Monday, July 20: Je l'ai fait !

I did it!

This was easily the hardest thing I have ever done!

The day started at 4am followed by a quick breakfast of coffee and croissants. At 5:15am we took a bus over to Montelimar to the start line or as close as we could get. There was already a lot of traffic and some who had given up driving and were riding their bicycles to the race. We got about 1 mile to the starting gate and couldn’t go any further. We had to get off the bus, unloaded our bikes and then rode to the start. I have raced mountain bikes and run marathons in my life but never have I see this many people participating in an event. My number was with the 6000’s but they also went all the way up to 9500. There were 9500 people!!! It was so crowded and exciting and colorful with everyone dressed in their respective cyclist shorts and bibs or shirts representing so many different countries! At one point I was waiting in line to use the bathroom and met people from England, Spain, Russia, Germany. It was unbelievable!

I had to focus on moving fast through this initial stage of the race so that I could get a good cadence going.

There would be two rest stops. One in Buis les-Baronnes which was about 77.1 kilometers in and the other at Bedoin, at 148.5 kilometers to the summit. At the first rest stop, I felt great! I only stopped long enough to fill my water bottles and then continued on. I had spent days drinking lots of water and eating well and resting and so far it was paying off. Everyone else looked to be in great spirits too!

The route was filled with long meandering ascents through incredibly beautiful valley's filled with lavender fields, apricot orchards, fields of olive trees, fields and fields of vineyards. We rode up steep long switchbacks. The views of the valley from the tops of the hills were incredible! Along the route, people lined the streets, cheering, singing, passing out water, and occasionally pushing cyclists up hills.

The descents were incredible too. At one point we were riding at 40 miles per hour on a 15-mile descent! It was 95 degrees. There were many accidents. A man flew off the side of a hill. There were also many crashes and people passing out from heat stroke. I watched as one man went into convulsions. Later, we heard that he broke his neck. It was a very dangerous ride on the descents.

We rode through Taulignan, Nyons, Col d’Ey, Buis les+Baronnies, Col de Fontaube, Sault, Col N.-D. des Abeilles, Mormoiron, Bedoin, up to Le Chalet Reynard and then to the summit of Mont Ventoux.

The major climbs were:
Cote de Citelle - 3.1 miles (5.2 km) at avg. grade of 3.9%
Col d'Ey - 3.7 miles (6.3 km) at avg. grade of 5%
Col de Fontaube - 2.8 miles (4.7 km) at avg. grade of 4.3%
Col de Notre Dame des Abeilles - 4.6 miles (7.8 km) at avg. grade of 4%
Mont Ventoux via Bedoin - 12.7 miles (21.2 km) at avg. grade of 7.6%

Throughout the day, the heat was as consistent as the difficulty of the hill climbs. I was looking forward to hitting the second rest stop and refueling on powerbars and water. I had carried some with me but opted to carry as little as possible since every ounce carried on my body would only get heavier as the ride progressed. Temperatures ranged from 94 to 98 degrees. Eventually I hit the second rest stop in the village of Bedoin and rested long enough to consume a powerbar and liquids and fill up my water bottles. The other thing that fills you up is the encouragement of the people handing out the food and water. They are out there all day long in the heat and sun constantly cheering on and refueling all of the riders! They are so incredibly appreciated!

Following the stop in Bedoin, I was now feeling exhausted from the heat. It was a weird feeling because my body felt strong but it seemed more difficult to breathe due to elevation and heat. The elevation would only get more challenging at this point. It was important to stay relaxed and focus on finishing strong. What kept me moving up the most difficult part, the forest in Bedoin were thoughts of my family and friends. Riding through the forest offered mild retreat from the rays of the sun. I rode closer to the side when I could, under the shade of the trees. The most challenging part in the forest was that I kept passing people in far better shape than I, either passed out under the shade or simply sitting under a tree wearing a dazzed look. The ambulances were consistently riding by with sirens blazing, picking up riders suffering from the heat, physical exhaustion, or both. It was an incredibly brutal climb. Once through the forest, you come to Le Chalet Reynard, which was a designated water stop. By the time I got there, they had run out of water. The problem for me is that I had run out of water too. I rested a bit here under the awnings of Le Chalet and focused on the summit. There were lots of people at Le Chalet who were giving up. A bus came and picked up a bunch of them and drove them back down the mountain. The summit was only 6 km from here but I was exhausted. At this point the course opens wide and the trees disappear. There is only pavement and rocks and sun between you and the summit. The one thing that made me smile was looking off to the side; I saw a herd of sheep roaming about. It was a good sign of life and a bit playful. I got back on my bike and began climbing and climbing and climbing. It felt like I was riding forever and in the desert. Finally I crossed the finish having completed 170.2 kilometers at just under 11 hours! The elevation at the summit of Mont Ventoux is 1,912 meters or 6,273 feet. The views are absolutely magnificent.

