Jim T cycles the etape

[JimTierney]

As many of you probably know I am cycling the etape du Tour(act1, the alpine stage)
Main reason I am doing it is to raise funds for our schools Ghana trip which I am taking in June 2013. The costs are expensive, £2000 per pupil and teacher so we are trying to raise some dosh.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UGrj_pJER1U

My promotional video.

http://www.youcaring.com/fundraiser_details?fundraiser_id=4176&url=jimtierneycyclestheetapedutourforgrangemouthhighghanatrip2013

A few quid would be much appreciated.

If anyone wants to use the website it is in dollars. It does work , money has been coming thro to my paypal account.

Keeping my fingers and everything else crossed we will get some dry weather.
Sick of the sight of Dunning Glen !
Now wishing I had signed up a few months ago instead of a few weeks ago!
never mind, piano, piano!!!
 

[Grant Bax]

Great Jim!
you've not picked an easy one there. Enjoy the flat run out from Albertville, cos you'll either be in your lowest or biggest gear thereafter.

When you heading out? We're off to Morzine next Sat for a week. Maybe see you training on the Joux Plaine!

[JimTierney]

Brilliant Grant, we are in Annecy next Saturday!
Must meet up, recce the Madeleine?

[Grant Bax]

Think my leash will only extend to the top of the JP or Avorias, Jim, but would be great to hook up wi Jackie and yourself.
Anyway, you don't want to be recce'ing it...it'll only keep you awake! 

[joemac]

Good luck Jim;
hope the hills are kind, the sun will shine and the wind is always at your back.

[JimTierney]

Thanks for the kind words Joe.
However I do not want it too sunny, I do want the wind at my back, at all times, and just about late afternoon when I hopefully reach the bottom of Le Toussuire, I would like a little bit of rain to keep me cool!
Will keep in touch.

[Archie J]

....... but would be great to hook up wi Jackie and yourself.

On one condition Mr Baxter..... rumour has it that due to cut-backs Mr Tierney is only puting one packet of jammy dodgers in the caravan this year.... so there better be some left when Maggie and I get down to him on the 10th 

You all stay safe now, "a droit, a droit ya numpty!!" (this euro lingo is easy!) 

A.

[JimTierney]

I am going to make a special visit to B&Ms for extra biscuits( for after the etape!)
I think I could manage that French Archie!!

[JimTierney]

Back in the land of the living with wiFi on dordogne campsite.
many thanks for all donations.
The Etape was by some way the hardest thing I have EVER attempted and even being a reasonably experienced cyclist it was a task I was not quite ready for.
Col de Madeleine, 28km climbed ok. Col de Glandon, climbed 12/13 km up to water stop. cYcled another few km and legs collapsed with severe cramp in both of them.
walked last 5/6km along with hundreds of others. By now there was a steady stream of cyclists heading downhill. Massacre on the Glandon!!!
Managed the next 3km up to Croix de Fer and then Col du Mollard but how I managed the last 17km climb upLe Touissuire I have no idea.
Officially the stats say 152 km, 4800m climbing in 12 hrs 15mins.
Garmin gave me 160km(probably the winding from side to side!), elapsed time 12hr 5mis, moving time 11hr 15mins with 6400m of climbing.
Airch is promising  I will not be having a 4 wk training plan next year!
many thanks to Catriona, Fiona and Vicki for taking care of me before my final 20km descent back to Jackie and the car in ST Jean de maurienne.

[Archie J]

Hi Jim, just to say that Horbourg-Wihr was a great place to stop on the way back up and had a great time there. we're all home and unpacked and the commute this morning was a bit different from the 'tootal round the semnoz for a quick coffee'. I had more time to look around it last week after you and George (fae the Ivy for our new readers!) beasting me up there the week before... you never mentioned the summer Luge run at the ski centre!! Brilliant!! Hurtling downhill on a four wheeled flat bogey inside a metal tube... you were keeping that bit of fun to yourself  .

Your suggested run round the Eugine, Aravais and the Croix de Fry is a beauty and I'll have the pleasure of showing you that next year - seeing as you 'thought' it would be a nice run!!

Spoke replaced by a great wee bloke in Annecy for 12 Euro. Will get Monseur le Spanners de Hillfitz to check the wheels now we're back.

Maggie was in and out of Annecy and also out the line to Doussard for coffee regularly by the end of the holiday. Never did hire that tandem though  .

Hope the weather lives up to the forecast Jim - France looked like it had a yellow polka dot jumper on!! Enjoy the rest of your hols and stay safe!

Erch.

[GeoffM]

Airch is promising  I will not be having a 4 wk training plan next year!

Seriously, after all that and you are thinking about doing it again??
Don't you remember all those horrible yellow road markers at the side of the road gleefully telling you the next km will average a 10% gradient, or that you still have 20km of climbing to go??  :'(
Clearly seven times up and down the Dukes in training wasn't enough - next year it will have to be a dozen!

[Archie J]

Airch is promising  I will not be having a 4 wk training plan next year!

Clearly seven times up and down the Dukes in training wasn't enough - next year it will have to be a dozen!

Geoff, this years etape was only a 'sighting' trip for the SBC Road Rep and he is very confident that many more entrants will be reading the club logo on the back of his bibshorts next year.

With this goal firmly in mind, his training plan is already at the logistical stage but I need you to check on the number of 6ft x 3ft sheets of ply needed to cover the down escalator in the Sauchiehall Street shopping centre.
As the sheets come off the bottom of the down escalator, they are taken round and placed on the up escalator where the second assistant takes them off at the top and places them face down on the down escalator in a continuous loop.
Jim faces uphill on the down escalator and continues to cycle and adjusts his speed by gearing or cadence.
The aforesaid elite athlete has already given away his dietary preference in a previous post - so i can openly say that a McFlurry will be placed in the top 1/3rd of the stair as an incentive to push to the feed station.

  

[joemac]

Goan yersel Jim!!

[Graeme Hay]

Well done Jim. Great effort!

I've just been over there in the Basque country. Pierre Rolland was describing that stage as the "plus belle etape" of the Tour this year. OK if you're him I suppose!