the Tourmalet. Bollocks to that.

cookiemonster

I went up the Tourmalet today (did the 100k loop from Argeles over the Tourmalet then on round to Lourdes). Took it at a nice steady pace, and enjoyed tipping rain, freezing cold, mist and fog giving 20m visibility, less in places, and the piece d'resistance, humongous lumps of crappy mountain rocks being washed onto the roads for the slippy slidey descent complete with russian roulette with the cars in the fog. In 100km I saw two other cyclists - both of whom were unhappier than I was.

Chapeau? bollocks. It'd be more fun being strapped to the turbo for a couple of hours

(it doesnt feel quite so bad after a handful of leffe's though)

Stewie Griffin

Yeah but you will never remember any particular ride on your turbo will you? Besides, when someone you know mentions that they did it and it was a lovely summers day you can laugh and tell them about the hail and the snowstorms and landslides that challenged you because you are a proper cyclist and not some sun worshiping part timer and other embellishments you might want to add on

Well done lad.

Aggieboy

The conditions of your ride will fade. The fact that you did it won't.







Chapeau

guinea

You are now a mountain hard man. Chapeau! Hats! Formidable!

I did l'Alpe d'Huez in the snow, felt like Lance Armstrong in one of his training clips on youtube. Cold, but awesome.

DaSy

I've ridden lots of the famous TdF and Vuelta climbs, but the two that stand out in my memory as 'epic' are the two that were in crazy weather.

The Ventoux in a snow and hail storm that saw me riding through snow with no site of tarmac for the last 5km, and descending the Col de Bonnette in a torrential hail storm that came over me on the summit after a glorious climb. I have never been so cold in my life, I was shivering in waves that made the whole front of the bike shimmy.

They both stand out as some of the best moments on a bike....now.

sloboy

I had just that kind of day I had on Tourmalet - unbelievably hot on the way up, unbelievebaly cold on the way down and unbelievably wet at the bottom.

I remember thinking on the way down through the cloud "this will be the one to tell the grandkids - assuming I survive to the bottom"

sonny73

Yeh bravo and in conditions like that you should be over the moon with yourself

jrduquemin

You hard bastard :-D Good on ya cookie :-)

nick hanson

Man up & get on with it

Seriously,It's probably my favourite climb,& as people say,the awesome memories will live on,after the suffering memories fade away.
Well done!

Tom BB

Proper good effort that! Never done any 'proper' climbs like that before but definitely want to over the next few years.....hopefully in much better weather though 8)

Makes my 26 miles around the Staffordshire lanes this morning seem quite inadequate :?

bigmat

Di the Tourmalet a couple of years ago in similar conditions. Really spoilt it for me if I'm honest, I would've killed for a bit of sunshine and the spectacular views. Basically it was a couple of hours of suffering, but without the payoff.

NJK

Yes the crappy weather rides are the ones you remember most. Anyone that was on a Graham Baxter Sporting Tours trip up the Col du Galibier in 1998 will always remember it, that cold at the top i almost couldn't be arsed to come out of this log cabin to see Pantani. Then another 2-3hr trek in the wet and then dark back to the Col du Madeleine. Never forget that feeling of actually been that cold on a descent that i couldn't care less if i crashed or not!

rf6

Good work. Just think of the bragging rights when it comes round on the tour!!