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July 03, 2005
1:12:34
We're supposed to have thunderstorms tomorrow, and after watching the last 2 hours of today's Tour de France stage, I decided to ride even though I'm scheduled to rest. I'd already cut the lawn and cut down a sort of bush, which was tiring though not aerobic.
The guys riding in the Tour de France amaze me as much as top marathoners. Today they rode 181.5 km (112.8 mi) overall 115 m uphill in 3:51:31. That's 46.6 kph (29.0 mph) for almost 4 hours!
Granted, I didn't have anybody to ride behind. Yet even working hard, starting and ending at the same elevation, I only rode 33.2 kph (20.6 mph) for 40.2 km (25.0 mi).
The guy who won today's stage, Tom Boonen, is slightly taller than me and only a bit lighter. On the other hand, what I have around my waist in the form of fat, he has on his quads in the form of muscle. He's also nearly 10 years younger, and probably cycles 20 hours/week more than I do.
Surely if I'd just shave my legs I could go 1 kph faster. Also, I notice the guys on the tour never have to stop for intersections or trains going through Pontcharra.
Posted by Mark at July 3, 2005 08:17 PM