In 2009 I completed a century ride (a ride that exceeds 100 miles).  It was a hard course and it had many hills.  When I was finished I was elated having completed this grueling course.  In addition I paid for it days later with sore muscles and the overwhelming need to keep on drinking for what felt like days of constantly being thirsty. I was proud of this effort and have always thought of it as a big deal.

As the 2013 Tour de France approaches I decided to take a look at what the effort looks like for this race.  First of all it is a 21 stage race and is run over 23 days - that means in total there are 2 days off! I have decided to ignore the speeds of the riders and the grade and rating of the mountains that they climb because these two statistics are untouchable by mere mortals.  Instead I just looked at the distances that each of the riders have to endure.

Keeping in mind there are three days that are short 15.5 miles; 20.5 miles and 20 miles, but each of these days are time trial days.  The racers are going at their top speed over these distances.  Even though these distances might look to be within reach, the speeds are not. Other than these three days there are only three other days that fall below the 100 mile mark. The first is day/stage two at 97 miles and day/stage three at 90 miles.  However the race starts with the first stage being a 135 mile day.  The last stage (21 - Day 23) is only 82 miles however this more of a traditional celebratory ride and usually does not count towards the final outcome of the overall champion of the tour.

Including the three time trials and the three “short” rides the average for the tour is 100 miles per day.  Stage 15 is 150 miles long.  By the time the riders get to the first rest day they will have covered 940 miles!  More than 2100 miles will be ridden by each of these riders in just 23 days.  I know that it is hard to translate data into real effort but these numbers are inconceivable.

I know that Lance Armstrong’s confession of breaking the rules (blood doping, banned substances and other violations) has given some people reason to dismiss the sport. It is easy to understand why we could all feel that way.  And when so many riders have been accused of the same type of abuse it is hard to look past the negativity and be able to clearly see the effort involved in this race.  Having said all of that, that is not what defines this race!

I know of no other contest that lasts as long or demands the amount of hours and the diversity of talent.  If you can climb you are typically not built to sprint.  If you sprint well, the mountains look like vertical walls that are not meant to be climbed on a bike.  If you can time trial you can tax your body during one of these stages in a way that will impact other aspects of the tour.  And of course, if you lead you wear yellow and you become the most chased rider.  It is a sport of strategy, endurance, strength, drive and talent.  No matter what, drugs can not impact ALL aspects of what is demanded of these riders.

I will never condone what has been done by many riders from the past.  I will not even acknowledge the circumstances of their missteps.  At the same time I will not let the cheats take my love of this sport away from me.  It has always been bigger than the biggest names.  It is about the Tour.  That is why even though I will never be able to relate to their speeds, climbs, distances, endurance or glory, I will always be able to connect to this sport.  It is the RIDE.  The love of being out there.  The joy of powering a machine to lift you over a hill, and to hit speeds that you didn't know you could experience with only your body as the engine.

I set out to show how a casual rider is nothing like a professional competitor.  Much in the same way that a casual rider compares to a professional, the tour itself brings perspective.  The efforts of the men of the race will never be able to match the grandeur of the event.

The pace is right to be able to take in the aromatics of the ride.  It is as though I am being invited to define the sources as I ride by.

Right now the honeysuckle is overwhelming.  As I breathe in, the impression is sweet and captivating.  It is hard for me to understand why no one has derived this scent into a flavor for a drink.  I imagine it mixed with honey and when I am thirsty from the ride, it is easy to think how refreshing it would be to have a taste of honeysuckle to quench that thirst.

Further along the ride I pass freshly tilled fields being prepared for planting.  Earth and air come together to create an effect that is distinct.  It is not refreshing but it is comforting.  It is a rich odor that reminds me of childhood and digging in the dirt.

Passing the churning waterfall I realize how much this smells like the soil but it is not exactly the same.   As the water cascades over the moss covered stones you pick up notes of the earth and the plants that are nearby.

Though not at all pleasant, the stench of decomposition is almost always a part of the ride.  You are bound to encounter an animal that has been struck by a car and is off to the side of the road.  This can be a choking reminder of how easily you could be struck by an auto and cast aside. 

Presently most of the lilacs have already bloomed but the few plants that are growing in the shaded areas are giving of a wonderful fragrance.   This reminds me of my grandmother’s back yard.  This is a plant that I have learned to identify by its perfume at an early age.

Of course the smell of fresh cut grass is always a part of the journey.  If my lawn is long when I ride this is the stink of guilt.  If I have already cut the lawn then this is a sweet summertime aroma.

Each and every trip brings a new sensation to my nose.  No two rides bring exactly the same olfactory pattern even if the course is the same.  As the weather changes and the seasons shift so does the palette.  I never set out thinking about this, but it always becomes a part of what links me back to that jaunt.  

The Risks of Low Cadence in Indoor Cycling Classes - By Jennifer Sage | Indoor Cycling Association