This was an incredible day and a dream come true and would not have happened if not for the encouragement and support of loving friends and family. Thank you.

North Shore Sunday Article!

There is an article in the North Shore Sunday about the ride! Here is the link to the story:

http://www.wickedlocal.com/northshoresunday/homepage/x135757416/Ipswich-s-Wilcox-to-ride-Tour-de-France-stage-for-youth-literacy

Thank you North Shore Sunday!!

Sunday, July 19: Final Preparations

Sunday

Another glorious day, less windy. Breakfast was coffee, fresh strawberries, apricots and croissants followed by a short morning spin through Provence to keep the legs loose and make sure the bike was finely tuned. During today's group training ride, I rode alongside Alian. He has a coach and has been training quite seriously for this ride. He coached me on the drafting techniques he was using; how close to stay behind the rider ahead of you, to look for the strong riders who were more likely to ride at a consistent pace, etc. I used to draft when I raced mountain bikes but this was a little different on the road.
A few times we broke out of the pack and ahead to the front. Immediately you could feel the difference between drafting and leading a pack. When you lead, you feel the pull and the ride is harder. That is how I trained. No drafting. The mental concentration to draft was harder than riding itself. We finished first. My body was not tired at all but mentally you can feel it.
Following the ride, we practiced cornering down some steep descents in the village. After that, it was rest time. The rest of the day was spent hydrating, staying in a relaxed frame of mind and preparing for tomorrow. Tomorrow will be here soon.

Saturday, July 18: First Official Training Ride in France

Saturday

It was a perfectly sunny, 90 degree Saturday morning. The wind was a bit strong but we were only going for a 25 morning spin through Provence following breakfast. Breakfast consisted of crème freche, fresh strawberries, croissants and delicious coffee. This was my first group ride since coming to France. I stayed in the back of the pack so that I could get comfortable with the pace of the other riders to determine where or whom it made the most sense to draft from. We cruised through Suze la Rousse, St. Paul Trois Chateaux and Visan. The objective of the ride was to keep the legs loose and make sure the bikes were working correctly. I noticed that my derailleur wasn’t shifting very smoothly and made a mental note to address that at the end of the ride. The ride took about an hour and a half because on the way back some of us got the bug and started racing each other. It made for a quicker ride than we thought. After lunch, we rode over to Montelimar and the Etape du Tour Village to register. To officially sign-in you had to have your passport and official letter, which included your bib number. The registration process was very organized and quick! Afterwards I checked out some of the Tour de France sponsors then we headed back to Rochegude for dinner. I found a pizzeria in Rochegude and ate an entire pizza followed by a Magnum bar, which is very much like a Dove bar. The sun does not set here until about 9:30pm in the evening. Rochegard provides a clear view of Mont Ventoux on a day like today. I spent a lot of time thinking about the ride. This would definitely be the most difficult ride I have ever done. What you will hear is that the climb itself is not difficult but that it is filled with many small difficulties, which is what makes it difficult. Throughout the day there were many conversations about the best way to tackle the mountain but at the end of the day, it comes down to each rider.

Day 1: First Ride in France

I took my first ride in France today! I have no idea how far I went because I got lost! My goal was 20 easy miles but I quickly got schooled in how to navigate the streets here. Once I got my bearings, I rode down the hill of where I am staying to a small village called Suze-la-Rousee. I came upon a little farmers market where there were vendors selling fresh fruit, all things olive oil, every stinky cheese near and dear to one's heart, a butcher who did things with organs I didn't know were possible, fresh vegetables and uh, pizza. I bought a banana and the freshest apricot I have ever tasted! Satiated, I looked for signs that pointed to Saint Paul and kept riding. The roads are much narrower than back home so I had to get comfortable with the idea that the cars would pass much closer than I was used to. It wasn't long though before I was out of the village and on long stretches of road which passed numerous vineyards, lavendar fields and the happiest field of all, the sunflowers! I rode to the center of Saint Peter and rode the roundabout back to the sign pointing to Suze-la-Rousee all the way back to where I started. Riding up the hill leading to where I was staying, I looked around and suddenly it hit me that I was riding in France!

Day 2: Ici Enfin!

