le grimpeur

L’étape colossale0
Guy WR posted in Classic Climbs on October 14th, 2009

One hundred years after the Tour de France first ventured into the Pyrenees, the 2010 parcours will pay homage to the 1910 Tour’s queen stage, l’étape colossale, as L’Auto called it at the time.

The media are billing next year as the showdown between the returning champion, Alberto Contador, and the former seven-time winner on the second year of his comeback, Lance Armstrong.

Gone, it would seem, from the pages of L’Equipe, is the old mistrust of Armstrong – Le Mensonge Armstrong – in favour of the Tour as ‘a battlefield’ between the old champion and his former teammate on his ascendency. (more…)

Défaillance, part 2: the slow descent2
Guy WR posted in Classic Climbs, Doping on September 29th, 2009

From a quick glance at the results sheet, 1990 was a pinnacle season for Greg LeMond. He won the Tour de France for the third time, whilst in the jersey of the World Champion. In professional cycling, there can be no greater display of dominance.

Yet, as we saw in part 1 of this series, LeMond had expressed doubts about his condition going into the Tour. And commentators were also quick to note that his win in the Tour had hardly been a dominant performance. Those doubts were also there in the lead-up to the 1991 Tour, where LeMond would start in the number 1 jersey of the previous year’s winner.

“I don’t feel I’m at my very best right now,” he told Samuel Abt just before the Tour’s start. “I’ve done a lot of work this year and things haven’t come together as I’d hoped.” (more…)

The Tour is won on the Ventoux3
Guy WR posted in Classic Climbs, Classic Stages on July 15th, 2009

One of last year’s publishing highlights for this avid cycling book reader was The Tour is Won on the Alpe, by renowned French journalist Jean-Paul Vespini and brought to us Anglo readers by VeloPress.

Alpe d’Huez has been the scene of many epic Tour de France battles and this book covers them all. Even the most well-read of cycling readers will find new stories, anecdotes and statistics in its pages. Indeed, it was a primary source for le grimpeur’s analysis of last year’s Tour-winning climb by Carlos Sastre.

For this year, though, the Tour will be won on Mont Ventoux. While the mountain has not featured as often as Alpe d’Huez in the Tour, it still has a mythical status – for a number of reasons. And the sheer toughness of the climb has meant that the GC contenders so far in the race seem to be keeping their powder dry for the difficult final week of the Tour that the Ventoux stage completes. (more…)

The café raid2
Guy WR posted in Classic Climbs on March 24th, 2009

The organizers of professional cycling races, particularly the Tour de France, have always had some strange ideas about water. Restrictions on water consumption by the riders has been one way race organizers for Grand Tours have tried, even in recent times, to keep the races tough, as a test of the survival skills of the riders. As if the long stages, broken roads, heat, cold, furious attacks, terrifying descents, and interminable climbs were not enough, tyrants like Henri Desgrange and his successors have imposed rules on drink bottles (as well as many other trifling regulations). (more…)

René Vietto – Part 2: the fall and rise0
Guy WR posted in Classic Climbs on January 21st, 2009

The young French grimpeur René Vietto was riding high following his Tour de France exploits in 1934, which boosted his public profile as well as his earnings, even though he was the benefit of considered myth-making by Jacques Goddet. Over the next four years, however, his performances waxed and waned as he struggled to live up to expectations. (more…)

Alpe d’Huez revisited4
Guy WR posted in Classic Climbs, Climbers, Doping on October 2nd, 2008

The iconic climb of Alpe d’Huez featured again at the Tour de France this year and proved to be decisive in the outcome of the race. Le grimpeur has already discussed this climb on several occasions (see here, for example), but the publication of a new book on l’Alpe, as well as questions arising from this year’s stage suggests that further discussion is of interest.

In his excellent new book, ‘The Tour is Won on the Alpe’, French journalist Jean-Paul Vespini lays to rest the long debate over the fastest ascent of the Alpe d’Huez climb at the Tour de France. Controversy has surrounded this question given that times have been recorded for different distances. For example, for the 14.5 kilometre distance, which was used for official timings since 1990, Marco Pantani holds the record of 37′35″, set in 1997, which is typically cited as the fastest ascent of the climb in numerous sources and articles. (more…)

Club des Cinglés du Mont-Ventoux – full report0
Guy WR posted in Classic Climbs on August 13th, 2008

The Club des Cinglés du Mont-Ventoux is not just a club for grimpeurs, but anyone who is crazy enough to want to climb Mont Ventoux three times in one day.

The Club has been previewed already here, but my full report is now on Pez Cycling News.

Club des Cinglés du Mont-Ventoux1
Guy WR posted in Classic Climbs on June 23rd, 2008

Club des Cinglés du Mont-Ventoux. Three ascents of Mont Ventoux, one each via Bedoin, Malaucene, and Sault. Average gradients of 7.5%, 7.5%, and 4.7% respectively. Twice past the Tom Simpson memorial, 4,443 metres of climbing over 68 kilometres (compared to 2,612 metres over 39 kilometres on this year’s Etape du Tour). A very long day in the saddle. And lots of pain.

Full report coming soon. A selection of pictures on the Mont Ventoux page (see link right).

Un cycliste est mort: Mont Ventoux and the death of cycling1
Guy WR posted in Classic Climbs, Classic Stages, Doping on May 28th, 2008

“…le Ventoux, lui, a la plénitude du mont, c’est un dieu du Mal, auquel il faut sacrifier.” — Roland Barthes

It is an iconic image in cycling’s lore. Jacques Goddet is ascending the rocky slope of Mont Ventoux, clutching a wreath for the memorial to Tom Simpson. In the background, surely not by coincidence in the timing, is Eddy Merckx, on his way to the stage finish at the summit and overall victory in the 1970 Tour de France, and he has turned to watch Goddet. (more…)

Coeur de grimpeur – part 4 – ride of redemption2
Guy WR posted in Classic Climbs, Classic Stages, Climbers on April 3rd, 2008

With 20 kilometres to go, at the base of the ascent of Mont Ventoux on the Bedoin side, the 11-man group had around 7 minutes over the peloton. The group looked comfortable together, but as the pace lifted it started to break up. With 11 kilometres to go, there were only two of the eleven left, the Russian rider on Ag2r, Alexander Botcharov, and Richard Virenque.

Finally, 1 kilometre later, Virenque stood and lifted the pace and Botcharov had no answer. His Domo-Farm Frites jersey agape, unzipped, Virenque had five minutes over the chase group, led by Lance Armstrong in yellow, ONCE riders Jose Azevedo (before he joined Armstrong’s team) and Joseba Beloki, the notorious doper Raimondas Rumsas, and white-jersey wearer Ivan Basso (before his own doping fall from grace).

Nominally the team leader, Virenque had so far been quiet in the 2000 Tour de France, perhaps conserving his strength for the latter stages, or perhaps riding in deference to Laurent Jalabert, who was looking to claim the KOM title for the second year in a row in his final year of a glorious, if controversial, career.

Riding alone, however, seemed ironic. In his tenth year as a professional, disgraced for doping, suspended for much of the 2001 season, one had to wonder what he had left to prove at, or even contribute to, the race. Was his lonely ride a metaphor for his isolation, with no offers to ride for French teams, now apparently notoriously suspicious of journalists, buoyed only with his die-hard fans, and now his stature eclipsed by exciting young French riders like David Moncoutie. (more…)

A new grimpeur?2
Guy WR posted in Classic Climbs, Classic Stages, Climbers on March 19th, 2008

Oh to dream!

In watching the stage 4 finish on Mont Ventoux of Paris-Nice, le grimpeur could not help but wonder how many other viewers were quietly wishing the impossible, that Jens Voigt would hold off all the chasing climbers and take a well-deserved mountain stage win.

Voigt had his characteristic grimace on full display, and after attacking the breakaway group at the bottom of the climb to the north slopes of the mountain, officially Mont Serein, had around 3.5 minutes of lead time over the peloton.

“When I attacked the group at the foot of the climb, I believed I could make it,” he told CyclingNews. “I only lost 30 seconds in the first five kilometres of the ascent. So I told myself I could possibly do it, just looking at it mathematically.”

He was riding strongly, but hardly the perfect example of climbing souplesse – driving the pedals, hands on the hoods; time-trialling the climb. He still had 2 minutes with 6 kilometres to go, but the gap kept coming down, driven by Quick Step as well as KOM jersey wearer Clément L’Hottelerie. (more…)

Le grimpeur in training1
Guy WR posted in Classic Climbs, Climbing Skills on March 16th, 2008

In June, le grimpeur is fortunate to be travelling to France to see some of the Dauphiné Libéré, particularly the stage to Mont Ventoux, and to report on it for Pez Cycling News.

At the top of the agenda, though, is the randonée ride Cinglés du Mont Ventoux, organized by the club of the same name. This fixed route, as many readers surely know, consists of three ascents of the famed Geant itself by three different routes. The total ride is only around 130 kilometres but a full half of that is climbing, over 4,400 metres worth.

The toughest day your author had in the saddle last year was a 200 km exploit with around 2,000 metres of climbing. The Cinglés may not be as long, but 4,400 metres of upward roads will be a singular test. Quelle folie, indeed!

So le grimpeur is currently in serious training for the expedition. But how to approach such a ride, which will be almost exclusively ascending (of the most torturous kind – it is Mont Ventoux after all) and descending? As such, only the finest hill climbing training techniques from some of the best grimpeurs have been assembled and incorporated into the programme. (more…)

Souffrance3
Guy WR posted in Classic Climbs, Classic Stages, Climbers on December 18th, 2007

For professional cycling, suffering, or souffrance, is the nature of the game. Ultimately, part of the appeal of the sport is the visceral connection to be had between competitor and observer, as the latter sees the former overcome (or submit to) the suffering, often against backdrops of stunning natural beauty or breathtaking difficulty.

Le grimpeur was reminded recently that this year is the 20-year anniversary of one of the most exciting years of pro racing, 1987, when Stephen Roche won the Giro d’Italia, the Tour de France, and the World Championship all in one season – a truly Merckxian feat.

While each race included plenty of suffering (the Giro passing into legend with the politics involved), the Tour de France that year added its own particular brand, and Roche was right at the centre. (more…)

Grimpeur of the year1
Guy WR posted in Classic Climbs, Climbers on September 19th, 2007

Should le grimpeur de l’année award be added to the UCI’s list of accolades, Leonardo Piepoli would surely be a strong contender for trophy honours. In doing so, he would beat two other major contenders from the 2007 season: Michael Rasmussen and Mauricio Soler. (more…)

The original grimpeurs0
Guy WR posted in Classic Climbs, Classic Stages, Climbers on June 23rd, 2007

Vous êtes des assassins!

It is perhaps the most famous, often quoted phrase in Tour de France history, shouted by Octave Lapize to onlookers as he struggled over the Col d’Aubisque in the 1910 Tour. (more…)