Tag Archives: Cycling Tours

We asked Pro Cyclist, Ted King about Girona, Spain

  By MJCT | March 7, 2013 - 1:29 pm | Luxury Cycling Tours
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Since Marty moved to Griona, Spain in 1997 in preparation for the Tour de France there have been dozens of Pro cyclists who have followed.  This year Ted King moved back to Girona after an introduction in 2009-2010 so we asked him to describe what he liked about the area.  Jemison Cycling

It rains in Spain, but luckily that’s in the winter season of December – February, thereby making the rest of a year, an excellent location for focused training here in Girona.

I finished the Tour of San Luis in blisteringly hot Argentina back in late January, only to jump the Atlantic for a month-long reprieve from racing before my next goal, Paris-Nice, in early March. It’s rare to have such a break from racing for this length of time, especially ahead of a an early season goal as rigorous/notorious/arduous/important/big (your adjective of choice – all of which are applicable) as the “Race to the Sun”. However this month has been a graciously welcomed block of training, free from the stresses found in sprinting through airports to and from races, as I settling back into one of my favorite cities in Europe, Girona, my home-away-from-home. Truth be told, this month of training has been great!

I lived in Girona in both 2009 and 2010. When I set off for Liquigas-Cannondale in 2011, I decided that to assist honing my at-that-point, entirely non-existent Italian in Italy would be a wise choice. This was my own decision – teams generally don’t mandate where you live – and these past two years in Tuscany were a great adventure in their own right, so I’m certainly not complaining.

That said, upon returning to Girona in late February, I found myself time and again with a completely dorky, ear to ear grin as I reacquainted myself all throughout town, just thrilled to be back in my old stomping grounds. There’s something inherently welcoming about Girona. It’s a city with a very small town feel. It has some of the friendliest people I’ve ever met in Europe. It has more of my comrade professional cyclists (at last count, somewhere in the 70s!) than anywhere in Europe. It has some of the best training roads, sinuous goat paths, knife-edged cliffs to the Mediterranean, and toughest climbs I’ve ever seen. That goes in hand with the huge variety of restaurants of all types, cafes, and markets to serve all my needs. I feel like a nerd admitting it, but just strolling town made me giddy to be back.

All that, PLUS the weather is generally outstanding! Come ride with me and I’ll show you my favorite rides, restaurants and hang outs of the pros.
Okay, off to the races.

Ted King talks to Jemison Cycling Tours about Girona, Spain

Ted King

Jemison Cycling offers guided and self-guided trips based out of Girona and the Catalan region:

After having lived in this Spanish town for six years while riding in the Professional Peloton, Marty has a love for Girona, something he is only too willing to share with guests on this “Signature Tour.” Girona has been Jemison Cycling Tours European Headquarters, long before it became stylish with cyclists.

Jemison Cycling Tours
http://www.jemisoncycling.com/trip/girona/

Paris-Roubaix – will humble the strongest of men.

  By MJCT | April 6, 2012 - 11:53 am | Luxury Cycling Tours
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Paris-Roubaix – will humble the strongest of men.

I was a neo-pro, had already raced cobbles in Het Volk, and trained on some of the cobbled climbs of the Tour of Flanders. The Murr van Geraardsbergen was less than 10kms from my apartment and I trained on it often, but I had no idea what Paris-Roubaix was all about.

The race starts in Compiegne, France, and ends in the Velodrome of Roubaix, France. This year’s 110th edition is 257 kms, or 160 miles long. There are 27 sections of cobbles that total over 30 miles of bone jarring madness.  The first section comes after nearly 60 miles and approximately 2 hours of high speed racing.  Each section is rated from 1-5 stars in difficulty.

The 27 cobbled sections of Paris-Roubaix
27. Troisvilles (after 97.5 km – 2,200 m) +++
26. Viesly (after 104 km – 1,800 m) +++
25. Quievy (after 106.5 km – 3,700 m) ++++
24. Saint-Python (after 111.5 km – 1,500 m) ++
23. Vertain (after 119.5 km – 2,300 m) +++
22. Capelle-sur-Ecaillon – Le Buat (after 126 km – 1,700 m) +++
21. Aulnoy-lez-Valenciennes – Famars (after 142 km – 2,600 m) +++++
20. Famars – Quérénaing (after 145.5 km – 1,200 m) ++
19. Quérénaing – Maing (after 149 km – 2,500 m) +++
18. Monchaux-sur-Ecaillon (after 152 km – 1,600 m) +++
17. Haveluy (after 163.5 km – 2,500 m) ++++
16. Trouée d’Arenberg (after 172 km – 2,400 m) +++++
15. Millonfosse – Bousiginies (after 178.5 km – 1,400 m) +++
14. Brillon to Tilloy-lez-Marchiennes (after 183 km – 1,100 m) ++
Tilloy – Sars-et-Rosières (after 185.5 km – 2,400 m) +++
13. Beuvry-la-Forêt – Orchies (after 192 km – 1,400m) +++
12. Orchies (after 197 km – 1,700 m) +++
11. Auchy-lez-Orchies – Bersée (after 203 km – 2,600 m) ++++
10. Mons-en-Pévèle (after 208.5 km – 3,000 m) +++++
9. Mérignies – Avelin (after 215 km – 700 m) ++
8. Pont-Thibaut (after 218 km – 1,400 m) +++
7. Templeuve l’Epinette (after 223.5 km – 200 m) +
Le Moulin de Vertain (after 224 km – 500 m) ++
6. Cysoing – Bourghelles (after 230,5 km – 1,300 m) ++++
Bourghelles – Wannehain (after 233 km – 1,100 m) +++
5. Camphin-en-Pévèle (after 237.5 km – 1,800 m) ++++
4. Le Carrefour de l’Arbre (after 240.5 km – 2,100 m) +++++
3. Gruson (after 242.5 km – 1,100 m) ++
2. Hem (after 249.5 km – 1,400 m) ++
1. Roubaix (after 256.5 km – 300 m) +

