Tony is in his 60s. He’s had two hip replacements. And just four months ago, he was in bed with pneumonia and reactive arthritis.
Fast-forward just a few months and he completed Les Cinglés of Mont Ventoux. For non-French speakers, that roughly translates as “the nutters of Mont Ventoux.” It’s a cycling challenge in Provence, France. The Mont Ventoux mountain has three paved roads to the summit. And to join the club, you have to ride all three of them in a single day.
To do all three routes inside one 24-hour period (midnight to midnight), that works out at about 137 km of riding and about 4,400 m of climbing. It’s actually a higher vertical ascent than a typical mountain stage of the Tour de France.
Before he went, Tony worked with our Co-Founder and Coach Aidan Donnelly on what “good enough” to complete the Les Cinglés of Mont Ventoux would look like.
Nobody knew how much the pneumonia had taken out of his endurance. So, they set a minimum effective dose. Reaching the top of the first climb would count as a win. Aidan built out a personal strength and conditioning training plan for Tony.
As for the cycle itself, he took it one section at a time. And after the second peak, he decided to go for the lot.
According to G2G member Tony, it was brutal. But also one of the best experiences he has had. He rode it with his brother, who has to tap out after the second ascent which shows you how hard it is.
“Mind over matter. The mind gives up before the body does.”
Tony is a sports psychologist – a sports psychologist who just completed Les Cinglés of Mont Ventoux – so we’re inclined to take his word for it!
