ALpe d'huez info

[creekster]

Here's somethign interesting (Adam, you will like this):

Here is the list (courtesy of Cycling News) of the 10 fastest times to climb Alpe d'huez:

1 Marco Pantani 37'35 (1997)
2 Lance Armstrong 37'36 (2004)
3 Marco Pantani 38'00 (1994)
4 Lance Armstrong 38'01 (2001)
5 Marco Pantani 38'04 (1995)
6 Jan Ullrich 38'23 (1997)
7 Floyd Landis 38'34 (2006)
8 Andreas Klöden 38'35 (2006)
9 Jan Ullrich 38'37 (2004)
10 Richard Virenque 39'02 (1997)

Check that out. Anybody doubt Pantani was doped to the gills? Ullrich has been caught and has admitted, sort of, that he was doping. Landis? Un dopeur. Little Dickie Virenque? Does L'Affaire Festina ring any bells? Virenque eventually admitted to doping and served a two year suspension and then made a late career resurrection based on pimping climbing points on long breaks in transition stages and then hanging on to try to win the climber's jersey like he had really been the best climber. The French absolutely loved him for it, as he was 'combative.' Kloden? Not sure, but he was a teammate with Ullrich for many years. That leaves Lance Armstrong. Hmmm.

Now this can be misleading becaseu, as some of you know, this climb sometimes is at the end of a stage, sometimes is the middle or the beginning, and once was an ITT, so it is hard to put these all in complete context without a lot of research. But still . . .

[Archaea]

Originally Posted by creekster

Here's somethign interesting (Adam, you will like this):

Here is the list (courtesy of Cycling News) of the 10 fastest times to climb Alpe d'huez:

1 Marco Pantani 37'35 (1997)
2 Lance Armstrong 37'36 (2004)
3 Marco Pantani 38'00 (1994)
4 Lance Armstrong 38'01 (2001)
5 Marco Pantani 38'04 (1995)
6 Jan Ullrich 38'23 (1997)
7 Floyd Landis 38'34 (2006)
8 Andreas Klöden 38'35 (2006)
9 Jan Ullrich 38'37 (2004)
10 Richard Virenque 39'02 (1997)

Check that out. Anybody doubt Pantani was doped to the gills? Ullrich has been caught and has admitted, sort of, that he was doping. Landis? Un dopeur. Little Dickie Virenque? Does L'Affaire Festina ring any bells? Virenque eventually admitted to doping and served a two year suspension and then made a late career resurrection based on pimping climbing points on long breaks in transition stages and then hanging on to try to win the climber's jersey like he had really been the best climber. The French absolutely loved him for it, as he was 'combative.' Kloden? Not sure, but he was a teammate with Ullrich for many years. That leaves Lance Armstrong. Hmmm.

Now this can be misleading becaseu, as some of you know, this climb sometimes is at the end of a stage, sometimes is the middle or the beginning, and once was an ITT, so it is hard to put these all in complete context without a lot of research. But still . . .

You're forgetting Pantani did his at the end of a one hundred mile stage, whereas Lance's was part of an ITT.

So how does Pantani best the time of one of the greatest time trialers of all time?

[creekster]

Originally Posted by Archaea

You're forgetting Pantani did his at the end of a one hundred mile stage, whereas Lance's was part of an ITT.

So how does Pantani best the time of one of the greatest time trialers of all time?

ANd note that three of the top 3 come from 1997, the year before the Festina Scandal but after EPO and other drugs were widely rumored ot be in the peloton.

[RC Vikings]

Originally Posted by creekster

Now this can be misleading becaseu, as some of you know, this climb sometimes is at the end of a stage, sometimes is the middle or the beginning, and once was an ITT, so it is hard to put these all in complete context without a lot of research. But still . . .

Creek I'm not sure I've ever seen this any where but at the end of a stage. They have had a couple of TT's on it but I don't think their is a back side to this climb. Here is some more info on it.

