Birth of a Legend

Alphonse Steines' cunning plan to take riders over the Pyrenees for the next edition of the Tour de France was met with dismay. "You're going crazy!!" was the response from race director, Henri Desgrange.

"But this is the injection we need if we want more interest from the public. We have taken the riders over the Ballon d'Alsace. We need something more. Let's try the high mountains!" Argued the innovative sports journalist from Luxembourg.

Desgrange agreed to his assistant going out and investigating a route. So in January 1910 Alphonse Steines set off in a hired chauffeur driven car from the village of St Marie de Campan, to climb up the 17km to the col du Tourmalet. Everything was going ok as the car crawled up the road. Suddenly at 4km from the top, and as the night was closing in, a snowstorm struck, rendering the road impassable. Despite Steines' determination to continue, his chauffeur refused any attempt to drive on.

The ever persistent Steines got out of the car and continued his ascent on foot in the darkness. Neither the bitterly cold snow nor the threat of bears in the wilderness were going to deter him. When Steines had not returned at the end of the evening a search party was sent out. He was found at around 3am shivering, tired and in shock near the village of Barèges. The innkeepers took him in for the night where he was offered a meal and a hot bath.
Later that day Steines sent Desgrange a telegram:
"Crossed the Tourmalet. Very good road. Perfectly practical. Steines"

When the route was presented to the bike racers in April 1910, a number of them recce'd this new Pyrenean inclusion. Alarmed by what they found, many of them didn't bother to start the race. "We'll never be able to get up there" they said. On July 3rd only 110 riders actually showed up on the start line, compared with the usual 150. People simply didn't feel it would be possible or even safe to ride up all these Pyrenean climbs.

As he "raced" up the Tourmalet on 21st July that year, Octave Lapize, one of the best climbers of the day was reduced to walking up this giant of the Pyrenees.
"You are murderers, yes murderers!" he shouted, later on as he passed the organisers. At the bottom of the col d'Aubisque Lapize vowed he would quit the race once he reached the nearby village of Eaux-Bonnes. Having been persuaded to continue, he won the Tour de France that year, ahead of only 40 other survivors of the gruelling competition.

Last Thursday when Christian Prudhomme unveiled the route of the 2010 Tour de France, many of the racers were excited at the tantalizing challenge of scaling the col du Tourmalet twice.

Professional teams will be doing their utmost so they can qualify to compete in the world's biggest bike race.

Amateur bike riders will be flooding the Etape du Tour lottery system or paying over-inflated prices so that they can ride stage 17 and pedal up the Tourmalet.

It's quite ironic how back then, in 1910 riders shunned and cursed the idea of cycling up the col du Tourmalet. A century later cyclists the world over, can't keep themselves away from it!
And just think, if it hadn't been for Alphonse Steines' "white lie", today we may just be contenting ourselves with a spin over the Ballon d'Alsace!

Off Road and On Road

We started our Sunday by doing a ride around the trails of Surrey. It was all very pleasant. I was beginning to get the hang of being in the dirt, even if my 1999 Rockhopper is becoming a bit of an antiquity!
When it came to the infamous "Wall of Death" near Warlingham I wasn't too keen to have a go though. Mind you I wasn't the only one to get nervous at the sight of this sheer drop, so it was just left to a couple of brave and skilled souls to have a go while the rest of us looked on.

Our group leaders conveniently took us to the top of Titsey Hill for around 1.45pm on Sunday, just in time to reach the proceedings of the annual Bec Hill climb.

We were able to watch the competition unfold on the 700 yard long White Lane, which leads off Titsey Hill. All the locals were out in force to watch the ultimate battle of the power to weight ratios.

A few girls took part, which was good to see. The overall winner was a non-local guy, Michael Leonard Smith of Team Milton Keynes with former winner and hot favourite, Jody Crawforth claiming 3rd in the pouring rain.
I have such admiration for all the people who have a go at this.

photo by Fred


The climbs aren't long but they are very steep - almost 20% in places, and they have to be taken at speed. In addition the crowds that line the road can serve as encouragement, but also in my case, a chance for a public humiliation!

