Sunday's club ride was a proper battle with the elements that constitute the glorious British Springtime. It clocked up 125km in total but it felt like a lot more.

Looking out of my window at 7.45am I was rather surprised to find that the dry, sunny day I had been expecting when I went to bed had been replaced by a damp, overcast blanket of grey. Time to break out the waterproofs and put the raceblade mudguards on the decent bike. The blades went on fine, as did the waterproof, a battered 7-year-old item that as one rider commented "could probably keep out the Antartic winter".

Off I set in the drizzle to meet Rhyddid and head down to the meet, picking up his mate Nick along the way. Neither of them had mudguards on their bikes and nor did anyone else when we got to the start point for the ride. Which of course meant that everyone looked like they'd been out on a Paris-Roubaix re-enactment by the end of the ride, myself included.

I'm sure some may have benefitted from tucking in on my slightly dryer wheel and my feet certainly benefitted from not enduring all the splash off the frame and front wheel so perhaps it wasn't such a bad idea. But if it's wet on the Etape, I'm not going to stand on ceremony or politesse - the guards will be off.

A slightly different route this week and a couple of hills I hadn't tackled before. It may have been the lack of a proper breakfast or having riding a little too hard on my trip across town on Saturday night but, when we hit the first long drag up, my legs were burning like well stoked boiler fires and the power just wasn't there. It could also have been the cold and wet sapping the energy away. Whatever the case, my climbing legs were definitely not with me.

By the time we got to Ranmore Hill I was sweating like a Festina rider at a dope control. I unzipped my jacket and looked down to find two minature ornamental ponds had formed in the folds which then gushed out. By the time we crested Box Hill for tea and flapjacks I was safely damper on the inside than out as the rain eased off.

At this point I discovered that carrying notes in sealed platic bags isn't always a good idea, especially when they are a tenner and you haven't noticed them falling out when you were fishing about for your phone. Luckily Robin stumped up for a cup of tea for me, which I shall repay next week. And next week I will beat him up Box Hill - he nipped passed me on the final stretch last week and this week was way ahead of me.

By the time Rhyddid and I crossed Richmond Bridge the thought of doing a few more laps of the park to push up to 150km was abandoned as we fel absolutely knackered. So it only remained for him to bag a puncture as we came past Kew Gardens, bringing the total for the ride that day to at least 3.

I got home and collapsed on the sofa, shoving the filthy bike in the kitchen and a pizza in the oven. After a bath and a snooze I felt remarkably well considering how much like hard work the ride had felt. This seems a good sign to me.

Posted by Alex on 24 April 2006, 23:04 Digg this | Add to del.icio.us | Reddit | Newsvine | Facebook | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks ()

I've said it before but of the three climbs the Izoard is really the one with true history, character and dramatic views. Most famously Coppi and Bobet's rivalry through the 1950s is celebrated by the monument near the summit.

It's been part of the tour since 1922 and the list of riders to have crossed it in the lead reads like a rollcall of legends from a golden age. www.ledicodutour.com gives a list from 1947 onwards that includes Robic, Bobet, Coppi, Bartali, Merckx and Bahamontes.

I would like to think I will be adding my name to that list this year which, in a way, I will be. The Etape is going over it a week before the peleton proper does so, by the use of the logic beloved of amateur sporting legends everywhere, I will cross the Izoard ahead of the peleton. This is of course the same by which I have never been beaten by Lance Armstrong for the reason that I have never competed against him.

I always think I've seen the Izoard in the race more times than I actually have. I can vaguely recall Botero going over it in 2000 but not Garmendia in 2003, which is probably down to the lousy UK television coverage of the event.

It's strange that it isn't more often eulogised by those writing about Le Tour since that golden era of the 1950s when it was crossed more frequently than it is now. There's a musuem near the top, which I would love to visit but which I doubt I'll want to stop for on the Etape unless I get a chance to ride up there on the Saturday beforehand.

Similarly part of me wishes I had more time to take pictures on the day as we ride up through the alpine scenery of the lower part of the climb and the unmistakeable Casse Desert, a landscape often described as "lunar" by journalists.

