Rest From The Tour

With a sprinters' stage today and the first Rest Day of the 2006 Tour de France right around the corner, I thought I'd take you away from the upcoming Pyrenean Mountain stages to another beautiful venue...Colorado (and another type of riding all together).

So Sherman if you please...let's set the dial on the Wayback Machine to May 2006 (OK so maybe its not that wayback)! Right away Mr. Peabody!

In May, my lovely and dear friend Krissy Spillard and her husband Mike, participated in the Tour de Bloom. Directly from the Colorado Plateau Mountain Biking Trail Association (COPMOBA) website:

"The Tour de Bloom is a four day and three night vehicle supported mountain bike tour along the Kokopelli Trail From Grand Junction, CO to Moab, UT. The Tour is fully catered by World Wide River Expeditions of Moab. You will cover 152 miles on single track and jeep road through flowering desert canyons and mountains, along the beautiful Colorado River, with an optional finish on the Porcupine Rim Trail."

According to Krissy, the "fully catered" line isn't merely a veneer to entice as there were massage therapists and chiropractors available to work out the pounding from the day's ride. And what a ride, considering the mileage and elevation gained!

Daily mileage/ascending
Day 1: 35 miles, 3000 feet
Day 2: 49 miles, 3300 feet
Day 3: 30 miles, 5800 feet
Day 4: 43 miles, 3400 feet

For you roadies who are thinking, "35-50 miles, no worries, mate!" Then you really haven't mountain biked before, as the efforts on the dirt require greater concentration, better handling skills, and burn more calories on shorter efforts. Still not convinced, ask Cadel Evans, Tom Danielson, Floyd Landis, or others in the pro peloton who dabbled (and excelled) in the dirt. For a richer and fuller breakdown of the event that transpired, just check out the latest COPMOBA Newsletter.

Now if the following photos look a tad bit too professional, its because they are. They were specifically taken with an upcoming Patagonia catalogue in mind (and a week before the actual ride mentioned above, but it gives you a great look at the terrain they covered), but it remains to be seen whether these photos made the cut (so be on the lookout!)

K, leading out Mike

Chillin'

K, Dazed and Confused