Words and photos by NeilPryde Epic Rider Antonio Cozzolino

Read Part 2



I'm thinking that you're thinking what I think you're thinking. Are you thinking what I think you're thinking? Yes you are. Alpe d'Huez baby! (I would have put a thousand exclamation marks here, if it weren't grammatically incorrect. Let that be noted). Whooohooooo!

I was so awe-inspired here you have no idea. Never in my life have I ever loved cycling more than right here in this photo. This was all emphasised (yes that's an 's' not a 'z', and on purpose) due to the fact that the Tour was going to ride this very climb in several days...



...and off I go: "This is going to be so awesome!"



...and awesome it was.

I had read reviews about how you pull out of the carpark, go around a corner and then wham-bam-thank-you-mam straight into 12 degrees of gradient, steep from the get go.

I didn't warm up first. I pulled out of the carpark,went around the corner, and there it was; wham-bam-thank-you-mam straight into 12 degrees of gradient. I should have warmed up. Even before I reached the first of the 21 fabled switchbacks, I was thinking "[expletive removed] me, this is going to be hard".

Then I got to number 21 (they are labelled in reverse order so that you know how many there are left - guess it gets hard to do mathematics at both high altitude and when you are above your lactate threshold), I could not believe how high I was after just the first turn. A sensation that just did not wear off. You go up and up and up, then you go through the clouds, you keep going up, then you reach the town of village of Alpe d'Huez. Then you keep on going and going and going. It just never ends.



I'm pretty happy with my life right here...



Fairly quiet roads considering the Tour was but a week away.



Stunning.



Just stunning.



This photograph doesn't actually capture how far up I really am.







This should give you an indication of how steep it is. I am only about 40 metres from the turn where this was taken.



Love this photo.





Two thirds of the way up, starting to feel it a little.



Feeling it more.



This my brother, Eduardo (not to be confused with Epic Rider Eduardo A Dos Remedios), he (my brother) has been the official photographer for the majority of this visual diary, and throughout the entire epic Alpe d'Huez climb. Thanks bro! Both he and my mother were great support on the climb handing me food and water, tools, on-the-go mechanical fixes, medical care and the odd sticky bottle (kidding, I wouldn't do that) as required. Man I felt pro.



The team car!

To be continued...