Here at last! Taking an overnight flight felt like taking the short cut. That's what my grandfather says when you want to get someplace fast in a car or a plane. If you take a nap then it is like taking a short cut to get there, as long as you are not the driver. The overnight flight definately went by quicker. It was such a pleasure waking up in France. It was a beautiful sunny day and about 90 degrees out. After getting my passport stamped I went to get my luggage. The French are very effecient. I was only waiting about 5 minutes when the bags came out. The bike was in the oversize luggage area and it arrived promptly as well. Leaving the perfect amount of time to grab a chocolate croissant and coffee before boarding the train to Marsailles. The train ride was wonderful. I ran into a few other cyclists who were here for the same reason as I. They were easy to spot for they too were lugging very large Thule bike cases! The train was not that full and extremely quiet. I wanted to nap but was so full of energy and excited to be here. I just kept looking out the window at the endless fields as we flew by. Eventually we were in the Provence region of southern France and the mountain range came into view and I kept looking at them wondering if I was looking at Mont Ventoux. After about a three hour train ride, I arrived in Avignon and boarded a shuttle to the hotel which was another hour away. I asked the gentlemen at the front desk if he could point out Mont Ventoux. He opened the door and pointed to an unbelievable view of the mountains. He pointed and said it is over there but you can't see it today. I looked at the sky above me and it was blue as blue is blue but he explained that the mountains are cooler and can be cloudy but that I would probably be able to see it in the morning.

Day 3: Done Packing!

Whew. Never thought I would get to this point. Remember to pack everything?! I hope so. They say that once we all get there, it will be difficult to find replacement parts. That confuses me. When I think of France I think of bikes and chocolate croissants, among other things. There must be bike shops somewhere or old bikes with parts or something. Anyway, I'm done packing!

For information on this ride please click on the link below:

Etape du Tour

My bib number is 6304. You can enter it on the Etape du Tour site and it will give you all sorts of information about my progress once the race starts.

Day 4: Salem Evening News and Leg Warmers

Today was spent running around doing last minute store runs to get travel adaptor kits, sunglasses, leg warmers, arm warmers, new luggage, etc. Leg warmers and arm warmers are good for early morning rides. They help keep your muscles and joints nice and comfortable. They are small enough to fit into the back pocket of my riding jersey so that once it gets to about seventy degrees, I can just put them away pretty easily. I also got a really nice new riding jersey as a gift :) which is blue and light and will be very comfortable. I can't wait to ride in it.

Another really nice thing happened today. The Salem Evening News printed a great article about the ride. The reporter did a really nice job researching the story. If you want to read it, just click here:

http://salemnews.com/punews/local_story_194220835.html

My sister-in-law, Jessica Wilcox took the photo. Thank you Jess :)

Day 5: Final Day of Boot Camp

Today is my last day in the white mountains. It is a beautiful day. The sun is out! I took a 30 mile ride followed by a swim in the lake. Had a wonderful home-cooked dinner with my parents. Being able to train up here has been wonderful on so many levels and I can't believe it is time to pack up! This last day is one to celebrate! The mountains have been an incredible place to train. Full of fresh air, all kinds of challenges and many random photo op's such as the rusted tin man riding a tractor, frog painted rocks, farms, sugar shacks, many glimpses of the animal kingdom. There are many things left to do in preparation for the trip; pack the bike, pack in general, gather the passport, look over the itinerary, etc. My oldest brother knows more about the race than I do, which is normal. He knows more about most things than I do. One in particular is that there are cobblestone streets that are part of the course. I actually like not knowing everything. There is a certain challenge when faced with the unknown and I like to rise to the challenge. However now that I know about the cobblestone streets and that they get very slippery when it rains, I am contemplating which bike to bring... Thank you, big brother :)

Day 6: Extra Sweet

Just finished my to-do list for the trip.  Started to look at the map for the ride, in detail.  Can't wait to ride through all of the villages and ride along the fields of lavender.  Every day I am thinking about the long uphill climb of Mont Ventoux, its altitude and the weather in Southern France.  My ride this morning was mixed with long uphill climbs and then long stretches of passing fields.  The sun was very strong this morning and my legs hurt from all of the riding and swimming this weekend but it does not matter.  Riding up the hill, I went as slow as possible and imagined that I was climbing Mont Ventoux.  Imagining the sun beating down as I  climb the long, long, gradual climb to the summit and how amazing it will feel to get to the top...The Alpe d'Huez is the most famous climb in the world and Mont Ventoux is second.  This will be the most challenging course I have ever done.

