Auckland's Best Group Rides

Sunday Albany Bunch: The best group ride, by a country mile, is the Sunday 7am Albany bunch. Its an 80km ride that draws the strongest cyclists from all over greater Auckland, including pro-conti and conti riders. Typically, about 50 people show up. After a warm-up on the old highway that runs north to Silverdale, the hammer goes down on the flat country roads that travel west. Flats turn to undulating rollers on the run into Helensville, before a really tough 5km step-climb that blows the group apart every time.

We then have a 20 minute ride to Kumeu. Its a long slow descent, broken up by more undulations, and some of NZ's roughest chip roads (highway 16). Usually, we stop at a Chinese Bakery in Kumeu for a few minutes. Then comes the ride back to Albany on Ridge Road. Its a quiet country road featuring 15km of undulation, false flats, and several short, steep power-climbs. The Sunday 7am Albany bunch is guaranteed to give you the best training conditions, regardless of whether you are in base, strength, or peak phases. 

RaceShape.com

RaceShape.com is a cool new website that analyses Strava KOM segments to produce a chart of rolling time gaps. The time gap shows where you gained and lost time relative to the KOM holder. The chart below is the Sunnyside Road KOM segment just outside Albany. 

Green is the elevation profile. The horizontal pink line is me, and the blue line is the KOM holder. The difference between the blue and pink lines represents the time difference (measured in seconds on the 2nd y-axis) between us over the distance. 

2013 Race Season: Looking Back; Looking Ahead

The 2013 racing season is now over for me. I planned to continue racing through April and May (mostly in local club races) but my last race was the Tour of Northland in March. Since then, moving into the city, a little burn-out, and other priorities kept me off the saddle most days of the week. 

So, lets look back at my 2013 season. My best result and most exciting race was finishing 12th at Taranaki Cycle Challenge. I managed to make the break at kilometer 90 and hold on for the last 58km. The Tour of Northland was my first stage race and first time racing in the same field as pros. I learned a lot, and really enjoyed stage-racing. I'll definitely be back in 2014. The Tour de Ranges and The Rev were decent races. I finished in the first group on both undulating courses.

Foto Del Dia: Tour de France, 1975

Eddy Merckx attacks on Stage 15 (Nice to Pra Loup) of the 1975 Tour de France. 

White Mountains, New Hampshire Cycling Weekend (August 2010)

This is another video I made in late-2010. I spent a weekend with Peter Montero (a colleague at Fidelity Investments) in New Hampshire's White Mountains. On Day-1, we covered 180km over four notches, including Kinsman, Franconia, Crawford, and Bear, and then the Kancamagus Pass. On Day-2, we cycled the roads around Waterville Valley, many of which were unpaved. 

Riccione, Italy Cycling Trip (October 2010)

This is an old video I made 2 years ago. I spent a week at Hotel Dory in Riccione on Italy's Adriatic Coast in October 2010. The hotel is essentially "cyclists-only" in the spring and fall. The area is great for cycling as the further inland you ride, the bigger the climbs.

Race Report: Stage 4 Tour of Northland

I opted not to race the final stage of the Tour. Rain poured down all night and all morning. With 8 stitches taken out of my arm 5 days ago, I could not afford to risk crashing again.

Given that this was the first rain that Northland has seen in about 2 months, it was an unfortunate and slightly disappointing end to the Tour. But best to play it safe and live to ride another day. (Plus, the road will have plenty of oil and grease patches).

I'll be back next year. Racing with pros and elites requires different tactics. You have to be riding in the first 20-30 wheels. Otherwise, you'll miss the breaks. I wasn't ready for it this year. But I gained good experience and I'll be wiser in 2014.

Camila and I had a great time up north. I was lucky to have her along with me, particularly as she was willing to tolerate me each day after racing.

Race Report: Stage 3 Tour of Northland

Stage 3's 88km route ran from Opononi to Paihia on the east coast. We faced fresh head and sidewinds on a mainly flat and undulating course.

