This year’s Tour de France features some tough mountain stages with 56 categorized climbs over the three weeks, and one of the major highlights of the race will be on Stage 12 when riders will climb to a mountaintop finish on Mont Ventoux. On a long stage that features big climbs, the distance and the …
A lot of cyclists are emerging from their basements, garages, and pain caves to put in more outdoor miles as temperatures rise and days get longer in the Northern Hemisphere. This period marks a transition for many cyclists and triathletes from shorter 60-90 minute indoor interval workouts to longer outdoor rides. Athletes who want to …
Many of you have been watching the Tour de France for years and perhaps you’ve read my commentary and articles about the training and strategies riders use to be successful at the Tour. On the other hand, some of you may be pretty new to watching the Tour de France or any professional cycling event. So, let’s …
I am very fortunate to participate in a lot of cycling camps, charity rides, group rides, and races; and all that time riding with other athletes can be very informative. A great number of the topics in my weekend blogs and Time-Crunched Athlete books are inspired by conversations and observations from these rides. With …
With four huge climbs packed into just 124 kilometers (77 miles) of racing, Stage 17 of the 2014 Tour de France was a brutal test. On a long stage that features big climbs, the distance and the terrain cause the selection even if the racing isn’t very aggressive. But when a mountain stage is …
It’s a very special day in a cyclist’s life when the prospect of riding uphill is met with a smile instead of a sense of dread. It’s special because a great deal of work is required to reach this day, and because it means there are no remaining obstacles to having a great ride every …
I finally did it! Even as my weight came down and my fitness improved, I’ve struggled to ride Cheyenne Canyon in Colorado Springs in under 20 minutes. I used to live at the top of the canyon, so the 3.1-mile long, 1200-vertical feet high ascent was my climb home. Way back when, in the years …
By Adam Pulford, CTS Senior Coach Every day of La Ruta starts with climbing: steep climbing. Stage 3 was no exception, but what was different today was that instead of steep descending after steep climbing, there’s more climbing… yeah, awesome, right? Take a look below: 4:34 ride time; 3005kJ, Normalize Power 224W, Average Power 181W, …
Stage 18 Pinerolo – Galibier (200.5km) Even though Stage 19 finishes on the fabled Alpe d’Huez summit, Stage 18 is the Queen Stage of the 2011 Tour de France. It is brutally difficult because it’s long (200 kilometers), contains three gigantic climbs (the 23-kilometer Col Agnel, the 14km ascent of the Col d’Izoard, and the …
Stage 12: Cugnaux – Luz Ardiden (211 km) The first of three stages in the Pyrenees is guaranteed to be a very hard day. The stage is long (211km), the first 120 kilometers are gradually uphill before you even reach the base of the first major climb, and once you do there are three giants …