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Cycling up Mont Ventoux (Done July 20th 2009)


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I am happy for your friend. As to the how hard can it be comment, well 2 people died trying it. They were both younger and fitter than me.

wasn't meant to make an a.. of you sorry if you took it that way.

Lots of cyclist get into trouble in France every year trying to do what the cyclist of the tour do. Same goes for mountain clymbing.

You need a good preparation, and sometimes a bit of luck too especially as not all car-drivers are used to cyclists and roads can be in poor condition.

I had my forrestery education, and had a practise in the Bavarian mountains, and as I didn't have money for a car I did everything by bicycle/train. At first I had borrowed a MTB (all terrain bike) but that one broke down and in the urge to get transport i bought a racing bike.... man oh man cycling on forest paths in teh mountains with big stones being pavement ahhh broke the steering rod, and needed new weels all to soon....

but my condition after 16 weeks of cycling in the mountains on thin air..... whow

I did some match dancing at that time, latin and ballroom, and I couldn't get tired..... at free dancing nights I would be lucky to get the chance to drink something and visit the loo once..... girls were standing in line....lol (I was a good dancer, wasn't because they wanted anything else from me, though I married one of my dancing mates....)

I whish you luck with the preparations, and keep us informed when you go, you never know who could be cheering at the side of the road (having a beer and a bbq meanwhile...lol)

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  • 11 months later...

Well one year after saying I was going to ride up to the top of Mt Ventoux, approaching the age of 53 and weighing in at 118 kilos, my objective has been achieved. The last 2500 metres are murder but you are so close that its impossible to give in (failing injury).

 

I cannot tell you the feeling of elation I felt and (too a lesser extent) still feel.

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No incentives, just an unbridled desire to not fail. People who know me know how angry I get with myself when I fail.

 

The last 2.5 km is steeper than all the rest and you can see the whole length of it, its depressing to see that loooooonnnnnggg stretch of road when you are so tired, but not wanting to fail gave me the extra oomph to succeed

 

I took this picture of the summit after about 40 minutes of riding

 

User posted image

 

 

The worse was not knowing that the Mondo Velo race which duplicates the tour de france stage finishing at Mt ventoux, was on today. 9500 amateur racers were coming up the mountain whilst I was trying to go down.

 

User posted image

 

 

The gendarmes said I had to walk, I rode and walked.

 

I got two punctures and broke my Tyre levers

 

I had to walk 6 km downhill in 36C heat with no more water. In the end I rode down the last 12km to my car with a flat front tyre riding the brakes and pooing myself.

 

But this is what the summit looks like just after I passed the finish line

 

User posted image

 

 

Despite everything that happened on the way down the ride up will be my lasting memory.

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Really well done mate, how do you recover from that a bath in Deep Heat?

 

I had a shower, went out to buy a pump for my fish pond, threw myself in the pool. tried to watch TV, fell asleep in my lazy boy, then went to bed.

 

It was interesting to watch the riders going up the hill having completed most of the tour de france stage. The first was a french champion, he flew up. same for the next 50 or so. The next couple of thousand were steady, just grinding their way up. The last couple of thousand were in agony, many were walking , many had cramps, many knew they would fail to reach the summit before the cutoff time and would be disqualified. I saw people from all over the world there. The amazing thing is the silence, thousands of people riding up in silence.

 

This will give you an idea of what they went through

 

User posted image

 

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Good effort Zeno, I get crazy ideas like this from time to time but normally water them down a bit until they are doable lol

 

I'm not far behind you in the age stakes and I do a fair bit of off road mountain biking over here on the South Downs which is on my doorstep, this is my current torture vehicle of choice, the "Boardman Comp" Mountain bike, I prefer the "hardtails" to the "Full Suspension" but I guess that's all personal choice.

 

User posted image

 

 

 

 

I wish I was a bit nearer because I would definitely come along just to give you a training partner to shout at when things are going wrong lol

 

Congrats mate. :winner_first:

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LOL if I weighed 70 or 80 kilos I would be interested in a super light bike, but since I weigh much more Light weight bikes offer no advantage. I think my bike weighs 7 or 9 kilos, which is already light.

 

From the pictures your bike weight 9,48kg Phil B)

 

Trek are overpriced bikes that have only slight or no comparison to the bikes ridden by Astana and other pro teams.

 

Expect to pay around 8000$ for a pro bike

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Thanks again guys

 

You have a good eye Ulrich, lol.

 

Zebb, in Switzerland I use a Trek mountain bike with front suspension only as most of my riding here is on trails as opposed to roads. I am not a hardcore offroader.

 

My Trek is great for the job here, but in France most of the work is on roads which is why I have a hybrid bike, like a racing bike without the drop handle bars. Its a french bike MBK (made in China I think, lol).

 

I had to make one modification to the bike I changed the small chain ring from 30 to 22, I wouldnt have made it if it were not for that change.

 

I dont know if you noticed this but going up hill you have find your own rythm, so its hard to ride with anyone for long. I have trained a lot with the guy that sold me the bike, but I knew I would end up going it alone even if we started together, thats why I did it without telling him or anyone else and just did it.

 

Now I have to drop a lot of weight and try to do it without stopping at all and then try to do it under 2 hours, next 2 objectives.

 

I can barely walk today my legs are so stiff, I am sure its from the buggered up descent, I have never had so much ache, I now wish I did have a Radox bath.

 

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