As usual, an attack was launched within 30 seconds of the gun. Four guys stayed away for approx 40km before they were reeled back in. The lack of big climbs and the winds meant that most of the group stayed together.

Race Report: Stage 2 Tour of Northland

Today was a 82km stage from Dargaville to Opononi. My goal was to make up some of the time I lost yesterday by hanging on to a strong group. 

Within a few minutes of the stage start, a small group of 3-4 attacked. And, over the next 20km a couple of other small groups managed to break-off. Unlike my typical “open” and “age-group” races, we would never see these elite riders again. 

Race Report: Stage 1 Tour of Northland

Stage 1 of the Tour of Northland travelled 92km from Whangarei, on the east coast, to Dargaville, on the west coast. There were about 70 entrants in my group, Group 1, comprising of pros and wanna-be's. (In total, the Tour has approx 400 entrants in self-selected groups). 

About 10km into the race, our group split into three groups. I was surprised the attack happened so early and I expected us to re-group. We didn't. Ten or fifteen in my group tried to close a 20 second gap, but after about 10km it seemed we gave up. And then 20km later, we were caught by a group of another 15 or so. 

Race Preview: Tour of Northland 2013

The Tour of Northland starts on Thursday morning. At this point, I'm assuming I can race, but I won't know for certain until I see the doctor again on Tuesday (my 6th visit). 

TON is a four-day stage race starting in Whangarei, about 150km north of Auckland. Many friends have recommended TON as a fun, well-organized event. 

Stages
Stage-1: 92km from Whangarei to Dargaville. Most notable is a 200 meter climb just out of Whangarei. The remainder of the stage undulates, with the exception of a 75 meter climb at km-60. 

Health Update

I've been off the bike since Sunday (today is Wednesday) with 8 stitches just below my right elbow. The doctor has said I can't ride until we see progress with the healing. Unfortunately, the area around my elbow was red and swollen yesterday, suggesting it may be infected, so the doctor took several stitches out to relieve the pressure. 

I am still hopeful for the Tour of Northland, which starts in a week from tomorrow. But I probably won't know for certain until 2-3 days before the race starts. 

Now, I am on complete rest. I rode for an hour yesterday on a stationary bike at the gym, but I won't repeat it as I think the sweating may risk infection. At best, I'll do a couple of very easy rides in the days just before Northland.

I'm quite disappointed as my training was focused on Northland. And there is still a chance I won't be in Northland at all. However, its a 4-day race, so hopefully I'll find my legs on day-1 and be competitive in the remaining stages. 

Vo2 Max, Lactate Threshold, and Power Testing

I did a lab test at the Millennium Institute of Sport and Health last week. We are well into the 2013 race season so I thought it would be an opportune time to undergo testing and get real data on my Vo2 maximum, lactate threshold, and power output.

After a 10-minute warm-up on a stationary bicycle, the test starts with a 3-minute interval at 150 watts. The resistance is increased every 3 minutes by 30 watts until the point of failure. The stronger you are, the longer the test. 

Race Report: Pokeno 70km 2013

My luck ran out today. I crashed out of a 70km race while negotiating a tight right hand corner in pouring rain. Now I am at home nursing 8 stitches in my right elbow, road rash on both hips, and grazing on my chest and left elbow, as well as my right knee and shin.

The race was going quite well for me. I was in the leading group of 40 or so until km-10. Several pros opened up a 10 second gap leading into a 3km 7% climb. The field splintered but I was able to hang on to a 12-man group that trailed the pro group by ~20 seconds. 

Race Report: The Rev 100 2013

I finished in 33rd place and in the leading bunch at today's race, The Rev 100, held in Cambridge, Waikato. We completed the 100.4km course in 2 hours and 37 minutes (38.3kph average).

The course has a steep 2.5km climb beginning at the 6km mark named French Pass. The double-digit gradient combined with the length splintered the field. I was in the first group of ~15 to crest and we were trailed by another group of 15-20. The two groups came together a couple of kilometers later and that is how we remained until the finish (luckily we left several hundred other cyclists behind us). 