Day 7: Final Weekend

Started the day with an early 25 mile easy ride. Rode a big loop from the house through the hills. I circled around back up this road which I knew would be hilly and passed the tin man sitting on the lawnmower. It was early in the morning and the sun was burning nicely. As I started up the hill, I noticed a steady stream of cars with trash barrels filled, situated in the back off trucks and car trunks. Boy, what a smell! It was when I was half way up the road I realized this was the road that also led to the town dump and these were the early birds getting that shore done early! When I finally passed the dump, the pine needle smell swirling in the air, never smelled better!

Later in the day, after lunch I went for a swim in the lake followed by another ride. The sky had darkened a little. It looked like it was going to rain at any moment so I quickened the pace a bit and got home just in time. The rain came down about a half hour after I finished riding.

Day 8: A Glorious Day for a Ride!

What an unbelievable day!! The sun was shining like crazy. All kinds of things were out today. Better yet, this was the first day on the "new" bike. Riding along Route 109 was incredible! The gears on the bike shifted so smoothly and the fit was spot on! I was cruising today. Cruising past the farmers mowing the tall green grass in the fields, past people unloading their boats onto the lake for a day of boating, past the amazing views of the mountains! I stopped for a water break at a large rock which was painted to look like a frog. When I went to put my bike against the rock, suddenly about 6 little chicks came scurrying out of the brush. They seemed to be trying to fly as their little wings would move a bit but they didn't seem to be catching any air. I felt like the jolly green giant who had just stumbled onto the air strip at the local flying school for little chicks. They too were very excited about the sunny day. Today I got 50 miles in and very, very happy it did not involve any squishing!

Day 9: Fine Tuning

I started off the day at the bike shop picking up my "new" bike which was really a rebuilt version of my old bike. It is an Independent Fabrication and purple. I met with John Allis and we went over the changes to my bike. If you are in the market for a new bike or want to make the one you have even better, I would highly recommend that you have a custom fit session with John. You can find him at Ace Wheelworks.
After the bike shop, I drove back to my hometown where I met with a photographer from a local newspaper who was there to take photos for a potential article about my ride. Very exciting!! After the photos, the bikes got packed in the car, I headed back up to the White Mountains to continue training. Not much time left.

Day 10: Squish, squish, squish

I depart for France one week from today! Lots to do! Have I mentioned that already?
Hooray today it rains and rains and rains! I am thinking that someone needs to come up with a way to make a bike seat produce bubbles on rainy days. Today the bubbles would have rivaled those seen on the Lawrence Welk show (trust me, it was a TV treasure). Better yet, maybe my genius herbalist Mom can make a seat with lavender so that on warm days, a rider would be assured a soothing, calming ride. In any case, today was quite wet as I rode up and down the hills. I spent the time trying to come up with ways to make for an amusing ride when one rides in the rain. I rode 30 miles today in pure rain. It was like being in the shower without the soap. At the end of the ride I literally wrung out my clothes. It has been hot and sunny in France...

Day 11: Getting the Bike Ready

Today it rained. I spent most of the day at the bike shop getting my road bike ready for the trip. This means that I had a fitting which is where a bike pro takes alot of measurements and I hop on and off the bike a bunch of times. The goal is to provide the best fit so that the rider can achieve optimal performance.
I tried on 5 different saddles or seats. Some seats have a foam core or gel which provides some cushion. Some seats are wide or narrow. It all depends on what you find comfortable. Then there are the handlebars. I have, what one of my cousins refers to as bullhorns style. The handlebars can have a more aggressive style to them depending on whether or not you want to race. By the end of the day I was properly fitted to my bike with a new seat, handlebars, brakes, gears and with alot of luck my bike will be ready in time. In the meantime, I will continue to use my cyclocross bike.

Day 12: Almost There

Lots to do! The last true week of riding before I depart for France. I am getting excited and nervous and wish I had another month to ride up here in the mountains!
Today is beautiful. The sun is shining and it is also warm out! Those two things do not always happen in unison.
Today I rode on the main road or main route. It was close to route 16. The main route takes you from Tuftonboro into Wolfeboro. The hills are long and gradual. Today I was going as fast as I could to see how long it would take for me to get tired. For some reason, I love hills. I could climb hills on my bike all day long. With hills, you just get into a zone and go. For me, the flats are more of a challenge. Today was a challenge. The reward at the end was a swim in the lake.

