L'Eroica 2009

Here is a charming short feature by Brooks, the famous English bicycle saddlemakers, about the 2009 l'Eroica bike ride, which I have written about previously here:



With my c 1983/84 Raleigh, I will be enjoying cutting edge technology compared to many of the participants!

My Latest Review on Pezcyclingnews.com: Rouleur's 2009 Photography Annual

The excellent cycling/art magazine Rouleur has come out with its 2009 Photography Annual and I have reviewed it here for http://www.pezcyclingnews/.  I thought it would be hard to top last year's effort but it is another superb volume.

The simple truth...

The Road to Tourmalet: 2010 L'Etape du Tour DVD

A century ago, the organizers of the still-young Tour de France decided that it was time to add in some serious mountains and came up with a course that would add immeasurably to the lustre of the race. The tenth stage, from Luchon to Bayonne, was 326 km, and featured four major climbs in the Pyrenees: the Peyresourde, the Aspin, the Tourmalet, and the Aubisque. It was the first time that the Pyrenees were included in the Tour. Upon learning what the route would be, 26 of the 136 registered riders pulled out. Somehow it also seems just that 1910 was the first year that the “Broom Wagon” was introduced to pick up riders who could not finish the tenth stage (but who, interestingly, would be allowed to restart the following day).

There was only a single cyclist who made it to the top of the Tourmalet, the highest point in the race, without getting off his bicycle, for which he won 100 Francs. Five cyclists used variable gearing for the first time. The first participant in the Tour died, electrocuted by a jellyfish during the rest day in Nice. But the race is most famous as the one where Octave Lapize, dragging his bicycle up the Tourmalet, screamed: “Assassins ” as he passed the organizers’ car at the top. It made forever the reputation of the Tour de France as the race for the hardest men in sports.

A century later, the organizers of the Tour de France have not only decided that this year’s event will see the Pyrenees as the main scene of battle, but that amateurs should have the opportunity to share all the pain too. On July 18, four days before the pros attack the same climbs, anyone who registers can participate in l’Etape du Tour, an annual event for cyclists that parallels one of the stages of that year’s Tour de France. The event first began in 1993 and this year there will be 9,500 anxious cyclists ready to test their mettle in Pau as they depart at 7 a.m., on closed roads, for three big climbs. The course, matching Stage 17 of the 2010 Tour, is 174 kms long and features 4,000 m of climbing. Of course, compared to 1910, things will be pretty easy but it is still better to be prepared.



Each year, shortly after the stage of L’Etape is determined, Cyclefilm Productions heads off to the mountains to make their annual reconnaissance ride DVD and “The Road to Tourmalet: L’Etape du Tour 2010 has recently been released. Although I don’t plan to be there to watch 9,499 other cyclists drop me (or ride into me), I will be cycling the same climbs a few weeks earlier. I found the DVD to give an excellent indication of the ride to come, particularly since I have not ridden the Pyrenees before.

The DVD begins with some goofy music, perhaps from an early 1960s television situation comedy, as Michael Cotty, the British cyclist who regularly rides the l’Etape events, demonstrates some cyclocross skills before heading out of Pau, followed by Chris Balfour of tour organizer PyrActif in a support van. Mr. Cotty, who clearly does not spend much of his time eating in France, provides clear and useful advice as he rides the actual route that will be used in the cyclosportif. He discusses the right gearing and bike prep, what you should think about for clothing, where it might be tricky dealing with the peleton and so forth. During the ride, he points out good places to get into a paceline if you can, and where you should eat and drink on the ride. Mileage is indicated and a profile of each climb is presented, although it is not always clear where exactly you are on the climb at that moment.

