolds

 where the first real tests of the season will be upon us - short but steep climbs surrounded

 by beautiful countryside.

Then we get to April, where the season really starts to kick in. We'll be heading to 

Geneva where Ben, Dan and I will be hitting some day trips that tap into the tour

of the Léman lake, some along mountain passes including the Col de la Faucille, the

road to the mountain station Flaine and possibly Loèche-les-Bains. We're still working

on the routes and itinerary, but we’ll let you know as soon as they’re ready.

The weekend after this will be the Amstel Gold race (www.amstelgoldrace.nl) in Holland, 

where 15 of us will get on a 150km race for the day followed by a little party time!

Come May, I'll be heading south to Bordeaux for a family weekend. Bordeaux is so

close to the Pyrenees, it would be rude not to attempt the big boys while I’m there,

including the classic Tourmalet among others. We're working on the programme

at the moment.

At the end of June (30th), we’d like to get onto the Dunwich Dynamo again

(http://southwarkcyclists.org.uk/node/61). It’s such a different and unreal experience 

riding 120 miles through the night with about 500 other riders, arriving in the early 

morning hours at a beach in Norfolk. Anyone is welcome to join for this one - departure

is at 8pm from a pub in the park. Anyone fancy doing it with a single speed? I think I might.

The big trip this year will be FRANCE. Although we will have done a couple of small trips

in and out, we wish to start a trip from London to Paris to warm up, followed by a train 

journey into the centre of France. Maybe while we’re there, we'll travel to the south and

possibly attempt Mont Ventoux. Or we might head to Bourg d'Oisans where the Alpes d'Huez

and Galibier will hopefully welcome us back with open roads and harsh climbs. Either way,

 it'll be sweat and glory all the way. This should be between the 6th and 17th of July, 

which is coincidentally, when the Tour de France will hit central France, so maybe 

we’ll see the riders fly by.

In the mean time, there‘s always trips to the Surrey hills and a couple of extras here and there.

Also keep your eyes on the trip that Thom and Guigui are going to be doing - Paris to 

St Petersburg by bike. We don't have the itinerary yet but will let you know as soon as
we get it. These guys will be travelling for a long time and their stories are bound to be

worth telling.

Also in the pipeline is the story of Rob Ward, who 20 years ago rode all the way from London
to Pakistan with his wife. We'll try and have an article about his adventure as well as a

couple of pics of his epic journey.

Voilà, that's all for now folks, but if you'd like more detailed information, please get in touch. 

We'll be posting all our routes.

Sunday cycle /// Back to Surrey Hills 42miles

The winds of change blew us in the direction of Surrey today, 
back to our old training turf in Surrey - the 42 mile round circuit from Dorking. 

please click the link for the detailed route: 

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=5154636

The weather and visibility were perfect. The roads however, were a bit 
on the treacherous side, with a thick layer of slippery autumn leaves under 
our wheels and many of the descents on wet tarmac. As a result, Ben
came off on a tight bend, but not to worry, the new carbon bike is still intact 
and unscathed. If only the same could be said about his lycra… 

We've documented the Surrey hills ride many times, so we thought we 
would treat you to some pics on the way to the train station. This is 
London at 7am on a clear autumn day - a real beaut, and well worth
the early rising and painful legs.

Enjoy…