Tour build up
rick_chasey
Posts: 72,730
... starts here.
Let's hear it people.
We've gone half the season done (sort of), and no all form arrows point to July.
Let's hear it people.
We've gone half the season done (sort of), and no all form arrows point to July.
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Comments
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And I haven't booked my holiday to see the Tour yet! Yikes! Better get that holiday application form in...0
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greasedscotsman wrote:And I haven't booked my holiday to see the Tour yet! Yikes! Better get that holiday application form in...
I have! We're staying near Pau in the Pyrenees - should see 4 stages0 -
On paper, the Tour looks laughably easy. Certainly not tough for the most prestigious race in the calendar.
I'm not looking forward to it. Sure I will watch it but don't think it will be great. Hopefully I'm proved wrong.
If a TTer doesn't win this (boring) I will be amazed.
At least they are spending a good amount of time in Savoie and around - a superb region of France and one I am familiar with. I booked tickets to go there as one stage finishes in my grandads home town, but looks like that wont happen now : (Contador is the Greatest0 -
The Mad Rapper wrote:greasedscotsman wrote:And I haven't booked my holiday to see the Tour yet! Yikes! Better get that holiday application form in...
I have! We're staying near Pau in the Pyrenees - should see 4 stages
Cool! Are you taking your bike? Gonna bag some cols?
I just can't decide what I want to see, there isn't anything that really excites me like there was last year. I am seriously thinking of going to the World Champs instead. It's only that if I do go to the Tour it will be the 10th time in a row I've been!0 -
frenchfighter wrote:At least they are spending a good amount of time in Savoie and around - a superb region of France and one I am familiar with. I booked tickets to go there as one stage finishes in my grandads home town, but looks like that wont happen now : (
Why's that?0 -
greasedscotsman wrote:Cool! Are you taking your bike? Gonna bag some cols?
Certainly am! Dieting like a mad man and doing hill repeats every night after work. Going to start with the Tourmalet, and if that doesn't kill me I'll try a few of the othersI just can't decide what I want to see, there isn't anything that really excites me like there was last year. I am seriously thinking of going to the World Champs instead. It's only that if I do go to the Tour it will be the 10th time in a row I've been!
Aah. Well last year was our first visit to the Tour, and we went to the Brittanny & Normandy stages. I wanted to go to the mountains this year so we get to see more of the riders. Next year we'll probably go to the Alps, then goodness knows what we'll do after that!0 -
The Mad Rapper wrote:greasedscotsman wrote:Cool! Are you taking your bike? Gonna bag some cols?
Certainly am! Dieting like a mad man and doing hill repeats every night after work. Going to start with the Tourmalet, and if that doesn't kill me I'll try a few of the othersI just can't decide what I want to see, there isn't anything that really excites me like there was last year. I am seriously thinking of going to the World Champs instead. It's only that if I do go to the Tour it will be the 10th time in a row I've been!
Aah. Well last year was our first visit to the Tour, and we went to the Brittanny & Normandy stages. I wanted to go to the mountains this year so we get to see more of the riders. Next year we'll probably go to the Alps, then goodness knows what we'll do after that!
A bit of training advice - The Tourmalet takes roughly 90-100 minutes if you're pretty fit, others a little less, so say around the hour mark. You want to be training for those kind of efforts. 90 mins at full whack - rather than, say, 5 mins on, 2 mins off.0 -
The Mad Rapper wrote:Aah. Well last year was our first visit to the Tour, and we went to the Brittanny & Normandy stages. I wanted to go to the mountains this year so we get to see more of the riders. Next year we'll probably go to the Alps, then goodness knows what we'll do after that!
You should also think about going to Paris as well. It's the 100th race, so they are bound to do something special. On the 100th Aniversery they had a parade after the race which included all the living TdF winners, driving down the Champs Elysees in period cars! When it came to Merckx the crowd started chanting "Eddy, Eddy, Eddy". Very, very cool!0 -
It's not your classic TdF climb (in fact I'm not sure they ve done it) but the Cold de Soulor from Escharts* is really pretty, and very quiet. I had to stop to let a herd of cows come past. It's not too difficult either. If you like you could continue on the main road up to the Aubisque...
*The usual route they use is down the bigger road to Argeles-Gazost - the one that Thor Hushovd chased the two french guys along to win the stage last year...We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
- @ddraver0 -
How fast will the top GC guys go up the Tourmalet? (I know its not on this years route!)
I can see where you're coming from FF with regards to the route, but I still think that it'll be plenty hard enough, and hopefully the climbers will be attacking full guns in the mountains to try and gap the likes of Wiggo and Evans etc.0 -
Tom BB wrote:How fast will the top GC guys go up the Tourmalet? (I know its not on this years route!)