Soon he and Chris turn off the main road from Pau and begin to climb the Col de Marie-Blanque, which was first added to the Tour in 1978 and has been in the race 13 times so far. This may not be a legendary climb and it tops out at 1,035 m, but this 11.5 km climb looks surprisingly hard. This is a difficult way to begin l’Etape since the climb looks irregular, with a very steep beginning and then some more pitching up at the end. Michael warns about burning all your matches here since it is a long day ahead. Chris mentions that cyclists are disappointed when they get to the top and begin to descend since it is so flat you have to start pedalling, but soon the road becomes quite technical, with grades approaching 11 percent, so it is good to be wary on the very narrow, but well-paved road.



After rocketing off the Marie-Blanque, small country roads take you on a steady climb up to the top of the Col du Soulor, which is kind of the back of the more celebrated Col d’Aubisque. At 1474 m it is no pushover and the asphalt is a bit choppy, but the climb looks very regular and the scenery is simply breathtaking. As Michael and Chris pass the summit it is late in the day, so rather than show you the descent, the camera stops and that action recommences the next morning. I can understand why Michael Cotty wanted to do this section of the road a second time–it is utterly gorgeous and the crew somehow picked the most beautiful day of the year to do it.

Finally, the last climb of the day, the famous Tourmalet, which reaches up to 2115. Michael is an impressively fast and relaxed climber, and he can still provide comments even on nine percent grades. I would like to think this is due to some kind of special effects magic by Markus Neuert, the director, as I sound nothing like this myself after 4000 vertical meters of climbing. It looks like a superb finish, 37kms and 1658 vertical m to the top, and afterwards Chris and Michael sit at a café in La Mongie, a ski resort just below the summit, to discuss the route and offer other suggestions for participants.

The DVD, with the cycling and the chatting, is 83 minutes long, and for those chained to their fluid trainers for the winter, it offers some great views and a lot of motivation for the ride to come. It is hard to believe that those pioneers of racing rode their iron bikes on goat paths here, fortified by raw eggs and Bordeaux, and actually succeeded in getting to Paris eventually. Octave Lapize won that 1910 stage, and was the overall victor as well. This is cycling on the grandest scale and this DVD by Cyclefilm is ideal for hard riders and for daydreamers. 

You can buy it at http://www.cyclefilm.com/.

My Latest Review at Pezcyclingnews

I rewrote my recent review of the Cyclefilm production about Liz Hatch and it is now running at www.pezcyclingnews.com.  You can find it here.

Steve Bauer's Yellow Jersey

Steve Bauer
photo by Pedalmag

A few years ago, shortly after I discovered E-Bay, I located a pristine Team7-Eleven jersey and sent it off to the Niagara Peninsula to see if I could get it signed by Steve Bauer, who remains Canada's most successful stage racer.  He was kind enough to autograph it for me.  Although Alex Stieda was the first Canadian to don the Maillot Jaune in the Tour de France, Steve Bauer had the yellow jersey for four days at the Tour for 1988, and for nine times in 1990.  Now I see that he is, in addition to his bike touring company, the Directeur Sportif of a Canadian professional team, SpiderTech presented by Planet Energy.  (As an aside, I always thought it was weird when this "presented by" thing appeared.  I think it was Team US Postal Service presented by Berry Floors where this ridiculous naming convention first appeared.  What would be wrong with SpiderTech-Planet Energy,  like Garmin-Transitions, or HTC-Columbia?).  To raise money for the team, Mr. Bauer auctioned off the last of the yellow jerseys he won and it raised the goodly sum of $23,500. 

There are recent news stories that Jim Balsillie, one of the founders of Research in Motion (RIM), makers of the omnipresent BlackBerry, is a keen cyclist and wants to support Canadian cycling and this team in particular.  As the 327th richest person in the world, let's hope he comes through with some money so Steve doesn't have to go through those remaining 12 jerseys.

N.B.  The single most ridiculous name for a pro cycling team has to be this Italian one:
Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni-Androni Giocattoli

Canadian Cyclist to Carry Flag at 2010 Winter Olympic Games

No, it's not me. 

