Mont Ventoux on Bastille Day !

Anyone on Mont Ventoux today will be NUTS ! Reports of it blowing hard at the bottom , come as no surprise :

CyclingTips ‏@cyclingtips1h

Not sure what it's like at the top of Ventoux, but it's blowing a gale here at the bottom! We'll soon see...

With having suffered pedestrian interference , as i rode this climb in previous tours , and the fact that getting off the mountain after finishing as near to the finish line as allowed by the " turd Brigade " allows , there is no longer any appeal for me . Those who are die hard fans , will have motored to the point where they are able to park and no doubt will have carried supplies to last out the many days that parking there will require .

Visitors to my blogs will see that one of my last visits , was as described in this comment to the " ROAR Blog ":

http://www.theroar.com.au/2013/07/14/a-giant-smouldering-6000-foot-high-slagheap-why-mont-ventoux-is-so-feared/#comment-1564174

My comment :

" My twitter photo was taken , the day i rode the TRIPLE , in early Feb 2013 ! Yes it was possible , even with it being Winter elsewhere , Bedoin was showing 15C as i headed up for the 2nd climb . Coming off the top i met 3 Belgians who were heading up for their afternoon ride . I had rolled out of my tent at the Vaucluse YHA/Auberge Jeunesse at 6am with frost on the ground . Later in the week i would meet others at the Tour de Med , who had seen me in Maloucenes & Sault . Being in that area came about through my travel arrangements to the Tour Down Under going awry . faced with staying in London i headed to the South of France and visited a Criterium/ race lasting 4 days there , but being in such warm weather , the lure of revisiting Mont Ventoux proved too strong . Saturday i made the ride from Carpentras to Bedouin thence passing a few non english speakers arrived on the summit and descended to Sault , before going in search of the Auberge , which is tucked away in some really lovelly villages and cycling area . Well worth the visit alone. Sunday riding around the area visiting the various village markets , loosening up inspired the desire for the Triple . Monday was a tempo day , pushing mainly in 21 & 23 , although had 27 available , all the time in the world , but it was only after finishing that i discovered there was a register available to those that wanted to record the event .

Will not be at Mont Ventoux , today , i was there EARLY , the last time , the ride was continually interupted even in the early hours by walking people with the attitude that YOU should not be riding a bike , whilst they had to walk up carrying whatever supplies they needed for the wait for the rACERS to arrive ! WHAT AN ATTITUDE , going to suffer 6+ hours to watch the Racers pass , yet disrupting those that make the effort to emulate " THEIR SPORTING IDOLS "? Of course i would be happy to see the BEST MAN WIN , but with it being Bastille day and having suffered so much poor sportsmanship in the past visits , i will be dissappointed if a Frenchie emulates Richard Virenque's victory , whom i last rode with on that Monday Rest Day in Avignon , as members of the BikeStyle Tours & Sporting Tours fraternity , who spotted us and tried to chase down , will attest ".

No doubt many of those Tours Company personnel , will have set up Tents and will have sufficient Supplies available to ensure the health & Safety of their Clients . Make sure to LOCK Securely those bikes , since there will be plenty of villains looking for their Bastille Day Present ! For me the Eurosport TV feed will be a reward for the climb to 2000+m i will be making this morning , as i ride the Zillertal Hohenstrasse .

This item is from Ced Vasseur , i think it was the day that i saw the Paralympian French Champion ride , with one leg , this climb :

https://twitter.com/cedvasseur/status/356318222687014913/photo/1

Above photo taken when i did the Triple , more on that event to be found here :

http://www.skippi-cyclist.blogspot.com

To those that will be scrambling for the few moments that the Peloton passes them  , i hope it was all worth that effort :

the Inner Ring ‏@inrng22m

Reports say one million people could be on Mont Ventoux. Not sure about that, it'd be mean 24 people per metre of road on both sides

Last time Bastille Day meant anything worthwhile to me , was , when living in Sydney , we had a " Fancy Dress Party " , at the house in Longueville . Dressed as " Louis X11V " and my partner as " Marie Antonette " , we still had " Guests arriving " after midnight , some with the excuse of coming from work at the Theatre , thus unable to participate in dressing for the occasion . Some day i will find a way to turn photos of the occasion , into internet usuable material .

Those reading the " ROAR Blog , will recognise the following item :

  "  When Doctor Pierre Dumas leant over Tom Simpson after the British bike rider had crashed to the ground for the last time during the Tour of 1967, his mind would have gone racing back 12 years to the Tour of 1955.

On that occasion Dr. Dumas had to prise open the jaws of fallen cyclist Jean Mallejac in order to administer oxygen and then inject a stimulant to restart the stricken rider’s heart. Unlike Simpson though, Mallejac survived.

Both incidents occurred on the barren, sun beaten slopes of Mont Ventoux and under extreme conditions.

Temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius, coupled with furious racing and the dubious use of ‘supplements’ contributed to the demise of both riders. "

Whilst considering what will take place today , i would like to remind people that attempt to ride this climb and L'Alpe d'Huez that being properly refreshed and riding a comfortable tempo , is the key to success . Yesterday i spoke with a guy who was experiencing knee problems . It appears that he had been doing 30-40 km rides , then decided to do a 150km ride , claims the muscles were OK , but the knee suffered , wonder why ? Riding any amount of flat distances , will not prepare you for continous high percent climbing . Better prepared Cyclists will have found climbs that they are able to do multiple repeated ascents to condition the muscles but more importantly the mindset . When i decide to do a climb , i remind myself that i have done this climb before , although i do not attempt to recall the time i took on that occasion . Being 67yo riding past youngsters is sufficient motivation , but i do not spot someone ahead and increase my tempo with the thought to pass them . That tends to be self defeating further into a long climb .