Posted by Alex on 21 April 2006, 14:04 Digg this | Add to del.icio.us | Reddit | Newsvine | Facebook | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks ()

It's not so much a physical one as a mental one - My left knee has been feeling a bit sore since Monday and I haven't been out on the bike to stretch it out yet. I'm going to get it looked at just to be sure but that hasn't stopped me worrying.

The "what if" element of the situation is proving difficult to deal with. I would be distraught if it were something serious enough to stop me riding the Etape, but would probably end up trying to ignore it and ride through it. There's less than 3 months to go and nothing is going to make me back out now.

I shouldn't really mock the idea of taking a positive mental attitude to get me through it but I can't resist finding the idea that "thinking positive" can deal with a physical problem slightly preposterous.

Preliminary advice is that it might just be down to stiff hip flexor muscle, which would explain why my left side is feeling a bit weak in general.

I've been trying to do the stretches as recommended by cyclefit on their stretching page which are helping relieve the pain and ease my ongoing lower back ache:

http://www.cyclefit.co.uk/stretching.htm

I have a suspicion it's spending too much time sitting on a poorly designed chair in front of the computer that is the problem. I suppose I could sit on the bike and balance the latop on the handlebars instead. Or I could get out on the bike and ride it off and stop saying "tomorrow I'll do it."

Posted by Alex on 19 April 2006, 23:04 Digg this | Add to del.icio.us | Reddit | Newsvine | Facebook | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks ()

Ed in Vercors may be able to help if you need a transfer from the airport for either La Marmotte or L'Etape:

"There obviously seems to be a lot of interest in these 2 events at the moment. I was wondering if there are any independent riders out there travelling on their own or as a group/club/team who need transfers to the start/finish of either of these events at Gap or Alpe d'Huez? I have VW 9 seater minibus & custom built bike trailer available if required? If there is a demand for people coming into either Geneva or Lyon I could bring a tool box & track pump along so you cant sort bikes out then I can move bike bags over to Alpe d'Huez, hotels. Then transfer riders back to the airport after the event(s). Bearing in mind this is about a 900km round trip journey! Is there a requirement out there for this service to riders? Feedback welcome. email: info@bikeandski-vercors.com

Ed
www.bikeandski-vercors.com"

Please get in touch with Ed directly if you are interested.

Posted by Alex on 19 April 2006, 23:04 Digg this | Add to del.icio.us | Reddit | Newsvine | Facebook | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks ()

Sunday's club ride felt good in my legs and I found myself comfortably sitting on the front for plenty of the ride and really going at the hills with purpose. By the time I got home I felt I could have gone another hour without too much suffering.

Admittedly as I pedalled up my street I noticed the odometer reading 119.50km, so I did a cheeky lap around the block just to make sure that it ticked over the 120km marker. It's a strange feeling finding yourself pedalling just to turn over the numbers and give yourself a sense of achievement.

I tried out a new gel on Sunday, the Powerbar blackcurrant flavour with caffeine, which seems to do the job. I had the usual spot of retching and mild nausea I seem to get from all the gels I have tried but it passed as soon as it had begun. Not ideal but I'm struggling to find a better way of getting the maximum of energy out of the minimum of volume.

The other half of my riding energy supply is at present a 50/50 mix of orange juice and water with a pinch of salt. This isn't going to be practical for anything like the duration of the Etape but, if I go with the musette bag/bib shorts full of lucozade sport that I have been considering, then my two bottles of it should see me over at least the first climb and down to the first feed station proper.

I am of course assuming that I'll be able to fight my way through the feeding frenzy and grab both juice and water to refill my bottles with. It could be where my French comes in most handy, apart from understanding what's going on in a group and the abuse being bandied about at the Rosbif refusing to take his turn on the front.

Some french phrases

I've just had to look up the French for "pothole", a phrase which should be good to know for the descents. According to my dictionary it is "un nid de poule", literally a chicken's nest. for the less familiar of you, that will sound like "need duh pool", although I presume the shout will be of "need" for the sake of brevity.