I may feel more comfortable riding on road than off road, but seriously I would prefer a mountain bike race over this 700 yards of pain. Maybe one day I will get the courage to take on this challenge.

Rollin' Rollin' Rollin'

I was very curious to have a go on the famous Rollapaluza rollers, having spectated at one of their well-renown spin evenings. So I signed up for their "Brief Encounter" night - roller racing in pairs, Madison style. Two teams of couples would compete against each other over 1000metres. The first person would spin on the rollers for 500m, and the second person would then continue the remaining 500m. As I needed a partner Fred signed up as my just about willing partner, and we entered under our team name, Rumble in the Cronx.

By the time we got to do our heat in the qualifying rounds we had already had a few beers so I wasn't sure if I was properly prepared for this. Our aim had just been to have a go (as opposed to competing) while not embarrassing ourselves too much. Sitting on the stage in front of the crowd among all the lights gave me a slight sense of nervousness. Members of the Rollapalluza team were on hand to help us adjust saddle height and explain how the game worked. We also had a couple of minutes to warm up and do some practice spins. The rollers felt weird, as the first thing you notice is the lack of resistance. It's very much about keeping a fluid pedalling motion and avoiding rocking from side to side. This was more about flexibility than strength.

The last thing that Rollapaluza's Anna said to me before the start whistle was that I was a bit unlucky to be pitched up against one of the fastest female roller racers on the scene. I realised I would have to give it my best shot if I didn't want to humiliate myself.

At the whistle I pounced down on the pedals, forgetting about techniques and just spun my legs as quickly as I could. I couldn't hear much, apart from loads of shouting but without any distinguishable words. I just about made out Anna's words as she shouted, "you're beating her, you're winninig." I tried to keep going, but I could feel myself waning and the beer swilling inside me. I felt sick and thought I might fall off the bike as I was rocking around so much. What was only about 30 seconds felt like half an hour! Finally I was told to stop and Fred picked up on things. He had a significant lead to play with, which was good news for him. But the guy he was up against was a master of spin, so Fred was caught and overtaken right on the line.

That was brilliant. I was on a real high when I came off the stage and was ready to do it again, even if my pulse rate was at almost 200bpm and I was panting for several minutes afterwards. There's definitely something addictive about it. You get the same amount of endorphins released into your brain from 30 seconds of roller racing as you do from one hour of cyclo cross racing. Get that!

It was a shame we lost, but our time was by no means embarrassing and we'd been up against a strong pair. The fastest 16 teams qualified for the knock-out rounds. We came 17th. Fred was quite relieved to hear this as he began his third pint of Guinness. We watched the rest of the rounds, which became more and more tightly contested as faster times were produced.

The competition was eventually won by Anna's team, Tom and Jerry. Regardless of how well people did, a good time was had by all.

Riding with Sean Kelly Again

(photo by Robert Power)

We rode the Sean Kelly Tour of Waterford last year. This year, once again we made the trip over. It's quite a convenient time of year to do this event as it falls on the August bank holiday weekend. Also, we get to visit Fred's friends and family at the same time.

Our cycling weekend actually started in County Wicklow when we visited friends in Laragh near Glendalough. This is quite a touristic part of Ireland. The scenery is quite pretty. In fact I was quite impressed by the awesome views as we rode around the Sally Gap.

A hurricane which was taking place in the Caribbean was making the tail-end of its presence known in Ireland, so as we rode through the lanes we were "treated" to regular buffets of wind.

That initially put me off venturing up to this exposed gap in the Wicklow mountains. I began the climb with a certain trepidation, but after getting used to the head wind I thought I'd venture further and see how I far I could get. In fact I got all the way to the top and was able to admire th views below. The Sally Gap is a really spectacular area to ride, and the vistas are amazing. I was glad I hadn't stayed down in the valley.