I didn’t do the race as a neo-pro, but on the evening of the race that year, our team soigneurs dropped off Leon Van Bon who had just completed his first Paris-Roubaix. That moment, left an impression with me that, I will never forget.  Leon had to have help getting up the stairs and into his bed. He did not budge until the following afternoon.  Paris-Roubaix can humble the strongest of men.

Fewer riders will finish Paris-Roubaix than any of the other Classics, due to devastation from the cobbles.  In 1998, I skidded and hopped, to a track-stand, to avoid falling onto Johan Museeuw who was wailing in pain. He split his knee open in a crash that happened just in front of me.  We hit the Arenberg Forest cobbles at an estimated 40 miles per hour that year.
The scenario in Troisvilles is much the same. The peloton will reach up to and over 40 mph when they hit this first set of cobbles. The approach is madness as every rider wants to be in the front, taking risks and timing our efforts to be in the front, but of course this is impossible for 200 riders. This 1.4 mile section of cobbles will claim a fair share of bike equipment and riders, as does each section, but this is the first, and any bike and rider not up to the task gets a serious beating here.

Coming off of Troisvilles, the peloton is strung out with gaps that take an enormous effort to close. Then the peloton comes all back together in a kind of ‘truths’.  The pace drops significantly, and the feeling is like being in the eye of the storm or it’s the calm before the storm.

From the second section of cobbles in Viesly, the paved sections are not long enough for the peloton to regroup and the riders at the front are constantly fighting for position and keeping the pace very high.

———

Our team meeting before the race in 2000, sounded like a rerun of the previous editions I had done. Our director sportif, Johan Bruyneel, pointed to three of us and lifted his voice making sure that we heard, that, “if there was an early break that one of us had to be in it”.  From mile one, to mile twenty three, each of us keyed off one another to cover the attacks.  We had all taken our turns producing near super human efforts to cover the moves, until I ended up in the break that would succeed that year.  17 of us broke away after 20 miles of racing.

Over the next 10 sections of cobbles, and 85 miles of racing, our group of 17 whittled down to 5 of us leading into the famous Arenberg Forest, that is rated at 5-star difficulty.  It had been a drag race between the peloton and the break and the time gap was closing. They were salivating and wanted us badly.

In the middle of the forest,  Tom Steels found an extra gear and split the remaining 5 of us up. I felt as if spikes were being driven into various parts of my body and as Phil Ligget might say,  “Marty was in a spot of bother”.  
I exited the Arenberg Forest alone, and got a call on the radio.  Johan told me,  “eat and drink because we need you”.  This message was clear and I started to eat, drink and prepare.  I rode along at a comfortable pace knowing that the head of the strongest group of riders in the world were breathing down my neck.  I was so electrically charged when my teammates caught me that, I sat on the front and dug deep for the next 2-3 miles.  Frankie Andreu knew every turn and helped gauge my efforts. I knew my race was over, but I still had the reserves to pull the peloton at over 35 miles per hour at this point. Frankie more than once, asked me to slow it down.  I was entering and exiting the turns a bit hot, and I think I even heard him chuckle at one point.

Youtube Videos of 2000 Paris-Roubaix
a –   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHbHu8-NeKQ
b –   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aYgVewERQcw
c –   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJgcYOsrv5Y

———-

I have taken my cycling tour guests to the ‘Hell of the North’, to ride a few sections of these cobbles.  On paper, you might think it’s a sensible plan to ride 3-4 sections before the Arenberg Forest, and that’s what I take people to do. However, I’m seasoned and I know better.  I know I’m going to get dirty looks and hear a bit of complaining, but I believe in experiencing life. You’re not going to get the feel of Paris-Roubaix after only 2-3 sections, it’s going to take a bit more to drive stakes into your legs.

