So we are all booked for our Alpine challenge. Transport, ferries and accommodation all sorted.
A massive thanks to Hannah for sorting out our transport options. Flo was being a pain and wanted a lot of space in the van, as she has refused to go down hill in the Alps and wants to be transported in style.
Once we had our transport options sorted, we could book the ferry crossings. Its going to be a early start from Bristol (or really late depending on how you look at it) and our total travel time is going to 16 – 17 hours down to our starting point in the French Alps .
There are plenty of companies that offer Alpine cycling tours but since we are self funded keeping costs down is important to us. By designing the challenge and booking the separate elements ourselves and taking our own support we have probably saved about 40 – 50% on an organised tour.
Check out the other posts about planning our Alpine challenge.
Our second challenge for 2019 will be a cycling Everesting challenge.
What is Everesting?
The concept of Everesting is simple: Pick any hill, anywhere in the world and ride repeats of it in a single activity until you climb 8,848m – the equivalent height of Mt Everest.
Want to know more about the rules – check out the official site here
Where is the challenge taking place?
The hill we have chosen is Burrington Coombe on the edge of the Mendips. Each ascent will mean 160m added to the distance climbed. Meaning that the total ascents will be 56!!
When is the Challenge?
We are planning on completing the challenge mid July 2019 (12th & 13th) The challengers will start on the Friday evening. The aim is to finish Saturday evening.
Who is taking part?
TBC but expect to see most of the Mile Monkeys attempting the challenge. The rest of the team and support crew will most likely be at base camp, or will be acting as sherpas during the challenge.
How can I help?
All help is appreciated, from cheering the Monkeys on from the road side, or cycling a couple of climbs with them. Contact us via social media or via our contact page.
Well well would you believe it those two twits have asked if I would carry them up mountains in the Alps now!!
They must be joking I am 33 years Old in Human years so that’s like well …… really old in Tandem years!! I have refused out right to go down hill and have laid down the law that they put my triplet chain rings back on so as they don’t break my cranks!!
Apparently it’s all going to done to support the “Teenage Cancer Trust” so that’s why I agreed to do it.
The pair of them also have plans to make me faster for time trialling again this year, I don’t have a problem with this as I enjoy showing up those modern Aero you pup Tandems!!
Apparently my 8 speed Italian Campagnolo gears no longer exist so Nick is going to build a new rear cassette from the newer (20 year old) 9 speed system. This should go some way to adding to my down hill and flat speed as those two twits Mitch and Nick kept spinning out!! This should work as long as Nick finally works out that changing my gears needs to be done gently or I’ll throw my chain off in protest for no apparent reason as I know this leaves him flabbergasted LOL
The last time we all raced together Mitch and Nick got really nervous at the start of their first open TT , so just for a laugh I dropped my gear chain which I have never done before!! It was so funny they really got in a tiz, then got really angry, which worked as they pushed my pedals so hard it got the three of us on the podium. I have done faster times back in the day with my original crew on-board of course but don’t let those two know that!!
Its three weeks until my wheels return to the local TT course on a Wednesday night so those two better be training hard or I might just get a puncture as far away as I can from the start LOL!!
Take care humans give me a wave if you see me out training trying to get those two idiots to go faster!!
Well getting the band back together was a total success. I have even managed to add a couple of new band members!!
I am so chuffed to have recruited John Grounds, who is without doubt the tallest cyclist I have ever had the pleasure of riding with and Anthony Rollinson (Munch) who is well just bonkers, in an amazing infectious way!
You will hear more about these lovely humans going forward, once our second cycling challenge is announced.
So the first challenge is now out there and it’s big one!! Brad Cole, Jason Cole, Harry Cole and Craig Llewellin are going to be taking on the biggest most famous uncategorised Climbs of The Tour De France in the Alps, via a circular route on their solo road bikes! Each will pick to either support The British Lung Foundation or The Teenage Cancer Trust.
As for Mitch and I, well what can I say we will join the guys but with a rather large twist! You see we have decided to do all the mountain accents on our 33 year old grumpy tandem Florence! There are many issues with trying to climb on Flo! Simply put, you can’t stand up (or the three of us will hit the floor!) there is little or no room for the stoker (Mitch) and simply peddling a tandem up any lengthy climb is basically hell on earth!!
