Each year the organisers of the Tour de France select one of the most challenging stages as a one day race for the non-professionals to take on. It will take between 9 and 10 hours in the saddle, and the likelihood is that at least 4 of these will be spent cycling uphill for the three mountains climbs.

The Etape du Tour is the world's premiere cyclosportif cycle and while there are longer and possibly more challenging races it is the most well known with around 9000 riders taking part (dominoes beware!).  In 2010 the selected stage is in the Pyrenees from Pau to the summit of the Col du Tourmalet, this 2010 event marks the 100th anniversary of the Pyrénées inclusion in the Tour. The ascent of the fearsome Tourmalet will be the west – east route, considered the hardest by many, through the village of Bareges.

On route the course goes over 2 other major ‘difficultés’ as the French so quaintly term them… First, the Marie-Blanque. At 1,035m it doesn’t appear so tough, but the last 4km at an average of 11%, with pitches of 14%, will make me glad I have opted for a triple groupset! At 1,474m the Soulor is higher, but the gradient is more steady at 7% and with a good training programme should not pose too many problems. After a long drag up the valley from Argelès, the Tourmalet will be the real test – 19km from Luz-St-Sauveur with an average gradient of 8%, stretches of 10-11%.

After over 4000m of climbing and 51,000 pedal revolutions and having burnt around 10,000 calories I will be allowed to stop and return to my regular diet of beer and chocolate!

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Miles

 

Ps.

 

Here is a link to the official site in case anyone wants to join me...get involved!

http://www.letapedutour.com/2010/ETDT/presentation/us/parcours.htm