Day 13: Post July 4th Burn

Today's big goal was to work off all of the yummy July 4th food I ate at my cousin's cookout. That was the best cookout I have been to in a long time. Delicious food and lots of family all in one place.
I worked it off riding around Wolfeboro today. It was fitting that I started the ride on Pork Hill Road in Tuftonboro. It is actually a very sweet tree covered road that has some amazing views of the mountains. It is really easy to get lost in your surroundings up here because on a clear day, there is so much to see and the smells are incredible. I swear I could smell blueberries today! The sun was beating down and it felt great. I spent some of this day riding up and down the hills and seeing more of this beautiful area.

Day 14: Happy Fourth of July!

Another glorious day of sunshine! The views are amazing! Today's ride goes right through the town of Wolfeboro where they are having a parade to celebrate the fourth of July! I rode around the parade and back up into the mountains today!

Day 15: Mainly Lost

I had a great idea today to ride from Bridgton, Maine to Tuftonboro, New Hampshire. It would be about a 54 mile ride using Google walking directions. Have you ever used Google walking directions? When I punched in my from and to points, I wasn't bothered by the fact that Google told me it would take approximately 15 hours to get from point A to point B because I was on a bike. Anyway, I set out from Bridgton and rode on route 117 through Denmark and then got onto 160 to Brownfield. I passed many farms which sold fresh cheese, eggs, puppies, firewood. Alot of people were mowing their fields on this day. I love that smell of fresh cut grass. The sun was out. The day was glorious.
Right after I was on 160 for a bit, I took a left and then another left onto an old country road. I took this road to the "end" or where it turned into a dirt road. This is the point where the Google walking directions became interesting. There was a sign where the paved road ended and the dirt road began. It said, "Do not go beyond this point unless you are in a 4x4 no matter what your GPS tells you". I chuckled when I read that. Google is the smartest thing on earth, afterall. For some reason, I picked my cyclocross bike to ride on this day. A cyclocross bike has thicker tires than a typical road bike and thicker rims. It turned out to be a good choice because the recent rain showers had made this road nice and muddy and full of deep puddles. I think I was on this road for about an hour. I really wondered if this was where I was going to end up spending the night. Eventually I came to a paved road. A passing car stopped and the driver rolled down the window. Before the driver could speak, I asked them for directions but they were lost too. The thing about where we were is that none of the roads had any signs and with all of the beautiful trees around, it was difficult to pick up a signal from our phones. The driver had OnStar or something and started calling them for help. I just had my printed google walking directions and was determined to get to my destination without the help of OnStar. I followed the paved road and lo and behold, it took me back to where I started on the old country road. At the beginning of this road is where a large farm house sat. A very nice couple was sitting on the porch. They asked me if I was lost. I must have had that look. Anyway I asked them how far it was to Bridgton and the man told me it was a very long way and did I want a ride. He was very nice but I declined the offer and rode my bike back to Bridgton. I rode for 6 hours on this day. At the end of my ride, I threw my Google walking directions in the trash can.

Day 16: Canoe's For Shoes

What a great day! It rained again!! That soggy, wet feeling was just so welcoming. The good thing was that if I got a flat tire, it would have been fine because my shoes were like canoe's. The rain just kept on coming today and I just kept on moving. I was planning on riding around Lake Winnipesaukee but that will wait for another day. Today I did the hills. I kept my head down and focused on the road. I wasn't all that observant about my surroundings. To be honest, I just wanted to get it done. I pushed through 30 miles in the rain. When I finished the ride, Mom and I went swimming in the lake while it was raining and cold. Yes, that was a little crazy. I come by it honestly.

Day 17: Pancakes and Kancamagus

Started the day at Polly's Pancake Parlor for a carbo loaded breakfast with Mom and Dad. I highly recommend this place! They serve you 6 pancakes, 3 at a time to make sure you get them as fresh as possible. Mom and I had cornmeal coconut pancakes with real maple syrup and Dad had oatmeal banana pancakes. Everyone loved what they had. After breakfast I was dropped off at the route 93 end of the Kancamagus for a 37 mile ride. Completely high on sugar I cruised right into the rain and quickly accepted the fact that this was going to be another soggy ride. The ascent was incredibly foggy. It was a bit less nerve wracking to climb because I could hear the cars. The fog was so thick you couldn't see the cars until they were very close. Riding down the mountain was somewhat of a challenge since I could only see a few feet ahead of me. Thank goodness there were no moose crossing today :). The ride went quickly and I attribute this to the pancakes! Once at the other end of the highway, I met up with my parents. Dad bought me a hot chocolate. The only place he could find was a local bar. Nice. How he managed to get a hot chocolate with loads of whipped cream from a bar is beyond me but Dad is resourceful and it tasted delicious after a cold ride! Thanks Dad!