Recently in Climbs Category

Sunglasses are one of those things that go in trend waves in cycling. More often than not it's Oakley who are responsible for it with their saturation marketing of the pro peloton.

The Oakley Radar, which became widespread in 2007, has become near ubiqitous at every level of the sport so they have to come up with something else to keep the punters coming back. Even I've got a pair now and I really like them. Certainly an improvement on what I was wearing before in terms of comfort and coverage.

Which is where the Jawbone comes in. Prototypes were worn by Thor Hushovd and George Hincapie last season and this season Lance Armstrong and Mark Cavendish have become the highest profile wearers of the production models.

Currently Cav is wearing the white ones at the Giro and although they aren't available in shops yet, you can buy them from Amazon.co.uk

He wore the silver ones to win Milan-San Remo which they don't seem to have. There's also a Livestrong version which Lance has been wearing and which are obviously going to get plenty of airtime this year

So if you want to get ahead of the trend curve, now is the time to start purchasing. And if anyone at Oakley UK is reading and would like to send me some to test, then I am easily contacted at alex at atomicecho dot com.

This sign, at the bottom of the climb tells you everything that you need to know and fear about this legendary monument to cycling's greatest names. Like Le Mont Ventoux it dominates the countryside around it and is steeped in a history that stretches far back, beyond the earliest days of cycling.

As you climb it you are confronted by a challenge to both mental and physical ability. On the Wednesday morning that I rode out from Clermont the challenge was added to by a thick Auvergnat fog that hung heavy in the valley on the climb out of the town towards the fearsome lump of Volcanic rock.

This is where one of the most defining images of the era of Anquetil and Poulidor was taken:

It looks wilder and more natural than I found it. Modernity has smoothed the tarmac (it looks recently laid) and the paysage bordering the road seems more kempt than in the old pictures. Sadly modernity has also meant that the Tour de France no longer passes in procession to the Temple of Mercury at the summit (or the TV aerial which overlooks its ruins) as the circus has grown too big for this road.

One thing that remains the same is that this is one tough mountain to climb. I was pushing my lowest gear (34/26) from the outset and the gradient is relentless. On a couple of the bends you think it eases off but the respite is transitory. It's only 42.km but it still took me the better part of half an hour to climb (if I deduct time for photo-taking and breath-catching). The view on a clear day is spectacular and even on a foggy, windy, rainy day it still feels very special.

The first section up through the trees is largely straight and sapping as it winds up one side of the mountain after a left at the bottom. As far as you can see there is no resting place or bend to aim for. Then it works its way round to the summit, coiling like a serpent and disorientating you as it spins you up. I wasn't sure which way Clermont was when I reached the top.

I've wanted to climb this mountain for many years now and I felt glad to reach the summit but wish it had been in better weather than I had to endure. It felt slightly anti-climatic to do it on my own as well. On the day that I rode I didn't see a single other rider on the roads until 6 hours into my ride.

I've put a few pictures on my flickr account, some of which you can see here. I'll probably put some more up when I get a moment.