Tour du Mont Blanc, the World's Hardest One-Day Cycling Event (330km 8000m)

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  • Опубліковано 5 січ 2025

КОМЕНТАРІ • 85

  • @jasonetherington37
    @jasonetherington37 Рік тому +15

    It was half way up the Roseland when I hit the wall, needed 10mins stretching and wandering about before I got my mind back in place to get going again. Bizarrely enjoyed the final climb in the dark!

    • @edlaverack
      @edlaverack  Рік тому

      Gave yourself a good talking too!

  • @GeneVilleneuve
    @GeneVilleneuve Рік тому +1

    Awesome video! I am an early 50s guy semi-retired and have been doing epic events this year. 346km in June and most recently set a FKT on a 317km gravel route with 2700m of climbing. Your videos are inspiring and have given me more ideas for new challenges. Age is just a number!

    • @edlaverack
      @edlaverack  Рік тому +1

      That is awesome! What was the FKT on the 317km gravel route...sounds like a biggie!

    • @GeneVilleneuve
      @GeneVilleneuve Рік тому

      @@edlaverack thanks! It’s a 2-3 day official bikepacking route around Ottawa (Canada) if you are willing to watch I did a video on it and published it to UA-cam last week. The route details are in the link but I also go over the route in the video. The video is more or less a blog of the day from start to end in about 26 minutes. I kept in a lot of scenery shots to show how stunning the area is.

  • @nathanv94
    @nathanv94 Рік тому +9

    Hi Ed,
    What a day this was. Nice seeing you there! but next time you ask me how many people are riding up front. I'm not saying anything haha! 😆 When you went to the front on the Col du Grand-Saint-Bernard, I had to drop from the group we were riding in 3km from the top and rethink my pacing. You guys were just to fast for me.
    I enjoyed the last 210km on my own 😂 all jokes aside, fantastic ride Ed. Strong as always. Love the content.

    • @edlaverack
      @edlaverack  Рік тому +3

      You legend! It was a tough drag up the G.S.Bernard but I was eventually caught by your group on the Cormet, lesson learned, should have stayed! Was nice to meet you!

  • @struancochrane753
    @struancochrane753 Рік тому +4

    Ed, I have just returned for a maiden cycling trip to that area. In 5 days we did more kms than yours in 12 hours but only 3/4 of the elevation gain.
    The climbing is mindblowing, however what is harder to convey is the blast furnance you face in the valley floors.
    Epic effort Ed, by you and the other 300 odd riders.
    Incidentally I met someone in Geneva airport who used to work for one of your " partner/ sponsors" Haute Route, she said she interviewed you last year and you were "lovely"......

    • @edlaverack
      @edlaverack  Рік тому

      Blast furnace is the term! Aw that's really kind of her!

  • @pawelsmialek8916
    @pawelsmialek8916 Рік тому +3

    This year i start in marmotte, and i almost death, was incredible hard. I cant imagine this race.. big respect!

  • @ianphillips765
    @ianphillips765 Рік тому +2

    Congratulations for what you did. I think you are right about being the hardest bike ride in the world. Great video 😊.

  • @PeterSmith1959
    @PeterSmith1959 Рік тому +1

    Great video, great ride congratulations, well done.

  • @martinwiddowson5248
    @martinwiddowson5248 Рік тому +1

    Brilliant video and great achievement….well done Ed 👊🏻

  • @peterthomas8053
    @peterthomas8053 Рік тому +1

    Wow, epic event & ride.👍

  • @ethangodridge6833
    @ethangodridge6833 Рік тому +1

    Well done Ed. Thanks for the insight and thanks to Charlie for her helping duties.

  • @nicksidell4797
    @nicksidell4797 Рік тому +1

    Firstly, very well done and what a great video and how you explained your day 👏👏👏

  • @LittleNinjah
    @LittleNinjah Рік тому +1

    Great review, love the honesty playing out mate

  • @peterfish8619
    @peterfish8619 Рік тому

    well done chapeau, thanks for sharing your incredible ride.

  • @PierreAlainMaire
    @PierreAlainMaire Рік тому +1

    A nice day riding outside 😅 very interesting debrief, with a few nice spots 🤩 Good to see the machine & its fueling worked almost perfectly 🙂

  • @tobshay5187
    @tobshay5187 Рік тому +1

    Absolutely amazing Ed, bravo and huge respect 👏

  • @Savonge
    @Savonge Рік тому +1

    what a day! congrats Ed :)

  • @timbliss8777
    @timbliss8777 Рік тому +5

    What a video! I could totally put myself in your shoes on this one. Suffering, HEAT, long endurance. Epic job Ed!! Incredible effort.

