Tour de Fat to tackle Triple Bypass

Okie dokie....in order to move on from the "estogren-laced" topics from yesterday and to discuss the more manly pursuit of fitness, tomorrow morning I take on the 120 mile, 3 mountain passes in one day Triple Bypass cycling event.  The Triple Bypass is considered by many to be the single most difficult one-day road cycling event in the country so I'll have to dig deep to finish in 81/2 hours which is my personal goal.    For you cycling enthusiasts, here's an article written by Lance Armstrong's former coach in which he compares the Triple Bypass to the toughest stage of the Tour de France.  Boner Triple Bypass in Colorado Gives Taste of Elite Race By Chris Carmichael

The yellow jersey is still up for grabs with less than a week to go in the 2006 Tour de France, and the hardest and most exciting stages of the race start today with an epic ride to L'Alpe d'Huez. And though there's no way to replicate the fabled 21 switchbacks of Stage 15's final ascent, Front Range cyclists can get an idea of how difficult today's stage is by riding the route for Colorado's annual Triple Bypass ride.

Both routes are about 120 miles long, climb three major mountains and feature a bit more than 10,000 vertical feet of climbing. Now, before the physiologists and folks with the topo maps get too riled up about the details, I realize there are several serious differences between the routes.

The most important of these is the altitude. The Triple Bypass starts in Evergreen and ascends over Juniper Pass (11,140 feet), Loveland Pass (11,990), and Vail Pass (10,500) before descending to the finish in Avon. In comparison, the highest point on Stage 15 is just 7,750 feet at the top of the Col d'Izoard. I've got to give the T-Pass a point for that kind of thin air.

In terms of time in the saddle, some Triple Bypass riders complete the event in anywhere from 6 1/2 to eight hours, and many take up to 10 hours. The winning time for Stage 15 most likely will be just less than six hours if the racers choose to ride aggressively from the start, or closer to 6:30 if they take it easy for the first 40 miles. But because of differences in altitude, motivation (Triple Bypass is a challenge, but not a race), and the route, neither event earns more difficulty points for time in the saddle.

The Triple Bypass also starts with a 12-mile climb right out of Evergreen, whereas the first 40 miles of Stage 15 are over rolling terrain. And where the Colorado ride ends with about a 25-mile descent into Avon to reach the finish line, Stage 15 riders have to survive a final lung- and leg-searing climb which rises 3,700 feet in just 8.7 miles. To put that in perspective, the road over Juniper Pass, the first climb of the Triple Bypass, has a similar elevation gain but is not as steep, taking 3 to 4 more miles to meander its way to the top.   Yet, there's nothing quite like the experience of reaching the bottom of a monstrous climb after more than 100 miles of riding, looking up toward the summit and knowing you have to climb all the way up there to get to the finish line. If you really want to design a ride in Colorado that would be even closer to the demands of Stage 15 of the 2006 Tour de France, you could add about 20 miles of riding on rolling hills around Avon, Minturn and Vail (if those roads exist) and then ride the Triple Bypass route backwards to finish atop Juniper Pass. Compared to the actual Triple Bypass route, I'd have to give Stage 15 at least a point for difficulty because of the summit finish.

Oh, and there's one more massive difference between Stage 15 and any ride you can come up with in the Colorado Rockies. Before the Tour de France starts today, the riders will have covered 1,660 miles in 15 days of racing, at an average speed of almost 26 mph. Think about that the next time you tackle an epic one-day ride in the mountains, and you'll just begin to get an idea of what a three-week stage race is like. 

By the way, I post this not as a personal, look at me, ego trip but as a way to motivate me personally to accomplish the goal. Some have found you're more likely to accomplish signficant life goals if you let family, friends and the like know about them.   Boner

Pfft, you have shown any of us on here for any time enough to know it isn't about your ego. If it was you wouldn't be the driving force and inspiration you are to so many on this board. I for one enjoy hearing about your bike rides, and know I am not alone, so keep on keeping us in the know. Hope you are kicking ass and taking names as I write this!!

----- 
Even the toughest criminals become remarkably docile 
 once separated from society by six feet of soil. 

Boner,

Hope you kick some butt on that ride. Your philosophy is the same as mine, tell everyone who's important. When it comes to some super fitness related goal, this is probably one of the best places to express it. There are a number of endurance athletes, whereas at work or home, there may or may not be.

At my place of employment we have virtually no one *****ally works out hard or participates in any kind of grueling activity, and Japanese culture is generally self-deprecatory, so

1) no one could relate and

2) it's considered arrogant to talk about big goals or accomplishments, especially when no one else is trying to achieve such.

That's why I do it here.

It's great what you're doing for fitness and health.

Best Wishes,

Dave

You got 24 hrs to post after finishing and it better not be from an ER!!!! Go getem Boner!!!

Damn Boy You Are Inspiring Now Go Kick Some Rocky Azz! Oh and by the way Yea What They Said!!!!!!!! C'ya Bob "Tour de Fat Member & Proud of It!!!!

Go GO Go Get em Boner. I 'm right behind you .

I have riden over 160 miles this week in prep for RAGBRAI witch puts me at just over 700 training miles  

I am looking forward to it  , and it should be a blast .

I have my green hair die for what little hair I have ( on my head LOL )

And I have a team name now ( EX- FAT PUCKER ) is that great or what ? LOL  Give em hell the ride sounds like a killer . I dont know if I would be able to handle it , not even the first climb . I still have a long way to go to get anywere close to being able to handle something like that  Again I will wear the socks with pride. Hopefuly I can  find one of my team mates with a dig cam so I can post some pix's of my own . I will try to get a close up of the green hair , and the sock's.we will see ? Best wishes  Nick