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Princeton Resident Lessard Peaked In Tour De France Cycling Excursion
By Bill Alden
For Ron Lessard, it was the Father's Day gift of a lifetime.
The cycling enthusiast was thrilled to learn on June 20 that his family had signed him up to participate in the Etape du Tour, a citizens' race of the Tour de France whereby cyclists get to ride two stage courses of the famed bike race with the roads cleared as they are for the pro racers days later.
Lessard, 50, a longtime Princeton resident, knew that his gift would require some commitment on his part. With just three weeks to prepare, Lessard, who customarily cycles the 22-mile round trip to his Trenton-based furniture business, picked up his mileage in an effort to be ready for the towering mountains he was to face in France.
In his last big training session before departing for France, Lessard, a veteran of many "century," or 100-mile rides, went 127 miles and felt primed for the road ahead.
The extra work paid off for Lessard on July 11 as he gutted it through the 237-kilometer, or nearly 150-mile trip, from Limoges to Saint Flour, which was the 10th stage of this year's tour.
"I had never ridden that far in one day," recalled Lessard, who was joined on the cycling adventure by his two brothers-in-law.
"There were 8,000 people in the race and we started in waves of 500-1000. I was trying to go fast, it was like a time trial. It got really tough at 70 miles, I started going a little slower."
At that point, Lessard joined up with some other riding citizens to help him make it to the finish. "It was a very windy day and groups were going by at a high speed," said Lessard, who completed the course in nine hours, some three hours behind the time set by French star Richard Virenque when he won stage 10 of the race. "Once I got into a group, things went fine. I finished strong, I felt good."
Experiencing little soreness from the Limoges-to-Saint Flour slog, Lessard was in good form days later as he girded himself to take on L'Alpe d'Huez, one of the tour's most devilish and famed climbs.
The mountain, which has been called the cathedral of cycling, features 21 switchbacks on the nine-mile road to the summit. The riders start at an elevation of 740 meters and finish at 1,850 meters.
As Lessard got aboard his Coppi bike at the start of the climb which was stage 16 of this year's tour, he wasn't thinking about the stunning Alps scenery.
"The only thing on your mind is the pain you're going through and getting to the top," said Lessard, who completed the course in an hour, about 20 minutes behind the time it took Lance Armstrong to fly up the mountain when he won Stage 16 of the Tour.
"Your legs are screaming. You try to do it as fast as you can. It was very difficult, particularly the first couple of switchbacks. After that, you get a little respite. Going up was a rush, the climbing was hard and you just try to do your best."
Lessard and one of his brothers-in-law did soak up the beauty of the mountains as they took their time on the L'Alpe d'Huez descent. "The real fun was was going downhill," remembered Lessard. "We stopped at every switchback to enjoy the view. It was a ball, it was a real male-bonding experience."
In reflecting on the trip, Lessard said he gained a deeper appreciation for the sport. "It gives you a perspective in your life," maintained Lessard, who lost five pounds during the 10-day trip from his miles on the road.
"It allows you to understand what the riders go through. The riders are inspirational and this trip will inspire me to more riding."
As
Lessard does those extra miles, he may pedal just a bit faster
as he recalls his peak experience this July.