Yes it is. 2nd climb of the day stage 16 to Bagnères-de-Luchon.0 -
Ooh I didn't realise! One of my favourite climbs to watch.0
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We're going to be in the Pyrenees for stages 16 and 17, staying in Loundenvielle, planning on watching the Tour in Loudervielle on stage 16 and Germ on stage 17. They're doing the Peyresourde both days and it's the last/halfway up the last climb on each day.
We'll also be going up to Paris for the last stage and possibly might fit in the TT stage if Wiggins is still in the mix.0 -
Rick Chasey wrote:A bit of training advice - The Tourmalet takes roughly 90-100 minutes if you're pretty fit, others a little less, so say around the hour mark. You want to be training for those kind of efforts. 90 mins at full whack - rather than, say, 5 mins on, 2 mins off.
Thanks for that Rick. Have you climbed it then?
There's no climb where I live longer than 5 mins, so the best I can do is that, then roll down and repeat. The steepest gradient on the Tourmalet according to the route profile I've seen is 10%. The hills I've been using are minimum of 10%, the steepest 20%.
If you've any other advise then I'm all ears!0 -
The Mad Rapper wrote:If you've any other advise then I'm all ears!
Put the lowest gearing on your bike you can.0 -
greasedscotsman wrote:The Mad Rapper wrote:If you've any other advise then I'm all ears!
Put the lowest gearing on your bike you can.
Excellent0 -
The Mad Rapper wrote:Rick Chasey wrote:A bit of training advice - The Tourmalet takes roughly 90-100 minutes if you're pretty fit, others a little less, so say around the hour mark. You want to be training for those kind of efforts. 90 mins at full whack - rather than, say, 5 mins on, 2 mins off.
Thanks for that Rick. Have you climbed it then?
There's no climb where I live longer than 5 mins, so the best I can do is that, then roll down and repeat. The steepest gradient on the Tourmalet according to the route profile I've seen is 10%. The hills I've been using are minimum of 10%, the steepest 20%.
If you've any other advise then I'm all ears!
You can simulate longer climbs by riding on the flat in a smaller sprocket at a lower cadence than you would normally, doing it into a headwind will be even more effective. It's not perfect, but better than nothing.
I would do hill repeats as well, varying it between steady climbing in the saddle and some out of the saddle efforts to help strengthen you up for longer climbs."I have a lovely photo of a Camargue horse but will not post it now" (Frenchfighter - July 2013)0 -
The Mad Rapper wrote:Rick Chasey wrote:A bit of training advice - The Tourmalet takes roughly 90-100 minutes if you're pretty fit, others a little less, so say around the hour mark. You want to be training for those kind of efforts. 90 mins at full whack - rather than, say, 5 mins on, 2 mins off.
Thanks for that Rick. Have you climbed it then?
There's no climb where I live longer than 5 mins, so the best I can do is that, then roll down and repeat. The steepest gradient on the Tourmalet according to the route profile I've seen is 10%. The hills I've been using are minimum of 10%, the steepest 20%.
If you've any other advise then I'm all ears!
Certainly have. Did the circle of death (west to East) in a day. Everyone has different opinions on how to train but I see it like this: the main thing is how good you are over the sustained and relentless effort that a mountain is. If it was me, I'd be doing 30-50 km TTs on a road bike, making sure you get out the saddle a lot, mixed with longer rides. Hill reps are good, for sure, and getting used to going uphill is worth doing, but ultimately a 4 col day is basically 4 flat out hour long efforts spaced with some recovery.0 -
The Mad Rapper wrote:greasedscotsman wrote:The Mad Rapper wrote:If you've any other advise then I'm all ears!
Put the lowest gearing on your bike you can.
Excellent
Dunno what gearing you use already, but it's worth doing. I'd rather be under geared than over (or is that the other way round?)0 -
greasedscotsman wrote:Dunno what gearing you use already, but it's worth doing. I'd rather be under geared than over (or is that the other way round?)
Compact. Had the chain and cassette changed 2 weeks ago when I also had some new Kysrium Elites fitted, so now have 11-28 on rear. I don't want to be on the 28 either0 -
For that reason, de Cauwer says that totally flat days are tougher on breakaway escapees than medium mountain stages since on the flat it's constant pressure on the pedals all day, whereas the hillier stages have recovery periods built in.0
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Rick Chasey wrote:Certainly have. Did the circle of death (west to East) in a day. Everyone has different opinions on how to train but I see it like this: the main thing is how good you are over the sustained and relentless effort that a mountain is. If it was me, I'd be doing 30-50 km TTs on a road bike, making sure you get out the saddle a lot, mixed with longer rides. Hill reps are good, for sure, and getting used to going uphill is worth doing, but ultimately a 4 col day is basically 4 flat out hour long efforts spaced with some recovery.
