Polo Tour De France Road Ride - Avignon-Bourg d'Oisans 2013/07/13-20

Can't buy tickets yet, zero funds, but as soon as I can, I will.

For those still considering this trip, the train details are

London - Avignon Centre 13/07/2013 dep 0717- direct

Avignon Centre - London 20/07/2013 dep 1627 - direct

Currently base price is £172 excl charges.

There maybe the opportunity to buy another tranche of cheaper tickets later, but I doubt it.

I thought fuck it, so I booked my tickets, same trains, same times, £172.

Now I need a bike and to get fit for some mountains!

Booked. I'm going down a week early to make the most of an expensive journey.

ps my return seat is coach 15, seat 15. someone sit by me please!

If it's like other polo train trips we'll be in the bar car most of the way.

Although, for the record, I'm 4:23, 3:22.

Who has booked tickets?

Bill
Mark
Gabes
Fiona

Cam and James Aufbrach

Salman as well, I think.

I have various plans for the bags. We can get into details, routes etc later, but right now, the most important things are to get tickets, and to make sure you will have a bike with a seriously low ratio (1:1 or similar) at the bottom, that you are comfortable sitting on for 4 hours at a stretch.

Bill, I'm still in to help with the bags

I really wanted to do this but my landlord decided to put up our rent. This along with my ambitions to quit the useless company I work for means I probably shouldn't holiday this year.

Thanks greedy landowners you fucking shits.

Bill, I'm still in to help with the bags

Great, thanks! That'll be a real help.

ps my return seat is coach 15, seat 15. someone sit by me please!

If it's like other polo train trips we'll be in the bar car most of the way.

James & I are coming back in Coach 2, Seat 88. You should be able to change your seats, and switch to that carriage - it looks like there are empty seats right by us.

I'm out in 3, 88.

Gabes did a g map, which I have fiddled with to avoid roads I know to be unpleasant to cycle up. So we may end up doing something like this:

http://goo.gl/maps/ybj4B

I haven't looked up what the vertical gain is, but there's no more than 2 or 3 sections with double arrows on the Michelin, and none with 3. (2 means +10%, 3 means you're walking), not including Ventoux and A d'H, which are as hard as anything I have ridden.

It's all flexible, especially Ventoux, as it's a bit early to say whether we'll actually go over this hill. I have ridden up it a few times, and it's pretty hard. Very hard, I would say. And if the weather's bad (which it can be, even in July - on the Etape, dozens of competitors were treated for hypothermia), I have no intention of going anywhere near the top.

I have ridden up there, when I was much younger & stronger, into the teeth of the Mistral (notorious wind which sometimes blows from North to South down the Rhone valley), and it pretty unpleasant, temperature at the foot of the climb was +30 at the bottom, but nearer 0 at the top, with the wind chill - and the sun was out that day - not a cloud in the sky.

In that case, I would plan to watch from the lower slopes, and then go around to the north, via Malaucene, probably up the Toulourenc valley.

I have no intention of being the ride leader, but I'd like to it to be sociable & friendly ride, without too much stress, so in my opinion, it'd be good to sort some things out before we go.

I'd like everyone that's planning on coming with to meet at some point in the next couple of months, so that we can agree general protocol for the ride. I would also like to see us all go for a weekend camping ride together sometime in May, possibly, just so that we can try our kit, bikes, and so that I can explain about show-boating, half-wheeling, wheel-sucking, tennis socks etc.

I would also say that I wouldn't stress too much about fitness, but I would try and make sure that you do some long day rides, just so you know you can sit on a bike for long periods without becoming totally uncomfortable. As long as you get in, say, 10 long rides between the end of March and the beginning of July, you should be alright.

And don't worry about riding up hills. There's nothing in England to replicate the Alps, really, and certainly nothing in the South.

Don't think I will join you guys for the actual trip but will be interested in the prep ride and camping bit.

I would also like to see us all go for a weekend camping ride together sometime in May, possibly, just so that we can try our kit, bikes, and so that I can explain about show-boating, half-wheeling, wheel-sucking, tennis socks etc.

lolz

James & I are coming back in Coach 2, Seat 88. You should be able to change your seats, and switch to that carriage - it looks like there are empty seats right by us.

I'm out in 3, 88.

outbound : Coach: 03 Seat: 84
inbound : Coach: 02 Seat: 84

dozens of competitors were treated for hypothermia

NOW he tell us. You'll need to buy me a pint well before May, Bill!

NOW he tell us. You'll need to buy me a pint well before May, Bill!

FWIW, 2 people have died riding up that hill. But I've ridden up it 4 or 5 times, and only once had bad weather.

It's normally like this:

FWIW, 2 people have died riding up that hill. But I've ridden up it 4 or 5 times, and only once had bad weather.

pint AND chips.

Here's another pic to reassure you:

That's a bit lower down, on the Malaucene side, probably about 4 or 5 km from Mont Serein.

The hills in the foreground are 1000m, the stuff in the distance is the Vercors on the left, and the Alps proper on the right.

Yep, I've got my ticket.

Also, come up here for hilly training rides!

Out: Coach 3 Seat 16
In: Coach 14 Seat 16