After our time in the Wicklow area, we then headed on to Waterford, where we took part in the Sean Kelly Tour cyclosportive. Last year's edition of the event had been really enjoyable, so we headed over once again. Fred hadn't been able to ride it then, due to illness, so he was looking forward to it. I was looking forward to the ride as well, but I was slightly more anxious because I knew what the hills would be like, and I had struggled up Mahon falls and the Mama road the previous year. There was also the matter of me having to interview Sean Kelly for a Cycling Weekly article straight after the 100 mile ride. Would I really have any energy left to do that?

This was the third edition of the Sean Kelly Tour, and word had spread that this is cracking event. Consequently, a record 3000 riders signed up for it. The organisers at Waterford County Council were really pleased at the turnout. Apparently the town of Dungarvan, where the ride was based had been bracing itself in anticipation of this event for months before, and it had been the talk of the town.

On the morning of the event, I took a while to get myself together, and seeing the grim skies made it very tempting to roll over and stay in bed. Maybe I would just do the 50km family ride, which wouldn't be starting until 10.30am. But discipline got the better of me, as well as boyfriend who didn't stop goading me about what a wuss I was being, so rolled out of bed. Thankfully the good people in the organising committee had put us up in a hotel that was a stone's throw away from the start line.

Things got underway at around 9am. Not sure if it was a delay due to the overwhelming numbers or one of the dignatories oversleeping and turning up late. I could sympathise with him!
As we the peloton paraded through the streets of Dungarvan all the folks in the street cheered us on. It felt great being part of this event. The rain had stopped and the day was brightening up too.

My ride was quite straightforward this time. There were no surprises. The first significant climb, Seskin Hill was steep like before and lots of people had to walk or take a breather.

(photo by Robert Power)


I managed it though quite slowly, so as to save myself for the later difficulties. Mahon Falls was a stinker. I averaged 4 miles an hour up the 4 mile climb - like last year. Mama road was where I had a wobble - just like last year. I was supposed to ride with a friend of Fred's up this road. She's new to cycling (although she's an elite level orienteer) but I couldn't keep up with her. I could feel my wheels slowing down and my arms aching. I ignored the problem and continued to ride. We'd been chatting while riding along, but then a moment came when conversation become impractical and she latched onto a quicker group while I stayed back to deal with my difficulties.

Thankfully this climb was only 3 miles and I was glad to reach the summit. I also found my mojo again so was able to get some momentum back into my ride and pressed on home without stopping at the summit. Una ended up finishing behind me, as being a new rider she took the descents slower than me, and as it was a long descent practically all the way back to HQ I gained ground on her. I suspect that next year she will be descending as well as climbing quicker than me and I may not even see her during the ride!

A 100 mile cyclosportive always takes it out of you. Just being out on the road for several hours in the saddle tires you out. Even though I'd done a steady ride I still needed to wolf down everything in site when I reached Dungarvan sports centre. The organisers had thought about everything, and there was food aplenty. (Not only at the HQ but at the other indoor feed stations.)
Last year we posed for photos with Sean Kelly, like many of the participants. This year was different though, as we got to interview him. He was in a bit of a rush to get away as he had to travel to Eurosport HQ to do the commentary for the Vuelta a Espana (Tour of Spain) bike race.
(photo by Tom Keith)

Some folks had said the interview would be brief as Sean is not a man of many words. In fact, it wasn't the case at all. He was very amenable and had alot to say about the ride and cyclosportives. He also did alot of signing of autographs and posing for photos too. A very nice man.

And thus concluded a very enjoyable day through the Comeragh mountains on the Sean Kelly Tour. Thanks to Johnny Brunnock and his team at Waterford Council for welcoming us, and also to the staff at the Tannery Townhouse and Restaurant.

