Day 12 – The Peyresourde and driving to the Plateau de Beille for TDF Stage 14 Day 12 dawned sunny and quite cool and I snuck a Peyrasourde ascent in. The Bagneres de Luchon side (Arreau, where we were, is on the opposite side) is harder and more picturesque, then headed down so we could […]
After a couple of days we drove over the Col du Portillon – a Bucket Col from both sides – into France, through Bagneres-de-Luchon. Our aim was to see the TDF head up the Ancizan on Stage 12. We arrived into Arreau, got a park and pizza’d up. The caravan started rolling into town as […]
Day 8 – Etape du Tour 2011, Etape Alpes I’ve already published the horrendous story of my Etape Alpes effort. Check out my Etape du Tour 2011 Etape Alpes report. Day 9 – Spain and the Pyrenees After Etape Alpes, we hightailed it down via Grenoble to get to Spain. We parked for the night […]
Day 6 – Alpe D’Huez Ascent 2 We had a cracking sleep then woke up to a hot Alpes day and the D’Huez beckoned. We went into town for croissants and coffee and a bit of morning market shopping then I knocked out another D’Huez ascent. This area seems to have a pattern of awesome […]
Day 4 – Climb Avoriaz, drive to Chamonix The next day we rolled up toward Morzine en route to Chamonix. After having a look around. We parked up and I rode toward Avoriaz. The weather was typical Hautes Alpes sketchy arvo weather with threatening rain. I bailed short of the Avoriaz peak due to rain […]
Day 1 – Packing, Departure We arrived to Melbourne airport with my precious Look packed carefully away. I’ve described how to do this before, but I’ll re-iterate how important it is to pack your bike properly. Here’s the link to my video showing how I pack my bike in an EVOC bike bag (check out […]
Sorry this all out of order. Ordinarily I’d provide some detail of the previous day’s adventures but thought you’d want TDF stuff first and foremost! What a nightmare. I’ve seriously learnt even more TDF tips about campervanning and watching the TDF on this stage. We rolled into town after a long drive from the base […]
This 2011 Etape du Tour report will demonstrate that even if you train for 48 weeks and turn up ultra-fit, Etape is still hard. After a lack of sleep I woke at 4.45AM to get ready. I was ready very early and planned to meet VeloNomad reader and all round nice guy Peter H’AC at […]
I had a great email from Etapper and TDF Tips reader Jessica the other day: Fitness wise we’re in pretty good shape, and will continue to train hard until the week before. Mentally, I wondered if you had any motivational tips or mind games you play when the legs are hurting? I sure do Jessica; […]
Do you know what the best thing to do Have you Been Training Your Butt off for Etape du Tour? Great, you are doing all the things right that will help you turn up and smash Etape to pieces and really enjoy yourself. However, as well as training, there’s a crucial element to being in […]
So, now is pretty late to be learning La langue française, mais, aujourd’hui, je suis ici pour vous aider (but, today, I am here to help). So, as a shortcut to learning, read on to learn How to Translate into French on Your iPhone. If you have not been doing any practise with Coffee Break […]
Are you a terrible over packer? Do you pack for every “what if”? I am a TERRIBLE over packer, and I know I am not the only one. In this day and age of reduced baggage allowance (I still remember coming home from LA with 72kg, no excess!), we need to be prudent with out […]
There’s absolutely no excuse these days for not knowing how to save money on mobile roaming. In just two short years, the range of prepaid SIM cards available to travellers has exploded, dramatically lowering the risk of a shocking data roaming bill. In this past, even the most-prepared amongst us have been stung by the […]
Need to know how to recover from Etape du Tour? Reader Steve dropped me an email with some great questions the other day, 2 of which are below. Do you have a source of info about diet pre-Etape – in the 2 weeks leading up to the events?Also, as we are doing both…any sources to […]
In this 2XU Compression review, you’ll learn why 2XU compression isn’t just good for recovery. Sure, we know 2XU compression gear (and its ilk such as Lorna Jane) is worn around suburban shopping centres and chic holiday spots like Byron Bay and Biarritz as well as in the Qantas Club. (Pro tip: do not wear […]
For all the Etappers our there, I’ve got a last minute reminder list for you (thanks to Martin for pointing out a broken link). NOTE! My bib number is 1060! Come say hi – look for a polka dot helmet, Black Look586, and Ex Machina Racing on my bum (black knicks). Top will be black […]
I’ve been planning this post for a while and have only just got the official information I need on 2011 Etape du Tour road closures from the organisers. The Guide to 2011 Etape du Tour covers all the below information, including alternate routes for Etape Alpes, in much greater detail, so if you want to […]
As of 2013, Orange’s Mobicarte Internet Max is discontinued in the guise originally discussed, and this article has been updated. Prepaid Mobile Internet in France Have you been looking for ways to get mobile internet in France? Forget about data roaming, it’s a chump solution (I’ve made the same mistake before!). Want to know the […]
Perfect cassettes for climbing This SRAM Force and Apex Cassette Review will discuss why these cassettes are perfect for climbing and ideally suited for Etape du Tour, Haute Route, Marmotte and more. I’ve had a few emails about improving climbing (which I’ve covered in this post on How to Improve Your Climbing for Etape and […]
If you haven’t descended down big mountains before you might not have experienced high speed wobbles. They’re a frightening thing and knowing how to correct high speed wobbles is a key tool to descending properly and with confidence. This will be especially important for those of your tackling the big climbs, especially at a fast […]
Why get a helmet bag Before I left on my first trip to France, my friend Craig told me to “get a helmet pod”. I didn’t check any Helmet Bag reviews, I just got a Giro Helmet Pod. I listened to him and am thankful I did. Although helmets are pretty tough, it doesn’t take […]
This time, my lovely girlfriend (hi Kate!) is coming to France and Spain (yay!), and she has a pretty specific diet – no dairy, no wheat, no gluten, no yeast. So, no delicious Alhambra 1925 beer, no French or Spanish cheese, no croissants. Quelle horreure! Anyway, she’s not the only one who has some special […]