Unless I offer free beer, most of the riders I take to the Arenberg Forest, will ride off of the cobbles and onto the dirt paths before even making it to the halfway point.  I only buy the beer for my guests who can ride this entire 2.2 kms section of category 5 cobbles without putting a foot down.  (put this on your bucket list )

Wet or dry, Paris-Roubaix is the single hardest day of bike racing on the UCI calendar, period. It’s legalized war and a place where the strongest riders in the world will lay everything on the line.

Marty Jemison
www.martyjemison.com


The Art of the Poker Face at 500 Watts: Recalling the Tour of Flanders

  By MJCT | March 29, 2012 - 5:18 pm | Luxury Cycling Tours
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The Tour of Flanders:  An account from 3 time participant, Marty Jemison

Also known as the “Ronde van Vlaanderen” (RVV), The Tour of Flanders is the first of the ‘Spring Classics’. It was first held in 1913 and is raced one week before Paris-Roubaix.  The 2012 race will be the 96th edition of this ‘monumental classic’ and will take place place on April 1st. The course is 254.4 kilometres (158.1 mi) long, between Brugge and Oudenaarde, Belgium.

The route has been changed this year and the new final features the Oude Kwaremont and the Paterberg, both will be climbed three times. Also included in the final is the infamous Koppenberg, this cobbled climb (hellingen in Dutch) has an average gradient of 11% with a maximum of 22% over and is 1.5 miles in length. (Yea, hard!)

Here is a list of the 17 climbs in the 2012 edition and their characteristics.

1. Nokereberg – Cobbled at 5.9% average and 1,200 feet long
2.Taaienberg – Cobbles at 6.6% average and 1,700 feet long
3.Eikenberg – Asphalt at 5.9% average and 2,000 feet long
4. Molenberg – Cobbles/Asphalt at 7% and 1,500 feet long
5. Rekelberg – Asphalt at 4% average; 9% max and 2,500 feet long
6. Berendries – Asphalt at 7% average and 3,000 feet long
7. Valkenberg – Asphalt at 8.1% average and 1,730 feet long
8. Oude Kwaremont – Asphalt/Cobbles at 4% average; 11% max and 2,2000 feet long
9. Patterberg – Cobbles at 12.9% average and 1,150 feet long
10. Koppenberg – Cobbles at 11.6% average; 22% maximum and 2,000 feet long
11. Steenbeekdries – Cobbles at 5.3% average and 2,200 feet long
12. Nieuwe Kruisberg – Cobbles at 6% average and 3,200 feet long
13 Oude Kwaremont – Asphalt/Cobbles at 4% average; 11% max and 2,200 feet long
14. Patterberg – Cobbles at 12.9% average and 1,150 feet long
15. Hoogberg-Hotond – Cobbles at 3.5% average; 8% maximum and 1,000 feet long
16. Oude Kwaremont – Asphalt/Cobbles at 4% average; 11% max and 2,2000 feet long
17. Patterberg – Cobbles at 12.9% average and 1,150 feet long

*don’t just look at  ‘average’ as the experienced riders know which climbs have extreme maximim percentage grades with horrid cobbles…

There is 100 kms or 62 miles of flat riding on the narrow roads of Flanders, Belgium before the race gets to the first hellingen (climb).  I have raced the the Ronde van Vlaanderen as a Professional on three occasions and every time it took almost exactly two hours to reach the first climb. The peloton starts with 198 riders and many who will not finish the race,  ride at the front keeping the pace around 30 mph average (Yea, it’s flat out!).  The course has a lot of turns so keeping a high average pace means that the peloton is screaming fast whenever there is a straight away. If there is any wind, it means that you will spend a lot of time in the gutter suffering before the first climb.  :)


Photo: Marty taking a dig on the Pattersberg hellingen

In 1999 I took 39th in the RVV and in 2000 I was in the race proudly wearing the stars and stripes as the US Professional Road Champion.

I had trained very hard over the winter and wanted to have a strong season while wearing the national champions jersey. You can see me racing in this short video

leading the peloton up the Kluisberg climb 180 kms into the race.  This was only the 5th climb in the race that year and most of the peloton was still together. As the climb got steeper, all of us at the front were pushing over 500 watts of power.  Its a real art to produce that kind of power with a poker face, but, even so you’ll only drop a few of the best Professional riders in the world.  As the race progresses the champions will attack the climbs with accelerations that greatly exceed 500 watts and likely hit 900-1000 for the real show.

If you watch the short youtube video you will see me get a flat tire at top of the Kluisberg. After getting a wheel change from my teammate, I desperately chased back to the group. Just as I had regained contact, a group of protagonists were escaping without the leader of my team, Viatcheslav Ekimov. Over the next hour I played a huge role to help him bridge back to the leaders. In 2000 I finished 71st.

