JULY 20, 2009 - L'ETAPE du TOUR

By Debbie Bulloch



On Monday, July 20, 2009, just four days after Bastille Day, Monsieur Arcabulle Odriscoll, a friend of mine, a frequent contributor to this blog, a friend of many of you and a friend of BH will ride on L’Etape du Tour.

Arc is a very modest, even self-effacing, person. He thinks that riding on L’Etape du Tour is not a big deal – I disagree. This year’s riders of L’Etape du Tour will climb France’s fierce Mont Ventoux. For those of you who do not ride bikes competitively and for those of you who may not be familiar with Mont Ventoux, let me put what Arc is going to do on July 20 into its proper perspective.

MONT VENTOUX – THE WINDY MOUNTAIN

Mont Ventoux is a mountain in the Provence region of southern France, located some 20km north-east of Carpentras, Vaucluse. On the north-side, the mountain borders the Drôme département. It is the largest mountain in the region and has been nicknamed the "Giant of Provence", or "The Bald Mountain." Mont Ventoux rises to a height of over 1900 meters at the top. (For us Americans who do not know metric conversions, that is over 6,200 feet.)

As the name suggests (venteux means windy in French), it can get very windy at the summit, especially with the mistral; wind speeds as high as 320 km/h (200 mph) have been recorded. In fact, the road over the mountain is often closed due to high winds.

Mont Ventoux, although geologically part of the Alps, is often considered to be separate from them, due to the lack of mountains of a similar height nearby. It stands alone to the west of the Luberon range, and just to the east of the Dentelles de Montmirail, its foothills. The top of the mountain is bare limestone without vegetation or trees, giving it an almost lunar-like look. The white limestone on the mountain's barren peak appears, from a distance, to be snow-capped all year round (its snow cover actually lasts from December to April). Its isolated position overlooking the valley of the Rhône ensures that it dominates the entire region and can be seen from many miles away on a clear day. I have read that the view from the top is absolutely superb.

A VIDEO BY CANNONDALE BIKES – THE CLIMB TO THE TOP



MONT VENTOUX AND THE WORLD OF CYCLING

Mont Ventoux has become legendary as the scene of one of the most grueling climbs in the Tour de France bicycle race, which has ascended the mountain thirteen times since 1951. The followed trail mostly passes through Bédoin. Its fame as a scene of great Tour dramas has made it a magnet for cyclists around the world.

The mountain achieved worldwide notoriety when it claimed the life of British cyclist Tom Simpson, who died here on July 13, 1967 from heat exhaustion caused by a combination of factors including dehydration (caused by lack of fluid intake and diarrhea). It has been reported that as Tom approached the summit, he began to wildly weave across the road before falling down. Although he was delirious, he asked spectators to put him back on the bike, which he rode to within a half mile of the summit before collapsing dead, still clipped into his pedals. There is now a memorial to Simpson near the summit; the memorial has become a shrine to fans of cycling, who often leave small tokens of remembrance there.

For road bicycle racing enthusiasts, the mountain can be climbed by three routes.

• South from Bédoin: 21,8 km over 1617 m. This is the most famous and difficult ascent. The road to the summit has an average gradient of 7.43%. Until Saint-Estève, the climb is easy: 3.9% over 5,8 km, but the 16 remaining kilometres have an average gradient of 8.9%. The last kilometres may have strong, violent winds. The ride takes 1h30m-2h30m hours for trained amateur riders. Professional riders take 1h-1h15 min. The fastest time so far recorded has been that of Iban Mayo in the individual climbing time trial of the 2004 Dauphiné Libéré: 55' 51". The time was measured from Bédoin for the first time in the 1958 Tour de France, in which Charly Gaul was the fastest at 1h 2' 9".

• North-west from Malaucène: 21,5 km over 1570 m. About equal in difficulty as the Bédoin ascent, better sheltered against the wind.

• East from Sault: 26 km over 1210 m. The easiest route. After Chalet Reynard (where the "lunar landscape" of the summit starts), the climb is the same as the Bédoin ascent. Average gradient of 4.4%.

