I'll jump in with a note on gear selection... go as big as you feel the need to. And if anyone disses you point em to the VeloNews article by Lennard Zinn "Counting Teeth: Lennard Zinn rides the Giro’s Monte Zoncolon" http://velonews.competitor.com/2010/...oncolon_118438

You'll be amazed at how low of gears the pro's are using when they need to.