Fastest Alpe d'Huez ascents


Profile of Alpe d'Huez


The climb has been timed since 1994 so earlier times are subject to some discussion. From 1994 to 1997 the climb was timed from a point 14.5km from the finish. Since 1999 a photo-finish system was used from 14km to the finish. Other times have been taken from 13.8km from the summit, which is the corner which marks the start of the climb. Other timings have also been taken from the road junction approximately 700m from the start of the climb. [1]
These variations in the distance for timing the climb have led to an ongoing debate as to the fastest times. For example, the 'official' record of Marco Pantani of 37'35" has been cited by sources such as UK-based Procycling magazine, and World Cycling Productions - publishers of the Tour de France series of DVDs hosted by Phil Liggett and the magazine Cycle Sport. In his biography of Marco Pantani (Rendell, Matt (2006). The Death of Marco Pantani – A Biography. Weidenfeld & Nicholson. ISBN 9780297850960. ), Matt Rendell notes the following for Pantani's times: 1994 - 38'00"; 1995 - 38'04"; 1997 - 37'35". The Alpe d'Huez tourist association describes the climb as 14.454km and also lists Pantani's 37'35" as the record. [2]
Other sources, however, list Pantani's times from 1994, 95 and 97 as the fastest, based on alternate - and argued to be more accurate - timings adjusted for the 13.8km. [3] Such sources list Pantani's time in 1995 as the record at 36'40". In Blazing Saddles, Rendell has changed his view and lists it as 36'50" (Rendell, Matt (2007). Blazing Saddles. Quercus (United Kingdom). ISBN 9781847241559. ), as does CyclingNews [4]). Second, third, and fourth fastest are Pantani in 1997 (36'45"), Pantani in 1994 (37'15") and Jan Ullrich in 1997 (37'30"). Lance Armstrong's time from 2004 (37'36") makes him only the fifth fastest, highlighting how the 1990s saw notably faster ascents than other eras.
A number of cycling publications have cited times prior to 1994, although distances for the time are typically not included, making comparisons difficult. For example, Fausto Coppi has been listed with45'22" for the first ascent in a Tour de France in 1952.[5]
Alpe d'Huez was climbed extensively in the Tour from the 1980s, where Gert-Jan Theunisse, Pedro Delgado, Luis Herrera, and Laurent Fignon rode in times stated to be faster than Coppi's, but still not breaking the 40'. Greg Lemond and Bernard Hinault have been reported as having the times of 48'00" in 1986. [6]
It was not until the 1990s, starting with Gianni Bugno and Miguel Indurain in 1991, that times faster than 40' were reported, including times in the 39' range for Bjarne Riis in 1995 and Richard Virenque in 1997. For the 2006 Tour, Floyd Landis was listed at 38'34" and Andreas Kloden at 38'35" in the 19 July 19 2006 edition of L'Équipe.
Procycling listed the time of the stage winner in 2006, Fränk Schleck, as 40'46", the first time that the stage winner took more than 40 minutes since 1994. The increase in climbing speed in the 1990s had been attributed to the use of doping products, primarily Erythropoietin or EPO. A number of riders with sub-40' times, such as Alex Zülle, Riis, and Virenque, have confessed to using such products during this time. Strong evidence also exists that Pantani's records were also achieved with the assistance of EPO. [7] - and see also Rendell, Matt (2006). The Death of Marco Pantani – A Biography. Weidenfeld & Nicholson. ISBN 9780297850960.

[creekster]

Originally Posted by RC Vikings

Creek I'm not sure I've ever seen this any where but at the end of a stage. They have had a couple of TT's on it but I don't think their is a back side to this climb. Here is some more info on it.

Fastest Alpe d'Huez ascents


Profile of Alpe d'Huez


The climb has been timed since 1994 so earlier times are subject to some discussion. From 1994 to 1997 the climb was timed from a point 14.5km from the finish. Since 1999 a photo-finish system was used from 14km to the finish. Other times have been taken from 13.8km from the summit, which is the corner which marks the start of the climb. Other timings have also been taken from the road junction approximately 700m from the start of the climb. [1]
These variations in the distance for timing the climb have led to an ongoing debate as to the fastest times. For example, the 'official' record of Marco Pantani of 37'35" has been cited by sources such as UK-based Procycling magazine, and World Cycling Productions - publishers of the Tour de France series of DVDs hosted by Phil Liggett and the magazine Cycle Sport. In his biography of Marco Pantani (Rendell, Matt (2006). The Death of Marco Pantani – A Biography. Weidenfeld & Nicholson. ISBN 9780297850960. ), Matt Rendell notes the following for Pantani's times: 1994 - 38'00"; 1995 - 38'04"; 1997 - 37'35". The Alpe d'Huez tourist association describes the climb as 14.454km and also lists Pantani's 37'35" as the record. [2]
Other sources, however, list Pantani's times from 1994, 95 and 97 as the fastest, based on alternate - and argued to be more accurate - timings adjusted for the 13.8km. [3] Such sources list Pantani's time in 1995 as the record at 36'40". In Blazing Saddles, Rendell has changed his view and lists it as 36'50" (Rendell, Matt (2007). Blazing Saddles. Quercus (United Kingdom). ISBN 9781847241559. ), as does CyclingNews [4]). Second, third, and fourth fastest are Pantani in 1997 (36'45"), Pantani in 1994 (37'15") and Jan Ullrich in 1997 (37'30"). Lance Armstrong's time from 2004 (37'36") makes him only the fifth fastest, highlighting how the 1990s saw notably faster ascents than other eras.
A number of cycling publications have cited times prior to 1994, although distances for the time are typically not included, making comparisons difficult. For example, Fausto Coppi has been listed with45'22" for the first ascent in a Tour de France in 1952.[5]
Alpe d'Huez was climbed extensively in the Tour from the 1980s, where Gert-Jan Theunisse, Pedro Delgado, Luis Herrera, and Laurent Fignon rode in times stated to be faster than Coppi's, but still not breaking the 40'. Greg Lemond and Bernard Hinault have been reported as having the times of 48'00" in 1986. [6]
It was not until the 1990s, starting with Gianni Bugno and Miguel Indurain in 1991, that times faster than 40' were reported, including times in the 39' range for Bjarne Riis in 1995 and Richard Virenque in 1997. For the 2006 Tour, Floyd Landis was listed at 38'34" and Andreas Kloden at 38'35" in the 19 July 19 2006 edition of L'Équipe.
Procycling listed the time of the stage winner in 2006, Fränk Schleck, as 40'46", the first time that the stage winner took more than 40 minutes since 1994. The increase in climbing speed in the 1990s had been attributed to the use of doping products, primarily Erythropoietin or EPO. A number of riders with sub-40' times, such as Alex Zülle, Riis, and Virenque, have confessed to using such products during this time. Strong evidence also exists that Pantani's records were also achieved with the assistance of EPO. [7] - and see also Rendell, Matt (2006). The Death of Marco Pantani – A Biography. Weidenfeld & Nicholson. ISBN 9780297850960.

Good point. ON refelction I am not sure I have either. I looked on google map and there is a road off the back side, but I can't tell if it is paved properly or not and I do not recall it ever being used. Good article as well.