My first year as a Professional, I was riding for the Dutch team, WordPerfect and was living close to the Murr de Geraardsbergen.  Living in Flanders, meant that I had ridden all of the hellingen several times, but the local Belgians are still amazing to race with. They ‘know’  exactly where to place themselves in the peloton and how to gauge their efforts. In that first year I had learned a lot from locals I was able to train with. It’s amazing to hear ‘what side’ of the peloton to be on and when to be in the top ten riders etc. etc. What may not be apparent on tv is how critical it is after the top of some of these climbs. After the hellingen where it flattens out, it’s often exposed and very windy, you must have good position with strong riders who will make sure the leaders do not get away.  The tactics in the Tour of Flanders can not be understated and the Belgians are the masters. Honestly, the hairs on my arms rise as I think about it.

The race starts in the beautiful city of Brugge and I encourage you to put this race on your bucket list of races to see in person. The last time I saw the race I was there as a spectator and visiting some of the riders and director sportiff’s that I knew.  I remember commenting to Scott Sunderland (DS at CSC at the time) about how quiet all of the riders were and he smiled and reminded me that for the riders it’s not all that quiet and that this was the calm before the storm. We had done so many races together, but perception as a rider and an observer are quite different. As quiet and calm as the riders seemed there ares enormous hearts beating strongly and preparing for the battle ahead. In the competitors minds it’s everything but quiet.


I’m living here in Park City and I will be watching the Ronde van Vlaanderen, live at Park City Roasters and will be happy to answer questions about the race. There is a deep tradition of bike racing in Belgium and the fans there, are hardened with knowledge and appreciation for the athletes.  It you are in the area feel free to stop in and say hello.

Marty Jemison
1999 US Professional Champion
Tour de France (1997 & 1998)
www.martyjemison.com

Marty’s Spring Classics photos with Jemison Cycling Tours can be found in our Gallery.

Adriaan Brouwer, fresh beer found only near Oudenaarde, Belgium and the finish of the Tour de Flanders aka Ronde van Vlaanderen

Milan-San-Remo:

  By MJCT | March 16, 2012 - 6:22 pm | Luxury Cycling Tours
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Milan-San Remo: Full throttle with Lance Armstrong and Andrei Tchmil

Milan San Remo – MSR kicks off the ‘Classics’ season on the Union Cyclist International calendar. The race is officially 298 kms long (185 miles) and will take the riders approximately 7 hours to complete. This year, there will be 3 Americans in the race: George Hincapie, Tyler Farrar, and Kiel Reijnen.

MSR started in 1907 and has been held 103 times. This year it comes six days after Paris-Nice, and only four days after Tirreno-Adriatico. Both are significant early-season stage races that open up the engines of the greatest riders in the World.

I rode the race in 1997 and 1999 and placed 80th and 60th, respectively. In those same years, I finished Paris-Nice 32nd and 28th. As a rider I remember wondering which stage race was better preparation for Milan San Remo. After racing over a week, you get to know how strong the riders are in the peloton, but what you don’t know is how you’ll do against the riders that rode the other stage race. MSR will have the strongest riders from both Paris-Nice and Tirreno-Adiratico: the combination means that there is a lot of horsepower lining up for the first Classic of the season.

The race starts at the Castle Sforzesco in Milan, Italy. It is so packed with fans that it is difficult to appreciate this beautiful citadel, the construction of which began in the 14th Century. After signing in, the riders follow the race director out of the city which adds 10kms or so to the official distance. Every rider knows: this is going to be one long day on the bike. Each year, when the flag drops the attacks start. In 1997 we covered 100kms in the first 2 hours! This is an important race, and every Italian fights to ride on the front to be on television. Thankfully the first 120kms are relatively flat.

The first difficulty of the race comes between 134 -142kms, but this only slows the pace of the peloton slightly. The climb is gentle and only 8kms long. Next comes the Manie-Valico climb at 199kms, and it tends to test the condition of your legs. It only averages 6.7% over 4.7kms, but has a small section of 11%. After 120 miles of racing it can feel like somebody is driving nails into your legs or, if you’re feeling good, it can give you confidence for the remaining 98kms.

In 1999, just as we hit the coast of the Mediterranean, Lance Armstrong rode up next to me and asked calmly, “Why do you do this? Why do you race’? I was working harder relative to him, and was a bit puzzled by his question. Because of the brutally fast pace and constant fighting for position, I couldn’t answer him right away, but I remember thinking to myself: “I race because I love it.”

I had a good position riding up the Cipressa when Andrei Tchmil started fighting to come up on my right hand side, right on the edge of the road. This was the wind-protected side of the peloton, and he had the confidence to overtake me, but I shut the door on him. I knew it pissed him off but I was determined to hold my position. I was working for Viatcheslav Ekimov and had no reason to help anybody else. A few moments later, I heard Andrei mention my name to Eki. Whatever Eki said to Andrei worked in my favor. Later that year, in the Tour de France, both Andrei and I worked together on more than one occasion in the mountains of the Alps and Pyrenees. In some way, respect and friendship were formed that day on the Cipressa.

