Apparently some people consider this a vacation; I consider it insane

Date:July 20, 2007 / year-entry #265
Tags:non-computer;stp
Orig Link:https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/oldnewthing/20070720-01/?p=25913
Comments:    11
Summary:One of the little cards that came in the STP information packet is an advertisement postcard for Epic Cycling Climbs of France. For $3299 (+airfare) you receive the "privilege" of cycling up the Alpe d'Huez and other notorious mountains. I'm sorry. If I'm going to go up l'Alpe D'Huez you're going to have to pay...

One of the little cards that came in the STP information packet is an advertisement postcard for Epic Cycling Climbs of France. For $3299 (+airfare) you receive the "privilege" of cycling up the Alpe d'Huez and other notorious mountains.

I'm sorry. If I'm going to go up l'Alpe D'Huez you're going to have to pay me, not the other way around.

(Then again, I paid to ride my bicycle from Seattle to Portland, so obviously I'm a little insane already. I've already taken the first steps in progressive insanity; maybe they were just showing me where I was headed if I didn't watch my step. Sort of like those anti-smoking ads.)

Comments (11)
  1. JenK says:
    July 20, 2007 at 11:00 am

    At least you didn’t get hit by a car (I hope)!

    Did you do the 1-day or the 2-day?  

  2. David Burke says:
    July 20, 2007 at 11:24 am

    Several years a friend of mine did this "holiday". He completed the ride. Several others succumbed to heatstroke, while others suffered mild hypothermia. Since he is a friend, he I could not describe him as insane; but he his eccentricity has passed the mild category.

  3. MikeC says:
    July 20, 2007 at 11:32 am

    David – if he’s a friend, you owe it to him to tell him so he can save himself…!

    (Those anti-smoking ads are useless. Every time I see one, I end up having a smoke within minutes, just on principle that I’m not going to be told what to do. If I want to die a painful and stinky death, I will, damn it!!!)

  4. KB says:
    July 20, 2007 at 12:30 pm

    "Several others succumbed to heatstroke…"

    They died???

    …

    This tour thing…  What do you get for $3299, exactly?  Food and guides?  Why is this so expensive for something you can just do yourself?

  5. PeterK says:
    July 20, 2007 at 12:41 pm

    Hmm… I just took a similar trip through the Pyrenees: 7 days, 500mi, 50000′ of climbing. I guess you’ll be coming after me in the white coat.

    But it was a great trip, if strenuous. Good food (yes, that’s what you pay for) and scenery– and descents! I think the best part was it gave me an incentive to do some serious riding beforehand to get in shape.

    Now I get to watch the Tour as they go over some of the same roads and make it look easy. (We saw both Vinokourov and Sastre out training.)

  6. Steve Loughran says:
    July 20, 2007 at 1:02 pm

    1. There are worse things than the alpe, like some of the offroad stuff.

    2. I’m planning on going up there with a 5 year old on the tagalong to make it harder. The worst part is his centre of gravity pulls you off on the bends.

    3. that is a very expensive option. I’d expect to spend 50-80 euros/day; If you spend more you are eating too much and putting on more weight than you burn.

  7. Mark W says:
    July 20, 2007 at 1:02 pm

    I look at it the other way: when I go vacationing in France, I would definitely take my bike and ride some of the epic mountain stages.  One to see how good I am, and two to soak in the ambiance of  a TdF stage.

  8. Cheong says:
    July 20, 2007 at 11:50 pm

    [quote]

    This tour thing…  What do you get for $3299, exactly?  Food and guides?  Why is this so expensive for something you can just do yourself?

    [/quote]

    Hotel accommodations; Eddy Merckx CHM carbon frame road bike; 8 breakfasts, 5 lunches and 6 dinners; expert guide/leadership; vehicle support and luggage transportation.

    Sounds like normal traveling package plus a new bike, minus the air and train tickets.

  9. John says:
    July 21, 2007 at 11:56 am

    Don’t be a baby about it:)  Hill are your friend, they just want to help you be a better rider!

    Are you watching the Tour de France on TV now?  The action is great.

  10. Blobby says:
    July 22, 2007 at 9:21 pm

    Do they also include the anabolic steroids, testosterone injections, blood doping, etc. for that price? So you can really get into the spirit of Le Tour.

  11. David Heffernan says:
    July 24, 2007 at 4:55 pm

    I don’t mean to be funny, but this holiday is for wimps.  It’s only a single climb each day, rides between 40 and 60 miles.  Piece of cake to any club cyclist.  Indeed any decent club cyclist would want to do a lot more.  Also these alpine climbs are really easy since the gradients are so low, 6-10%.  Ok they go on for a long time but you can just spin up them with no real effort.

    Now, it’s much more challenging to do 2 or even 3 of these cols in a day…..

Comments are closed.


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