Giro d'Italia / Tour de France

[Paddingtonwolf]

It is still a great race. Especially now they are in the mountains.

 

[thehistorymakers]

Nibali blowing the field to pieces on the climb to chamrousse. Valverde is nearest but still twenty seconds back. Porte has lost six minutes in 5 kilometres

He had a gear to spare on the chamrousse .Like you said , he blew the field to pieces . It reminded me , of when Froome did the same to Contador , last year.No effort , so easy . Valverde , is a great climber , but he was knackered at the end .Nibali , looked like he could ride for another 5 hours .

 

[Knockout Ned]

Nibali head and shoulders above anyone else, didn't even need to attack Valverde but dropped him anyway.

Chapeau, top spot is pretty much sorted so hoping Bardet can make it into second.

 

[Knockout Ned]

Looking forward to this today, I rode the d'Izoard last year on a day that remains the best I've ever spent on a bike. And there was some some pretty stiff competition that week...

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

Onto the Lauteret already. Nasty, nasty stage this.

 

[Knockout Ned]

Ridden this bit too, both directions....can confirm it's an epic drag...(excited)

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

Everyone over the Izoard. I had forgotten how beautiful the scenery is toward the top of that climb. Spectacular. Going to be fireworks into Rissoul by the look of it.

 

[Knockout Ned]

Breathtaking place Paddy....I don't know if you ride or anything but if you do then get yourself over there, it's a stunning ride particularly on the south side in the Queyras.

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

I would love to take up riding again, but I am so spectacularly unfit Bushbury Hill would kill me, let alone the Izoard!

Riding up the Ventoux is actually on my bucket list but I would need such a massive lifestyle change to stand a chance that is pretty unlikely to happen.

 

[Knockout Ned]

Start now Paddy and I reckon you could drag yourself up the Ventoux next summer.

Have a couple of mates who've just done something very similar.

 

[Johnny75]

Start now Paddy and I reckon you could drag yourself up the Ventoux next summer.

Have a couple of mates who've just done something very similar.

I'd like to do this Ned, do you have any places I can look for training regimes. I have the bike but not the ability.

 

[EdgeOfTheAlps]

I'd like to do this Ned, do you have any places I can look for training regimes. I have the bike but not the ability.

Back in 2008 I weighed 100kg and decided just before the new year that I was going to ride a transalp from Munich to Verona at the end of May. I didn't have much of a plan, just started off riding on the mountain bike 4-5 times a week for 20-30km each while there was still snow on the ground then switched to my road bike late March doing 3 60-80km rides during the week and one or occasionally two 120-160km rides at weekends. I think I'd done about 5000km between Jan and the beginning of June including the transalp.

I couldn't ride at all in July but spent about 6 weeks building leg strength only in preparation for climbing the Stelvio from Prad side and Timmelsjoch from the Italian side the following day and to be honest those 6 weeks of high gear / low cadence were vital in giving me enough strength to get up those mountains without resorting to my granny gear early on.

If you want to follow a proper training plan you might be able to find one in a cycling magazine, but they really only cover the final weeks of preparation, until that point it's just ride as much as possible without overdoing it. And get yourself a compact chainset or Ventoux et al will kill you.

 

[EdgeOfTheAlps]

double post

 

[Wombat del combate]

Start now Paddy and I reckon you could drag yourself up the Ventoux next summer.

Have a couple of mates who've just done something very similar.

Fuel him with a Kismot Killer and he'll make Pantani look like someone with vertigo.

 

[Knockout Ned]

Pretty much what EoA said, spend lots of time on the bike and focus on long steady 'base' rides. Short and sharp efforts/intervals will get you faster but won't be of much help when you'll be spending a long time sitting and spinning.

Compact gearing will get you up almost anything, the Alpine climbs tend to drag on at reasonable averages with the odd short ramp so 34/27 bottom gear should be doable.

Hills are only as hard as you're prepared to make them, if you just want to summit then take your time and enjoy the ride. If you want to post a good time on Strava then it's going to hurt!

And no Kismot Killers the night before!

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

tremendous stage today, although Bardet has been destroyed by Pinot. These climbs in the pyrenees are evil!

 

[Knockout Ned]

Lumpy one again today!

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

Portillon, Peyresourde and Pla Adet I am familiar with. Don't think I have seen the climb of the Col de Val Louron Azet before. Nibali will cement his place on the top step of the podium by beating up Valverde today I think.

 

[Knockout Ned]

I'm still waiting for a death or glory attack from distance...anybody?!

 

[Wombat del combate]

Rojas disqualified for sheltering behind a car for too long.