A simple hole is "un trou", with sounds like "true". I'm sure there's a cyclist's lexicon somewhere that I should hunt down. Team T-Mobile have a Cycling dictionary on their site but I can't find it in there.

"Pousse" means that they want you to take you turn on the front and push the pace along, something I'm sure they'd do better to avoid letting me do but if they insist it shouldn't take long for them to see their mistake.

As Brendan has commented, quite rightly "Put it in the little ring (or middle ring for those of you with a triple) and suck wheels shamelessly for as long as humanly possible". It's a great comment and, despite being a novice myself, I have to agree that there's too much fear mongering amongst some of the types on the various forums. You can read his comment in full here: http://www.atomicecho.com/etape/2006/04/well_thats_the_bike_ready.shtml

Posted by Alex on 18 April 2006, 10:04 Digg this | Add to del.icio.us | Reddit | Newsvine | Facebook | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks ()

There's always plenty of it around, nowhere more so than cycling messageboards. It can range from the have-a-go-heroes telling you you're not training hard enough unless you are riding every hill in sight in some monster gear to the genuinely informative, like the following one from Ed In Vercors on the Cycling Plus forum, which breaks down the course into the key elements and perhaps helps think about how best to ride it.

http://www.cyclingplus.co.uk/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=93849

As posts have a tendency to get lost as they get older and are archived, I've taken the liberty of reproducing it in full below, something which I hope Ed and Cycling Plus won't mind.

"I have ridden this years Etape stage a couple of times already & have pretty good experience of French Sportives etc so I hope the following guidlines are usefull additions to the other posts.
1. Gap start. This can be one of the hottest places in France in July. Arrive early & start drinking bottled water. If you have spent a lot of time/effort/£'s getting this far don't waste it by taking chances with different food & water. Use PSP22 or similar, GO, for the event itself.
Check the weather forecast. Back page of the Dauphiné paper will give you an indication, otherwise just ask the hotel or have a look outside the tourist office. They have the next days forecast on the door. Or, check with race organisation.
2. The route to Embrun & Guillestre is open & generally flat. This can be windy & exposed. Stick in groups & stay at a comfortable pace. Take on fluids.
3. Col d'Izoard, major altitude at 2360m. The climb starts soon after Guillestre & upwards for about 25km. It is particularly demanding once out of the trees & into the rocky, scree type landscape near the summit. Here is where you will notice the altitude if you have not acclimatised beforehand.
4. Descent to Briançon, good, safe, fast downhill, few hairpins.
5. Briançon-Col du Lautaret, short sharp climb out of Briançon which hurts after the long descent. Long steady climb on a rough road up through Serre Chevalier. Can bit a bit of a downer here as the Col can be seen from a long way down. Sit on wheels here & get some gels down.
6. Lautaret-Oisans, you may need a gilet before dropping down into the valley. Watch out for potholes, subsidence, tunnels, traffic, cattle etc. Otherwise enjoy one of the tdf famous alpine downhill sections. More food/fluids on the final flat section into Bourg d'Oisans.
7. At the bottom of the Alpe take on fluids even if you feel ok.
8. Alpe d'Huez, it will be carnage on the road with people walking, sitting on the barriers etc!? Go at your own pace particularly for the first few bends until you find a rhythm, then get on a wheel if you can or stay in a group. Break the hill down into sections as you tick off the numbered bends or km's to go.
Have a good ride, enjoy the atmosphere. It is not too late to get out & ride the route now. Good luck.

Ed
www.bikeandski-vercors.com

Posted by Alex on 15 April 2006, 23:04 Digg this | Add to del.icio.us | Reddit | Newsvine | Facebook | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks ()

Now I just need to finish getting myself ready. I fitted the computer and got the cassette changed at Sigma Sport, who managed to fit me in and do it all in about 10 minutes.

