Climb Mont Ventoux as a starting cyclist?

Frouke took on the challenge!

Hi! I am Frouke Poot, 42 years old, married and mum of two kids aged 15 & 13. I am a fanatic runner and recently a starting cyclist. In this blog I will tell you how I climb the Mont Ventoux with hardly any experience!

A year ago I said after our climb of Mont Ventoux: 'Next year I will go to the Cycling upstairs. " Oh yes? On what Cycling? Small detail, I had no racing bike at all. Those Cycling came in January. My daughter (13 years old) also decided that this was a great challenge and there was also a racing bike for her.

It was winter and the Mont Ventoux was still far away. I was running nice, because in the winter I walk the nicest. Cycling went in something. He was gasping on top of the Tacx fabric. Suddenly it became spring and mine Cycling could go outside. The first kilometers were made. It remained cautious rides and after a few weeks Click shoes were added. With only 375 km on the bike counter we drove to France for our vacation.

Two days later we are ready for the ride from Sault at 8:00 am. You can climb the Mont Ventoux from 3 roads and we are wise, as starting cyclists, for the "easy" side. The beginning is beautiful and it smells so wonderfully lavender. The fields are still full and slowly turn into grain. Then suddenly we cycle into the forest. I am honest when I say that I think it is a tough climb. At 9 km we stop for a moment and my legs vibrate, but we'll continue. There I say something I have never said: "Do me a marathon!" I wouldn't say that quickly, because the marathon is not exactly a favorite either.

Beautiful viewpoints and vistas. This route is really beautiful. I feel that I am having a hard time and we have not seen my daughter for a while. It cycles very easily and we meet to wait at the chalet.

When we arrive there after 20km and I see her smiling head, I am only happy that I am there. Just sit and drink. When I sit in the car and look at where we have to go up for the last part, I start to cry.

I have to give up, I just don't know if I can do this. A difficult decision, a very difficult one. Never before I said, "I stop." But this felt so nice, just then.

We see them go, my tough girl, Stans and her brother. They go up and we drive past them and I take some pictures. We are waiting for them in the first corner and I stand there and think, "I should have continued." They pass us by and I see that Fem is still going well.

We get in again and when we catch them again I see that my girl's head is different. "I want to get out" I tell my husband, "I'm going up with her next to her, then just walking." Another 3 km, I have to be able to do that and I run next to her and push her. We stop for a drink and she cries for a moment. "Do you want to stop?" - "No, I finish it." That's how I know your tiger, you can do this. I'm going with you. Bit I underestimate this running up next to the Cycling. I want to grab her bottle, but I think no, this water is for you, I'll get there. Spicy!

In the last corner it is still 700 meters a very spicy 11% meters up. I give her a big push and she cycles up herself. What a winner!

If we take many photos above, where I prefer not and at least without Cycling I'm even more disappointed. Happy for these great guys who did so well and a little bit proud of myself. Glad I could be there for my girl to help her upstairs.

When we get back to the campsite I try to put it aside. Unfortunately it gnaws too much. When we drive to Sault on Friday to pick up the annual enamel cup for my collection, we see Mont Ventoux again and my husband says: 'Don't you want to cycle it tomorrow? Just to finish it off?”

I don't hesitate for a moment and say 'yes, I want that', because it feels a bit like I have my Cycling left there.

So early on Saturday morning we go to the place where I got off for attempt two. I get on there again and Cycling I raise it. Not easy, certainly not, but somehow I think I would have achieved it on Thursday. As my mother used to say: “If had comes, then has gone.”

I'm proud and it feels better than before. The slopes are tough, but I... Cycling through it. When I get to the top, and this time with Cycling, I am happy and can have my picture taken under the sign. When my husband my Cycling When he drives to the car, he says: 'Did you shift left? It's still so heavy?', to which I say: 'What do you mean?'

So I'm clearly a beginner and don't know exactly how to use my Cycling works... A bit of a shame, but it explains a lot and now I know why I found it so difficult.

Will I do it again next year? In any case, I'm going to try it and with a little more training kilometers!