Peloton - August-September 2011

rides.
ALPES
MARITIMES

With professional cycling teams fielding rosters of more than 20 riders, particularly among the Pro Tour ranks, teammates can go months without seeing each other at the races. The international flavor of our sport means riders from the same team can live throughout Europe during the season and in even farther flung locales in the off-season. As fans, we catch glimpses of our favorite riders during the season, but rarely do we get much insight into how and where they train.

CHRISTOPHE LE MEVEL
PLACE: Saint-Laurent-du-Var, France
TIME: 4 hours 3 minutes
DISTANCE: 74 miles
DETAILS: 18.3mph average /
60mph maximum
CLIMBING: 6,213 feet altitude gain
BEATS: 138bpm heart rate average /
187bpm heart rate maximum

An international outfit such as Garmin-Cervélo hosts a diverse roster of riders from multiple continents, each tackling the kilometers on his home turf during the off-season. For American Peter Stetina, it’s the professional’s “staple route” in Girona, Spain. Dutchman Martijn Maaskant trains back and forth across the Dutch-Belgian border, while Christophe Le Mevel of France tackles the hills of the Alpes Maritimes near the Mediterranean coast outside of Nice. These are the professionals on their home roads, putting miles in their legs. In the next few issues, peloton will highlight these rides and riders.

Frenchman Christophe Le Mevel moved to Saint-Laurent-du-Var, just west of Nice, two years ago to take advantage of the temperate climate and extensive training opportunities in the Alpes Maritimes. What better place to live and train than the Côte d’Azur, and what better inspiration to train than the annual finish of the Paris-Nice stage race just a few kilometers from your front door?