The climb by bike from Bédoin to Mont Ventoux is one of the toughest in professional cycling. In case you missed that, let me repeat it: the climb from Bédoin to Mont Ventoux is one of the toughest for PROFESSIONAL RIDERS. To get a detailed impression of this climb, the route has been measured accurately.

BEDOIN TO MONT VENTOUX – THE CLIMB

The figure for the average gradients per kilometer can be found in many books and websites on cycling. The average gradient of the total climb and also the average gradients per kilometer differ slightly, depending on the source of the information. Accurate measurements result in an average gradient for the total climb of 7.43%, based on a horizontal distance of 21765 meters and an ascent height of 1617 meters. The actual distance ridden is 21825 meters.

The average gradients per kilometer are as follows:

Kilometre Average gradient Kilometre Average gradient

1 1.9 % 12 10.1 %
2 2.8 % 13 9.2 %
3 3.8 % 14 9.4 %
4 5.8 % 15 8.8 %
5 5.6 % 16 6.9 %
6 3.1 % 17 6.6 %
7 8.6 % 18 6.8 %
8 9.4 % 19 7.4 %
9 10.5 % 20 8.3 %
10 10.1 % 21 9.1 %
11 9.3 % 22 10.0 %

CLIMBING MONT VENTOUX – A RIDER’S PERSPECTIVE

I have never climbed such high mountain tops on my bike; and I will probably never be able to either. I am just not a strong climber, riding against the wind, not climbing, is my forte.

I have, however, ridden my mountain bike in Santa Fe, New Mexico, where the elevation is approximately 7,000 feet. I have also ridden my mountain bike in Flagstaff, Arizona, where the elevation is approximately 6,900 feet.

I did not ride to those places, I rode in and around those places. I rode on the flat portions around town, never climbing very high. But at that altitude, even when riding on the flats, the lack of oxygen is simply brutal. From the moment that you start riding, to the moment that you finish, your lungs are literally burning, screaming for every molecule of oxygen. If you are not in good shape, and I am not in good shape, lactic acid starts to build in your leg muscles and soon your legs send a signal to your brain: FOR GOD’S SAKE STOP THIS STUPID RIDING BUSINESS AND TAKE A TAXI CAB HOME! (As you can see, my legs are very chatty.) One, of course, must ignore the legs and just keep on riding. Eventually, the brain completely disconnects from the legs and even though the pain is still there, you just can’t feel it anymore (or you stop caring).

ARC will not be riding “around” the summit; he is going to ride all the way to the summit and back. This is an amazing physical feat and although he won’t admit it, it takes a very special athlete to even try to climb Mont Ventoux.
As I mentioned in an earlier post, Arc has not been able to train as much as he wants. He has been sick over the last few weeks and that has drastically cut into his training time. His mental attitude, however, remain positive - that is where we can all help him conquer the Monster of Provence.

I want each of one you reading this post, to send an IM or a notecard to Arc, wishing him luck and telling him how much you respect his attempt to climb Mont Ventoux. Then, I want you to do one more thing.

On Monday, July 20, I want all of you to focus your thoughts, your goodwill and your mental energies on Arc. I am not sure when the ride start, (France is nine hours ahead of California time) but I want you to take time to think about Arc climbing that mountain and send him your energy. I think that if enough of us do that, we will help carry Arc safely to the top and back down again.

So remember, this is what we need to do:

1. Send Arc an IM or a notecard telling him that you support his efforts, and
2. On ride day, focus your energy and your positive thoughts on Arc as he climbs to the top of the windy mountain.

Merci!
Here are some pictures, taken off the Net, of what Arc will face on July 20th.

ELEVATION CHART



CLIMBING TO THE SUMMIT





MONUMENT TO TOM SIMPSON



LUNAR LANDSCAPE AT THE SUMMIT



A SON’S VIDEO TRIBUTE TO HIS FATHER, AS THE FATHER CLIMBED MONT VENTOUX



Carpe Mont Ventoux!

TUESDAY AFTERNOON WITH THE MOODY BLUES

By Debbie Bulloch



My Dad loved listening to the Moody Blues. I can still remember him playing his Moody Blues albums until the turntable’s needle (according to my Dad it was a turntable and not a record player – LOL) almost wore through the record’s grooves. Among the many things that he taught me, my Dad taught me to love the gentle, almost magical, evocative lyrics and the sweet voices, of the Moody Blues.










