Looking for the Name of a Race

[stuart__]

I remember reading Tyler Hamilton's book and he was talking about how cycling was in a new clean era towards the end.

He mentioned a race that was around 2011 I think, that with the time you would have finished 40th during his era.

I am sure this race is famous.

Does anyone have the name of the race I am looking for? Would be much appreciated.

 

[fmk_RoI]

Alpe d'Huez 2011, compared to 2001

 

[roundabout]

Mancebo lost 4 minutes (that's the difference between 2001 and 2011 ascent times for the stage winner) to Armstrong and finished 6th in 2001.

 

[Forever The Best]

Whilst the climb times were slower in 2011, it is worth noting that they went up the Telegraphe-Galibier full gas, and for Andy Schleck it came the day after a 60 km attack over Izoard-Galibier.

 

[fmk_RoI]

Alpe d'Huez 2011, compared to 2001

Fact checking Coyle/Hamilton seems to have become something of a pastime of mine so let's run the rule over what was said. First, what was actually said:

The winning time up Alpe d'Huez in the 2011 Tour was 41:21; back in 2001, a rider with that time would have finished 40th

The 2011 climbing times I've been able to piece together give this:

• Sanchez 41' 26"
• Contador 41' 35"
• Rolland 42' 03"
• Velits 42' 09"
• Evans 42' 09"
• De Gendt 42' 09"
• Cunego 42' 09"
• Schleck A 42' 09"
• Schleck F 42' 09"
• Hesjedal 43' 12"
• Danielson 43' 12"

That was stage 19, it was 109 km and took 3 hrs 13' 25" to ride. That's 33.81 kph before you reach for the back of that envelope to do the math. It went over the Télégraphe and the Galibier. Heck knows what direction the wind was blowing or what the temperature on the day was. As we're about to see, none of this may really be relevant to what Coyle/Hamilton claimed.

Back in 2001, the Alpe was stage 10, it was 209 kms and it took 6 hrs 23' 47" to ride. That's 32.67 kph, before you try to work it out. It went over the Madeleine and the Glandon. As above on the weather conditions of the day. Here's what I've been able to put together on climbing times:

• Armstrong 38' 04"
• Ullrich 40' 03"
• Beloki 40' 13"
• Moreau 40' 34"
• Sevilla 40' 58"
• Mancebo 42' 05"
• Galdeano 42' 07"
• Laiseka 42' 07"

So, rather than 2011's 41' 21" seeing you 40th 10 years earlier, the numbers available suggest you'd have actually been sixth fastest up the hill.

So, great anecdote, shite factuality? Well that's pretty much par for the course with much of The Secret Race, sadly.