05/10/2020
Congratulations to our client Stu Phillips who has for the second year running, against all the odds that covid19 and the horrendous French weather could throw at him, managed to complete the legendary 3 day Tour de France stage ‘Haute Route Ventoux’ in the French Alps.
Stu set himself a tougher mission this year. Not happy with just completing the 3 day legendary ride, which would push even the fittest athletes to the very limits of their physical ability, Stu was determined to smash the 2hr time trial barrier, something that would put him in a different league both physically and mentally.
Training for this was not just about how fit we could get him, it was also about changing his physique. Strength to weight ratio played a big part. Climbing hills is hard enough as it is, it’s even harder when you’re carrying extra weight whether that’s muscle or fat(muscle in Stu’s case).
Stu reduced his weight so that he could climb with more efficiency. The tricky thing was keeping his strength at a level so that he could power up the hills and maintain that power for a longer duration. Diet, strength and conditioning, hours of specific bike training all came together on the 3 day stage.
I can proudly confirm that Stu achieved his goal of smashing the 2hr TT barrier and went on to complete the 3 day stage, battling some of the worst weather France could throw at him. Of the 240 starters, only 87 finished.
Well done Stu🙌, we are very proud of you. Your achievement represents the huge dedication and sacrifice that’s needed to push the boundaries.
