While riding the Etape du Tour, I also found time to make a video report for BBC Sport
You can watch it on the BBC Cycling site: Tour de France 2010: How tough is the Col du Tourmalet?
My favourite shot in the whole piece is at about 01:00 in as we climbed the Marie-Blanque. Absolutely beautiful moment.
Filming is also part of why I took so long as I had to ride well within my limits so that I was able to compose my thoughts and figure out filming opportunities. That probably added about half an hour to my time to the foot of the Tourmalet.
If I hadn’t been worrying about shooting I’d have gone all in, all day and pushed for a faster time up the final climb as well. But it did mean I got to take in the experience a bit more than I would have otherwise.
Big thanks to:
- Thida at ASO for sorting me out with an entry
- Joe at Rapha for the kit
- Sandy and Phil at Cyclefit for sorting out my position
- Jimmy at Sigma Sport for giving me a second opinion on the position and sorting out a new saddle (Specialized Romin) which was very much an improvement on my old one
- Perry for the bike box loan
- Everyone who has donated money towards Roy Kinnear House so far