As many riders took advantage of the off-season to chill for a few weeks, Australian rider who holds the record holder for completing most consecutive Grand Tours decided to go hiking in Nepal.
“The past twelve days I was in Nepal,” he said on the team’s website. “I did some long hiking tours from four to eight hours a day. I climbed four mountain passes in the Himalaya.”
“First Gokyo, a mountain top at 5357 metres above sea level. Second, I climbed the 5420 metres high Cho La Pass and to finish I went to the Mount Everest Base Camp.”
“The following two days, a hiking tour to Lukla is planned, which is located 2860 metres above sea level in the northeast of Nepal. These tours are a real adventure.”
“You’re one with the surroundings and also for the body it’s a hard job. This trip to the Himalaya will boost my form. The long hiking tours are ideal to sharpen the form; physically it’s pretty demanding.”
“I will start the training camp in December with a better form than in the past years. Even though I haven’t ridden my bike since the last race, I feel that my form comes back. Just before we travel to Majorca, I will start riding my bike.”
“The hiking in the Himalaya is comparable with a Grand Tour; you physically suffer multiple days to get to the finish. During the hiking trips, the finish is on the top of the mountain.”
“During bike races, the last day of a Tour is the ultimate finish. This adventure gives me the required energy to try finishing all the Grand Tours again next year.”
Mark Reilly yeh just recovering from 12th grandtour in a row…