Climb of the iron Cross by ironmanAllen at Garmin Connect - Details

Untitled by ironmanAllen at Garmin Connect - Details
Tough climb in high temperatures again. Road surface sub optimal, major holes, boulders, gravel and varying degrees of surface material. Well it was bound to happen at some point...I crashed on the descent, only minor. A sharp left had bend that tightened up on a camber that rolled away to a safety barrier and then the tarmac ran out, so i un-clipped my left leg to avoid a 300ft drop to the right and then thats when it all went pair shaped, balance gone, hip, ankle and elbow now sport road rash and my lovely yellow mavic shoes are  scuffed....dame it.

16/07/13 Alpe d'Huez by ironmanallen at Garmin Connect - Player

Untitled by ironmanallen at Garmin Connect - Player
1hr 24 min though the record set by Pantani is 39 mins, fueled on all sort of chemicals apparently....

Cycled with Clem and John (little Clem) to the summit. John clocked 56mins, Clem clocked 2 hrs. Traffic on the summit was intense with lorries, cars, camping cars everywhere. The descent was hot and fast after our two beers in the sun and I had a rear tyre blow out at the last corner. Epic ride...

Alpe d'Huez 100th anniversary of the TdF

We have arrived at Alpe d'Huez and its crazy. The tour doesn't even get here until Thursday and the streets are lined with fans already, parties on the side of the road, people sitting in hedges drinking beer and playing cards...
Heading up the climb tomorrow to witness the legendary bend 7 Dutch corner, well that's if I can sleep over the live band playing on the side of the road.....truly exceptional.

Embrunman Cycle Route by ironmanAllen at Garmin Connect.. MENTAL

Untitled by ironmanAllen at Garmin Connect - Details
Just some of the 180km ride of the Embrunman....mental.......an Ironman is just a walk in the park compared to this chestnut.

Ventoux from Malaucene by ironmanAllen at Garmin Connect - Details

Untitled by ironmanAllen at Garmin Connect - Details
31c in the shade, 40c plus on the climb............

TdF route into to Bedoin by ironmanAllen at Garmin Connect - Details

Untitled by ironmanAllen at Garmin Connect - Details

Ventoux....Conquered by Philippa Davis

Girls Version

Boys Version

Ventoux...Conquered

Mont Ventoux - The climb by bike from Bédoin to Mont Ventoux is one of the toughest in professional cycling. The top of the mountain is bare limestone without vegetation or trees, which makes the mountain's barren peak appear from a distance to be snow-capped all year round (its snow cover actually lasts from December to April).

Mont Ventoux has become legendary as the scene of one of the most gruelling climbs in the Tour de France bicycle race. The mountain achieved worldwide notoriety when it claimed the life of British cyclist Tom Simpson, who died here on July 13, 1967 from heat exhaustion caused by a combination of factors including dehydration (caused by lack of fluid intake and diarrhea), amphetamines, and alcohol, although there is still speculation as to the exact cause of his death.

 The TdF has ascended the mountain fifteen times since 1951 and finished at the summit of Mont Ventoux nine times and on July 2nd 2013 Allen Davis conquered the summit.......

The Camargue

The Camargue (French pronunciation: ​[ka.maʁg]) (Occitan: Camarga in classical norm or Camargo in Mistralian norm) is the region located south of Arles, France, between the Mediterranean Sea and the two arms of the Rhône River delta. The eastern arm is called the Grand Rhône; the western one is the Petit Rhône.


Administratively it lies within the département of Bouches-du-Rhône, the appropriately named "Mouths of the Rhône", and covers parts of the territory of the communes of Arles – the largest commune in Metropolitan France, and Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer which where we stayed. The campsite, a dust bowl, was adjacent to the Grand Rhone outlet which made the sea temperature something akin to Cape Town. This was our second seaside campsite on the South West coast and the temperature remained HOT, damn hot......

The town of Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer hosts bull fighting every Saturday afternoon and has a very Spanish feel, with Flamenco shops and Paella at every turn, most strange for a French town. 

We intended to stay here for five nights then we realised why there was such a high turn-over on the campsite......Sand Flies......nasty little buggers, stealthy, small and vicious. Having received 22 bites on my left arm and 18 on my right and my head covered with too many to count and poor Harley's face swollen we made a sharp exit......Well we had accomplished seeing the Flamingos, wild white horses and the black bulls and bought wild rice....eaten Paella, bull and been introduced to the delights of Melonade....an aperitif....Camargue Done. 

Ventoux by ironmanAllen at Garmin Connect - Details

Untitled by ironmanAllen at Garmin Connect - Details
Tough 3hrs in the saddle but worth every min