The bike will probably go in for a final checkover about a month before the event, maybe some new tyres and new bar tape when I get out there. As for me, I'll get a feeding of silly amounts of pasta and carbohydrates along with enough fluid to fill the Panama canal.

I've checked that there is a Decathlon in Gap which may want to stock up on cycling equipment as it's not unlikely there'll be a few of us descending on it for last minute emergency purchases, depending on the conditions.

Over on the Cycling Plus forum there's an interesting thread on Etape jitters - http://www.cyclingplus.co.uk/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=93849 which I have thrown my two pennorth in on. Elsewhere, on Etape or Bust, it seems that a few people are having problems with their doctor's certificates. I do hope it sorts itself out as I can imagine nothing worse than coming this far and then not able to go.

I'm currently living in fear of injury as I've got a bit of a niggle in my left quad which really needs seeing to. It means I've been taking it easy this week, although I did do my 16-20km up through Hampstead and Highgate in the middle of the week and didn't feel too bad. Might pop out later today for a 30 km dash round Richmond Park at a reasonably high intensity if it brightens up.

Posted by Alex on 14 April 2006, 12:04 Digg this | Add to del.icio.us | Reddit | Newsvine | Facebook | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks ()

For the first time in what seems like ages I didn't go out riding on Saturday. Instead I went off and did other things with my day and saved my energies for the Sunday ride through the Surrey Hills.

The difference was marked and worth noting: My legs felt stronger, I found myself riding on the front for extended periods and some insane urge found me attacking the hills from the outset. I felt much more at ease with the pace and less exhausted on the climbs overall though - even the long drag of Ranmore Hill didn't kill me.

Admittedly these attacks on the hills were more foolhardy than advised as most people came winging past me about 500 metres later and I spent the rest of Sunday lying down in mild agony. For me the important thing is that I felt I could go at the hills rather than just try and survive them.

So this shift in schedule means I shall take a gentle ride into town later today to drop off some documents and call it a recovery ride, then I shall wait until Wednesday before going out for another decent ride which will be all about trying to work on my power and thresholds. From Wednesday it's time for a rest before Sunday again, with maybe a couple of gentle rides inbetween.

As I'm starting a new job next week which involves a decent length commute of about 9km my mileage should start going up again meaning less need to worry about base miles and more time to concentrate on power which is where I feel I still need to do some work.

On the list to do before I start work again are:

Take the bike in and get a 12-27 block fitted. This is a bit of a priority as I'm finding that I can handle a 42/27 ratio but that 42/25 is just a bit high for me. Admittedly I'm covered by having a triple but I would feel more comfortable having that extra bit there as most of the time I can manage without having to shift down. Plus when the worst comes to the worst I need that emergency 30/27.

Remount my computer. I just need some cable ties really but I've been lazy about it/unable to figure out how to get it on the strange shaped forks. I've also been considering getting a new, flashier computer. But beyond current speed, average speed and distance I try not to pay too much attention to the thing and ride as much as possible on feel. Maybe it would be better if I knew cadence and various other things, or is it just more to obsess over?

Posted by Alex on 10 April 2006, 10:04 Digg this | Add to del.icio.us | Reddit | Newsvine | Facebook | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks ()

Yes, the numbers are up on the official site. Go to http://www.letapedutour.com/ and make sure you're in the French version. It's under "La liste des inscrits". you enter you surname and it should produce a list including yourself.

This has made me incredibly nervous and excited. As you can tell from the post title my dossard is number 5577 and I'm starting in pen number 6. it looks like there are 7 pens in total, although there might be 8. So, as expected, I'm going to be starting nearer the back than I would like.

One might suspect that all those who have entered via a tour company have been lumped together, despite the draw being apparently a "tirage au sort":

1 - Regroupement par paquet de 100 enveloppes de l'ensemble du courrier. (Grouped into bundles of 100 envelopes from the total mail)

2 - Tirage au sort des paquets d'enveloppes du premier jusqu'au dernier. (Drawing of lots from first to the last)

3 - Les enveloppes seront alors ouvertes dans l'ordre et, tous les bulletins s'y trouvant et compris dans le quota d'engagement prévu, seront retenus pour participer à l'épreuve. (Opened in order and all entries in envelopes, up to the foreseen quota, retained for particpation).

