E’tape Du Tour – Montelimar to Mont Ventoux – 170km
Tour De France stage 20
The alarm goes off at 4am! By 4:15 we’re having breakfast with all the other anxious riders in our group. I’d joined a UK tour group to do the E’tape, Lee (my hubby) had come along to enjoy the beer!
Today is the day, we’ve been in France since Saturday, setting up the bike, registering etc. and getting giddy with the rest of the riders and after registering in September last year the day is finally here.
Our tour bus takes us to the host village, I collect my bike, wish everyone luck and head to my start pen as the race starts at 7am sharp! I’ve been given number 4622 and get through the start line at about 7:20am. There are 9500 riders taking part so hopefully they’ll be a few behind me!
The thought of the ‘Broom Wagon’ behind me did make me really anxious but luckily I came across Wally from the Audax group who assured me we were doing great. I must have asked at least 30 riders if we were safe from the ‘Broom Wagon’…. paranoid or what!!!
The 150km’s from Montelimar to the bottom of Mont Ventoux was absolutely fantastic. The weather was perfect, the scenery was out of this world and the atmosphere was brilliant. With only 300 females doing the race, us girls got a lot of cheers from the wonderful supporters on the road side.
I got to the bottom of Ventoux in just over 6 hours. By this time I was well in front of the ‘Broom Wagon’ and finally relaxed and thought, just enjoy Ventoux…. 22 km’s to go!

I started up Ventoux and the sight ahead was carnage… blokes walking 2 abreast, absolutely spent, no energy left…. unbelievable… you had to see it to believe it. Heaps of people sat by the roadside exhausted, pouring water over their heads, flat out on their backs…. Unbelievable.
I stuck my bike in the granny gear and got going. At one point I was going 8km’s an hour and over taking people! Ventoux is a beast, it’s just one big incline, no let ups at all… brutal! I got to the top eventually in 3 hour 15… 22 km’s!!! It’s a beast…. Especially after 150 km’s of climbing and descending.
On reaching the summit I felt quite emotional as I’ve wanted to do the E’tape for a few years now. As soon as I saw Lee the eyes started streaming!!!
My total ride time was 8 hrs 50 mins and with food / rest stops, 9 hrs 20 mins. 9500 started and only 5836 finished…. The ‘Broom Wagon’ must have been very busy!!!
I’ve done a few mountains in the Alps but never 150 km’s beforehand… that was the challenge. I’d achieved what I set out to do… not to get eliminated and to finish the race….. the feeling was brilliant… I absolutely loved it…
Enjoy the photos...
Suzie Q (Suzanne)
Monday 20th July, 2009