How hard is the Tour?

[rich p]

The Bob Graham round? A triathlon? The Welsh 1,000 metres? Okay, they're not sustained over anything like the time frame of the Tour but I would estimate all of those events would be harder than even the toughest TdF stage taken in isolation. And cycling is a lot kinder to the body than anything involving feet/ground interface.

Paul!!!!! With the greatest respect the BGR cannot be in anyway be compared to doing the TdF.
While I have immense admiration for anyone who has completed it, the effort required to basically crawl up 42 peaks in the Lake District and jog down the other side is a drop in the ocean compared to 3 weeks of effort the cyclists do.
I see I may have misread your post and yuou're comparing the BGR to one stage. Stand at ease.

 

[PaulB]

Paul!!!!! With the greatest respect the BGR cannot be in anyway be compared to doing the TdF.
While I have immense admiration for anyone who has completed it, the effort required to basically crawl up 42 peaks in the Lake District and jog down the other side is a drop in the ocean compared to 3 weeks of effort the cyclists do.

Well although I've never done one, I have some appreciation of the efforts involved as I've have helped on three separate occasions and your 'crawl up 42 peaks and "jog" down the other side' is to seriously undermine the effort required and would render it impossible to achieve in the allocated time given. There are FAR more riders who've completed the TdF than runners doing the Bob Graham so no diminishing the fact that this is immeasurably harder than the toughest individual stage of the Tour. And then Joss Naylor would probably round up his sheep on his run on the way home.

 

[rich p]

Well although I've never done one, I have some appreciation of the efforts involved as I've have helped on three separate occasions and your 'crawl up 42 peaks and "jog" down the other side' is to seriously undermine the effort required and would render it impossible to achieve in the allocated time given. There are FAR more riders who've completed the TdF than runners doing the Bob Graham so no diminishing the fact that this is immeasurably harder than the toughest individual stage of the Tour. And then Joss Naylor would probably round up his sheep on his run on the way home.

I have though!

 

[User482]

Heavyweight boxing.

I could ride over the Alps with Contador, though I'd finish a long way behind him. After two seconds in the ring with Mike Tyson I'd be on my way to hospital.

Yes, but could you ride over the Alps the next day and the day after that? I know I couldn't.

 

[MattHB]

Triathletes, to me anyway, are some kind of super humans. The very thought of what they do makes me

 

[PaulB]

I have though!

You haven't! If you have, I'll take my hat off to you. And then I'll eat it.

 

[rich p]

You haven't! If you have, I'll take my hat off to you. And then I'll eat it.

Yeah, I have Paul. Sorry about the tease.
24/25th May 1997. Member no. 1031.
Probably the hardest thing I've ever done. 23h11m

 

[benb]

Respek.

You spelled nutter wrong.

 

[Smokin Joe]

Yes, but could you ride over the Alps the next day and the day after that? I know I couldn't.

I could make the start line though. The day after the boxing I'd still be in intensive care.

 

[Moodyman]

Triathletes, to me anyway, are some kind of super humans. The very thought of what they do makes me

I agree. Triathlon, in its various guises sounds pretty tough - just read up on Deca Ultra-triathlon - made the stomach churn.

 

[User482]

I could make the start line though. The day after the boxing I'd still be in intensive care.

I suspect that someone who is heavyweight themselves could be trained, in time, to survive one round, and make the start of the second round. I'd say that's akin to surviving one stage of the tour, and turning up for the start of the next stage...

 

[subaqua]

If so, it's by an incredibly small amount. I'd put the RAAM as harder.
It's further and you have much less time. It's certainly more likely to mess you up, IMHO.
An absolute maximum of 4 hours sleep a night for 12 days or you won't make the time cut?
Ride for 42 hours and than have 25 minutes kip?
Start hallucinating that your support crew has been replaced by alien replicants?
It's only for the seriously bonkers.

We should enter a CC team.

what exactly were in them energy gels then ??

 

[Zofo]

Triathletes, to me anyway, are some kind of super humans. The very thought of what they do makes me

Which brings us back to Lance Armstrong-a sevens times winner of the TDF, as well as a world class triathalete--how fit his he! Couldnt see old (Sir) Wiggo-bless him-doing the Iron Man.

 

[Smokin Joe]

Which brings us back to Lance Armstrong-a sevens times winner of the TDF, as well as a world class triathalete--how fit his he! Couldnt see old (Sir) Wiggo-bless him-doing the Iron Man.

Seven times, or never times?

It ain't been decided yet.

 

[Rob3rt]

If you are going to instigate another Lance debate, at least do it within the context of the thread, given your post, I am failing to see how he figures into this topic, speaking only for myself of course.