“You’ve cycled in the mountains before, what challenge is that?” questioned a few of my more sceptical friends as I tried to relieve them of a few pennies in sponsorship for my latest cycling event. True enough, I have spent a fair few of my holidays in the past, out in the Alps, attempting to emulate Pantani on the climb of Alpe d’Huez (and failing miserably), but there’s a few things that make this year a little different.

I’m not new to cycling, I’ve been riding for years, but this year there’s been very little of it. My work has got harder and more time consuming with promotion looming, and I’m pleased to say my family has grown – I now have a young cycling team of two: Evan, four, and Hugh, nine months. Not particularly interesting to some of you, but any parents reading this will know what young children do to your hobbies and free time… bless ’em.

I last rode the Guide Dogs for the Blind Le Tour challenge in 2007. Although only three years ago, my life was very different back then. I rode my bike regularly, trained hard and enjoyed the luxury of as much time as I needed to prepare for the challenge of riding three mountain stages of the Tour de France in six days. I’m no less keen this year, in fact I can’t wait, but I have to approach the challenge from a different angle and be very realistic about what I can achieve.

The Challenge

In celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Tour’s first sortie into the Pyrenees, classic climbs like the Tourmalet were always going to be the crunch points in this year’s Tour. The Guide Dogs Events Team saw this as an ideal opportunity for trying something a little different. Willing punters were asked to sign themselves up for the challenge of riding stages 15, 16 and 17 of the 2010 route in 6 days. That’s roughly 600km and includes all of the major Pyrenean cols that the pros rode in July (Portet d’Aspet, Port de Bales, Tourmalet – twice and so on). For this pleasure we are to raise £1700 each in sponsorship to support the very valuable work that the Guide Dogs for the Blind Association do. Fair enough, where do I sign?

Well those were my words last October, shortly after this year’s Tour route was announced. Here I am in August, with 5 days before the off, feeling no less enthusiastic, but a whole lot more scared. I have replayed the  TV coverage of the stages I’ll be riding over and over, but apart from trying to ensure my chain doesn’t fly off two-thirds of the way up the Port de Bales, there weren’t really many tips that could be gleaned from my viewing. I live near Chichester in West Sussex, which is a pretty decent neck of the woods for cycling. The South Downs have more than enough in the way of vicious climbs to hurl yourself at on a Sunday ride and spectacular views across the south coast reward you at the top. Great as the Downs are, no matter how many times you grind your way up Harting Hill, nothing can prepare you, I suspect, for the effort and fitness level required to tackle the miles of climbing and energy sapping gradient of the Col du Tourmalet.

There are a few things I can control though. Firstly I’ve learnt to eat more sensibly. Gels and energy drink are no replacement for good, substantial evening meals and a healthy breakfast. Don’t get me wrong, my back pockets will be stuffed with gels next week, but a sports nutritionist that I met a few months ago really explained the importance of fuelling up for two to three days before a big ride, and that the times I’ve hit the wall in the past are probably down to relying too heavily on quick fix foods during a ride.

I don’t have to be at the front of the group. I’m three years older and although still only 35, I’d like to think a little wiser. My aim this year is to finish each day feeling good and smiling. NO matter how many times I have told myself in the past “IT IS NOT A RACE”, when somebody whips past you on a mountain climb, you use everything you’ve got left to stay on their wheel. It’s that old racing instinct that just won’t be shaken off, but it could just land me in trouble further down, or in this case up the road. Well, next week I’ll try. It’s a classic route through some awe-inspiring scenery and I want to enjoy it.

Then the last words go to my wife, as they often do. “Any training is better than no training,” was her advice, when I was feeling particularly anxious about what I had taken on recently. And she has a point I guess. True, no hills in Sussex or indeed Britain can prepare you for the Pyrenees, but I’ve tried to put a good few miles into my legs and I’ve thrown myself at an unpleasant amount of hills. I know my limits and I need to believe in myself. I know I can do a day’s ride in the Pyrenees, the question is whether I can do six.

So there it is. I meet my fellow members of the Guide Dog team in Toulouse next Saturday and we set off from Pamiers on the first half of stage 15 on Sunday 22nd. The grand finale will be reaching the top of the Tourmalet, marking the end of stage 17 on Friday 27th August. It’s going to be quite a ride. Wish me luck!

Chris would be pleased to receive online donations in support of his Guide Dogs challenge at  www.justgiving.com/Christopher-Williams2