TdU Challenge Stage

[MichaelB]

The TdU Challenge Stage route has now been announced, and the details are below.

Myself and a group of 4 others will be entering for the full 134km, and was wondering if any others are planning to enter the same, or even the shorter route from Woodside to Strath ?

Should be hard, but great at the same time ..


2008 Mutual Community Challenge Tour Registrations Open Now!

Thankyou for your email registering your interest to be a part of the 2008 Mutual Community Challenge Tour.

Participants in the Mutual Community Challenge Tour on Friday 25 January 2008, will pedal the same 134km route between Mannum and Strathalbyn as the world’s elite cyclists in Stage 4 of the 2008 Tour Down Under, which celebrates a 10th anniversary as Australia’s most successful cycling event.

A shorter race option of 73.5km from Woodside to Strathalbyn is also available for those seeking a more leisurely ride.

Be one of the first people to register for the Mutual Community Challenge Tour with registrations open now!!. Corporate, social and sporting teams are welcome!

Follow the links to the Tour Down Under online shop at www.tourdownunder.com.au

Regards
Tour Down Under Team.

I have loaded the route map into Bikelyfor those that are interested. It should be correct as far as I can tell.

TdU Challenge Route


Oh, and here is the route profile ......



Big hill at the beginning .....

[LuckyPierre]

I'm hoping to be there!
I would have preferred the participation ride to be a stage that's closer to the southern suburbs (last year's stage would have been ideal), but I should be able to get some-one to drop me off and pick me up.
The profile looks good - a marginal cat 2 to start, a couple of cat 3's, then a cat 4 with 20 kms to recover and work the rest of the way home.
The ACT Vets are getting a team together to compete in some of the masters events, but it will be a bit out of my league. I'm going to align a visit to my Mum with the TdU, so I'll be there somewhere.

[MichaelB]

When the time gets closer, let me know.

We'll be staying in Mannum the night before, so if you have a teant, may be able to join us rather than catch the bus at 4:45am from Adelaide ...

Still eyeing off the hill at the beginning ......

[MichaelB]

The profile looks good

Nutter

- a marginal cat 2 to start, a couple of cat 3's, then a cat 4 with 20 kms to recover and work the rest of the way home

What is the def'n of the cats ? % gradient ?

[europa]

I was interested until I saw that profile

I'll have to make a final decision after I've seen how my training goes. The start and finish make it very hard for me too - it's not like I can ride to Mannum, do the ride, then ride home again afterwards, and even riding back to Mannum from Strath isn't a real option.

Richard

[stevos]

Cant wait should be awsome fun, especially the hills
does anyone know how many people enter this, thats my only problem i dont want to be riding through thousands of people, that could get nasty, lol

[LuckyPierre]

... What is the def'n of the cats ? ...

You can find the 'rules' for the TdF categories on the net, but in general terms ... Category 4 climbs are 'short and easy'. Category 3 climbs ascend at least 150 metres over 5 kms, or have an average gradient approaching 5%. Category 2 climbs ascend approx. 500 metres over the same distance or longer, with an average gradient of 8%. Category 1 climbs ascend approximately 1500 metres over 20 kms with an average gradient of 6%. The 'hors categorie' monsters are anything over 1000 metres and an average gradient of at least 7%. So, there's overlap between categories and where the climb is positioned in the ride, the final elevation, the road and all sorts of other stuff all contribute.
The big climb in the TdU Challenge stage is approx. 500 metres, but it's over 30 kms - it's not that steep, just long.
Corkscrew Road climbs about 250 metres in about 4 kms, with a couple of real pinches - it's tougher, but short. Shepherd's Hill Road (from the corner of South / Ayliffes Roads to Blackwood) would be a classic Category 3 climb - about 200 metres over 5 km. Flagstaff Hill via the Expressway is about 200 metres over 8km (Category 3) and via Flagstaff Road is more like 300 metres over about 10 km.
I reckon that if you can do a 100 km ride and you can do Flagstaff Hill, you'd make the Challenge stage - the 'group' effect will work wonders.
Oh, and I'm not a nutter - I don't like hills!

