Jack Aitken Instagram – I did a painful thing, and I’ve been trying to think of a caption that isn’t a humble-brag, and it’s difficult… I climbed Mont Ventoux from all 3 sides by bike in one ride, and I’m quite proud of it.
📊 Numbers 📊
Mt. Ventoux summits at just under 2,000m.
On the long descents I hit a max speed of 80km/h.
I spent 5.5 hours climbing, the rest of the time was descending and transition miles.
Total calorie burn was 4,453.
To offset this I consumed over half a kilo of sugar and 4.7 litres of water.
All in all, I rode for just over 7 hours with less than an hour of stop time.
I’d spent a while planning this ride, and that’s definitely half the fun, but actually following through and dealing with the suffering to finish it was a big achievement for me. I came close to quitting at the 2nd summit, as I was feeling low physically and mentally. The effort up to then, plus the heat on the lower slopes contrasted with the freezing mist and winds at the summit, was taking a toll. I also knew if I did the freezing half-hour descent through the clouds to the final climb, from Sault, I would have no option other than to climb it to get home. Thankfully, that being the ‘easiest’ side of Ventoux and the mental push of it being the last one helped me to finish it off! Even better, the clouds had burnt off by the time I got back to the summit, so I was rewarded with the warm sun as I collapsed to take the *three* selfie.
Definitely one of my less restful ‘holidays’ but I loved it. Thanks to @jimbobarooney_d and @maxaitken49 for the good vibes and bottle hand up, and @sramroad, @zippspeed, @sportful_uk and @viresvelo for the exceptional kit, run down below:
Factor Ostro V.A.M.
Sram Red AXS (48-35 and 10-33 gearing, needed a lower gear!)
Zipp 454 NSW Wheels and Conti GP5000 S TR set up tubeless (🤤)
Sportful Bomber Jersey (comfy aero 👌🏻)
Sportful LTD Bibshorts
Sportful Hot Pack Norain Jacket (perfect for the chilly descents) | Posted on 04/Oct/2023 21:17:58
