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SlowRower · Posted: Mon Jan 26, 2009 9:50 am Post subject: The Alpe D'Huez Challenge

Whilst p*ssed out of my skull on New Year's Eve, I accepted a challenge to race my mate up Alpe D'Huez this summer, to take advantage of the fact that our respective family hols will see us in Bourg D'Oisans simultaneously for two days in August.

Sadly, when he sobered up, he revealed he wasn't joking, and with family honour at stake, I couldn't back out!

Neither of us has cycled up such a climb before, so it will be a definite journey into the unknown, all the moreso since we have no real idea as to how good we are relative to each other.

To my advantage, I have a lot more experience of competition (cycling, rowing and running) than him, am currently a lot fitter, and have an usually low level of body fat.

To his advantage, he is four years younger (37 to 41), will have a bike around 4kg lighter, has not slipped / rupture / prolapsed etc. anything in his lower back twice in the last three years and has 7 months to reverse my advantages in terms of fitness and body fat.

We will be adopting radically different strategies for training. From a purely academic viewpoint, it will be interesting to see which is most effective, for what will be 80-90 minutes of time-trialing.

I will be adapting routines that have worked well for distance rowing and half marathon running in recent years. (5 or 6 hours per week at around 80% - 85% of max heart rate, primarily turbo based, as I'm a fair weather cyclist and have limited time available to train.)

He is aiming for 12-15 hours a week at lower intensity, with lots of off-road stuff.

Since the challenge was made, I've clocked up over 300k on the turbo, albeit with no hard data as to whether each k on the turbo actually represents the same distance on the road. (Speed on turbo and road for the same heart rate are consistent though.) I've also lost 2kg and pretty much memorised the Dialogue for "The Rock" and the Yes Minister Christmas Special, which are my favourite cycling DVDs. Smile

My mate has done a couple of "spin" sessions but not much else due to a hamstring strain.

So far, so good, from my perspective, although there's always the risk that training details flowing to and fro might be subject to "disinformation". Smile

This is probably the only guarantee of drug-free cycling on offer this year, and I will be going to the beach after rather than before the race... Smile

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EPO is for wimps. Proper cyclists go faster on beer, curry and porridge.

Bartali · Joined: 06 Oct 2006 Posts: 7730 Location: Hertfordshire

When's race day? I'll be there 2-5 July!

SlowRower · Posted: Mon Jan 26, 2009 10:08 am Post subject:

18th August. I hear that tickets for prime spots up the climb are already selling quickly. Smile

_________________
EPO is for wimps. Proper cyclists go faster on beer, curry and porridge.

redster73 · Joined: 28 Apr 2007 Posts: 1349 Location: by the sea

We'll need to get the camper up there early as traffic will be a nightmare...
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If you brake, you don't win

grrr · Joined: 06 Oct 2006 Posts: 1210 Location: Guildford, UK

Hang on his wheel all the way up then sprint for the line.

Obviously you will lose him as a friend but in the grand scheme of things what's more important, one less friend or winning on Alpe d'Huez?

SlowRower · Posted: Mon Jan 26, 2009 11:51 am Post subject:

Bartali · Joined: 06 Oct 2006 Posts: 7730 Location: Hertfordshire

BTW - I think your training is the better of the two plans!

It's a long time since I rode it on its own, but if you keep that training up I think you will be closer to 60 minutes than 90 minutes!! Just don't get disheartened by the first 3km or so. It gets better ... and you'll do the last 2km on pure adrenalin!

Oh .... don't forget to launch your attack as you enter the village at the brow of the hill. Finish banner is 150 meters away just before the tunnel!!

Good luck

sabcarrera · Joined: 11 Oct 2006 Posts: 178

SlowRower · Posted: Mon Jan 26, 2009 1:20 pm Post subject:

SlowRower · Posted: Mon Jan 26, 2009 1:24 pm Post subject: Re: The Alpe D'Huez Challenge

grrr · Joined: 06 Oct 2006 Posts: 1210 Location: Guildford, UK

I would take my chances at the baker's and take the Madone!

I love Bartali's comment "it's a long time since I rode it on its own".

Bastard!

Wink

redster73 · Joined: 28 Apr 2007 Posts: 1349 Location: by the sea

Bartali · Joined: 06 Oct 2006 Posts: 7730 Location: Hertfordshire

thunderthighs · Joined: 26 Apr 2007 Posts: 1481

thats not a tuff hill, only mystical, climb.. la mongie.. zoncalon.. good luck...
ciao
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io sono bello....and talent to boot...to bad.

SlowRower · Posted: Mon Jan 26, 2009 4:09 pm Post subject:

redster73 · Joined: 28 Apr 2007 Posts: 1349 Location: by the sea

Bartali · Joined: 06 Oct 2006 Posts: 7730 Location: Hertfordshire

berck · Posted: Mon Jan 26, 2009 6:14 pm Post subject:

One key to remember is that long climbs take a lot of energy out of you. You're much better off finding a pace you can hold for a while to leave you some energy to finish it off at the end. I've heard way too many stories about people who fly out in the first few miles, only to discover that they are burned up in the last couple to really finish it off.

We have a hill here and on it they do the Mt Diablo Challenge. The winner typically rides around 42 minutes on this hill. One hear, a guy had been practicing and got his time down to 42 minutes. When he arrived to do the challenge that day, a few pro cyclists has showed up and he got up with them at the front. He took off with them and rode the first two miles really fast. Faster than he ever had. He ended up finishing third that day with a time around 45-46 minutes.

SlowRower · Posted: Mon Jan 26, 2009 9:27 pm Post subject:

Berck,

I've learnt the folly of the "fly and die" numerous times in training (sometimes taking a calculated gamble) and a couple of truly horrendous experiences racing. I will be doing my utmost not to do this up ADH, even if family honour is at stake!

Unfortunately, my track record of restraint in the early stages is not all that good, but hopefully I'll not get carried away!
_________________
EPO is for wimps. Proper cyclists go faster on beer, curry and porridge.

Bartali · Joined: 06 Oct 2006 Posts: 7730 Location: Hertfordshire

"fly and die"! I like it. 43 years old and I do it nearly every time!