Cycling in Colombia: My 5-Month Adventure & Alto de Letras

In October 2011, I flew to Medellin to spend two months cycling in Colombia. My primary goal was to climb Alto de Letras, Colombia's biggest mountain pass. But I found much more in Colombia and ended up staying for five months. This post is a short story about my adventure.

Date: 7.30am, February 16, 2012
Location: Mariquita, Colombia
Altitude: 492 meters

I was standing at the outskirts of a small town named Mariquita, located at the eastern foot of Colombia’s Andes Mountains. A 10% wall loomed in front of me, and that was just the beginning of an 80km climb that rises 3,800 vertical meters to a mountain pass named Alto de Letras.

I felt both excited and nervous about what lay ahead. All cyclists know the feeling – we all get it in the hours before an epic ride. Its part of the experience. Today would be the biggest climb of my life and it would complete my 8-month quest to cross the world’s greatest mountain passes.

But lets back up. How did I get to Colombia?

Foto del Dia: Fausto Coppi on Passo Stelvio 1953

Best Food for Carbo Loading

Every endurance athlete has their favorite foods for pre-race carbo loading. A big plate of spaghetti bolognese was the tradition, and still is for many. But its not the only source of high-carbohydrate foods. So, which other foods will get you through a long race or a hard weekend of training? 

Above is a chart ranking the carbohydrate content of various cooked foods, assuming a 100 gram portion. The data shows that white rice, pasta, and corn provide the most carbs. 

Race Report: Mt Taranaki Cycle Challenge 2013

I finished 12th today out of 1,100 starters at the Mt Taranaki Cycle Challenge. I'm very happy with this result, particularly because I was a little disappointed with my race last weekend at Tour de Ranges. I finished with the leading group of 13 cyclists in 3hrs, 40mins and 59 seconds. We covered 147km at an average speed of 39.8kph.

I had not competed in this event before, so I wasn't sure what to expect this morning. From the course profile, the 148km route looked mostly flat to undulating. And, I didn't know who was going to show up: pros, former pros, almost pros, and pros-in-the-making.

Who Produces the Most PROs?

As you might expect, Italy supplies the most professional cyclists to the UCI's WorldTour this year; 66 to be exact. France, Belgium, and The Netherlands follow closely with 54, 53, and 51, WorldTour cyclists, respectively. But Italy and France also have relatively large populations. And Belgium and The Netherlands aren't too small either. So, which country produces the most PROs on a per capita basis?

Above is a chart based on UCI and Wikipedia data showing that Luxembourg produces the most PROs by quite a stretch once we look at the data on a per capita basis. Luxembourg's tiny population of just 500,000 sent 5 PROs to the WorldTour this year (10 PROs per million).  

Race Report: SRAM Tour de Ranges 2013

Today was my first race since riding three cyclosportifs in France and Italy in 2011. I've been looking forward to this event for a while as the SRAM TdR is really the first race of the season. 

I recon'd the ride with Camila 10 days ago, and after speaking with several friends who have raced this event previously, I was pretty sure I knew how the race would unfold. I was completely wrong.

Recon Ride: SRAM Tour de Ranges

Today, I reconnoitered the SRAM Tour de Ranges route. The race is next Saturday, January 19th in the Hunua Ranges just south of Auckland. Camila and I drove to the start in Clevedon this morning and then I rode the 110km course. 

Race Calendar: 2013 Summer Season

These are the five races on my race calendar for the 2013 summer season:

• SRAM Tour de Ranges, 110km, January 19
• Around Mt Taranaki, 150km, January 26
• The Rev, 142km, February 23
• Tour of Northland, 4 stages, 340km, March 14-17
• Taupo to Rotorua, 100km, April 6

In addition to the races above, several Auckland clubs host regular weekend races. Unfortunately, there are not as many road races near Auckland as I hoped. I would need to travel to Wellington or the South Island to add more races. 

