To celebrate the 100th edition of the Tour de France, and the mountains that have made it legendary, Rapha and Strava are proud to announce Rapha Rising: La Centième.
In the week which starts on Bastille Day (14th-21st July), Rapha is challenging participating riders to climb the combined height, from sea level, of the Peyresourde, Ventoux and Col de Sarenne, all of which feature in this year’s race. The Peyresourde is one of the giants of the Pyrenees, which featured in the Tour's first excursion into the bear-infested mountains in 1910, while Mont Ventoux, the Giant of Provence, first appeared in the Tour in 1951, a year before Alpe d'Huez. Together, they've been the sites of some of the Tour's most famous battles. The Col de Sarenne, however, has never been scaled in the Tour. It’s a little known col, 1,999m high, that the pros will climb this year, having first climbed the Alpe. Descending on a road resurfaced especially for them, they will loop back round to the foot of the Alpe to make that climb again.
Just as the pros will have to scale Alpe d’Huez twice, Rapha is challenging riders to scale the Alpe once more, making a total climbing distance of 7,235m (23,737ft), the combined elevations of the Peyresourde, Ventoux, Sarenne and Alpe d’Huez from sea level to top.
Riders that successfully climb 7,235m (23,737ft) within the Challenge period (July 14th - July 21st) will receive a commemorative Rapha Rising woven roundel for their efforts.
- 7/14 - Sunday: Fairfax to Mt Tam West Peak (65 mi; 5500 ft climbing)
- 7/15 - Monday Ungodly Early Morning: Twin Peaks Out & Back (8 mi; 1000 ft climbing)
- 7/15 - Monday Evening: Marin Headlands (25 mi; 2000 ft climbing)
- 7/16 - Tuesday: Repeat Monday's schedule (33 mi; 3000 ft climbing)
- 7/17 - Wednesday: Double Butter! In the morning & Repeat at night, optionally doing the Hawk Hill detour depending on Karl. Both are >1000ft & ~20 mi.
- 7/18 - Thursday: Repeat Monday's schedule (33 mi; 3000 ft climbing)
- 7/19 - Friday: Repeat Monday's schedule (33 mi; 3000 ft climbing)
- 7/20 or 7/21: Another Fairfax to Mt Tam West Peak (65 mi; 5500 ft climbing)
Also toss in my normal commuting (~200 ft a day) and we got ourselves a nice bit of climbing.
- 7/14 - http://app.strava.com/activities/67188748 - 6631 ft & 70.6 miles
- 7/15 - http://app.strava.com/activities/67275611 - 1920 ft & 24.4 miles
- 7/15 - http://app.strava.com/activities/67417139 - 1870 ft & 26.5 miles
- 7/16 - http://app.strava.com/activities/67680043 - 2162 ft & 25.0 miles
- 7/17 - http://app.strava.com/activities/67789815 - 2128 ft & 23.7 miles
- 7/17 - http://app.strava.com/activities/67948685 - 1378 ft & 20.8 miles
- 7/18 - http://app.strava.com/activities/68144118 - 2192 ft & 23.1 miles
- 7/19 - http://app.strava.com/activities/68256457 - 2100 ft & 23.8 miles
- 7/20 - http://app.strava.com/activities/68593005 - 3940 ft & 38.1 miles
- 7/20 - http://app.strava.com/activities/68592962 - 2119 ft & 23.3 miles
* This total does not include commutes, so it's a bit lower than actual
✨ do it!