[europa]

I reckon that if you can do a 100 km ride and you can do Flagstaff Hill, you'd make the Challenge stage - the 'group' effect will work wonders.
Oh, and I'm not a nutter - I don't like hills!

Okay, how do I get around having the car at one end of the stage and me at the other? I'm single and can't rely on having a cooperative partner to do the chauffeuring.

Richard
(yes, I'm peeved that he reckons I can do it - it blows my best excuse out the window )

[LuckyPierre]

Sorry, logic is a b*stard sometimes, isn't it. I think you can do it. If I'm there, I'll probably be at my Mum's and she's just around the corner from you. 'tis along way off, hopefully something will work out.

[europa]

Yeah, the transport will be the bugger. You'd imagine that I could organise with someone to do the pickups, but it means asking others to be involved in something they aren't interested in - sadly, that doesn't often happen. However, with you so close, we may be able to work something out - for instance, the Falchoon has two roof racks and a tow bar rack so carrying heaps of bikes isn't a problem. It'll all work out, even if I have to ride to Mannum the previous day, doss down under a bush and ride home after the stage.

The other complication will be whether I have my daughter with me or not. I don't mind dragging her over that route but it's probably a bit long for wee kid, even on a tag-along.

Thanks for the confidence in my abilities - it won't stop me training towards it though.

Richard

[MichaelB]

I was interested until I saw that profile

Richard

I had a closer look at the profile yesterday.

The first climb is 260m in 6km (gradient of 4.3%), then a downhill of 75m over 4km, then a climb again of 150m over 6km (gradient of 2.5%). That makes it a total climb of 410m over 16km, with an average gradient of 2.6%.

Once the big hill is done, there is some smaller ones, and corresponding downhills, but the last little uphill bit will be hard, but at least it's the last one.

If you did the climb from Glenelg to top of Eagle on the hill via Anzac Hwy & Cross Rd, the climb would be 550m over 20km (avg gradient of 2.75%), so in fact, it's not that bad. It just seems steep because of the long distance.

Our plan is to camp (AT) Mannum the night before rather than catch the bus at 4:45am and our other halves will meet us at the line.

Maybe if some others are interested, could organise a campsite and a car ?

[LuckyPierre]

... Our plan is to camp (AT) Mannum the night before rather than catch the bus at 4:45am and our other halves will meet us at the line.
Maybe if some others are interested, could organise a campsite and a car ?

If I make it, that's an option for me too. I'm not that fussed about the bus trip, but a full day's ride after a 3:30am start would be 'interesting' to say the least. I'm pretty sure that I can arrange the pick-up at Strathalbyn.

[MichaelB]

So no other South Aussies are interested ?

Apparently the the "Big Mig" will be a key promotional figure as well in the festivities.

It will be interesting having ridden the stage to see how quick the pro's end up doing it !!!

[europa]

It will be interesting having ridden the stage to see how quick the pro's end up doing it !!!

No it won't

Richard

[MichaelB]

Well, the event now has Pro Tour Status, and they have finally selected a nicer colour jersey than the puke Green Mutaul Community one.

It is the Ochre colour as worn by the Tour Leader, and it's a nice colour too.

The other thing that is good, is that you can pre-collect the Jersey's from the Tour Village to save hassle in the morning.

Our group of 5 has registered as a Team, with the name "Are we there yet ?"

The other favoured backup name was "Did you say a HUNDRED and 34 km !!!!"

Anyway, looking forward to it, and our guys will be doing a practice run in a few weekends time so that we are familiar with the course and know what the hill is like at the start.

We have secured our camping spot and are planning to head off from Adelaide on Thursday morning, setup camp, go for a ride to settle in, prepare, rest and refuel and then go for it the next morning.

