Is the Alpine Classic the toughest single day road race/event in Australia?

Just curious, as I don't know of many other organised rides, and those
that I know of don't have the profile of the AAC.

http://www.audax.org.au/alpine.htm

With 4 climbs over 200km and ~3500m ascent...is it the toughest day
ride for road cyclists in Australia?


--
Walrus

Walrus wrote:
Just curious, as I don't know of many other organised rides, and those
that I know of don't have the profile of the AAC.

http://www.audax.org.au/alpine.htm

With 4 climbs over 200km and ~3500m ascent...is it the toughest day
ride for road cyclists in Australia?


--
Walrus

Surely something like melbourne to warrnambol is much tougher.

Walrus wrote:
Just curious, as I don't know of many other organised rides, and those
that I know of don't have the profile of the AAC.

http://www.audax.org.au/alpine.htm

With 4 climbs over 200km and ~3500m ascent...is it the toughest day
ride for road cyclists in Australia?

The Warny is a 300km road race, the longest single stage UCI road race
in the world - it's pretty tough to complete, but it all depends on
what you mean by tough. Some would suggest that kilo is the toughest
race, or the Bendigo Madison, and they'd have a case witrh some merit.
The alpine isn't (IMO) *that* hard, as it's not a race and you can stop
& rest a lot, and remember, you only really have to ride half of it,
the rest is a roll down a hill I've done 2 warnies and an alpine,
and IMO, the alpine, while not a doddle, wasn't that hard (I did it in
'06, when it was 43 degrees up Buffalo in the arvo). I certainly felt a
lot better after the Alpine than I did after I rode the Warny.

Racing is a whole different thing though .... Races aren't about just
doing the ride at your own pace.

Bleve Wrote:
Walrus wrote:
Just curious, as I don't know of many other organised rides, and
those
that I know of don't have the profile of the AAC.

http://www.audax.org.au/alpine.htm

With 4 climbs over 200km and ~3500m ascent...is it the toughest day
ride for road cyclists in Australia?

The Warny is a 300km road race, the longest single stage UCI road race
in the world - it's pretty tough to complete, but it all depends on
what you mean by tough. Some would suggest that kilo is the toughest
race, or the Bendigo Madison, and they'd have a case witrh some merit.
The alpine isn't (IMO) *that* hard, as it's not a race and you can stop
& rest a lot, and remember, you only really have to ride half of it,
the rest is a roll down a hill I've done 2 warnies and an alpine,
and IMO, the alpine, while not a doddle, wasn't that hard (I did it in
'06, when it was 43 degrees up Buffalo in the arvo). I certainly felt a
lot better after the Alpine than I did after I rode the Warny.

Racing is a whole different thing though .... Races aren't about just
doing the ride at your own pace.Good point...the Warny did come to mind, but having done 250km rides
before...I didn't think it would be as hard as the Alpine (which I've
also ridden). There are the downhill parts of the Alpine, however
drafting doesn't really help that much - ie big packs aren't pulling
55kmh on flats.

The pace it's ridden at is a key factor obviously, so how about this.
*If either route (or any other Australian ride) was part of the
TdF...which would be harder?*


--
Walrus

Walrus Wrote:
Good point...the Warny did come to mind, but having done 250km rides
before...I didn't think it would be as hard as the Alpine (which I've
also ridden). There are the downhill parts of the Alpine, however
drafting doesn't really help that much - ie big packs aren't pulling
55kmh on flats.

The pace it's ridden at is a key factor obviously, so how about this.
*If either route (or any other Australian ride) was part of the
TdF...which would be harder?*now that's an idea for a novel overseas start for the TdeF....how about
make the 2009 TdeF start a hill climb prologue up Templestowe Hill
Climb, short but grievous, then First Stage the Warny Route then Stage
2 the Alpine Classic Route....a few beers and off to the Somme to roll
off stage 3... Didi Senft might even make the trip downunder !


--
rooman

Bleve Wrote:
Walrus wrote:
Just curious, as I don't know of many other organised rides, and
those
that I know of don't have the profile of the AAC.

http://www.audax.org.au/alpine.htm

With 4 climbs over 200km and ~3500m ascent...is it the toughest day
ride for road cyclists in Australia?

The Warny is a 300km road race, the longest single stage UCI road race
in the world - it's pretty tough to complete, but it all depends on
what you mean by tough. Some would suggest that kilo is the toughest
race, or the Bendigo Madison, and they'd have a case witrh some merit.
The alpine isn't (IMO) *that* hard, as it's not a race and you can stop
& rest a lot.
Agreed about the alpine not being that hard..

BUT

The Kilo and the madison are tough but surely 7 hours in the pyreness
would hurt more and for a lot lot longer... though I do see where ya
coming from


--
Jono L

Having ridden both the AAC and the Grafton-Inverell, I would say the Grafton
is tougher. Biggest difference being that you race it rather than just ride
it. The Grafton is longer, at 228km, but it doesn't have as many hills: the
biggest climb, over the Gibralter Range, is pretty much identical in
gradient and length to Mt Buffalo.

There's a profile of the race route about half way down the page at
http://www.cyclingnews.com/results/2...1/sep7news.php.

Nick

"Walrus" wrote in message
...

Just curious, as I don't know of many other organised rides, and those
that I know of don't have the profile of the AAC.

http://www.audax.org.au/alpine.htm

With 4 climbs over 200km and ~3500m ascent...is it the toughest day
ride for road cyclists in Australia?

With 4 climbs over 200km and ~3500m ascent...is it the toughest day
ride for road cyclists in Australia?

Dunno, i did it in 06 and found that it was the heat (and the f*$king
flies!) that were the hardest to contend with..
the ride/climbs themselves are really not that bad, you go at your own
pace and theres plenty of flat/downhill to rest.

mostly i rekon its other factors which can make a ride tough or
easy..the 03? ATB was tough as it was 23deg and fine at the start, and
about 9 deg and raining by the time we got to the ferry crossing, the
following year was much easier

Nick Payne Wrote:
There's a profile of the race route about half way down the page at
http://www.cyclingnews.com/results/2...1/sep7news.php.
That looks like a nice ride, is it open to anyone?


--
Walrus

Walrus Wrote:
That looks like a nice ride, is it open to anyone?

Open to all CA licence holders, but I think this year they are also
running the same race route as a social ride. Think I saw that in the
latest Bicycling Australia mag.

Adam


--
adam85