Clara Hughes, 18-time (!) Canadian national cycling champion, and winner of bronze medals in the time trial and road race in the 1996 Atlanta games, is going to be carrying the Canadian flag when the Olympics open in Vancouver on February 12.  She also has won eight medals at the Pan American Games and the 1997 Liberty Classic in Philadelphia.  And won the silver medal for road time trialling at the World Championships in 1995.

Oh, and she is pretty good without a bicycle as well, having won a gold, silver and bronze medal in speed skating, making her the only athlete to win multiple medals at the Winter and Summer Olympic Games.  She was also World Champion in the 5000 m event in 2004, and a World Record Holder in the 10,000 m.

But, honestly, how can somebody be National Champion 18 times?  I don't think I will manage this, and as for speed skating I believe I am the only Canadian who cannot actually skate at all.

Climbing vs. Posing

In 2006, while riding sections of the Tour de France route and watching the race, we came across the immaculately-dressed cyclists who had signed up with Trek Tours for big $$$ to be there as well.  Not only did they all have matching jerseys and Trek Madones, but as the Trek van rolled up alongside, the driver passed them water bottles!  I suspected that they were eating somewhat better than we were and staying in much nicer hotels.  I did persuade Udo, our minibus driver, to pass us bottles though.

In 2010, Trek Travel has taken this degree of service even further and is offering participants the chance to ride electrically-assisted bikes!  These will give you an additional 350W of power so that when you make it to the top of the Izoard, you will feel just like Fausto Coppi did.  Except, of course, he didn't use a motor scooter.  With a baguette on the rack.

I don't want to sound like too much of a curmudgeon, but doesn't this dilute the meaning of the whole project?  I have to admit I was always a bit annoyed by the motorcyclists who were posing for photos in front of col signs on the famous climbs in the Alps, making us wait to take our own pictures, since, basically, all they had to do was twist a throttle to get to the top.  Nothing has given me a greater sense of accomplishment than getting to the top of a legendary climb under my own power, just like Jacques, and Eddy and Bernard and Miguel and Mario did.  Well, maybe not Mario, who, when the road went up, usually went to the beach instead.  But I bet he didn't use an electrically-assisted bike there either.

The Izoard

photo by the estimable Will, Creative Commons

Laurent Fignon: Fighting the Good Fight

Laurent Fignon at the 1992 Tour de France

photo by Velodenz, Creative Commons

As many cycling fans know, Laurent Fignon was winner of the Tour de France in 1983 and 1984, as well as the winner of the 1989 Giro d’Italia. 1989 was a mixed year for him, since he came second to Greg Lemond in what must be seen as the most exciting Tour de France of modern times.  In addition to his success in stage races, M. Fignon won, among other victories, Milan-San Remo twice.  He went on to a post-racing career life as a race organizer, and included Paris-Nice among his projects.

As first reported last summer, he is suffering from cancer of the digestive tract. This has spread to his lungs and he is not reacting well to chemotherapy.  A scrappy, unpredictable and exciting cyclist in his day, he is not prepared to give up on this challenge either.

Anyone wanting to send him a Get Well card (and I plan to do so) can send it to:

Laurent Fignon
126, rue du Maréchal Leclerc,
94410 St-Maurice
France

or by sending an e-mail to lfignon@club-internet.fr

Berlin Six Day Race Begins Today!

photo by Andrew Curry

It is with a heavy heart that once again I see the Berlin Six Day Race will take place without me spectating.  This is the 99th running of this wonderful sporting event.  At least my Berlin-based journalist friend, Andrew Curry, has been able to do a write-up about it, which you can find here.

I am sure it will be yet again a great event, with superb racing and a lot of beer.

January 29th UPDATE:  Since posting the above, I see that my good friends at Pezcyclingnews.com have provided an interesting analysis of the race in Berlin, which you can read here.  It does not sound like smooth sailing in the world of the Six Day Races.  Although I knew that Dortmund and Munich were pretty well done, I have always thought that the last place where the Six Days would have financial issues would be Berlin but the recession is clearly reaching everywhere.  The non-appearance of the flamboyant Bruno Risi is to be particularly regretted.