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The Wisdom Group
By Allen Parsley
Oct 9, 2006, 15:52
If you gather a bunch of
recreational cyclists together to participate in a bike trip to the Tour de
France, you will encounter a broad range of skills, strengths, ages, and
experience within that group.My
three previous bike trips in France taught me
that, and this trip was not different.There were some lean and hungry guys, almost professional level.There were quite a few triathlete types,
almost as lean and hungry, including the lone female rider. There was one guy
who looked about twenty seven years old. There were some guys in their fifties
who talked about “centuries”.The
tour leader himself, in his forties, was a former European pro rider. And there
were a few of us in our late fifties and early sixties. Some of these
silverbacks were also quite lean and hungry, having ridden for years.The co-leader of the tour was my age,
actually just younger than me by a day, but he never seemed to get tired.I came to learn that I was the second
oldest rider, and by far the least experienced in terms of years in the saddle,
miles on the tires, and kilometers on the Cols.So, there was a broad range of skills
and strengths, and on this trip I was at the bottom.
On this most recent
adventure, a six day guided trip to the Pyrenees with Thomson Bike Tours, the participants were
asked to place themselves into one of two groups. The first was the Performance
Group, the leanest and the meanest, for those who wanted to climb two or even
three major Cols in a day, with total distances of over 100 K.The second was the Sportif Group, which
offered the option of shorter daily distances or skipping one of the major
climbs. But on this trip there wasn’t a Leisure Group, as there had been on the
three previous Thomson Bike Tours I had ridden. I guess that was because there
weren’t any fat guys, and there weren’t any riders who had just bought their
first road bike last week, and there weren’t any clients who showed up with a
fat-tired Schwinn. These were all serious riders, whether young or old, and they
were all going to make it at Performance or at Sportif level.I was worried.
Sportif riders before mountain experience had coalesced them into the Wisdom Group. Author is third from left.
On the first day, a 24 K
warm-up ride out of the picturesque Pyrenees town of Aucun, a ride that included a rather short but very steep
climb over the Col des Borderes, it was pretty clear that I
would be bringing up the rear of the Sportif Group.There was one other guy falling off the
back with me, but he was quite young, and not fat, and I presumed that he just
had some jet lag issues. Of course we had a sag wagon, after all this was a
premium- quality guided tour, but who wants to sag on Day One?So I made it, coming up last onto the
summit of the short Col with my jet-lagged new friend, and I made
it back down to the hotel in plenty of time for a cold 1664 before
dinner.
The next day was
potentially a long one, 118 K if you thought you were Performance Group,
including two big Cols.The first
climb was the famous Luz Ardiden, where Lance was pulled from his bike in 2003
by a kid with a tote bag, only to get mad and get back up and motor up the
mountain and into the yellow jersey.The second was Hautacam, short but steep. The Sportif Group could skip
the climb to Hautacam, and ride directly back to the hotel after Luz Ardiden,
for a daily ride of 83 K.The ride
to the start of Luz Ardiden was exhilarating, no doubt because it was mostly
downhill.The climb itself was
hard, but it afforded me a chance to think this whole trip through.I had paid money for this trip,
right?I should only have a good
time, not a bad time, right?I
shouldn’t have to put up with this burning in the legs and the lungs,
right?There should be another
Group, right?It will be called the
Wisdom Group.Eureka!!!……I had it.If I did not make it to the top of Luz
Ardiden, but turned around and went back down short of the top, that would be
Wise. If I got into the sag wagon after lunch, and skipped the long uphill ride
back to the hotel, that would be Wise.If I chose to stay at the hotel tomorrow and soak up some rays and a few
glasses of 1664 at the pool, that would be Wise.I felt so good about my invention of the
new Group that I made it to the top of Luz Ardiden, no problem.
Seasoned riders start to zip down as they begin to heat up at on lower apron of climb.
Of course I was at the
back of the Sportif pack, but again there was another guy with me, a different
guy, maybe in his late thirties.He
was probably jet lagged also, or worse still, suffering from the heartbreak of
traveler’s constipation.But at
least I wasn’t alone, and I did not need to sag.So at lunch in St Sauveur, at the base
of Luz Ardiden, the Wisdom Group was announced.The important part was that you could
join the Wisdom Group for a day or for just one moment, and go back to your
Performance or Sportif Group at any time. A few participants joined the Group
right there and passed on the second climb of the day, the Hautacam, and they
were Wise.A few joined later that
day, and rode the van back to the hotel, and they were
Wise.
The next three days
offered a number of riding and climbing options, including the Col de Soulour,
the Col de Marie Blanc, Col d’Aubisque, the Col du Tourmelet, Col d’Aspin, the Col de
Peyresourde, and the Superbagneres ski station.I am sure there were some Performance
riders who did every K and every Col.There were some Sportif riders who rode
and climbed more than they had expected.But most important, there were some riders from both groups who saw the
Wisdom at the right time, and passed on a climb, or skipped the long ride back
to the hotel, or just changed Groups in mid stream.I actually convinced the twenty seven
year old guy to get into the van at the top of the Col d’Aubisque, because
he was cold, hungry, and saw the wisdom in not riding the descent in a cold
fog.After all, he had already
conquered the damn thing.
Mascot of Wisdom Group waits in cooling fog at top of Col de Soulour.
The best day for me
included the stunningly picturesque climb of the massive Col du Tourmelet, with
viewing of the Tour de France at our rendezvous spot just short of the
summit.There was a great lunch
waiting for anyone who made the 18 K climb, which was everybody in every group.
There were sandwiches and beer, sodas and chips, salads and deserts.Then that other tour swept through, the
Tour de France.The Thomson tour
followed quickly with a short hard push over the summit and a long and sweeping
descent to the village of Ste Marie de
Campan.Both groups were then to climb the medium difficulty Col d’Aspin, and make a
final long descent to our next hotel at St Lary.
Founder of Wisdom Group explains the “big tent philosophy” to potential female aspirant.
As the founder of the
Wisdom Group, I had to set an example. I chose to ride the sag wagon from Ste
Marie to the top of the Col d’Aspin, skipping the climb itself.I got my bike back out of the van at the
summit, rejoined my tired Sportif colleagues, and made the long descent through
postcard perfect landscapes and villages. Two terrific descents in one day, and
only one big painful climb.That
seemed Wise.
If Thomson himself sees
things my way, there will be a new Thomson Bike Tours trip next year, called
“Famous Descents of the Tour de France”. No climbing necessary. Great hotels,
great food, great scenery, and open only to members of the Wisdom Group.
Ranks of Wisdom Group swell into veritable peloton.