Strava KOM Targets: Summer 2013

The following Strava segments are my targets for this summer (including current ranking and time):

• Wright Road: 5th place (of 129); 7.39 mins
• Sunnyside Climb: 9th place (of 152); 5.07 mins
• Albany Hill: 16th place (of 219); 6.39 mins
• Helensville Climb: 29th (of 175); 12.39 mins
• Scenic Drive: 50th place (of 198); 31.24 mins

I am also adding a Tamaki Drive time-trial from Mechanics Bay to Mission Bay. I ride the 4.7km at threshold, soft-pedal for 10 minutes, and then ride the return leg to Mechanics Bay, again at threshold. The course is 9.4km in total and I use this as my performance indicator. I rode the TT in June as I thought it would be useful to measure my off-season baseline. I completed the two legs in 14mins and 7secs, averaged 40.0kph, and averaged a heart rate of 180bpm. Strava calculated my average power at 296 watts. Now that we are approaching the racing season, I'll likely ride the TT monthly.

Strava Multiple Ride Mapper

I found a Strava app that displays multiple rides on one map. It can be found here. Below are some screen-shots of my rides in France, Spain, Italy, Buenos Aires and northwest Argentina, Uruguay, Colombia, Turkey, Auckland, and Boston.

Medellin

Available Now: Switchback Cycling Team 2013 Kit

Switchback Cycling Team's 2013 kit is now available. The designs are below (jersey, bib shorts, vest, cap, socks, arm/knee/leg warmers, etc). Orders must be placed by December 14, 2012. Delivery will be February. Please email me to request an order form at: duncangross - at symbol - gmail dot com. (Or just leave a comment below with your email address).

Colombian Arepas de Chocolo in Auckland

After six months back in Auckland, we finally found Arepas de Chocolo. These are a Colombian staple and can be found in every home, restaurant, cafe, convenience store, and supermercado.

Arepas de Chocolo are especially good for cyclists as they are 84% carbohydrate and just 17% sugar. You can read my original post about Colombian food and arepas here (published in October 2011). 

We cooked up several arepas this morning and they were pretty close to the real thing. We are missing quesito but either cottage cheese or feta is a decent substitute.

Switchback Cycling Team: draft kit designs

Below is a draft design for Switchback Cycling Team's 2013 kit. This is only a draft version, so there will likely be modifications before we determine the final design. The kit includes: jersey, vest, bib shorts, cap, arm warmers, gloves, and socks. The colors are black, white, and red.

And below are four alternate jersey designs. Please leave a comment to indicate your preferences.

Press Release: Switchback Cycling Team

Auckland, NEW ZEALAND, September 20, 2012: Switchback Cycling Team announced it is currently designing its 2013 team kit and technical clothing. SCT expects an end-of-2012 design release accompanied by order forms. 

Foto del Dia: Federico Ezquerra - 1934 TDF

Basque cyclist Federico Ezquerra escapes from the Peloton and is the first to cross Col du Galibier. 

Rotorua - Whakatane - Mt. Manganui

Just back from 3 days of cycling. Camila and I took a trip over Queen's Birthday weekend (a 3-day weekend in NZ) to the central North Island and the Bay of Plenty. We went with my old high-school friend, Evan Seber, and his girlfriend, Emma. 

Evan is a former NZ high-schools Triathlon champion from the late-80s. Like me, he is trying to regain his fitness. Evan and I did a lot of cycling, while the girls shopped and sipped cappuccinos.

Photo of the Day: Albert Bourlon - 1947 TDF

Albert Bourlon won stage 14 of the 1947 Tour de France. He broke from the peloton just minutes after the start, and then rode solo for 253km. 

Crown Range Switchbacks

Seven certified Euro-style switchbacks on Crown Range road in Otago, New Zealand. 

Camila and I drove from Queenstown to Wanaka today via the Crown Range. The road starts at 400 meters elevation and quickly gains 200 meters through the switchbacks. It then levels off for 1-2km before heading up to the pass at 1,076 meters. This is one of the highest paved roads in New Zealand (the access roads to Coronet Peak and The Remarkables ski-fields are higher).


