Bike Tart
alwaysriding
To ride the Tour de France is to suffer, but as the peloton cycle from Bagnères-de-Luchon to Pau, a distance of some 199.5 km during Stage 16 of this year's Tour, this will never have been more true.
Cresting a total of four legendary passes before arriving at the infamous lower slopes of the Col d'Aubisque, a point at which the riders will have already climbed nearly 5000 metres before attempting the ascent, this outrageously demanding stage will not only dispense with the pleasantries, but empty the bread basket before the soup arrives, and burp loudly in the waiter's face. On the bright side, if you are going to have your legs taken out, you might as well do it in the company of some of the most beautiful scenery in the world. Views so outrageously reminiscent of the hearty, bell tinkling muesli packaging stereotypes, that it is hard to beat yourself up for hitting the reverse gear as the gradient takes its relentless call upwards.
Pete from Always Riding (pre Always Riding, but clearly, he was riding a lot, maybe not Always, but a lot) cycled from Pau to the top of the Col d'Aubisque and back a few years ago, and for this post, we'd like to share with you some of his photos from the ride. As you can see, it isn't a mountain to forget your camera, but more importantly, to forgot your training. You'll be riding at nearly 1800 metres by the top - over a mile high. That's a level where height ceases to be, and altitude takes over.
We are no experts, but following a few pointers will certainly help if you do attempt to climb this, or similarly lofty peaks.
Here are our top tips for mountain success:
1. Always wear sunscreen, and preferably wear clothing with a UV protection level.2. Start the climb with your water bottles full, one water, one isotonic - this is no place to run dry.
3. Don't hit a big gear on the early slopes if you feel good. These mountains are beyond anything you can imagine if you have never ridden them. Pace yourself, let other riders go crazy, and rest assured that you'll pass 70% of them before the top.
4. Don't forget the sunglasses - the light is bright up here.
5. Take a camera, and don't be afraid to stop for a photo. You might be aiming for a certain time, but photos are a great way of keeping those memories alive.
6. If you do stop, make sure to go to the side of the road and not suddenly in front of other riders.
7. EVERYBODY is hurting, no one finds this sort of climb easy.
To see the route map for stage 16, click here: http://www.letour.fr/2010/TDF/COURSE/us/1600/etape_par_etape.html
Bon Chance!