24 hours with Velib - How it was for us - Part 2

So we were all set with our temporary membership cards with Velib and we picked our bikes. Now, for all the years that I've been riding 2 wheelers I still needed to give myself a bit of a warm-up, getting used to riding these bikes with a different geometry.

My body was in a very upright position and my arms were higher up than I would normally hold them. The saddle was wide enough to accommodate my ample bottom, although it wasn't a soft gel saddle. The pedals were probably slightly more forward than I'd been accustomed to. Overall it felt quite strange. Things were abit wobbly as I circled the block several times. People looked at me quizzically, wondering why I was wasting my money hiring a bike just ride around in circles. I almost wanted to explain to people - "I am a real cyclist, honest. I just need to get used to this new fangled thing!"

After a bit of jiggery pokery and fettling with our bikes to get a better set-up, we were zooming through the bright lights of Paris.

Fred had a cunning plan of changing bikes after 25 minutes of riding so that we could avoid paying anything for going over the 30minute mark with the same bike. So when we arrived at the Quai d'Orsay we stopped at a station and decided to make the change. Typically things didn't quite go according to plan. The people ahead of us in the queue didn't know how to operate the console, and we had to help them with it, which took a few minutes. He managed to hook his bike back into the station on the 29th minute, but it turned out he hadn't hooked the bike in correctly so he was still charged anyway!
Tip - when you hook your bike in the Velib station wait for a beep sound which confirms the bike is properly in place and your rental period has finished.

We then set off with new bikes and continued our journey, having decided not to try that trick again!
Our journey was more than 2 hours in total and it cost us 5 euros each. It's more than we'd expected to pay, but still it was not bad considering the distance we travelled.

The following day we became more accustomed to the system and were soon real Velib dab hands. We knew how to adjust the bikes for a better fit, we could collect and deposit bikes in a jiffy, and we were pretty good at finding our way around Paris - also helped by the various green and white bicycle direction signs.

Our trips on Monday:
Ledru Rollin Metro station to Hotel de Ville - 16 minutes
Chatelet (Boulevard Sebastopol) to Gare de l'Est - 13 minutes
Gare de l'Est to Pigalle - 10 minutes
Pigalle to Republique - 19 minutes
Republique to Bastille - 17 minutes

As seen, alot of distance was covered that day. As all of the journeys took less than half an hour, we didn't pay anything to use the bikes, which was great - and we had glorious weather to boot.

Just be careful that some of the stations we went to - notably at Pigalle and at Republique had nowhere to return the bikes to so we spent a few more minutes riding to another station (not usually more than 200m away) to where we could deposit our bikes.
Also, when choosing a bicycle to pick up at the Velib station have a quick look at all of them and check out the one you would like first before you make your selection. Some of the bikes are not in the best nick and it takes time if you have to keep changing bikes.

This was a different cycling experience to the fast and furious commute around London, or even the daft commuter races that take place. This was very laid back and pleasant. It was also quite a weight off your mind parking your bicycle and knowing that you didn't have to think about locking it or wondering if it would still be there when you returned to it!
I definitely recommend Velib.

24 hours with Vélib - How it was for us - Part 1

I'd heard lots of positive things about Vélib, so as we had a few days in Paris in July, we decided to give it a go.

We initially thought of signing up with Vélib on Sunday afternoon when we arrived in the Bois de Vincennes, just on the Eastern edge of Paris and saw loads of these bikes at the Vélib station.

The Vélib station outside the entrance to the Parc Floral de Paris was flush with bikes. In fact, there were more bikes than racks at the station so some people had just chained their Vélib bikes randomly to railings or trees.

Great, we thought. We won't have trouble finding a bicycle when we want to ride back into central Paris.

After our afternoon of strolling around the woods, watching a jazz concert and basking in the sunshine in the Parc Floral, we decided to make our way back into the central zone.

