Day 4 Paris-Nice.
03-13-08, 04:08 PM
#1
Time for a change.
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Day 4 Paris-Nice.
Recorded the TV transmission of this afternoon and just watched it. Day 4 is Ventoux. That slope I climbed on holiday last year. Brought back a lot of memories of my Biggest achievemnet yet on a road bike. They climbed from Malaucen- and I could remember every turn of the route that they took. Brought back a lot of the thrill of what I enjoy on a bike. There was a lot of white stuff by the side of the road- Couldn't remember that from last year- but they are a lot earlier than when I rode it. Initially I thought it was the White Limestone that the mountain is made of- but it got thicker the higher they climbed. Many of you would have recognised it straight away---Snow. Then while I was watching- I saw the speed they were climbing at. Faster than I do on the flat and they were putting in spurts of up to 25mph-while climbing. Made my 5 mph average look sick. Then they started to go downhill. Couldn't remember any downhill on the way up- But they had turned off before the top. Yea- They took the easy route to the cafe at Mt.Serein. (Whimps)
Apparantly they do not chance climbing to the top in March due to the likelyhood of Snow. Thought there must be a reason. But there is one thing that did impress me. No matter how slow I had climbed- or how long it took me-I had climbed what Phill Ligget called one of the hardest 15Kms of any road race in France. Now all I have to do is the 100 kms before the climb and still do it at an average of 22 mph in the big ring.
Apparantly they do not chance climbing to the top in March due to the likelyhood of Snow. Thought there must be a reason. But there is one thing that did impress me. No matter how slow I had climbed- or how long it took me-I had climbed what Phill Ligget called one of the hardest 15Kms of any road race in France. Now all I have to do is the 100 kms before the climb and still do it at an average of 22 mph in the big ring.
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How long was I in the army? Five foot seven.
Spike Milligan
How long was I in the army? Five foot seven.
Spike Milligan
03-13-08, 04:16 PM
#2
Sore saddle cyclist
It sucks that we don't get TV coverage in the US....SUCKS I tell you. We'll get an hour or two of a summary on Sunday afternoon, while I'm out riding
03-13-08, 08:17 PM
#3
just keep riding
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03-14-08, 11:46 AM
#4
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Yes, those pro.s are another species, eh!
I was lucky enough to be at the side of the road to see the last climb of a stage of the TDF in 2004, in the Pyrenees finishing at Plateau de Beille - the stage that Lance won and gained yellow, retained to the end of the race.
The lead group went by at an unbelievable speed - and that was the 4th serious mountain on a very long day. As impressive were the domestiques about 20 minutes behind who had done their job, fetching water and giving a pace to their team leaders - they were also climbing at a heck of a pace, and chatting about where they'd be staying and what they hoped would be for dinner.
Oh well, if we started training now we'd be with them. I mean, how hard can it be? It's just riding a bike, anyone can do that
I was lucky enough to be at the side of the road to see the last climb of a stage of the TDF in 2004, in the Pyrenees finishing at Plateau de Beille - the stage that Lance won and gained yellow, retained to the end of the race.
The lead group went by at an unbelievable speed - and that was the 4th serious mountain on a very long day. As impressive were the domestiques about 20 minutes behind who had done their job, fetching water and giving a pace to their team leaders - they were also climbing at a heck of a pace, and chatting about where they'd be staying and what they hoped would be for dinner.
Oh well, if we started training now we'd be with them. I mean, how hard can it be? It's just riding a bike, anyone can do that
