The excitement is mounting. Getting ready for the Tour next year is fully underway. We have just had an email from Karl our tour director that we will stay in 5 hotels during the 14 day tour which means more than 1 night in each, with our start in the town of Albi, about 50k east of Toulouse. I think one hotel remains to be booked and we will get our itinerary toward the end of Novembers. I have been in KL with Angelique and Stephen at their Apartment since 30th October and move to Hertford, UK on the 12 November. There is an excellent gym so I am spending 1-2 hours a day working on basics getting more strength and flexibility in all parts, and working at maintaining cadence in the 100-110 range.
The most exciting news about the TdF route was the stage from Pinerolo, Italy to Col Galibier, 3 climbs of which the second one is over the Col d'Izoard. This was a hopeful dream of mine that I could manage this during this visit to France.As preparations developed it was not looking like it was going to happen. Then when the Tour route was announced the return from Italy was going to come over the Col Agnel into France and then over the Izoard. The landscape over the top is like a dessert with high rocky towers giving a moonscape feel. Apart from that landscape what has it got for me: my bike is a Wilier Izoard. Wilier brand many of their bikes by classic cols and mine by chance was the Izoard. Have a look at the photos on any cycling website such as www.steephilltv.com.
9th November 2010
