I have today successfully persuaded my department at work to take on a Cycling challenge to mirror this year’s Tour de France, as a way of raising funds for a yet to be determined charity
We are trying to encourage people to ride, so the distance targets are low
However, I’ve then looked at this and thought “if I am going to stand a chance to get money from potential sponsors, I need to hurt” - I have tapped people up for 4 different centuries in the last year, so asking them to sponsor me for doing 5km a day is not going to cut the mustard!
So immediately, I thought of how I can use GvA’s finest to challenge and push myself, and try and recreate the 21 stages of the tour from 21 individual videos. Bearing in mind I may be out of the country on 29-31 August (Covid allowing), I could end up having to double stack to make up stages
And this is where you all come in
I need to construct a tour that kinda replicates this year’s profile:
7flat
4hills
9* mountains
The ITT obviously speaks for itself (day 20 and my legs will be Screaming)
All input and thoughts welcome, and I will pull the profile together and share it here toward the end of August
Flat: Rookie, HHNF, Cash Register, Who Dares, Fight Club, Joyride, Downward Spiral
Hills: There is No Try, Defender, Local Hero, Butter
Mountains: Thin Air, Angels, ISLAGIATT, Wretched, GOAT, Power Station, Hunted, Getting Away With It, The Way Out.
How is the plan going? I’m thinking the same thing - would like to do a ride every day of the Tour that matches in some way the stages of the Tour that day. May do some outside when the weather and time permits but in Scotland that won’t be too many days.
apologies, I then got struck down with a cold, and have only just emerged this morning…
so my homebrew start will be delayed until Monday. I will work out the route shortly using Ross’ recommended options and will share shortly before lunchtime
I am still missing one more flat stage (any suggestions welcome). I will be starting on Monday and posting to Strava, not gonna suggest I’m doing this nuclear (no chance), but It’ll be a good crack
STAGE
TYPE
DATE
START AND FINISH
DISTANCE
1
FLAT
Joyride
SAT 08/29/2020
NICE MOYEN PAYS > NICE
156 KM
2
MOUNTAIN
Thin Air
SUN 08/30/2020
NICE HAUT PAYS > NICE
186 KM
3
FLAT
HHNF
MON 08/31/2020
NICE > SISTERON
198 KM
4
HILLY
There is no Try
TUE 09/01/2020
SISTERON > ORCIÈRES-MERLETTE
160.5 KM
5
FLAT
Fight Club
WED 09/02/2020
GAP > PRIVAS
183 KM
6
HILLY
Defender
THU 09/03/2020
LE TEIL > MONT AIGOUAL
191 KM
7
FLAT
Rookie
FRI 09/04/2020
MILLAU > LAVAUR
168 KM
8
MOUNTAIN
GOAT
SAT 09/05/2020
CAZÈRES-SUR-GARONNE > LOUDENVIELLE
141 KM
9
MOUNTAIN
Getting Away with It
SUN 09/06/2020
PAU > LARUNS
153 KM
-
REST DAY
MON 09/07/2020
LA CHARENTE-MARITIME
10
FLAT
Who Dares
TUE 09/08/2020
ÎLE D’OLÉRON LE CHÂTEAU-D’OLÉRON > ÎLE DE RÉ SAINT-MARTIN-DE-RÉ
Having started late, have doubled up on 3 days to get back to schedule. Also, having realised going nuclear for what would have been 21 SufFest stages in 20 days was suicide, I set a more realistic “stay above 30km/h Sufspeed” target - going 100% at the start of a week, and setting a “base” level for each workout, but working above it, so holding between 80 - 100% for the other stages
NGL I’m feeling it after 15 stages, but the last 6 means the target is in site. I have swapped a couple around due to work commitments, running kids to activities and parties, etc, but that finish line is now in site
Details here if you are interested, but top level:
Time
Distance
TSS
km/h
00:53
27.49
76.67
31.08
Ave
13:16
412.39
1150
Total
15 stages completed (as per the tour), 6 to go starting back on Tuesday