I dug deep and made it over the top of the Poggio — the final climb of the race — with the leading group, but on the descent I struggled to match the pace of the super-skilled descenders. I rode white-knuckled around each switchback, wondering if my tires were going to break free from the pavement causing me to slam into the stonewall. I lost several positions on the descent but managed to hang on the back of the group. On the way down the Poggio I thought about Sean Kelley’s achievement years before. As I fought to hold my position, I replayed the images of how he gained time and ended up winning the race in 1986, just ahead of Greg Lemond.

Looking through a dense cloud of dust and tasting lactic acid, I lifted my head to see someone’s arms being thrust into the air: I had finished in the same time of the winner and when I heard who had won an electric shock went through my body. The rider who had tried to nudge his way up my right side on the Cipressa, and who had time to chat with the rider I was working for, had just on Milan San Remo: Andrei Tchmil. His ability to have a ‘chat’ on the ascent of the Cipressa made a little more sense to me now.

Italians have won the race 50 times, and the best American finisher was my teammate from the 1993 US National Team, Fred Rogriguez. Fast Freddy took 2nd in 2002 behind Mario Cipollini.

Both George Hincapie and Tyler Farrar are sprinters and have a chance to win the race this year. On Sunday, I will also be looking to see how American Kiel Reijnen ends up.

After 300kms of professional racing on the bike what do you think happens next? Well, in my case, you take a quick shower and get in the soigneur’s car, who then drives you home to Girona. San Remo to Girona, Spain is 627kms away. Back in 1999, 200kph on the Autoroute was acceptable — and that was what the fast lane was for.

Thanks for reading,

Marty Jemison
www.martyjemison.com

Life of a Professional Cyclist leading up to the Spring Classics

  By MJCT | March 16, 2012 - 6:01 pm | Luxury Cycling Tours
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Competitive Cyclist has asked me:  “What did the races leading up to the Spring Classics mean to you”?

After nearly two days of thinking about it my response is;  “Everything”.  Pure and simple, I loved to race my bike and, harder the races the better.  The harder the races, the less time my mind wanders. The Classics demand more ‘focus’ than other races in the world and I like that.  If your a bike racer then you’ve had moments in the pain cave. In the Classics, time in the pain cave lasts for hours and hours.

To start this blog I went back to look at some of my results that I found here:  http://wielrennen.hour.be/Renners_Wedstrijden.asp?NumRenner=989
It’s an interactive list and the results tell the story.  If these races don’t mean ‘everything’ to you then you’ll likely get spit out the back of the peloton.  The notable European races in the Spring are the true Power tests for cyclists. The races leading up to the ‘Classics’ are hard, but we all know that when you arrive to best races in the world there is more talent and riders who are peaking.  There are battles, and then there is war.  The Classics are a legalized war amongst men – modern gladiators.

As I neo-Pro, I remember the excitement and anticipation before my first semi-classic. I was focused on proving to my team that I had value and deserved my contract.  In the end I got good result and caught a lot of attention;  Omloop het Nieusbald was stacked with big hitters… (http://wielrennen.hour.be/Renners_Wedstrijden_Detail.asp?Day=26&numwedstrijd=1&numjaar=8&Code=A )

As a neo-Pro with WordPerfect I suffered badly in Paris-Nice. Later, I finished 32nd and 28th in ‘97 & ‘99 respectfully.  Each year we made it to Nice, my engine had been transformed and was starting to fire. It takes hard stage races like this to prepare yourself for the what is coming up.

As much as you fine tune and open up the engine, in Paris-Nice for example, it’s a whole another level in the first Classic; Milan-San-Remo.  MSR  is the longest Classic and takes nearly 7 hours to complete. There is at least an extra hour of time in the pain cave over any stage in Paris-Nice, but because of those 8 days of intense racing, mentally and physically, you’re ready for a 298kms day. That’s nearly 185 miles, with an average speed close to 45kph or 28 mph, each year.

When was the last time you averaged 28 mph for over one hour?  In Milan-San-Remo  we do it for nearly 7 hours. If a race like this doesn’t mean ‘everything’ to you,  you’ll get spit out of the peleton and likely spit out of the sport.

The Classics in Belgium are harder than Milan San Remo. It’s going to take the imprinting of MSR and more racing and training to be ready for what’s waiting up North. After another tune up stage race like Catalunya or Basque along with a semi-classic or two, are the battles that prepare you for the war ahead.

I’ve done all of the Classics, but I like certain races more than others. I prefer Tour of Flanders over Paris-Roubaix, because of the cobbled climbs. Out of 200 riders, I’m much better on the cobbled climbs over the flat cobbles of Paris-Roubaix. In 2000, I made the early break in Paris-Roubaix for nearly 120kms and this made the race bearable and enjoyable really. It was an honor to be wearing the U.S. National Championship jersey and showing it to the world all the way to the Arrenburg Forest.  See a video clips here:

PR-A  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHbHu8-NeKQ
PR-B  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aYgVewERQcw
PR-C  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJgcYOsrv5Y


Climbing the Pattersburg in the Tour of Flanders

Tour of Flanders 2000:  Marty leads the Peloton
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=27nzucHpm5Q

My favorite Spring races are: the semi-Classic race, Fleche Wallone; and, the Classic race Liege-Bastogne-Liege. I improved my results each year, and finally, in 1999, I took 2nd place in points behind Michel Bartoli for the combined results by placing 19th in Flech Wallone and 18th in Liege-Bastogne-Liege. LBL is often argued as the hardest of the Classics and cracking the top 20 means your throwing/ducking punches with the best riders in the World. I had a good week.

