On June 15th, our Senior Partner David Bott, flew out to the small town of Bertren in Southwest France, where he will be taking part in a three day Pyrenean Cycle Challenge.
This challenge will be one of David’s toughest yet, especially on day two where David and his team will tackle the most famous Pyrenean climb, the “Cols du Tourmalet”.
This exceptional climb or as the French would say ‘Hors Categorie’, is the most featured climb in the Tour de France, making over 80 appearances and including a kilometre climb at 10.5%.
The first part of day one consists of the journey to Bertren and then the riders will embark on a ‘warm-up’ ride of 33 miles before they get some much needed rest in preparation for the main ride the following day.
Day two will be an early start for David and the team, as they begin their 69 mile ride through the delightful Pyrenean Mountains. This is the ride in which the team will climb the “Cols de Tourmalet” which will be a killer on the legs. However, they will have to save some leg power as not long after will they come up to another huge climb when they reach the “Cols d’ Aspin”. Here they will face another steep climb of 8% before hitting the ‘recovery’ stage of the ride; this is where they can truly take in the views of the beautiful French countryside.
Day three will present a more laid back approach, as the riders will ultimately decide the plan for the day. Being only 18 miles away from the Spanish border, the option of having a leisurely cycle across the border and enjoying some traditional Tapas, might be a popular choice among David and the team.
David is taking part in the challenge in memory of his father who was diagnosed with Cancer in 2006. All the money he raises will be donated to Cancer Research UK, and you can donate via his JustGiving page here
“I am half excited and half dreading the inevitable pain of going up some pretty serious climbs but I have used the challenge as an opportunity to really remember my dad (a great man) and to raise money to try and stop others from others from following his path.”
We are wishing David and team the best of luck as they embark on this very demanding challenge, especially as the forecast is currently showing rain and possible thunderstorms!
Good luck David!