Please join me in a sweet trip back in time, when the world was newer and love was all we knew.

Tuesday Afternoon…




Nights in White Satin….



The Story in Your Eyes…



Question

(Note: The lyrics below are perhaps the most personally meaningful lyrics of any song I know; they come about halfway through the song. We are all searching for someone to change our lives. One day, all of us will find that love that we all “once knew.” Peace!)

Im looking for someone to change my life.
Im looking for a miracle in my life.
And if you could see what its done to me
To lose the the love I knew
Could safely lead me through.

Between the silence of the mountains
And the crashing of the sea
There lies a land I once lived in
And she’s waiting there for me.

But in the grey of the morning
My mind becomes confused
Between the dead and the sleeping
And the road that I must choose.



In your Wildest Dreams…



Thank you for joining me on this little trip with the Moody Blues.

Le Géant de Provence

hello my friends

In 3 weeks, it will be a very special day for me !

Indeed, i will ride for the third year the stage of "Le tour de France"

This year will be particularly difficult very difficult with a lot of up and down and a lot of climbs and mountains !

The end will be very hard because we will climb Le Géant de Provence which is the most difficult climb of the stage : 22 kilometers with an average of 7,6%

There will be about 9500 riders from maybe more than 50 countries ! it is completely crazy but so nice and funny !

The problem is that this year I don't have so much training ! Maybe debbie you could do it i could let you do it ! I think you have more training than me ! Think so (hehehehe)

I will do my best to reach the arrival and even if i will suffer, i will fight to reach the arrival ! When you ride you need energy and legs vut the mental is also very important !!

So my friends, please have a look to the video herewith which shows the stage of the tour de FRance ! please have a look to this incredible stage !

http://www.velo12.com/Etape-du-Tour-Mondovelo-2009_a1028.html

Look at this other video where you can discover stages of the different " Tour de France" : you can discover the stage of this year and also the last two years that i did ! hehehe very nice !

http://www.cyclefilm.com/recon.html

And my friends, what I also have to tell you is that le Tour de France will begin on next saturday ! it is very nice ! hope you will like and will appreciate it.

I have to write an article about it and the favorites : Lance Arrmstrong, Contador, Leipheimer, Andy Schleck, Cadel Evans..... who will win ??? hahahaha I let you imagine !

so please appreciate that !

see you soon

arc

EDITOR'S NOTE: ARC is being overly modest regarding his cycling achievements; ARC is really a very good rider. Riding mountain passes, like ARC does, requires a great deal of personal energy, hard training and the right mental attitude. In a few weeks ARC will face a very tough ride. He has been ill in RL (he is French and they eat those "gross" snails or escargots and I think that is what is making him ill) so he has not been able to train as hard as he wants/needs to.

Here is a simple "calories" chart showing how many calories bike riders normally spend during a ride. I am also posting a "grade" chart showing how elevation (climbing) can affect a rider's efforts.

CALORIES CHART

Bicycling - 30 minute duration Calories Burned - 150 lbs. person /250 lbs. person

Light effort (10 to 11.9 mph) 200 340

Moderate effort (12 to 13.9 mph) 270 450

Vigorous effort (14 to 15.9 mph) 340 570


Hill climbing, how to figure grade, steepness, slope, etc…

All factors being equal, a flat bike route takes less effort than a hilly or mountainous route. For reference purposes I will use the word “grade” to mean the “steepness” of a hill.

Grade is measured as follows:

Grade = vertical climb / horizontal distance

Where both “vertical climb” and “horizontal distance” are both converted to the same measurement units.

So if a hill goes up 264 feet in 2 miles, then we can first convert 2 miles to 10560 feet -- so the grade is then 0.025 = 264 feet / 10560 feet, which is 2.5%.

What does the "grade" number mean in terms of the effort spent by the rider?

• 0% grade is exactly flat (and a negative grade, less then zero, is downhill).

• 2% grade does not seem very steep, but it's enough to substantially reduce forward speed, and for most riders it will absorb more than half their power output.