I'll be back later with my bicycle. 

Bucket List: Ticlio Pass, Peru

Good news and bad news. The good news is that I found a massive 4,818 meter climb. The bad news is that Alto de Letras (which I climbed in February) is not in fact the world's biggest mountain pass.

X-axis = kilometers. Y-axis = meters.

Ticlio Pass (also known as Anticona) is located approximately 150km northeast of Lima, Peru. Starting at sea level in Lima, the road climbs at a gentle 3.5% average gradient all the way to 4,818 meters. The final 50km average 5%. 

Mas Fotos Retro

I found another stack of old photos this week, all cycling and triathlon related. 

Left to right: Raymond Webb (now based in San Diego) in his prime, Willy Patterson, and Craig Duffy. Auckland, January 1992. NB: Oakley Razors.

Devonport, Auckland

Today's ride with Paul Duffy.

Retro-cool SANS Cool

Many people consider Rapha to be a Retro-cool cycling brand. I found an old stack of photos at my parents' house in Auckland this week. The photos (below) are retro, but they're certainly not cool.  I am probably compromising myself by uploading these pictures, but most of us looked this silly back in 1989. God Bless Oakley Factory Pilots!

Training for my first race. Winter 1989.

Auckland

I arrived back in Auckland on Tuesday. This is my first visit to New Zealand in 4 years, and the last time I cycled here was 1993 (on an old steel Avanti frame). I assembled my Ridley on Tuesday afternoon because I had plans to meet The Colombian Sensation, Alejandro Jimenez, on Wednesday.

Alejandro and his wife, Lina, are Colombians who spent the last 2 years living in Melbourne. I know many of their friends in Medellin, and it was Alejandro who initially gave me a lot of information about cycling in Colombia when I began researching my trip in 2010. 

Boston

I am back in Boston for several weeks, packing and getting ready to fly to Auckland on March 25th. I had a two-week break from cycling: Boston's winter temperatures forced a week of rest, which I didn't mind, and the prior week was spent wrapping up in Medellin. 

Spring is approaching and Boston has been relatively warm over the last week, but the ground is still bare from the winter. Cyclists are training outside now and preparing for the upcoming racing season. I met up with my friend Dave Andersen, for several rides, as well as Jason Barella, Randall Levere, and Jason Hancock. 

Adiós Colombia. Gracias!

Cycling Routes, Apres-Velo Activities, and Documentaries for Cyclists Visiting Medellin

I spent the last 5 months riding in Medellin, Antioquia, and Colombia. Here are the best routes all in one place, along with other information for enjoying Medellin. Email me if you have questions. (Click on the rides below for the Garmin data).

Epic Rides

• Santa Fe
• Vuelta de Cerdo
• Vuelta de Sur

Scenes from Medellin (WARNING: non-cycling content)

Photos of Medellin taken over the last 5 months.

Interview with Juan David Cano: Colombia's Colnago Distributor

Juan David Cano owns and operates Diez Equis, S.A., a Medellin-headquartered importer of Colnago bicycles in Colombia. Colnago is an Italian manufacturer of high-end road bicycles. Founded in Milan in 1954, Colnago has sponsored at least one professional cycling team every year since 1974.

Colnagos in formation on Las Palmas.

As soon as I arrived in Colombia, I noticed that Colnago was one of the most popular brands in Medellin. I assumed that Colnago was long established here. But, a couple of weeks later, I met Juan David Cano on a group sufferfest. It turned out that he had only been importing Colnago for 18 months, after he negotiated exclusive distribution rights for the Colombian market. Juan David talks to Switchback Publications about his Colnago business, and the business of cycling in Colombia.

Las Palmas Time Trial

I time-trialled Las Palmas yesterday. Palmas is the standard by which serious Medellin cyclists are judged. My result of 46 minutes and 24 seconds was.... mediocre (996 VAM).