Fleche Wallone clip:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WuP0kyz-HDA
Liege-Bastogne-Liege clip:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=549OtINR_LQ
Hammer down on La Redoute 1999
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJintCgzG5o

Amstel Gold usually comes after the Tour of Flanders, Paris-Roubaix and Liege-Bastogne-Liege.  The first 150-200kms of this race scares me the same way being in the peleton across the cobbles of Paris-Roubaix does. However, the dangers of Amstel Gold come from the ‘traffic furniture’ found throughout Holland. Loosely translated, ‘traffic furniture’, refers to all of the tight round-abouts, curb and gutters, sign posts, bike paths and all kinds of urban concrete for motorists and bikes.  It makes stressful racing if you were not born and raised in that part of the world.

I have survived and avoided the many crashes that occur in Amstel Gold to be in the mix as the race reaches the hilly sections in the last 50kms. This is a big relief, but the stress of the first 200kms always took its toll, and I just didn’t have the legs for a top 20 in the final.

In 1999 I did every Spring Classic, Milan San Remo, Tour of Flanders, Paris-Roubaix, Liege-Bastogne-Liege and Amstel Gold which I believe is pushing the human limit. I only counted 3 other riders that did all those races that year.  Usually the teams split their riders who  prepare and do 2-3 Classics before taking a much needed rest.  However, I loved to race my bike and the harder the races the better.  I guess that includes a program, the harder the better;  but looking back on it, I believe it was a little over the top.

For most riders who will race the Tour de France in July, it’s okay to completely destroy yourself in the Spring Classics and then take a rest before focusing on France.

Thanks for reading.

Marty Jemison
www.martyjemison.com

Going to the Competitive Cyclist Pro Cycling Team Camp & Presentation

  By MJCT | February 12, 2012 - 8:49 pm | Luxury Cycling Tours
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This blog will be posted on the Competitive Cyclist Pro Cycling Teams site:

It’s been a long time since my last team camp as a Professional cyclist, but when I got the invitation for the Competitive Cyclist Professional Team Camp and Presentation I essentially ‘woke up’. It’s a feeling from a cellular level and the synapses throughout my body’ sparked’. I still have an enlarged heart, although not as trained as it once was, in an instant it beat differently…

For over a decade I dedicated every day of my life to cycling and when it comes to the first training camp everything matters. Every day of recovery, training and preparation from the last race of last season, matters now. This is the time to bring everything together and focus on the races ahead.

I was a rider who liked to keep things simple and I believed in massive volume in my training. In my first year as a Pro I heard my roommate Viatcheslav Ekimov say that from the last race of a season to the first race of the next season he would put in 10,000 kms (6200 miles). My numbers were close to that and for the next 7 years those numbers became my numbers.

When you are riding those kinds of miles it was very important to get all the equipment that you will be racing on as early as possible. It’s common that riders will change teams or new sponsors come on board between seasons and by the first training camp everything needs to come together. In a perfect World riders will have been riding on a team issue bike since late Fall and at a training camp in January or February you get to ride your new race bike.

From a riders perspective the first training camp is the time to meet your teammates, some of whom will be new faces. It’s a time to measure your training progress and increase the tempo a bit. This is also a time to meet the management and all of the sponsors. It’s a good idea to arrive with an empty suitcase because you’ll be going home with lots of new clothes and gear. Before the first team presentation, everything needs to be perfect and the Professionalism here may dictate the rhythm of the entire season. The journalists will be present; they will be conducting interviews and taking pictures. This is an important time to be well prepared and as relaxed as possible.

Arriving at this year’s Competitive Cyclist camp as a non-rider, I am looking forward to meeting everybody involved; the riders, management, sponsors and journalists.    Gord Fraser and I both raced in the 1997 Tour de France and it will be good to swap stories from the many races and experiences we have both had. Franscisco Mancebo (Paco) and I have been catching up a bit and I have to say that I enjoyed seeing him win two races that I had won in the past; The Cascade Classic and the Tour de Beauce. Paco has a fantastic resume and it’s great to seem leading a premiere North American team. The younger riders on Competitive Cyclist can learn a lot from a seasoned Professional.
I did a training ride with Tommy Nankervis, Nate King and some of the Competitive Cyclist management a few weeks ago. It was good to get out on the bike with the Pros and see so many people behind Competitive Cyclist truly passionate about bike racing.
I look forward to meeting the rest of the riders and staff in a few days.

