Subject: RE: The July 2007 Tour De France Bike ChallengeIf there is any more room, I would like to join. I need a challenge to get me back into the routine AND to do "hills" work in the saddle. If requests can be made and you are using Pro Team names, I want to be on Euskaltel - Euskadi since I ride an Orbea. Here is my plan (I apologize in advance): I am in for 21 rides (can't forget the prologue)...on the days the pros ride, I ride. I will also try to emulate the type of ride that is being conducted (knowing that I can always jump on the trainer in the morning while the race is on for the 15min qualifier as a last resort). When there is a time trial, I will spin on the trainer for the same amount of time as the stage win in 2006 (except for the prologue which I will double). The distances are pretty close. The "plains" rides will be ridden on my flat courses at the distance of 1 mile for every 10km in the Tour. The "mountain" stages will be ridden on my hill courses....moderate on the "medium mountain" and hard (for me) on the "high mountain" days. I would love to keep the distance conversions but I don't have the skill (yet) to do both distance and climbing. Rest days are rest days. And to add to the plan, I will celebrate the finish of each ride with a beer from the country the Tour is in. Is this over the top yet? Probably so, but the Tour only happens once a year. A breakdown is as follows: P: July 7 time trial 16:34 (2006 - Thor Hushovd, 8:17) 1: July 8 plain 20.3 miles 2: July 9 plain 16.9 miles 3: July 10 plain 23.7 miles 4: July 11 plain 19.3 miles 5: July 12 med mountains moderate hills course 6: July 13 plain 20 miles 7: July 14 high mountains hard hills course 8: July 15 high mountains hard hills course
July 16 rest 9 : July 17 high mountains hard hills course 10: July 18 plain 23 miles 11: July 19 plain 18.3 miles 12: July 20 med mountains moderate hills course 13: July 21 time trial (2006 Honchar 1:01:43 52km) 14: July 22 high mountains hard hills course 15: July 23 high mountains hard hills course July 24 rest day 16: July 25 high mountains hard hills course 17: July 26 plain 18.9 miles 18: July 27 plain 21.1 miles 19: July 28 time trail (2006 Honchar 1:07:45 56km) 20: July 29 plain 14.6 miles champagne! Good luck to everyone! |