    • @edlaverack
      @edlaverack  Рік тому

      Much more like what you are used to ;)

  • @ritchequindipan8388
    @ritchequindipan8388 Рік тому +1

    Deym Ed! That is mighty impressive! Bonkers even! It’s like doing the Maratona twice in one day! Event that long the highs will be highs and the lows will be lows. You got through it mate and massive respect for finishing it! Great achievement and great video as always 👊🏻👊🏻🚴🏼‍♂️🚴🏼‍♂️

  • @michaeldevins4821
    @michaeldevins4821 Рік тому +1

    Great video Ed really enjoyed watching it. Great account of what looks like the toughest event around. Would love to give it ago sometime.👍👌💪👊

  • @crapilanofridge7745
    @crapilanofridge7745 Рік тому +1

    Magnificent effort ! From what I could tell, even harder than the Tour de Stations ? ! Awesome content and I wish you a safe journey home.

    • @edlaverack
      @edlaverack  Рік тому

      There's more to it than just the climbing and distance. Its the heat, the altitude you top at too.

  • @davestewartDWCC
    @davestewartDWCC Рік тому +2

    Brilliant Video Ed...seeing you suffer strangely inspires me lol...I now realise all us cyclists are the same, we put ourselves through hell at times and enjoy it afterwards 🙈😂😂

  • @PaulTheCyclist.
    @PaulTheCyclist. Рік тому +1

    Massive Respect.

  • @jamesclose8785
    @jamesclose8785 Рік тому +1

    Well done! Epic ride.

  • @marcus_velo_9970
    @marcus_velo_9970 Рік тому +1

    you are a man of extraordinary magnitude - ; what can I say a bit like trying to decide what present to give someone who has everything. an epic journey of achievement, most people try and watch an experience but as we know doing it is the only way. yep heat is your nemesis, but you have to think of it warm comfort, you could have latched onto groups early but not ed; I did it mmmmmy way!!!

  • @thewattlife
    @thewattlife Рік тому

    Awesome riding there Ed

  • @hendrix2430
    @hendrix2430 Рік тому

    Unbelievable ride... well done!

  • @craigsmith5134
    @craigsmith5134 Рік тому

    Amazing, huge effort man. I'm just really getting into cycling, having completed a few 100 and 200km events and I can't even fathom how much work this must have been. Got my first 200 this weekend with some real elevation gain and starting to get worried. Kudos to you and your epic journey!

    • @edlaverack
      @edlaverack  Рік тому +1

      Hope your 200 went well!!! It's just a game of slowly building up to it. This event was still a big push in to my reserves, not something I do frequently of course!

    • @craigsmith5134
      @craigsmith5134 Рік тому

      @@edlaverack it went great! Legs still a but sore today but made it to the end!

  • @JonathanStacey-b8w
    @JonathanStacey-b8w 6 місяців тому

    Love the videos Ed

  • @nordie2370
    @nordie2370 Рік тому

    top notch effort Ed!

  • @mark_nz
    @mark_nz Рік тому

    Huge day - another epic adventure!

  • @chrishayward9615
    @chrishayward9615 2 місяці тому

    Roseland from B St M was my worst day on a bike. Cramped 6km from top. Great descent tho. Plus funicular with a bar outside togethome.

  • @MFR03
    @MFR03 Рік тому +1

    you should ride the tour the station. 240k 8900hm.
    still stunned on your time of 12hrs! congrats

    • @edlaverack
      @edlaverack  Рік тому

      I've done that, there's a video on my channel :)

  • @alainpfammatter8224
    @alainpfammatter8224 Рік тому

    Very interesting video. Thank you for sharing. In two weeks I have a similar event the Tour des stations in Switzerland. 250km and 8850km 🙈. Hope I can finish it. thank you for sharing some Tipps.

    • @edlaverack
      @edlaverack  Рік тому

      Pace yourself and treat it as an eating and drinking competition!

