Update 11 August 2009:

I'm well and truly back from the holiday that started with the ride, and the official photos have also just been published (see above). The weather was good, albeit a bit hot - 42°c on the first half of Ventoux was recorded - but Tony, my cycling partner, was ill, a pale ghost of himself and completely unable to turn a pedal in anger. Cruelly, in addition, his bike threw him a mechanical curveball that was only cured after a third pitstop. After 150km and at the start of Mt Ventoux he was caught by the ‘broom wagon’ and told to leave the race. I had my own problems climbing Ventoux - I had relied on the Chalet Reynard drink stop, 6km from the summit, only to find it closed by the time I got there - however there was a bar, with a queue down the mountain. Eventually I finished in a partially explainable 9hr 57mins, some way off my anticipated time of 8.5hrs, which would have put me in the company of Chris Boardman, TdeF prologue champion, and Olympic gold medalist. The views from the top were staggering as I hope the photo above hints at.

 

Wheels for Wellbeing and I thank you all for your support on and off this site; if you have the chance to pass the link to anyone who might want to support the cause or might know of someone who might benefit directly from the charity itself, this would be much appreciated.

 

Simon

 

 

This year sees the amateur stage of the Tour de France finish at the top of Mont Ventoux (1,912m) “probably the most difficult climb in France” – Lance Armstrong. The stage starts 172km earlier in Montelimar, but it’s the last 23km that will sort the wheat from the chaff. Firstly the weather is incredibly unpredictable. In 2004, it snowed in July on the summit, and then there’s the wind: the highest wind speed recorded at the observatory on the top was 320kph. The link below takes you to a short film that shows part of the climb in all its glory:  

http://www.cyclefilm.com/letapedutour2009.html

There is a slightly nerdy but very useful website (www.salite.ch) that renders most of the mountains in Europe into a set of statistics. Ventoux (Le Geant de Provence) scores c160 points. The toughest climb I have done so far is the Col d’Aubisque, another TdeF favourite and a hors categorie (most difficult category) climb as far as the race organisers are concerned, but this only scores 125 points.

Why am I doing this? Firstly because Tony (Hayes – my cycling partner) and I are trying to conquer all the major climbs in Europe, and the TdeF is a fantastic event to be part of even as an amateur (on the rest day for the professionals).

Secondly and more importantly we are doing it for charity, and I am doing it for one charity specifically – Wheels for Wellbeing (www.wheelsforwellbeing.org.uk). This charity is a classic example of a charity that is struggling to achieve critical mass but which can offer so much to its beneficiaries. It has the equipment, but struggles for funding to cover its revenue costs, principally for staff.

What does Wheels for Wellbeing do? To put it simply, it supports disabled people to cycle. You and I take our freedom and independence for granted – but many disabled people can’t. Some are limited in the outdoor activities they can do with their families and friends, and miss out on the fun cycling can give.

The Cycling for All project at Croydon Sports Arena provides disabled people with the UK’s widest range of 3 and 4 wheeled bikes, as well as 2 wheelers. And this year a new programme –Bikes in the Park – is being launched, to put the some of the charity’s cycles into use for similar regular sessions in a south London park. These weekly sessions also mean that people can benefit from regular exercise – now recognised as key at maintaining good health.

I love cycling, and I’m sure many of you do. The idea of not being able to cycle is inconceivable for me, but for many people this is a reality, and I can’t think of a charity better positioned to help such people. So without further ado, I’m asking you dig deep and sponsor me up Mont Ventoux. I’m not guaranteeing a gold standard time (yes there are such things), but I want to make it up there and in doing so raise some sorely needed and well-deserved cash for an outstanding charity.