• 6% grade is enough to cut speed to well under half, and absorb more than 80% of a rider's power output (leaving less than 20% to fight air resistance and rolling friction).

• 10% grade, and anyone who is not a fit and frequent rider is off their bike walking -- and anyone who is not a racer is reaching for all the extra power they've got.

We cannot help ARC with the physical part of his ride, that is up to him. But we can certainly help with the mental part of the ride. So I ask all of you to please send him your best wishes and encourage him to do his very best on his upcoming ride.

If not, maybe ARC can then use this bike!

MONDAY MORNING MUSINGS

By Debbie Bulloch




Sigmund Freud once famously remarked that, "Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar." (If you studied psychology, or if you know anything about Dr. Freud, you know exactly what he meant by that remark.)












And sometimes rocks are just rocks, right?










Have a wonderful new week!

SUNDAY MORNING COMICS

By Debbie Bulloch



After a week marked by the reporting of sad news, it is good to get back to something fun. So here, for your Sunday morning enjoyment - the Sunday comics.

Get a cup of your favorite Sunday beverage - tea, coffee, chocolate or a Bloody Mary (for those of you nursing a hangover). Then go out and enjoy the day. Carpe diem!









(Click on image for larger view.)











I usually will not post political cartoons. But the news of South Carolina's Governor traveling all the way to Argentina to meet with his paramour is just too good to pass up.



Finally, a word of thanks to my RL friend andmentor SanPaul Held for posting the Sunday comics whenever I am on "vacation."

STRAWBERRY FIELDS FOREVER...

By Debbie Bulloch




I am very fortunate to live in one of the most naturally beautiful spots in all of California - and perhaps the entire USA. We have mountains to go hike in the summer or ski in the winter; we have miles and miles of beautiful coast line to surf, swim or sail all year ‘round. We also have many miles of country roads where we can ride our bikes as long and as hard and as fast as we want (or are able) to.

One of the great pleasures of riding our country roads, are all the sights and smells - especially the smells - from the nearby fields. In the springtime, the morning air is redolent with the smell of orange blossoms, in the summer afternoons it is the smell of ripening strawberries that floats above the fields, and in the evenings, it is the hypnotic fragrance of star jasmine that fills the riders’ lungs.

This afternoon, as I headed back home from my 40+ miles ride down PCH to Neptune’s Nest, I was literally overpowered by a powerful fragrance from the nearby strawberry fields. I could almost close my eyes and taste the sweet summer strawberries and feel them melting in my mouth. But since I was riding at a 12 – 15 mph clip, I decided NOT to close my eyes. Instead, I stopped over and took these photographs:

Strawberry Fields… (Yucca, one day you will have to taste our strawberries)



Corn fields… (Can't wait for that summer corn to be read to eat!)



Neptune’s Net, a hamburger joint on PCH, just north of Malibu and world-famous biker hang out!



And, finally, from the Beatles, STRAWBERRY FIELDS FOREVER!

La musique bretonne

Hello my friends !

Crazy Jerry is back !

Today I want to introduce you to Brittany culture and especially some music from Brittany.

Brittany (called "Bretagne" in French) is a part of France. It is located in the west of France and there are several states or departments : you have five

In fact this part of France is very special to me because my father was born in Brittany and also my grand-parents in Morbihan !
That's why it is very special to me and youknow I spent all my holidays or almost in Brittany ! So i have a lot of memories when i was young ! It was very nice !

So this part of France which is very mystic and very nice has its own languages ! We call it Breton and in Brittany you have different accents and variations ! depends where you live ! I have to tell you that my father speaks fluently le breton !! hehehe
I don't know it but i should learn in order to preserve this culture.

Now i want you to introduce to celtic music. We have a lot of great and famous musicians who are from Brittany !
Alain Stivell, Tri Yann for example and you have also a lot of musicians groups !

Please listen to this music and just enjoy it !!

