Quote Originally Posted by Loramski View Post
My boys were telling me earlier they know a local lad who completed l'Etape du Tour yesterday, an annual event where thousands of amateur cyclists get the chance to ride a stage route from that year's Tour. I mention it here because this year it was the Annemasse-Morzine route of the stage that you (and Taffy Blue) will be attending this weekend. There's a profile of it in this article, looks absolutely brutal.

https://www.sportive.com/cycling/543...3-route-reveal

It took the lad nine hours apparently and I'm sure he wouldn't have been the last one in by a long way. I can't find a report on it yet but there's one here about the 2014 one which explains the suffering involved. 2 hours in the cold and wet getting up the Tourmalet, incredible. I probably need to stop punching the air when I get to the top of Leckwith Hill, it's undignified.

https://www.welovecycling.com/wide/2...average-rider/
I was at the top of the final climb after the HC before the descent into Morzine. Many an amateur trying their luck out on that climb and credit to them there were a few powering their way up that hill at a decent rate.

Great atmosphere up on that mountain and a shame that the crowd/moto interrupted the attack from Pogacar ahead of the HC on that day. I'll add that we were largely behaved where we were. But had that attack been successful it might of made for some interesting antics once they got to the point I was at on the final rise.

But all a formality because Vindegaard absolutely destroyed the race this afternoon. Incredible TT, I was in awe watching it on the screens at the office. Just a different level.