We can draw our inspiration for indoor cycling from many sources, but for me watching the battles in the mountains of the Tour de France is the best inspiration there is for any type of cycling, indoor or outdoor!
Even when the route for the 2010 Tour was announced the Pyrenees were marked by many as likely to be pivotal in deciding who would ultimately win the overall in Paris.
One mountain in particular stood out, the Tourmalet; which would be climbed not once, but twice on different days.
This mountain may be the ultimate indoor cycling inspiration and has featured in the Tour many times and was included on Stage 16 when Lance Armstrong got in the break and again on Stage 17 with the finish on top of the mountain!
Stage 17 today did not disappoint, with the two strongest riders, Schleck and Contador going at it “mano a mano” through the mist on the historic Tourmalet!
By the end these two were alone and barring any major shocks Alberto Contador should seal the overall in the final time trial, despite the brave efforts of Andy Schleck to drop him on the Tourmalet!
It was also nice to see the sportsmanship and respect of these two great riders, after the “chaingate” spat a few days back! Contador did not sprint for the stage win, after gaining time on Schleck, when he had lost his chain on an earlier stage.
Jumping back a few days it was great to see Lance Armstrong in the breakaway in his last Tour de France.
Lance has inspired millions to get on a bike or take an indoor cycling class and although his Tour has been dogged by bad luck, half of America seemed to be routing for him to get one last piece of glory, before hanging up his wheels! Twitter lit up while this stage was on and I would love to know how many people were on spinning bikes that evening or hitting the early morning spin class the next day!
So if you are looking for something to inspire you, something to motivate you to take a spin class or spend more time on the stationary bike, watch these epic stages through the mountains! You will see great riders rise to become champions and others just suffering to get through it. We can draw inspiration from both!
When you are in your next indoor cycling class and your legs are burning, your heart rate is maxed out and you are breathing through your ears, think of these guys and be inspired!