See some of you there hopefully

[europa]

You'll have the Eagle ready by then too

Richard

[stevos]

ill be doing it, wanting to try and organise a group from the cycling club to enter.

Anyone doing the mawson lakes race? I will be

got the whole week off work just for the tour

[Deanj]

Do you know when you'll be able to pick your jersey up from Michael? I'll go and get mine before the ride.

[MichaelB]

Do you know when you'll be able to pick your jersey up from Michael? I'll go and get mine before the ride.

In an event first, participants will be able to collect (if they desire) their MutualCommunity Challenge Tour jersey and wristband prior to ride day on Monday 21 until Wednesday 23 January 2008 between 11.30 am and 6.30 pm each day in the Adelaide City Council Tour Village, Victoria Square.

Jerseys not collected on this day will be available at the chosen start locations.

Stevos,

If yopu want to enter a team, it has to be done before the 23rd November to get the Team name on the Jersey.

[LuckyPierre]

I think that a bunch of us (it looks like there will be 6) are riding as an ACT Vets team - but we'll probably wear our club jerseys for the actual ride. Well, we might start as a bunch, but a couple of us will soon be well off the back - that's what you get for riding well out of your grade:?
If you see a red bike ridden by an old fart wearing a Vets jersey, give him a yell - he might even yell back. Nicely, of course.

I'm planning on driving over on Wednesday, 23rd January, having a big rest on the Thursday, then getting a nephew to drop me off / pick me up on the Friday. I'm staying with my Mum (near Richard), but will spend Thursday night with my sister in Croydon (because it's easier to get to Mannum from there).

[MichaelB]

No doubt we will catch up at some stage of the ride - we'll be in touch via PM/phone before the day.

We'll get to Mannum on Thursday and have a ride in the arvo and get all ready for the Killer hill the day before

Catch ya there !!

[europa]

No doubt we will catch up at some stage of the ride

Just wave from the sag wagon

Richard

[MichaelB]

Well, an intrepid group of 5 (the team members that form "Are we there yet ?" Team for the 2008 TdU Challenge stage) set off on a recce to see what the first part of the TdU Challenge stage is like and try the big hill at the beginning.

The day started well, although a bit late, and we set off from mannum in near perfect conditions. Not long after leaving mannum though, the wind whipped up and we had quite strong head and cross winds.

The climb out of Mannum is not really much at all until just before Palmer, and then it happens. Even still, it's not too bad, and even with headwinds is manageable with a steady pace and lotsa huffing. For those that know Adealide, it is very similar to the run from Glenelg to Eagle on the hill. If you can do that, you are laughing.

Anyway, we made it to Mt Torrens (~ 50km) and then headed back. Even got rained on a bit just outside of Birdwood.

The journey to Mt Torrens took us 2:14, and the return trip was 1:20 - such was the strength of the winds !!!

It was a great ride, and now that our team has experienced the "hill", we are now confident that it will not be a drama come race day. The climbs into Mt Torrens and Inverbrackie will be easy too, just as long as the winds stay down.

The road surface wasn't too bad either, so the 28C's at 90psi did their job very well.

Roll on the 25th of Jan !!

[Deanj]

Thats good to hear Michael! It looked steep from within the car but it sounds like you coped with it pretty well. Hopefully we won't get stinking hot weather with heavy winds and it should be a pretty high avg speed ride. I do some of my rides around Langhorne Creek and Kanmantoo and being pretty open the winds tend to have more affect. Will be a great ride though and I'm counting down the days. Booked a few days of work ready to watch some of the stages too

[Jeremy]

Thanks for the run down on the hill.....our group of 6 were planning on going up there for a look pre-ride.....but if you think it's not any harder than the eagle then i think we'll just train closer to home....

transport on the big day is proving to be a bit of an issue, with both start and finish miles from home, but i think we've got a bit of a plan