Regards,

Marty Jemison
www.martyjemison.com

USPS Pro Cycling Team 2000

A photo from my last team training camp as a Professional Cyclist

How many riders can you name in this photo

Take a cycling vacation to explore and enjoy the world

  By MJCT | February 3, 2012 - 12:40 pm | Luxury Cycling Tours
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Join us on a cycling vacation of a lifetime...

Take a cycling vacation and explore and enjoy the world.  Sign up with Jemison Cycling Tours to ride your bike and live the good life!

Self-guided or fully-guided trips. You ride at your own pace, exposed to every sight, sound and smell and connecting with the people and culture around you. You cover more ground than traveling by foot yet not so fast that you miss any important sights. Ride with us through a region and  become part of it, our local knowledge will guarantee it.

Our ride routes are the heart and soul of the company.  Like the Honey Badger is to food Marty is to route finding.  If a beautiful road exists to connect important sights or has unique ride characteristics, Marty has found it.  There is a fine balance between routes for the ride quality and routes that take you past that must see cultural landmarks.

Our vacations combine the virtues of traveling by bike with the art of living well.  We have been based in in Europe for over 20 years and have discovered the best places to dine, and boutique hotels that are ‘must stay’ places.  It’s our passion and secret recipe to;  balance the rides, the hotels, the food and the culture.  Our guides are locals, professional mechanics, multilingual and versed in the needs for high end cycling vacations.

Join us!

Visit our website: www.martyjemison.com
Check our dates with yours: http://www.martyjemison.com/calendar.html

Team Jemison Cycling

“Watch out for the preacher with certainty”

  By MJCT | January 15, 2012 - 8:25 pm | Luxury Cycling Tours
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I came across this quote last week and posted it on my Twitter feed.  I think its a good reminder to question everything.

So many things came to my mind when I read the quote.  I thought about  cycling ‘coaches’ who design training programs that their clients faithfully follow and the ‘expert’ professional bike fits.  What strikes me is that people rarely question their newly prescribed bike position or  training program.

Please think about, how many athletes have been successful under the direction of your coach?  Do you have goals that exceed what your coach or his/her athletes have ever accomplished?  I hope so.

What about bike fits?  There are many different thoughts out there and most of those doing the fits have the best intentions.  If its your first bike, your probably starting closer to your ideal position than if you did it alone.  Know, that if you had a dozen ‘Professional’ fits that you would probably get a dozen different results.  If you had the time, you could average out all of the results and get a result that would probably work out quite well.

The same goes for choosing the correct frame size.  It may take a few bikes to find your ideal frame size and geometry. “Watch out for the preacher with certainty”  Get a second, third and forth opinion.  Ask yourself about the experience and expertise of each person that you ask. (did the guy giving you advice accomplish something with the bike of your choice?) I think it matters.

There are good fit calculators out there, but not many will ask you how flexible you are.  Two identical athletes with the same measurements can differ drastically in flexibility.  One athlete may have a hard time touching his toes and the other athlete can easily place his palms on the floor.  Do you think these two should be on the same size frame?  Maybe and maybe not…

I’ve noticed over the last 20 years or so that the “perfect” position tends to mimic the rider who has recently won the Tour de France.  However every rider who has won the Tour de France has had a different body type and a different bike position.

So, get a professional bike fit and hope that it comes close to your ideal and future – preferred position. This may take many years and different bikes before you ‘know’.  Find a coach that helps motivate you and helps you believe in yourself.  Take the best of what the ‘professionals’  teach you, but believe in yourself and your ability to question everything….  Most importantly “watch out for the preacher with certainty”.  ( in fact run away from that guy… )

Fall in love with your bike and ride more….
Marty Jemison
2 Time Tour de France Finisher
1999 US Professional Road Champion
( with no writing credentials )

“My passion is finding routes that make people… respond”

  By MJCT | December 3, 2011 - 12:26 am | Luxury Cycling Tours
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My passion is finding routes that make people... 'respond'

"My passion is finding routes that make people... respond"

What does it mean when I say that “My passion is finding routes that make people… respond” ?    You really should come on of our Jemison Cycling Tours trips to find out, but I will try to give you an idea here.

First I start with spending countless hours exploring every kilometer of  asphalt, concrete and path that I can find.  I have an insatiable appetite for this.  I have to know the lay of the land, its geography and what might connect it all.

Once I’ve ridden every route my mind starts churning out possible roads to link together something that will be known as another ‘Marty’ route.  Like an artist that starts out with a clean canvas, not knowing what the final result will be…  It’s something that comes from within.   The final route ties together roads that flow with a rhythm.  Like a musical composition that comes together and leaves an impression.

With our cycling tours, I usually have 7 rides and about 500-600 kms to link everything beautiful together.  If I know of a road, a climb a cultural sight, or anything that evokes the senses, I must not leave it out…

Lets Ride!

A bridge we must ride over...

A bridge that we must ride over

Lets ride!

