The 2009 edition of the Etape du Tour is hotly anticipated, with the legendary and feared Mont Ventoux featuring on the route profile.

As with most things, preparation is key. So, Rapha have (as they do every year, recced the full route and made available an account of what to expect.

“The coup de grace of this year’s event will be the Giant of Provence, Mont Ventoux. Featured 13 times in the Tour’s history, ‘Le Geant’ is infamously tough and one of the most respected mountains in Europe. Eddy Merckx needed oxygen on the col’s summit after his winning climb in 1970 and Tom Simpson pushed beyond physical boundaries in his attempt to conquer this extinct volcano.”

Read more about the Etape du Tour, which is broken down into four sizeable chunks and includes cultural background, details of all the sights and smells you’ll experience and insights from the Rapha team, at www.rapha.cc/the-elusive-prize.

To add to the online account, Rapha and Cyclefit will be hosting an Etape evening in Central London on Thursday 25 June. Following recent trips to Ventoux and detailed reconnaissance of the route of this year’s Etape du Tour, staff from Rapha and Cyclefit will present the route in full, with information on feed station locations, advice on tactics, gearing and hydration. If you want to be as well prepared as possible, this event is not to be missed.