In fact it seems more than likely all our entries were in the same envelope. Other Etapists I've already spoken to are back in the same sort of area, pens 5-7, so it's not just me.

If you are a fellow rider for Get Kids Going! or London Dynamo please send a comment with your dossard number and pen and I'll add them all in here. then we can see if we can't get a "Team GB" group going to work our way through the field in the early stages. A few English speaking voices should make life easier for us all when it comes to working in a group.

Posted by Alex on 6 April 2006, 10:04 Digg this | Add to del.icio.us | Reddit | Newsvine | Facebook | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks ()

There's one band whose name is instantaneously invoked by cyclists everywhere: Kraftwerk. Those metronomic Germans have something of a monoppoly on Le tour, musically speaking.

Their 2003 album, Tour De France Soundtracks, is fairly constantly on my iPod when I'm out riding on my own and is just about right for the average training ride.

But when it comes to going full tilt on a ride and pushing myself harder I usually go for something a little more rocking. Currently doing the job for me are Hot Chip's Over And Over and The Delays' Valentine.

I was going to try and link through to a few of my favourites on iTunes but it seems you can't do that on their affiliates programme. I'm going to start adding regular playlist tunes from my cycling list for you to enjoy as well. It's something I've meant to do for a while now along with ads to see if I can't raise a little money that way.

Posted by Alex on 5 April 2006, 09:04 Digg this | Add to del.icio.us | Reddit | Newsvine | Facebook | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks ()

Below are a few photos I took when I got home this afternoon after my fall. As you can see, mostly just mud on me but a couple of dings on the bike.

My Rapha top took the worst of the mud, right on the white bit which meant a good hard handwash to get it out. It could have been much worse if I hadn't landed straight into a soft bit or there had been trees or bushes in the way.

I did manage to lose the little plate that goes in the top of my left-hand lever, which will now just remind me of what happens when I come off. I think I lost an energy gel as well which I didn't notice until I really needed it up one of the climbs and was trying to force some flapjack down my throat while gasping for air.

Not sure how this happened but, by the look of it, that's where my right foot came over the bike as it whipped round past me. It might have been from when the bike landed. Another reminder of why falling is a bad thing. I've cleaned down the bike and can't find any other damage to speak of which is definitely a good thing.

Posted by Alex on 2 April 2006, 22:04 Digg this | Add to del.icio.us | Reddit | Newsvine | Facebook | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks ()

I'm slightly muddy as I managed to have my first big fall of the year. Coming down a descent at about 50kph, misjudged a righthander, hit loose gravel and a rivulet of water, aquaplaned and then got thrown sideways off the bike. Luckily I landed in a muddy bank. Thank fuck for that bank.

Surprisingly little damage apart from pride but that took a battering anyway as I got dropped on ever hill of about a 100km ride. Everyone kept on having to wait for me at the top of hills which was quite embarassing. Otherwise I enjoyed my first trip out on the Sunday ride through the Surrey Hills with the Dynamo lot.

More annoying is that one of the little plates from the top of my levers came off and so I need to hunt down a replacement for it. Or I could just wear the lack of one as a badge of honour.

The bike really needs a proper clean but I need takeaway pizza so it'll have to wait until this evening to get a full hose-down and scrub.

Post-bath analysis shows I have a bit of a bruise on my left shoulder at the back of the arm and a little stiffness in my left arm. Otherwise it's the usual aches and pains of someone who has ridden further and faster than usual.

it only occurred to me when I got in how fast I was going. And that the banks on Alpine descents aren't as soft, so I'll be trying to avoid doing that again. I've taken plenty of pictures of the state of me for my records that I can file under "first big fall" and some of which I'll pop on here at some point soon, hopefully later today.

Posted by Alex on 2 April 2006, 13:04 Digg this | Add to del.icio.us | Reddit | Newsvine | Facebook | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks ()