Alps Tour 2013, TV de Bollenstreek

Somewhere in 2012 José came up with the idea to organize an Alps Tour with our club. For her the opportunity to have a fair number of Alpine cols to tally off the 100 cols list. For me a good opportunity to look at the road bike experience the Alps. So the plans for a fourth MTB week I slipped in consultation with Danny to 2014. It soon became clear that the trip would be a transit and that a dozen teammates would go. Annecy as early as the end and the Ventoux. Execution Week in mid-June.

Much work has gone into planning the route and the search for suitable and available nights. The connoisseurs among my cycling friends praised the process and at the same time quite worried about the climbing endurance of an average triathlete. Is not that what ambitious? - Was the most mild question. To a small 1000 kilometers with a 20 climb kilometers in a week under the pedals pedal is a decent level of fitness way and will definitely take some getting used must be built on a long climb in the training program. Would that all the participants succeed?

My concerns focused more on the amount of food available and the bed length and sleep quality. In addition, I also made me worry about the difference in rate of climb of the participants and how the group, the time differences resulting therefrom would level out during the day. Stop and wait after a strenuous exercise is not pleasant for a trained body. How do I go physically and emotionally deal with those uncertainties, what can I do and what I am able to let go of what is outside my sphere of influence. In my head I was working out scenarios and to test the triple experience of the bike weeks. Pretty pointless all natural, but as the human mind works.

Racing bike on even smaller resistance of MTB to put road tires? Decided to go with normal resistance on the road bike and wait before I would feel the legs. Backpack with 3L bladder, and embarked on the first of these energy bars for not having to look for a bakery shop on the go. Extra dry shirt and jacket in the backpack and everything had together but provide sufficient security to be flexible with the conditions to go. The rest had I but learn to let go. I know myself, but teammates know me well! Not focus on performance but focus on enjoyment, look, experience and sociability. Timely avoid crowds and tranquility. I had set myself those assignments.

The nice thing about the Alps that you can actually climb. Of those pieces not adhered to each other, but seriously by climbing for more than an hour, so you can really get into a rhythm and you can still nice to look around and around in your record. Climbing is good, but fall is kick. That takes more than nice and long and you get time to adjust, to play, to practice, to try and search for limits. Playing with your attitude, learn to look ahead, Search for the best instuurpunt, Estimating road surface and grip, try to inhibit up and run as long as possible to walk. Kick!! Unfortunately I have to confess that I do a lot less of the area to take me in such a descent.

Yes for me count the effort. I enjoy climbing, divide forces, Finding the right pace where you can carry on another. I enjoy a challenge that motivates you to give just a little extra. Three times I have granted myself to go uphill to. The Felines, a climb somewhere in La Bastide or Viens (Thanks to Erik for the challenge) and on the Ventoux. I also have enjoyed three times the drag in front of a blue train.

We have seen what? Famous cols of the name are naturally controversial experiences you can also another test to television images of riders around, but also to fellow tourists on bicycles, engines, e-bikes , in cabrio’s, sports cars and campers. The lesser-known climb, I have personally experienced as fun and however. Fewer tourists, challenging road, beautiful views, more peace and more surprises. Lasting memories of the Roselend where crocuses and daffodils in fields came from under the snow. On the way to the highest pass in Europe are a marmot in the snow edge or see her hole in diving. Filling and bottle water bag and the uispoelen of the buff and helmet with a hookah in a hamlet. Herds of sheep, waterfalls, meltwater streams, red slate gorges, griffon vultures circling in the air, Lakes and reservoirs, the blue waters of the Verdon, the views in Viens, the sight of the Ventoux and finally the view from the top of it. Cycling really is not a bad way to explore a landscape. Fast enough to bridge distance, slow enough to look carefully and with an ever-shifting views.

You go for the mountains,the view and the effort and it appears that there are also other issues that take root. For example, the people you meet. Cute English ladies of "The Loft", handbag intentional drinker Agency, the half-American who has doubts about his future, Aussies on Tour Europe and the smooth Belgian ladies that stimulate me fear the prospect 3000 Belgians Ventoux on "our" day would hijack.

Who were the fellow cyclists?

Clean, experience bergfietser, always positive and merry, steady climber, fast descender.

Erik, recovering from a feverish week and therefore some caution with his efforts. Restored during the week and can last for days with plenty of uphill and downhill.

Lex , our court photographer. Is fairly inexperienced and not sufficiently trained. He starts wisely and carefully and quietly growing in the week technical and conditional. Has 150% profit booked curve technique. More vermoeider, the more talk.

Hans, is seeking what his knees endure yet. Has had to limit themselves in the preparation and in the implementation. Steady climber and cautious descender. Has shown that the rear heat and brake delay.

José, by far the most experienced endurance athletes. Always in controle en onverstoorbare door trapper. Sends the turns a little too early in. Will be able to enjoy it for years to look back in amazement male fellow cyclists and – if she 2 cycling thick – of honking motorists French.

Lenard, our route master, always goes faster than the sight suggests. Strikes quickly overheat. Allows for control technique good use of his motor driving experience. Now knows that a VFRzadel better sitting on long trips than a racing bike seat. Recuperates quickly and keeps an eye on the environment.

The club climb next week over five years to the Ardeche? Next year a few days to disapprove the missed cols?

Kor van Hateren, juli 2013