Having checked the record books as best we can no one has every done what we are going to attempt! Several tandem crews have done several of the Alpine mountains, but swap out for a new stoker or captain after 1 or 2 accents. We will do all the climbs together and several each day thankfully with the other Mile Monkeys for company.
“Why?” I hear you ask “are you nuts!?” Well yes we are nuts! but nuts for a very important and personal reason.
Mitch’s partner is called Abi. She is a happy, funny, beautiful young lady who had become one of my own when the pair of them so obviously fell in love with each other.
Sadly Abi fell rather ill 6 months ago and was diagnosed as having cancer!
I couldn’t tell Abi or my son everything would be alright, as to be frank that might not have been the case! I feel and felt useless, but on talking with Abi as her health turned an important corner, I asked if us Monkeys could represent a body that was important to her and her treatment? Her reply was instantaneous “The Teenage Cancer Trust!” who support young people suffering with cancer from the age of 13 to 25 (Abi is 23)
So Mitch came up with the idea that we would try and get Florence up and around the Alps! and that our pain in doing so would be nothing to that of young cancer sufferers and their families!
However don’t for one moment think that this adventure will be one of seriousness sadness and rubbish like that!! We aim to make you laugh, smile and all the other positive reactions your body can make LOL.
There will be a second challenge that will take place close to home in the UK so as our supporters, friends and family’s can join in.
Training is in full swing now for both Mitch and I but the weather hasn’t let up enough yet to get some valuable miles on Flo. However both of us are far further forward with our cycling fitness than we would normally be at this time of year so all is good.
So we would like to introduce you to our two inspirational people who are supported by both the Charities we are going to do the very best we can to represent in 2019 👍
Firstly Alan Strange who has a rather serious life altering lung condition and is supported by The British Lung Foundation ❤️
Then secondly Abi Pocock who is being treated for Cancer and is being supported by The Teenage Cancer Trust ❤️
We will tell you more about this amazing humble pair as we lead up to our challenges for this year 👍😍
So with our 6 cycling stages roughly planned, it was time to sort out, transport and accommodation.
Our current plan is to drive from Bristol down to Dover to catch a ferry over to France. The best way seems to be to hire a van for the bikes and a people carrier or minibus for, well for the people.
Small issue. Brexit. Currently no one can tell us if we can take a hire vehicle over to France this summer. So we have put the transport issue to one side for now.
Accommodation was a slightly easier task. Online hotel booking tools are so much help with this. Hannah and Eloise sat down on Sunday and booked almost all our overnight stays. There was a bit of juggling involved when a place couldn’t be found in exactly the right town. It was important to check what difference it would make to our planned routes. It might only be 3 miles from the town we want to stay, but its no good if its 3 miles off route.
The biggest issue we found was trying to find accommodation in L’Alpe d’Huez. It is one of the bigger places we wanted to stay. It wasn’t until we received a helpful email from one of the chalets we had contacted about availability that we found out that it is Alpe d’Huzes Dutch Charity week . This a major Dutch charity event that happens every year, competitors either compete as individuals or in teams with the aim of cycling up the 21 Bends at least 6 times in one day.
We are now currently planning a bit of a re-route so that we don’t need to stay in L’Alpe d’Huez overnight.
This years first challenge is to conquer as many of the famous alpine climbs as we can in 6 days.
Where is the challenge taking place?
This year we are basing our challenge in the French Alps. We will be doing a clockwise circular tour taking as many of the climbs as we can. Due to logistics we will be doing the whole route on our bikes rather than getting a mini bus between the climbs.
On average we will be doing about 65 miles a day and about 10,000 ft of climbing.
Some of the climbs we will be tackling are Col d’Iseran, Col du Télégraphe, Col du Galibier, Alpe d’Huez, Lacets de Montvernier , Col de la Croix de Fer, Col de la Madeleine.
When is the Challenge?
We are planning to do this at the beginning of June, hopefully the conditions will be good and all the snow will have melted.
Who is taking part?
We currently have 6 riders taking part, some from our previous mountain challenge and some new faces.
