Our last ride in the Pyrenees was to the Ski Station at Luz Ardiden which has been the finish for stages of the Tour de France on many occasions (the last in 2011). Statistics for the day recorded on my Garmin indicated I rode 65 klms in 3 and a half hours at an average of 19 klms per hour. My maximum speed on the downhill was 59 (it was quite dangerous with loose gravel). My average heart rate was 120 beats/min, average cadence 63, elevation 1710 metres calories burned 1455. Check out the video to see the amazing number of switchbacks toward the end of the climb. At the top we met up with a group of Spanish cyclists who had come from Barcelona for a weekend’s cycling. They had already climbed the Col du Tourmalet earlier that morning and then Luz Ardiden. The oldest was 76 and he had a heart pacemaker fitted. Amazing!
Well done mate!!! This was an impressive climb – reminds us of driving those tiny roads in Italy in the Dolomites, We can’t imagine pedaling up such a sustained grade!!! Neat to learn of the Spanish guy with a pace maker! You can keep going for decades yet and beat his record. Cheers, Doug and Jen