L’etape Du Tour (long day short post…)

Well folks, we done it … over the line at Loudenville well before the elimination time. No mechanical problems thankfully – just a real challenge overcome to get the 200 kms from Foix through 5 mountain climbs to a wonderfully beautiful town beside the lake.

This is just a short summary post about the day, which I’ll follow-up with in time with a more detailed account of the day and tie it in with some pictures from the day.

Taper – what taper .. more like complete rest!

The best laid plans of mice and men …

Since the epic ride of the 1st July, when i hoped to move to a taper phase for L’etape, i’ve managed to get a sum total of about 2.5 hours on the bike – spread over two sessions.

Wednesday 4th July – i went for a great hilly spin over by Johnny Foxes. There’s a minor turn right before Stepaside that brings you on a steady climb to the crossroads beside the pub. Seeing as i was going so well, i decided to keep going through the cross roads itself … down a very steep , nay perilous route for another couple of clicks until I came to a cross roads called Kilmalin.

Coming back up this steep route – i think its called the Devil’s Elbow – and its out of the saddle big time, which is unusual for me. This is a great stretch of climbing, some hair pin-like turns … love it.

More details on the spins taken from my Garmin toy – can be found by clicking here

Stats:

• Distance – 28.5 kms
• Time cycling – 1 hour 17 mins
• Average speed – 22.1 km/hour Max speed – 58 km/hour
• Average Hr – 124 bpm Max HR – 161 bpm
• Total climbing – approx 719 metres

Sunday 8th – a quickie … out to Enniskerry and back. To ensure that i kept it nice and easy, I even took the momentous decision to leave the Garmin at home, and merely spin the legs, enjoy the view etc etc – well at least until the rain came. Thankfully i got there and back without meeting any showers. Of course soon after i was home it was lashing rain again. What a bummer for a summer.

… this week work has been busy busy busy! Its bad enough being the end of the month and the end of the Quarter for the normal project and financial reporting, but this month involves Reviews/Appraisals for my direct reports as well as getting as much as possible sorted before i leave for my two week’s holidays which includes L’etape. Merde! My boss even managed to get me to go to a Munich meeting with an unhappy customer on the Tuesday. So this week there’ll be no cycling – no running – no swimming. At least i’ll have my normal commute to and from work as a means of spinning the legs, but that’s it.

Thursday 12th – bike is boxed, the cycling gear is in the travel bag, the passport is ready … i could do with another couple of weeks training to be ready, but we always say that don’t we. Work is not going well – some things on the boil big time, but there’s never a good time to take 2 weeks off is there ? Either way i’m in the airport tomorrow morning for about 5:30 am…… further updates later.

Epic Ride with Graham

No no no – i’m not hinting at anything … this concerns a wonderful day out in the Wicklow Mountains on the 1st of July last with a couple of lads acting as my final big hilly spin before L’etape 07. The route put together for the day was worthy of inclusion in the Epic Camps. Bear with me – its my blog!

Now that this epic ride is over, that’s it for the long days of toil in the saddle ; no more up really early in the morning so as to get a swift 100km and be home before lunch time … the hard work is now considered done. I’ll do a few evening spins around the hills after work, and perhaps even get out on Saturday or Sunday (7th-8th) but that’s it … I’m now on my taper.