Marty Jemison

Tour de France 2012: The Col de Peguere vs Alto de L’Angliru

  By MJCT | November 9, 2011 - 4:20 pm | Luxury Cycling Tours
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During the 2012 Tour de France the Pro’s will climb the Col de Peguere. Its less than 1/2 the distance of the most famous climbs used in the Tour, however the last 6kms of this climb average between 10% – 15%  grades !!!Tour de France 2012 - July 11

This is the first time that the Col de Peguere has been used in the Tour de France.  We have to hand it to the organizers… they have found something special.  This climb comes on Stage 10 and is the first difficulty before heading to the high Alps.

Of course Jemison Cycling Tours will be there… We will be staying in Annecy and will ride our bikes up the Col de Peguere to see the best Pro’s in the world suffer…  this will not be a place to sit on the wheels. Think of the Alto de L’Angliru, in Spain.

Look closely at the Alto de L’Angliru profile and compare it to the Col de Peguere.  If you ask us, we think the the Peguere looks more difficult….  its going to be an EPIC  Tour de France next year.

Alto de Angliru

You can find our trips to the 2012 Tour de France posted here:

http://www.martyjemison.com/tour_de_france_bike_tour.html


Fully-Guided vs. Self-Guided Cycling Tours

  By MJCT | April 11, 2011 - 1:25 pm | Luxury Cycling Tours
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With the Tour de France just around the corner, many cyclists dream about riding the race route of  the greatest bike race on earth.  We receive several inquiries a day about doing a bike trip with Jemison Cycling Tours and the biggest questions we hear is:  ”Which is better:  a fully-guided bike trip?  Or… a self-guided bike trip?”     Here are facts for you to decide:

Costa Brava bike trips

JEMISON CYCLING  FULLY-GUIDED  BIKE TOURS:

These trips are  ’almost’  all-inclusive.  Everything is taken care of for you & all you need to do is show up for meals & rides. These trips are great for those that love to ride & want to experience an all-round vacation of cycling – cuisine – culture.

- All Accommodations

- All Meals (except for 1-2 dinners & a few lunches)

- All Transportation for you & your luggage during the trip

- All Ride Food & Drink Mix

- Full-time Mechanic

-  1 guide for every 4 guests so that you can ride at your own pace

- Van Support

- Bikes (optional)

- Flexible riding options & challenges each day

JEMISON CYCLING  SELF-GUIDED  BIKE TOURS:

These trips are perfect for those who want flexibility.  You choose your own trip, your own dates & your desired daily mileage.  If you consider yourself a bit adventurous & want to spend less on your cycling vacation, this is the trip for you.

- All Accommodations

- All Breakfasts (*optional:  dinners)

- All Ride Food & Drink Mix

- Garmin GPS Units with daily ride routes (simply follow the purple line)

- Jemison Cycling Tours telephone support

- Maps, What to Expect, Where to Dine,  What to See

- Optional: Bikes  -  Transportation  - Luggage Transfers

Descending

  By MJCT | January 25, 2010 - 6:26 pm | Luxury Cycling Tours
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There is a lot of focus on training cyclists to put out the greatest wattage possible.   Descending is another skill that takes thousands of hours before you arrive at a level of comfort that you might see in this video.

Can you imagine if Levi was riding for the Yellow Jersey himself or riding to protect the Yellow Jersey?  Remember that what you see here is training pace on open roads.  Levi must pay attention possible oncoming cars, cyclists etc.

In an actual race a leading cyclist will often have a motorcycle out in front essentially clearing the road of hazards.   In my experience this motorcycle means everything.  By concentrating on the acceleration and deceleration of the motorcycle the cyclist has information that may be ahead of  what he sees visually.  The result is that the cyclist can descend faster and with more confidence.

This is a good video where you can see one of the best riders in the world descend effortlessly.   There is no tension in his body and what you see is very fluid.   After such a decent a Professional rider will be fully recovered and ready for racing or more training as in Levi’s case.

Levi Leipheimer Descending Pine Flat Road from Roger Bartels on Vimeo.

Marty & Levi were teamates on the US Postal Service Professional Cycling Team.  Their friendship started as early as 1994 when Marty had just turned Professional with the WordPerfect Professional Cycling Team and Levi was heading to Belgium as an Amateur.  Marty & Levi  spent the winter training together in Salt Lake City and continued to meet up for training rides in Europe.

Marty Jemison Cycling Tours

Leading bike tours throughout the world.

Alex Stieda joins Jemison Cycling Tours at the 2010 Tour de France

  By MJCT | October 28, 2009 - 10:36 am | Luxury Cycling Tours
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Jemison Cycling Tours is excited to announce that Alex Stieda will be be at our 2010 Tour de France Pyrenees trip as a celebrity guide.   Alex was the first North American to wear the Yellow jersey in the Tour.

Alex Stieda in Tour de France Yellow

Alex Stieda in Tour de France Yellow

Marty and Alex have known each other for several years and have worked together on  high-altitude cycling camps in Park City, Utah.

You can read a recent interview with Alex here: