My training for the l’Etape du Tour is progressing. It started just four weeks ago with a tough hilly ride of just 37k. Yesterday I managed a 104k ride and I’ve completed two of Strava’s challenges for the month, the Gran-Fondo (100k in a single ride) and the April climbing challenge (7,500m of climbing).
Here are a couple of selfies from recent rides…
There’s still a long way to go though! l’Etape du Tour in 2017 is 178k long with over 3,500m of climbing. Plus there’s the added difficulty of the race finishing with a wicked climb up to the Col d’Izoard, the highest point of the day at 2360m. That climb is gonna be really tough with over 130k already in my legs!
And now for a few rest days, and time to fill up on calories. There seems to be lack of cakes recently!
Pantani did the Alpe d’Huez in an hour less than me about 24 years ago. I put it down to the fact that he had 130+ km of warm up before leaving Bourg, I started from the campsite at the bottom of the hill straight after breakfast!! Did the Bwlch twice yesterday, have to go back and do teh third way as well sometime soon for a full house. Enjoy, I’ll stick to my 80 mile days.