It is hard not to think about the riders who are just about ready to ride the Tour de France tomorrow morning, the biggest race of their life. For the next three weeks, 198 riders will attempt to ride every day, on the limit, and do it at a level that not only could we not reach; we could not even imagine riding at. The speeds they hit with the ever present risk of mass pileups and other hazards that get in the way of them making their way to Paris on July 21st add to incredible drama to the event. I have attended the race twice and rode one week each time (instead of the three weeks the Tour riders ride) and I had the pleasure of riding quite a few of the climbs that the boys of the Tour will be riding in this 100th anniversary tour including Mont Ventoux, Alpe-d’Huez, and Col de le Madeleine. For sure THPL prepares you for taking on challenges like riding up these mountains but it cannot prepare you for how you will feel when you start climbing, trust me on this one – there is nothing like it. The stage I am most looking forward to is the day that they climb Alpe-d’Huez twice in the same day – I thought once was hard – twice plus other climbing is just insane. And so I look forward to the next few weeks, tracking the riders, and watching stages live or on replay. If you have never watched I suggest you give it a go – I am sure if you have the THPL bug they you will truly enjoy watching. And If you want your next THPL challenge then I suggest you add riding at the Tour de France to your bucket list – the value of the list alone goes up when you make a decision like this one. Time to turn on the Tour de France antennae.
Loving life while the Tour de France is on
Ciao
joe