Las Palmas climbs 771 meters over 11.2km. It traverses Medellin's eastern slopes on the way to the airport and Bogota. Palmas is packed with cyclists early in the morning, especially on weekdays.

Friends of mine TT'd in 43 minutes. Last October, I TT'd Palmas in 46 minutes 53 seconds early in a 178km ride to El Penol and back. I only gave Palmas about 80-90% effort on that day and felt fine during the remaining 150+ km.

What Makes Colombian Cycling So Unique? Part VI

This post is the sixth installment on Colombian cycling and its unique attributes. The topic today is Colombia's terrain. 

Europe's Alps, Dolomites, and Pyrenees protrude from the earth. They launch themselves skyward with sharp, jagged rock and vertical cliffs. Once you're above 2,000 meters, the landscape is closer to a moonscape. I saw plenty of snow on Col de la Bonnette in June. I even saw people skiing on Stelvio in August!

Jerico

Just a short post today. We spent the night in Pintada after an 8 hour drive from Cali. It was late afternoon by the time we reached Pintada, and it wasn't safe to cross the mountains at night on the way to Medellin. So, I took advantage of the opportunity today and rode up to Jerico. Several friends in Medellin had suggested the 22km climb over the past few months. Jerico is noted for its mid-teen gradients.  

The climb is very enjoyable. The road is quiet with very little traffic. I wasn't sure what to expect at the top, but the town of Jerico is quite impressive. Its an old colonial town with a lot of color.

Cali Velodrome

We drove to Cali this morning. Cali is Colombia's 3rd largest city and is located in the southwest, approximately 100km from the Pacific.

I was interested in visting Cali's velodrome; the Velódromo Alcides Nieto Patiño. Cali has hosted the World Cup eleven times since 1996. The most recent World Cup meet in Cali was held in December 2011. The next World Cup in Cali will be in 2014. (Many of the World Cup athletes raced in Medellin one week after the December 2011 World Cup. I wrote about it here).

La Linea

Wow, La Linea was a struggle today. Altimetrias de Colombia describes La Linea as Colombia's Stelvio Pass, but it felt more like Col de Joux Plane, Col du Glandon, or Port de Bales. It was really tough.

La Linea is known as Colombia's "second most mythical climb." It is a 21km climb rising 1,706 vertical meters to reach the summit at 3,275 meters. The first half wasn't too hard. I took it easy for the first few kilometers to gauge how I was feeling 3 days post-Letras. Up until around the 10th kilometer, I was feeling strong so I pushed hard. But then the gradient changed. Most of the second half had gradients of 9%-11%. I started to crumble and struggled through the second half. I finished in 1 hour and 50 minutes with a VAM of 932 (1706 meters/1.83). I was pretty happy with that result considering my form.

Live from Calarca

Well, I had not planned on riding La Linea this week, but it turns out that our hotel tonight in Calarca is just 2km from the foot of this legendary climb. Colombian ciclistas describe La Linea as Colombia's "second most mythical climb" after Letras. It is imposible for me to ignore this opportunity. We had planned a river rafting trip for tomorrow (click here for pictures), but common sense prevailed, so instead I'll subject myself to several hours of pain and suffering in the Andes. 

La Linea is a mountain pass between Calarca and Ibague approximately 100km south of Letras and also in the Los Nevados National Park. The more famous route over Alto de La Linea is from the west side, starting in Calarca. The climb is 22km and rises 1650 meters to an altitude of 3265 meters. I should complete the climb in about 2 hours. Depending on how I feel, and the weather, I'll descend to Ibague for the return trip. Climbing from east to west is a 1400 meter elevation gain over 23km. 

Letras 3704

I made it! Letras is the biggest mountain pass on this planet (by altitude gain), and Colombia's "most mythical climb." It was an awesome ride. I was pretty buggered by the last 500 meters, but at that point, who cares?! The altitude never seemed to directly affect me. A slight headache set in somewhere around the 3,000 meter point, but I am not sure if that was because of the thin air or something else.