Alas, everyone else had had the same idea as us to pick up a bicycle from the Vélib station - except that they did so before us! When we arrived at the station there was just one lonely bike left. No one wanted it because most people arriving at the station were in pairs or groups. Vélib bikes are sturdy, but not really designed to be ridden Cuban style with all your friends, family and shopping perched on the handlebars!

Instead of a sunny overground route to take us back into Bastille, we took the métro.

The aim, with Vélib is that once you have made your journey you return your bike to a designated bike station to end the hire period and you stop being charged for the bike.

As it had been a lovely sunny afternoon, all of Paris (or at least those from the Eastern arrondissements) had decided to ride out to the woods for an afternoon picnic while watching the jazz festival.

Now the stations only have space for about 50 bikes, so many people had been left in that awkward position of leaving their bikes somewhere else. Railings or trees may show that you think outside the box, but this idea is heavy on your money box as you rack up charges until you return the bike to a designated Vélib station. Thus, your afternoon picnic with free jazz in the park for a few hours becomes quite expensive!

Note that Vélib hire charges are cheap for short periods of time (free for the first 30 minutes) and then the price increases quite significantly after 2 hours. The charging structure is designed to stop people hogging bikes for hours on end.

It's a good job we hadn't ridden to the Bois de Vincennes. Stations in places like Bois de Vincennes, on the outskirts of Paris don't have as many bike spaces as other Vélib stations in Central Paris.

That is one limitation, as it means then that you run the risk of arriving there and having no where to leave your bike - especially on summer weekends. You also have problems picking up bikes, especially at peak times at the end of the afternoon when everyone is leaving the woods.

Our date with Vélib was therefore put back until the next time we needed to travel somewhere outside of Bastille. And that wasn't until around 12.30am after our evening meal by the river near Bastille Arsenal, and a few shandies in some bars on rue de la Roquette.

We walked down to the Vélib station at Ledru Rollin métro station and registered there. The Vélib station has a console with a screen where you effect all your transactions. It was very easy to follow.

As we were only staying in Paris for a couple of days we just took out 24hour rental for the princely sum of 1 euro.

After leaving a credit/debit card deposit of 150euros (as an authorisation so not actually debited) we were issued with a hire account card and a security code for carrying out transactions and viewing our account details.

In the space of 5 minutes we had joined the Vélib world and we were ready to hire a bicycle. Fastoche! Easy Peasy!

Worrying Trend

Eilidh Cairns, 5th February, Notting Hill Gate













Rebecca Goosen, 8th April, Old Street















Meryem Ozekman, 9th April, Elephant & Castle roundabout

















Adrianna Skrzypiec, 15th May, Woolwich











Maria Emma Garcia-Fernandez, 12th June, Charterhouse Street









Catriona Cockburn, 29th June Oval











Chrystelle Brown, 16th September, Whitechapel







What do all these women have in common?
They were all killed by trucks while they were out cycling in London this year.
Rest in Peace.

This is a very sad and worrying trend. In some of these cases the women were killed when trucks that were turning simply failed to see them.

Now, I don't know the exact circumstances of the above tragedies but something needs to be done to ensure the safety of us cyclists on London roads.

The London Cycling Campaign http://www.lcc.org.uk/ have designed a leaflet to be issued to drivers of heavy goods vehicles in order to raise their awareness of cyclists who may cycle within a blindspot.
There is also a campaign for special wing mirrors to be placed to improve peripheral vision.

We as cyclists also have a responsibility to ensure our own safety. Making sure that we can be seen and following the highway code.



And please, please be careful out there. DO NOT CUT INSIDE A LEFT TURNING VEHICLE. If in doubt, wait for it to pass. You will only lose a couple of seconds. The alternative may lose you your life!!



This may sound quite frank, but I am always so sorry to hear about people who lose their lives in such an unnecessary way. A few of these women were just on their way to work and never made it there or back home to their families.


In the name of safer cycling in London, let's do as much as possible to eradicate this worrying trend.