Tri martolod
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PRpNVMjnDmY&feature=related


Dan ar Braz
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5J3PXoLYIF8&feature=related

Un hommage à ma Bretagne : look at these pics and relax ! that's so nice

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uUSaupRHJVc&feature=related

Didier Squiban with a piano : oh my friends I love it so much
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9iSJhxvYIKc&feature=related


My friends here was an extract of the brittany culture
hope you enjoyed it
byeee
arc

Please have a look to this video which lets you discover the Brittany and our culture
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VO4FWiMu34k&feature=related

SATURDAY MORNING MUSINGS: THE 3 KEYS TO HAPPINESS

By Debbie Bulloch




We’ve all heard countless studies, articles and TV interviews on happiness. But the other day I stumbled upon something that is just now being revealed to the media for the first time.* It's a 72 year old study that began all the way back in 1937 when 268 Harvard University sophomores were asked to participate in a study measuring “a formula-some mix of love, work, and adaptation-for a good life.” And while many of those who were college sophomores in 1937 are now dying or in their fading twilight, this study continues to be diligently maintained to this very day.

And never before has science been able to report such fascinating and thoroughly time-tested results on happiness. Following are 3 powerful lessons from this study.

1. Have a Healthy Outlet

So many of the people in this study seemed to have all their ducks in a row. In their prime years in the 1950’s and 1960’s, they were making big money in powerful careers. They had beautiful families and lived in idyllic neighborhoods. Oddly enough, later in life, many of these fortunate people ended up breaking down mentally and physically. Why? If one didn’t have a healthy outlet for their fears, nerves, and struggles, it was only a matter of time before repressed demons erupted to the surface. The happiest people in this study had a healthy outlet. They were altruistic or had a rich sense of humor. They funneled their issues into sport, “their lust into courtship.”

Copyright 2009. Yeah Dave. (David Romanelli)

For more on "The Three Keys To Happiness" click here: The Three Keys To Happiness

So what does happiness mean to you? What are your three keys to happiness?

Les enfants : des artistes en herbe

This a very important message from a french guy called jerry ! it is weird for a french guy !

Hi my friends

Today is a special day ! we are on saturday in france and saturday means the week end ! the week end is the way for me to spend more time with my childrens ! you would say : but you have also the week and it is important to be with your childrens all the time !
yes you are right and as a friend told me , it is important to be with them and show the m the way in order to allow them to build themselves.

So i want to tell you that childrens are very nice and we have to be here for them all the time !
it is essential and they need that not only when they are babies but also when they grow and even after when they are adults ! So as we are parents, we do have to show them the way and to build good foundations strong foundations (like for a building) or strong racines (like for a tree)
Look at a tree, when it has good racines and when you give him water and light, the tree or the flower gorws and gorws and this tree or this flower is very nice ! it is the same with childrens !

I want to tell you that we have to love them very very very much and be here for them ! Sometimes we can't because we work too much (that is my case) so we have to find moments regularly to be with them ! you know i love my childrens more than everything else i think ! it is a strange feeling to feel that ! they are so nice and so mischevious sometimes.

So i stop talking because i could do that during hours ! and you will say ! ouf ! he is boring
Now i want childrens to talk, to show you what they are able to do and what messages they are able to deliver ! I do precise that these drawings are from childrens from everywhere around the world (all rights reserved) !

Please appreciate them ! it is a great selection !


just appreciate that and see how childrens can be very nice artists ! heheheh

Look for a mom ! each mom had these type of drawings (remember)

Look I think he or she is the son of picasso ! hehehe

He he some humour ! i do think it is a french boy or girl ! hehee

hey look a party ! like in sl : they seem to be very happy

I wanted you to see my new bike ! very sophisticated ! deb for our next ride

Oh look ! how it is colored ! very nice

Jules verne and the flying bike and flying tractor : le tour du monde en vélo volant !

Hey look an animal! i don't know if it humour ! hehehe ! very nice
Emma your house is very nice ! I like it very much

This last one is little (hehehe) but very nice ! i really like it ! don't what it represents ! i think a tree for christmas ! hehhe

So my friends you can see that our childrens are genius and can also deliver some very deep messages .
So my friends have a nice day and enjoy your childrens ! hold them very tightly and tell them everyday how much you love them and how much they are important to you !
I will do that immediately !
See you soon my friends
Arc