  • @TopCat----00
    @TopCat----00 Рік тому +1

    Well done mate, great solid ride & result 👏. O it`s looks another epic event for me to tick off next year. I Dread to think whats you will come up with to top these past challenges- Tour de stations (tough) - Tour du Mont Blanc(tougher?) ...to be announced...(nearly died lol) for the 3rd in these epic sportive series challenges

    • @marcvb3364
      @marcvb3364 Рік тому +1

      4th if we count the Mallorca 312 he did last year

  • @kevstephen9393
    @kevstephen9393 Рік тому

    Well done, great review. I'm definitely thinking of not doing it. 😂

  • @marksmithWLC
    @marksmithWLC Рік тому

    Chapeau x

  • @dazza678
    @dazza678 Рік тому

    Great insight Ed. I had 3 friends doing the event and unfortunately, all of them missed the 2030hrs cut off! Very tough day out! When it comes to feed stations, I find
    It useful to set up alerts in the wahoo app, saves having all the stickers on the frame. 👍🏻

    • @edlaverack
      @edlaverack  Рік тому

      Good shout Dazza. Kudos to your buddies, I know a few that missed the cut off, just goes to show how hard it is!

  • @aidanmasterson50
    @aidanmasterson50 Рік тому +1

    Walking through a hotel at 3am with a free hub that loud….brave!

  • @LIFE_ToBeContinued
    @LIFE_ToBeContinued Рік тому

    Hero!

  • @fr6652
    @fr6652 Рік тому +1

    Massive respect ed that's a mega effort. Do you have any tips for getting to sleep night before and keeping pre race nerves under control, breath work really helps but just interested how you approach these events. Love the vids

    • @edlaverack
      @edlaverack  Рік тому +2

      Great Q. I don't worry about sleep too much the night before. I find that if I just accept that my sleep will be disturbed then I feel at peace with it, I just concentrate on getting good sleep in the 4-3-2 days leading up to it. Likewise with planning nutrition. The day before may be more important than what you can force down early on the morning of the event, so I take that stress out of it too.

  • @dmertens3181
    @dmertens3181 2 місяці тому

    hello! NIce video! How much was the entrance fee? Couldn't hear your video with sound because i'm on my work 🙂

  • @simonnaylor9695
    @simonnaylor9695 Рік тому

    Great vlog of a magnificent day, thanks for sharing Ed. From a mental concentration and fuelling angle, you should do some research into Delta G ketones. If you could reach out and get support from those guys you would be onto a winner. Without sponsorship, it is probably out of reach financially. Evoq cycling podcast has a lot of in depth info on this. Evoqs interview with the VC is a very interesting listen too.

    • @aoe76
      @aoe76 Рік тому

      Jonas Vingegaard does not use ketones. It goes pretty damned well for him 😉. Jumbo Visma has tried to convince him to take it. He told them no, because if he would not give it to his daughter, he will not use it himself. I also think we need more data On what taking ketones does to our bodies In the longterm. Guess we will know In a another 10-20 years period.

    • @edlaverack
      @edlaverack  Рік тому +1

      To be 100% honest with you Si, I wouldn't want to take a supplement like that, just because of the grey area. I was contacted for sponsorship a few months back but polity turned it down.

  • @leslie7922
    @leslie7922 Рік тому

    Nice

  • @nicksomerville4037
    @nicksomerville4037 Рік тому

    Do you take paracetamol for the heat ? There are a number of scientific papers that suggest it dramatically improves the body's ability to deal with heat. I am sure it helped me round the etape de tour in similar high 30s

    • @edlaverack
      @edlaverack  Рік тому

      I do. I took 1mg prior to the start and another 1mg about 5-6hrs in.

  • @Kieran25Wardle
    @Kieran25Wardle Рік тому

    Awesome ride Ed, and great video! Just wondering what Wahoo/GoPro mount you use? Cheers

  • @justinhumphreys5230
    @justinhumphreys5230 Рік тому

    how are you getting 90g carbs in bottle? styrk?

  • @wordpress4373
    @wordpress4373 Рік тому

    In how much time can you do everesting alone?

    • @edlaverack
      @edlaverack  Рік тому

      I've only ever done one as part of a team/charity event.

  • @BeefAndCheeseRugby
    @BeefAndCheeseRugby Рік тому

    Looked hard, still 9th

  • @daryltill70
    @daryltill70 Рік тому

  • @leewood4825
    @leewood4825 Рік тому

    Ed, both this video and your Maratona video. You do so much recon, feeding strategy, power numbers etc. then seem to start way down the pack then play catch up all day. I can’t understand this. If you start up front this would be potential wins for you no ? By the way great videos and unreal results. 👍

    • @edlaverack
      @edlaverack  Рік тому +1

      Thank you for watching. I didn’t start that far back in this event, I made it to the very front to ride with the leaders on the descent in the dark no problem. This event isn’t like Maratona, in that event you have to start where they tell you, in my case in approx 2000 position

  • @edwintschopp1493
    @edwintschopp1493 Рік тому

    It is like riding two TdF or Giro mountain stages in one day.