Comment on another Blog article worth a read :

  "  I have met a group of rides who where doing an escorted tour. ie ride between hotels, with a van that takes baggage forward to next hotel and does sag wagon.

They only had one day to have shot and do the climb which I guess temped one of their members to ride around a road closure sign. He ended up with hypothermia and was getting blown off his bike, apparently he could not even keep his glasses on his face without holding them on..he was very lucky the cafe just near the forest was able to help me (and treat him).
The name Ventuox basically means the summit is in the mistral winds… which means the weather at the top can be extraordinarily cold and windy and down right dangerous if the weather is bad. After talking to the locals, its not uncommon for people to get caught out…
Moral of the story its a wonderful place to ride with many fantastic rides in the region around it, but, allow some time and don’t tempt fate with the weather at the top.

We were able to pick and choose days to ride there absolutely memorable experiences… want to go back again and again   "!

Is this what the fuss is all about :

From noon here , i will be following the progress of Ashton Agar , as he seeks to dig Oz out of the hole that the rest of the team has dug for themselves . With the " Wonders of Modern Technology " available to them , both the Captains and the Umpires need a " Good Kicking "! Allowed 2 referals apiece , when the facilities are there for full time use , strikes me as STUPIDITY !  Certainly , unwarranted referals should be penalised , perhaps adding an extra " Ball " to the over , or deduction of " Runs " from their Total , perhaps even Monetary Penalty , can be applied ?

1/ Can you believe that Peter Sagan would run with the Escape then do a " Robbie Mc Ewan " as the Peloton catches him ?

Le Tour De France ‏@letour2m

The showman does a wheelie before being caught http://www.letour.fr/le-tour/2013/us/live/aso/ … #TDF

 2/ CAN YOU BELIEVE that TEST Cricket , has you sitting on the edge of your chair ? Lunch break after half hour delay , not improved by Broad tying his shoe laces :

SKINS Chairman ‏@jaimiefuller36m

stuff that up your arse broad. your time wasting tactics didn't work

Phil Stefans ‏@PhilAtSilver738m

@Peter_Fitz How refreshing is it to watch a gripping sporting encounter without having odds rammed down your throat? #ashes

 Retweeted by SKINS Chairman

ONLY 20 runs needed for Oz , or heaven now forbid , that the Poms , get that last wicket !




DO NOT MISS THIS CHANCE to help Cyclists survive on the Roads Worldwide ! Usually Oz leads the way with Vehicle Safety Initiatives , so Why are they following Europe for CYCLISTS ?

SafeCyclingAustralia ‏@SafeCyclingOz26m

Remember everyone, the #survive1point5 petition is still running. Keep signing and help us make our point! http://fb.me/1YSYUe7pc 

Mont Ventoux on Bastille Day !

WELCOME TO LONDON

Copied from the blog : “ Cyclists in the City “!

The Seattle Times interviewed an official at Transport for London:

"In some ways, a bike riding novice in London is like a beginning skier in the Alps, according to Lilli Matson, an official with Transport of London - they need to be careful. She suggests that newcomers practice riding in safe zones such as London's flat Hyde Park." Lilli Matson is the head of delivery for the aptly-named 'Better Routes and Places' team at Transport for London. Her comment is just so so wrong. And yet she's absolutely right. Cycling in London is like beginning skiing in London.
And that's the problem. It shouldn't be like learning to ski. It should be like Montreal, where everyone can cycle and pretty much all shapes, ages and sizes do seem to cycle. London is turning cycling into an extreme sport - complete with hi-viz and helmets. Meanwhile, people in Montreal just happen to get about using bicycles. No helmets (or very few), no hi-viz. Most people didn't use lights at night, I noticed.

Motor vehicles: give way to people on bikes please !

Another US magazine has also been talking about cycling in London recently. The headline described cycling in London as "hell on two wheels". Using a bike in London is "like Darwinism" and that "only the fittest survive". The article in Atlantic Magazine is pretty straight-talking and it verges at points on the offensive. But both this piece and the article in the Seattle Times are hinting at the same thing. London has got its cycling culture really wrong. With the notable exception of a few small patches in, say Hackney, cycling in London is either commuting at speed or on Sundays when the streets are quieter. It still hasn't broken through to become something that literally everyone and anyone does just to get around.

And for that, I blame the Mayor and Transport for London. We are still designing cycle super highways that operate only at peak hours and are woefully inadequate when you compare them with what's being built in New York or Montreal.

London has exactly the same cycle hire bikes as Montreal. And now New York is launching its cycle hire scheme. Exactly the same bikes. And both cities are building extensive cycle networks with big, protected cycle lanes, priority for people on bikes at junctions. They're doing it right. London bought the bikes and then left Londoners to go play with the motor cars. I think that's wrong.

Those arriving in London seeing the same type of bike available are in for a SHOCKING EXPERIENCE ! As for those whose budget no longer stretches to cope with “ Day to day living expenses “ , what does the above tell them about the choice of a bike as a form of transport ?

Experienced as I am in riding the bike , and my instincts work better than most , I have still broken too many helmets , luckily no broken bones and had too many near misses in traffic  . Taking to skiing  , I was lucky , went through a season from beginner to instructor level . Would hate to think of what would have happened if I took up cycling in London ! Like others I would have probably valued my neck and quit !

Amused to turn on ORF Radio station FM4 today  and hear Stuey Freeman report that his bike , left at work , had lost it’s saddle ! Appealed for the return , but fat chance ! That is in down town Vienna  ! With Boris bikes , I wonder how many of those saddles go missing , are they worth stealing though ?

Whilst on the Dauphinee Libere Tour in Morzine I saw “ race style bikes “ available for rent at 35 euros /Day .  Certainly a better proposition if the roads were safe .


WELCOME TO LONDON