Hi all
Sunday I’ll be in France taking part in the l’etape du tour, taking on galiber, croiz de fer and alpe duez
Some advice on which Intensity i should ride at up these climbs please?
Any tips on fuelling gels etc and what not to eat at the stops ?
Or - you know - just enjoy your great good fortune and enjoy the ride. 
First, ride at a level you can ride. You don’t want to go out so hard that you blow up on the first climb and have to be taken off it.
Second: And this is VERY important. Don’t ask for fueling advice in a forum. Seriously. What works for some folks might cause you to become violently ill.
Third: Now about fueling. Eat what makes you feel refreshed. If it’s a gel, go for it. If it’s a bacon sandwich, likewise. What you don’t want to do is eat something that makes you feel ill. Also, eat OFTEN. Not a lot, but keep the carb engine fueled.
And as always, your mileage may vary.
Yep. I’ve seen folks come here and ask about food/hydration and then fall ill on the next ride. I have a fellow rider who cannot tolerate gels. It’s vomit city if he eats one. His wife can chug them down all day. She cannot tolerate bars. Reverse that scenario. Same with drinks. Some folks cannot drink ‘sugar water’ without bonking. Others cannot tolerate anything with proteins in them. You must figure out what works for you and then follow through. Also, what works for a two hour endurance ride might not work for a one hour climbing/threshold ride.
How did you do? I was there, really tough on Alpe D’Huez I thought. Only 8600 of the 16000 finished!
I finished but outside of the finishing time limit. Brutal day, too hot on croix de fer and not enough water stops
I drank 4 litres and missed the first 2 stops!
Finished 2624th.
Think they could have added a water stop on Alpe D’Huez.
