#71 The Tour de France

Edition #71
July 15, 2012
Bill's Indoor Cycling
and FitnessNewsletter
CONTENTS:
Training Zone Field Testing
Tour de France
Upcoming Schedule
TRAINING ZONES TESTING WORKSHOP: We completed the second workshop
testing training zones yesterday.  I feel great about the work we did.
The riders who participated in the test are going to be much better
able to gauge their actual work effort.  That information will enable
them to make more informed training plans and also tell them what
maximal sustainable effort they can maintain.
While the tool is nearly indispensable for the competitive athlete, it
is also an important and useful tool for those seeking wellness or
fitness goals.  The use of a better understanding of intensity will
result in better results for weight loss and basic cardiovascular
conditioning.
If you missed the workshops, we plan to repeat them in the fall.  I'd
also like the riders who recently participated to come back to gauge
their progress.  It's a great simple tool that I hope more and more
riders will adopt.  Stay tuned.
  __________________________________________________________________
TOUR DE FRANCE UPDATE:  I had a great time yesterday teaching a class
based on Stage 11 of this year's Tour de France.  I commented that this
stage was the most exciting, complicated, eventful and technical stage
I have watched in years.
It was my intent to write a description of the stage for you.  I
thought it might convey what makes the Tour the third most popular
sporting event in the world.  This evening I saw on her Facebook page
that my friend, Jennifer Sage, had a similar reaction to mine and that
she had already written her account of those events.  She has a loving
expertise about the tour.  She writes so well about it that I just want
to use her words.  With her permission, her account follows.
Stage 11 Tour de France – some great riding and strategy! By Jennifer
Sage, July 13, 2012
I’ve been so busy preparing for the IDEA conference in San Diego, I
hadn’t had a chance to watch a stage of the Tour de France until this
morning. And what a stage it was, this Queen Stage of this year’s tour!
The Col de la Croix de Fer is the highest point in this year’s race.
I’ve been up that monster (but from the other side of the Col du
Glandon) and it’s quite a bear, but so beautiful. Let’s take a look at
what happened in the stage today. It might increase your understanding
of some of the tactics and traditions of bike racing.
The previous day was the first big day in the mountains with one
monster climb, the Col du Grand Colombier. Thomas Voekler of Europecar
won that stage. He is a rider I really enjoy watching for his
incredible drive, passion, commitment and funny expressions (like
hanging his tongue out when he’s over his limit). He isn’t that strong
on consistency though, but he’s fun to watch!
Today was a collection of the biggest climbs of this year’s tour. The
stage started out with numerous attacks and breaks. It ended with
another Europcar rider, Pierre Rolland, with a solo performance at the
finish. Rolland won the white jersey last year for best young rider and
won his very first stage on Alpe d’Huez. He is most definitely a face
to watch in the future.
But the strategy and intrigue all happened behind Rolland. Team Sky has
one goal in this year’s Tour, and that is to deliver their leader
Bradley Wiggins to the podium in Paris wearing yellow. Kind of standard
TDF team hierarchy when there is a GC contender. Every rider knows
their place in this pecking order… Or do they?
Chris Froome is a domestique for Team Sky, but it has become obvious
that if given free rein, he could probably win this Tour. When he
attacked on the final climb, Wiggins was unable to hold his wheel, and
Froome was called back (twice) by his director on the team radio. So
although Froome stood by the company line in interviews afterward, the
rest of the cycling world is wondering if their tightly structured team
is not so tightly structured. I’ll let you determine that in the stages
ahead – it will probably become apparent in the Pyrenees.
Interstingly, the battle wasn’t just taking place on the sinewy roads
of France. It was also taking place amongst the Twitterati, and most
notably, between the girlfriend of Chris Froome and Bradley Wiggin’s
wife. Oh yes, it was getting to be like New Jersey Housewives on
Twitter! Some were saying "Hmmm, gonna be an interesting party at Team
Sky later on!" and "I’d love to be a fly on the wall in the Team Sky
office after this!"
In the interview with Rolland after winning the stage, he was
describing his pain the final few kilomters. This was very evident on
TV – the grimace on his face showed how much he pushed himself beyond
his limit. His mouth was moving and I could imagine him talking to
himself, saying, you must keep going; you cannot give in; hang on; bear
the pain; you MUST do this, no matter what!" Well, apparently he was
saying just that! His teammate Christophe Kern had set the pace on an
early climb and Rolland had said it was too fast, but Kern said, "Trust
me. Hang on." Because of the work Kern had done for him, Rolland said
in his interview that even though he was in immense pain, he "didnt
have the right" to back off! Because of the work that Kern did and
because of the fans, he "didn’t have the right" to slow down, he could
not let down everyone else who worked so hard for him! That just got
me. What commitment. This is for me what makes cycling such an amazing
sport!
Thanks Jennifer for sharing your thoughts about a very dramatic day.
  __________________________________________________________________
UPCOMING SCHEDULE:
We're taking some time to visit friends in Michigan and then for an
annual family vacation in Northern Minnesota.  (The Minnesota trip is
the 67th consecutive gathering of this group of my cousins.)
I will be gone from classes from July 19 to 22, and again from July 28
to August 4.
You will have good subs so I hope you'll enjoy a change of pace during
those times.
  __________________________________________________________________
QUOTE:
"I am building a fire, and everyday I train, I add more fuel. At just
the right moment, I light the match." Mia Hamm.
  __________________________________________________________________
THANK YOU.
Bill Roach, NASM-CPT, CEx
Star 3 Lifetime Certified Spinning Instructor
Certified Personal Trainer, National Academy of Sports Medicine
Corrective Exercise Specialist, National Academy of Sports Medicine
[1]bill.roach@mchsi.com
  Links:
    1. mailto:bill.roach@mchsi.com

COME ENJOY ONE OF THESE WEEKLY CLASSES!
  __________________________________________________________________
Monday's - Cycling 4:30pm - 5:15pm
YMCA Healthy Living Center
12493 University Avenue, Clive, Iowa.
  __________________________________________________________________
Monday's - Cycling 5:45pm - 6:30pm
YMCA Healthy Living Center
12493 University Avenue, Clive, Iowa.
  __________________________________________________________________
Friday's - Cycling 6:10am - 7:00am
YMCA Healthy Living Center
12493 University Avenue, Clive, Iowa.
  __________________________________________________________________
Saturday's - Cycling 8:00am - 9:00am
Waukee Family YMCA
210 N. Warrior Lane, Waukee, Iowa.
  __________________________________________________________________
Personal Training Sessions:
YMCA Healthy Living Center
12493 University Avenue, Clive, Iowa.
Call for an appointment 515-201-6496.
  __________________________________________________________________
Recent back issues of this newsletter are available at
http://billroachblog.blogspot.com/
Questions, comments, story ideas? Write me at bill.roach@mchsi.com
  __________________________________________________________________
Bill Roach is an indoor cycling instructor (Star 3 Spinning lifetime
certified) and personal trainer (NASM-CPT, CEx) for the Des Moines
Metro YMCA’s.  He is also a contributing writer for the Indoor Cycling
Association, a national organization of indoor cycling instructors.  As
a former competitive bicycle racer, he has ridden over 60,000 miles
training for and competing in one-day races of more than 300 miles.
Bill served as Executive Officer in the Iowa Attorney General’s Office
until his retirement. He is enjoying his retirement by working in the
fitness world, playing golf, traveling, reading and entertaining
friends with his wife, Annie.
Next issue:
Rest: Physical and Emotional
Spinning vs Indoor Cycling
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