Ardechoise Bike Ride

[Wizzer]

Does anyone have first hand knowledge of the Ardechoise Bike Ride?

It starts and finishes in St Felicien on the weekend of 18/19 June, and has various 1 day routes from 66km to 268km. 

I have put an entry in for it this year, and am hoping to be fit enough to do the 216km route, and was wondering if anyone has seen or done it.

If anyone could give me inspiration for the necessary training, that would also be gratefully received!

 

 

[cyclebum]

Are you a cycling enthusiast or a casual leisure cyclist?

[Blackadder<IMG src="http:forums.livingfrance.comimagesline.gif"><BR>Blackadder<BR>Keighley and Creuse]

I'd hope he was somewhat of an enthusiast doing 216k in a day.

I did the etape last summer, together with 8499 others! That was 240k with about 6000m of climibing across the central massif. It was fantastic. Hard work but superb. Cycling from 6am for 12 hours with people stood on street corners/edge of fields/hilltops etc, even had a whole fire station cheering us along waving flags. I'll remember it as the best days cycling i have ever done.

The ardechoise is similar but bigger!

If you are after a training plan, the one i worked to worked for me. I bought a training manual written by a feller called Chris Carmichael who does a lot of training stuff for Lance Armstrong. For 30 years i used the old fashioned blood sweat and tears training mentality but i did this scientifically and it worked perfectly. If you want a resume PM me or put a rply on and I'll do you a short resume.

Enjoy it, i wish i could do it, maybe next year???

[Wizzer]

I did the Bordeaux to Barcelona ride a couple of times which was fantastic, and I wanted to do the Etape this year, but couldn't get an entry.

As our house is in the Auvergne, the Ardechoise is not far away, so we'll make a holiday of it - my other half has entered, although I think she will do the 120km route.

Regarding the training, I'm now starting to do more in preparation for some Time Trials in the UK, but the longest distance I have done before in 1 day was 170km, so I don't know if the 216km route with all the climbing will be too much for me.

Incidentally, the event is not only aimed at regular cyclists - the short route (Le Doux) is only 66km long and caters for anyone not used to sitting in the saddle. http://www.ardechoise.com/francais/index.html

It is apparently a very good party atmosphere for the whole weekend, so it should be good fun - I hope my legs are up to it! I just wondered if anyone on the forum lived in the area and had been involved with it before.