The closest I've come to a mountain is the Kent Killer in February, which was 70 miles with 7000 ft of climbing. The climbs were double the steepest part of the Tourmalet though.
On Sundays I'm doing 50-70 mile Club runs, I'm doing 30 mins of strength training during lunch on the stationary bike at work followed by 30 mins core and stretching, then hill repeats when I get home and have put the little ones to bed.
Grateful for the advice0 -
Will be watching some of it in Belgium hopefully, so can't wait.
Frenchie is right though. The mountain stages won't make the difference, its all about TTers that can climb.
Skinny Schleck can kiss goodbye to standing on the top step on the Champs Elyssee. This one will go to a big old diesel like Wiggins, Nibali or Evans.
I will watch Cancellara with great interest. Maybe he'll shed a couple of kilos and Johan will work another miracle.It's a little like wrestling a gorilla. You don't quit when you're tired. You quit when the gorilla is tired.0 -
This is one of the "high mountain" stages we have to look forward to this year.
Wiggo might want to get his sprinting legs warmed up for that one.0 -
Rick Chasey wrote:The Mad Rapper wrote:Rick Chasey wrote:A bit of training advice - The Tourmalet takes roughly 90-100 minutes if you're pretty fit, others a little less, so say around the hour mark. You want to be training for those kind of efforts. 90 mins at full whack - rather than, say, 5 mins on, 2 mins off.
Thanks for that Rick. Have you climbed it then?
There's no climb where I live longer than 5 mins, so the best I can do is that, then roll down and repeat. The steepest gradient on the Tourmalet according to the route profile I've seen is 10%. The hills I've been using are minimum of 10%, the steepest 20%.
If you've any other advise then I'm all ears!
Certainly have. Did the circle of death (west to East) in a day. Everyone has different opinions on how to train but I see it like this: the main thing is how good you are over the sustained and relentless effort that a mountain is. If it was me, I'd be doing 30-50 km TTs on a road bike, making sure you get out the saddle a lot, mixed with longer rides. Hill reps are good, for sure, and getting used to going uphill is worth doing, but ultimately a 4 col day is basically 4 flat out hour long efforts spaced with some recovery.
Impressive stuff Rick. How long were you in the saddle?
Deserves the obligatory suffer in the mountains photo. I know this one is from le Ventoux, but as I remember reading, Virenque tore up the circle of death sometime in the 90s, ending solo for about 40km and winning by over 4mins with Pantani second (lucky fans that were around and watching that sort of ride).
Contador is the Greatest0 -
frenchfighter wrote:Rick Chasey wrote:The Mad Rapper wrote:Rick Chasey wrote:A bit of training advice - The Tourmalet takes roughly 90-100 minutes if you're pretty fit, others a little less, so say around the hour mark. You want to be training for those kind of efforts. 90 mins at full whack - rather than, say, 5 mins on, 2 mins off.
Thanks for that Rick. Have you climbed it then?
There's no climb where I live longer than 5 mins, so the best I can do is that, then roll down and repeat. The steepest gradient on the Tourmalet according to the route profile I've seen is 10%. The hills I've been using are minimum of 10%, the steepest 20%.
If you've any other advise then I'm all ears!
Certainly have. Did the circle of death (west to East) in a day. Everyone has different opinions on how to train but I see it like this: the main thing is how good you are over the sustained and relentless effort that a mountain is. If it was me, I'd be doing 30-50 km TTs on a road bike, making sure you get out the saddle a lot, mixed with longer rides. Hill reps are good, for sure, and getting used to going uphill is worth doing, but ultimately a 4 col day is basically 4 flat out hour long efforts spaced with some recovery.
Impressive stuff Rick. How long were you in the saddle?
Deserves the obligatory suffer in the mountains photo. I know this one is from le Ventoux, but as I remember reading, Virenque tore up the circle of death sometime in the 90s, ending solo for about 40km and winning by over 4mins with Pantani second (lucky fans that were around and watching that sort of ride).
Something like 12, 13 hours. Wasn't non stop. Stopped at the top of them all and had some proper food at the bottom of the tourmalet. The drag from the aubisque to the tourmalet is a real bitch.0 -
Training's not necessary.
I made it up the Stelvio (without pushing!) at the weekend and it was my first ride since July (Galibier, where I did push!)
I'm not sure I threatened the record ascent times!0