Call Sign September 2008 - Page 23 - DaC's Gerry cycles in Tour de France!

DaC’s Gerry cycles in Tour de France!

There have been two events in Dial-a-Cab driver Gerry Rosen’s (W56) life that have dramatically changed it. In February 2007, his 6-year old niece stared at Gerry’s rotund shape and in all seriousness asked him if he was expecting a baby! Then the following April, Barry went for a check-up on the testicular cancer that had attacked him during his time on the Knowledge and was told that he was clear and no longer needed to go for further checks! It was then that Gerry decided to change his lifestyle – so much so that he decided to enter a stage of the Tour de France, known as L’etape du Tour - one that involved climbing the Pyrenees! This is Gerry’s story…
   "On October 25th 2007, the route for the Etape du Tour 2008 was announced. It would be 169 kilometres long, from the spa town of Pau at the foot of the Pyrenees to the mountain top finish of ski station Hautacam. L’Etape du Tour is a one-day cycling event open to members of the public from all over the world, where they allow you to compete in a stage of the Tour De France on closed roads. The date for this event was Sunday July 6th…
   If you asked me a year ago whether I would be able to take part in such an event, I’d have emphatically said no! After all, I weighed over 21stone and couldn’t even run 20 metres, let alone cycle 169 kilometres. But as soon as the route was announced, I consulted a few people who told me that it was achievable - but that it would be hard work! With that in mind, I went online and booked my place at a cost of 200 euros and that was it! I was entered and there was no turning back!
   I had a training plan that I adhered to with some long distance rides to simulate sitting in the saddle for anything up to 10 hours. The months of May and June were busy with rides
planned for the Brecon Beacons (180k), Dartmoor (165k), Hampshire (200k) and the Surrey Hills (155k). All were hard slogs, but I managed to complete the lot. My training was well on target and I threw in a reconnaissance trip to the Pyrenees to see what the course was like, so I was really busy! Unfortunately, 3 weeks before the big day I was struck down with flu. It took 2 weeks to regain my fitness and get myself ready for the event - now just one week away. But I did and finally at 2am on July 3rd I was on my way…

Over to la France…

Once in France, I spent a few days getting short rides in, but nothing too excessive. You needed to keep as fresh as possible. I must say it was an absolute pleasure to cycle in France. There’s none of the London intimidation and the often heard ‘get out of the effing way!’
Back at the hotel, I got everything laid out and ready for the following day. There was the clothing, 8 energy bars, 5 energy gels, bananas, drinks, chewing gum, pain killers, repair kit, inner tubes - and believe me you need it all! Finally, 9pm on Saturday night and lights out.
So, after 255 days preparing and losing over 5 stone, the big day had arrived. But what a start! A torrential thunderstorm woke me up at 3am and that was it - no more sleep! I was on the road at 4.45am in the pitch black and pouring rain. I arrived at the start to be confronted by over 1000 cyclists, but by the starting time, that had increased to over 9000!
The gun went off and we were on our way. It was still raining and I was soaked and cold, but soon warmed up as the kilometres went by. Bizarrely, I was enjoying myself and having all the towns and villages coming out to cheer for you on a dreary Sunday morning is quite remarkable. We then had some divine inspiration as we reached holy town of Lourdes and the site of the first feed station. I was 20 minutes ahead of schedule. You are cycling

against the clock and if you the reach timing points late, you are stopped and not allowed to continue.
   On my way again and with the first mountain pass fast approaching, there still wasn't time to take it easy - and the rain was now of Biblical proportions! The French press described the day as ‘an apocalypse’ and the worst weather in the 17 years of the event. But at 11.15am and 20 minutes ahead of time with 100k covered, I reached the bottom of the Col du Tourmalet. That translated means terrible mountain. It’s the highest road mountain pass in the Pyrenees, climbing to 2115 metres with a gradient average of 7.5% that goes on for 17.5k. It really is vicious. Eventually I reached the summit with just 5 seconds to spare before elimination. It was that close! Almost 2 hours to climb it. The weather had now changed from relentless rain to thick fog and I was absolutely shattered… but I was there!
   The next challenge was to get down the mountain - a task in itself with virtually no visibility, freezing cold hands and no grips on my brakes. Fun this wasn't! But it was downhill all the way for 37k with speeds touching 70kph.All this had to be completed in just over an
hour, as there was a cut off time of 3.05pm, when the final climb of the Hautacam begins.
   As the mountain road opened up and the weather cleared, I went flat out. But with 2k to go before the start of the climb, I was desperate to spend a penny, so I quickly stopped and within a minute was back in the saddle psyching myself up for the climb. That was going to be 14k long at an average of almost 8% and rising to 1000metres. I thought I was ahead of schedule by a minute, but I was wrong. I was abruptly stopped by some pompous French official who told me in broken English that I was finished. He whipped off my timing chip and disappeared. Was it the weather or something else? It transpired that I was outside the time limit by 1 lousy minute! Taking that pee had cost me the chance to finish (there was still a further 2.5 hours before the official closing time).
   I was shattered and fuming; every swearword invented came out of my mouth. For the next two hours I was not a person you wanted to talk to – and most definitely not a good reflection on Dial-a-Cab as the gentleman’s circuit! Eventually, after returning to where I was staying and a few beers later - I calmed down and it was a chance to reflect on what I had achieved. There was the 155 kilometres covered in the most atrocious weather, losing over 5 stone in weight since signing up for it, giving myself a new lease of life and making a new set of friends through my cycling club. And of course, finally getting the all clear from the big C!
   I now have one goal in mind for 2009 and that is to complete the Etape Du Tour 2009 and get that piece of metal around my neck that says I completed it. So watch this space…"

Gerry Rosen (W56)

If you would like to help Gerry raise money for the Institute of Cancer Research and Everyman, you can do so at http://www.justgiving.com/etapedegezza

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