CSM: How hard is the Tour de France? Ask our spandexed scribe.

[unhappycamper]

How hard is the Tour de France? Ask our spandexed scribe.
By Peter Ford | Staff writer of The Christian Science Monitor

GÉRARDMER, FRANCE – About half way up the "Col de Grosse Pierre" (Big Stone Pass), sweat stinging my eyes and my thigh muscles screaming, it occurred to me that the big stone in question was not some ancient landmark but attached to my bicycle.

Or possibly located between my ears. What on earth did I think I was doing, cycling up a mountainside in eastern France until my lungs burst or my heart gave out, whichever came first? And ludicrously dressed in highly unflattering Spandex, to add insult to injury.

<snip>

I am on the wrong side of 50, fully enjoy the gastronomic pleasures of France, and have not seriously exercised for several years. In no manner do I resemble the muscled young athletes at the peak of their form who are currently pedaling round France on a 2,255-mile race to glory.

But I thought it would be instructive to ride a little bit of their route, which is why I found myself a few days ago in this picturesque town in the Vosges mountains, listening carefully while bike-shop owner Marie Agnes Picart explained to me the finer points of 21-gear racing machines.

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http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/0708/p07s01-woeu.html

[Dudley_DUright]

1. Great story

More journalists should try the things that they are covering to appreciate how hard they are. The difference in gradient in the photos is amusing (probably HC vs. C4).

[CatholicEdHead]

2. It takes pratice

I have the lowest level road bike you can get ($500-600), and it takes pratice to get in halfway decent shape. When I restarted biking 2 years ago, I was hurting pretty bad with my legs and by buttox. I am in my late 20's. I am far from Tour shape, but overall pretty decent but that came about from nothing more than biking almost every day.