The climb was really great. 80km is a long way, and we went through a dozen or so small towns/villages. We had plenty of sun at the start (730am) and for most of the day. There was a thick layer of cloud between ~2800 meters and 3400 meters. I could see the cloud for quite a while before we entered it, and I was worried that it would be rain. Luckily, it was dry all day.

Live from Mariquita

I just arrived in Mariquita after a 6-hour drive from Medellin. We're at 500 meters altitude so its much hotter down here (approx 35-38 degrees celsius) than up in Medellin.  I was expecting to see Letras looming over this small town, but it is out of sight.

I am nervous about my form for tomorrow. Lets say that my fitness for 'epic riding' was a '10' last August when I spent 9 days in the Pyrenees with Dave Andersen. After my 4-week break over the holidays, I was hoping to be a '7' by now. But in reality, I am more like a '4'. I had some good training rides, but it didn't quite 'come-together' for me. On the other hand, my weight is reasonable: 71kgs (157lbs). I was generally able to avoid ice-cream and empanadas over the last 3 weeks, except for the Super Bowl. 

Descent into Medellin

Las Palmas is probably the best climb out of Medellin. It travels towards the east, gaining 976 meters over 16km. This is a 12 minute video of the descent back down into Medellin. The starting elevation is 2,500 meters and ends at 1,530 meters. (A few raindrops cloud the lens in the last minute or so).

Titiribi

Just a few pictures below of yesterday's medium-length ride (105km) to Titiribi. This small town is southwest of Medellin. There is nothing special about the Titiribi, but the ride from Medellin is quite nice with a couple of decent climbs. 

San Jeronimo II

As I mentioned in yesterday's post regarding Letras, I planned to ride to San Jeronimo in the next couple of weeks. Well, I rode to San Jeronimo today and got my 2,900 meters of climbing. 

The route to SJ is much easier than the return. Essentially, you have  900 meter climb from Medellin to Alto de Boqueron followed by a 30km descent to the small town of SJ. You drop from 2500 meters to 750 meters over the 30km. Once you reach SJ, you've covered half of the distance but, in terms of climbing, you've done less than one third of the actual work. 

Letras Training Plan

I am planning to climb Letras in the third week of February. Alto de Letras is the world's biggest mountain pass (by elevation gain) that I am aware of. Letras has a total elevation gain of 3,187 meters. The climb starts at an altitude of ~600 meters in the town of Mariquita and ends at an altitude of 3,677 meters. (Five small descents account for the difference between gross and net elevation gain).  

Source: Altimetrias de Colombia

I mentioned above that Letras is the biggest mountain pass I know of. The volcano of Mauna Kea in Hawaii is bigger - it offers 4,203 meters of elevation gain. But, Mauna Kea is not a mountain pass. And, nothing in Europe comes close to Letras. The biggest climbs I found in Europe were Gavia and Stelvio in the Dolomites, with almost 2,000 meters of elevation gain. The mountain passes in northern India and Chile are at higher altitudes (almost 5,000 meters) but the climbs (as measured from the nearby valleys) are only 2,000 meters or so. 

The Disappearing Watch

Watches were common on a cyclist's wrist for much of the 20th century. A stage winner wanted to know the time gaps over his opponents, but more likely, were provided by publicity-hungry sponsors. 


Watches first appeared in the 1950s but their popularity seemed to fade during the 1980s and 1990s. They could be seen on the rare occasion worn by Fignon in 1992 and Ullrich in 1997. The watch was barely seen again until Lance wore one in the 2004 TDF.

Is Cocaine a Performance Enhancing Drug?

Well, I am in Colombia (still) and cycling (barely - I took a month off and now I am suffering mightily). Several years ago I read an article on the Internet discussing the use of cocaine and performance enhancing drugs in professional cycling. Since Colombia is the world's leading supplier of cocaine, I thought I would do some research. 

Before we get into the results of several scientific studies, here is a brief history of performance enhancing drugs in professional cycling: