As you can see, our fans have already provided themselves with appropriate clothing for the legendary party in Paris. What else can go wrong. So let’s go on a new adventure …
… 3 weeks, 20 stages, 2 rest days, once almost around France. Atlantic coast, Pyrenees, Provence, Maritime Alps, Haute des Alpes, Savoy, Paris, sun, heat, wild animals, rain, wind and cold, challenging mountains, sunflower and lavender fields, chalets and medieval castles, small towns, lonely agricultural landscapes and so much more …
Today at noon one last training ride on my favorite track in the hinterland of Lake Constance. Again an interval with the attempt to get close to my segment times. To then at the vantage point in our area (about 900m above sea level) in the beer garden “am Höchsten” a beer fizzing think of France. How will it be; what will have changed; hopefully the participants are cool; have I changed; I have become 2 years older; on 3’300 km something funny will happen again; too bad that Beat is not there; …
Before this last descent, I had to think of CHRIS FROOM, who was riding down a mountain at high speed yesterday and was thrown against a wall by a gust of wind. Hopefully it is not as bad as first thought, all best wishes for recovery to Lyon. I always had and still have holy respect to ride down the mountains and could never understand it when Andy races down the mountain at 80 km/h with his funny mountain bike. Or Christoph, with all his racing experience, hurtling down the Black Forest roads at 100 km/h only to report disappointedly at the bottom that he missed the Strava segment record.
With these thoughts I then rolled down the last kilometers of this wonderful scenic route and now pack my bike and all the other stuff for the trip. This is then but easier than thought, no 11h by train via Paris. EasyJet flies from Basel me and my racing bike to Nantes and Basel is easy to reach by train. However, the only possible flight was already on Friday, so I’m a day before there, which gives me time to walk through the city on the Loire.
When I reported my travel data, came postwendend the feedback my Velo friends will also already be on Friday in Nantes and they are happy, that sounds then about so:
Roland
Hi. Fantastic ! Ian and I fly in on Friday afternoon also. Sounds like dinner and beers on Friday night then.
Best wishes my friend
Chris
My Fitness Conditions
With all the bad weather, the rain in May/June, I’m missing some long distances that I haven’t ridden enough. That should actually be different. But what makes me confident are the times of my training sectors. Here I come close to the times I rode after the Tour de France 2017, so then in top form. I think I have the interval training to thank for that. And that with the long distances, the LSD trainings, well, I know by now that I have the substance to ride long distances. But 3000 km more in the legs would be just not bad … But it’s like always, whether Dolomites, Pyrenees or France tour, you could have always made more / wanted / should.
Tricots and etc.
I have sworn to myself the next time to take everything with me, what my cycling wardrobe gives.
20 stages through all imaginable climatic zones of France require clothing variations. 5 sets of jerseys should be enough for the pants pads to recover 3 days. Because never put on the same pants again.
It will rain again, be cold in the mountains and burn the sun in the south, here the right clothing is everything. So I take all variants with what my Schank gives and fits into the suitcase. Especially since I will have packed this time (!) My Day Bags with spare clothes.
Food Supplements
As mentioned recently, I have set up a plan to provide myself with the necessary additional calories. Purely mathematically, I need 4 – 8 or 12 gels / bars / snacks per day. For three weeks and 20 stages, that adds up to quite a bit, as you can see in the photo. But it’s not just the gels and snacks, but also products (the big bag) that are designed to help me regenerate. Because regeneration is everything in order not to exhaust myself and to stay fit and healthy through the 3 weeks.
Daily Reports and it’s Structure
So there are now again daily tour reports. Provided that I have internet access in the hotel – unfortunately still not a matter of course – I can fill the report with content and release it in the evening.
With some work I filled the prepared pages with better content. You read the blog in the morning with the report of the previous day, while we are already on the new stage and then wonder what is on the schedule today, at least that’s what you reported.
So I did some research and prepared each blog page with a small section of the next stage. A cultural, scenic view and what happened so at the tour of 1972. On a small map of France you can see a small red dot where we are. For the interesting stages in the Alps and Pyrenees I let Google Earth create an overflight video. So you get a wonderful impression of the upcoming route. It is about 5 min. videos, who is too slow, can let it run faster.
Weather
I’ve really had enough of cold and wet. We haven’t had such a rainy May/June in a long time. But it looks much friendlier for Bordeaux.
… now please eat up all your plates and pray for good weather on Sunday. Cross your fingers for us, so that we all get through healthy, without problems and defects and have a lot to tell afterwards.
It will be alright …
Roland
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PS – Bicycle Transportation
How do you get a road bike on a plane asked me my “inn” friends. Well, it’s quite simple, wrapped in covering foil from the hardware store and checked in as sports equipment. You pick it up at the airport, remove the foil, lock the saddle, put on your shoes and ride off. That’s what happened the last time before the 2017 tour in Girona. By the way, this is freedom, a bike, a backpack, the VISA in the shoe and just go. That has always worked so far. In the end, it’s only 5.5 kg.
