My Tour de France One Day Ahead Blog: www.ChaqueEtape.com

Sponsor me here: https://mydonate.bt.com/fundraisers/ciarandoranbeforethetour

Hi there

I’m an amateur cyclist, not a racer, not a semi-pro, just an ordinary man with a full time job and a family, a love of cycling and just a few bikes.

It has been a childhood dream to cycle the Tour de France and now it’s coming true before I turn 50 years old. I guess I did have a “bucket list” without realising. What a dream, what a challenge and for a very special cause, to find a cure for leukaemia within our lifetime.

Training is tough when you have such a goal to cycle 2,100 miles (3,300km) over terrain that encounters nearly 30,000 metres of climbing in the Alps and Pyrenees.  It’s tough when you have a full time job. My training throughout the winter and spring has entailed a lot of work on the WattBike and Concept2 rowing machine. these have been invaluable not least because they allow training to happen during all weathers but the training plan can be precicely tailored to my own needs and goals. Eddy Fletcher from Fletcher Sport Science taught us all how to use a WattBike to get the best from it. I have to say that he also taught me many things I already knew but, somehow, the way Eddy taught made it really sink in properly.

Towards the end of spring as we move into summer the training balance of indoor/outdoor will shift in favour of on the road cycling, long arduous miles to ensure that not only is the muscle there from the WattBike training but that it’s put into real world practice on the road. As I write this update it is mid June and I’m quite shocked at how much power and stamina I now have in my legs and overall fitness. I never thought I would get to this level. I’m now sustaining 20mph on the flat for long periods (until there’s a headwind to slow me down).

The final part of training will entail some tapering, or easing off, in order that I can peak at the right time. Hopefully this will enable me to get the most from the first week in Le Tour as training for the mountains. I have to keep reminding myself that the first week is still going to be tough, with every stage more than 100 miles and plenty of cobbles and rolling hills in the process.

Wish me luck as I head in to the final days countdown and please feel free to share this Blog so that many more can contribute to finding a cure for leukaemia in our lifetime.

Thanks again for all your support.