Here’s the Tour de France 2023 Best Of picture gallery, displayed in random order.
You can read the recap report of our Tour here…
If you’re interested in any of the (larger) originals, drop me a line.
Medical Bulletin
As mentioned in an earlier post, I had to take a decision after my Tour on whether or not to take the hefty cost for my herniated discs surgery.
This would have to be done at a German clinic and would be a non-invasive procedure in three places.
After that, I would walk out pain-free, at least as far as my back issue was concerned.
I would then have to go through the same loops and hoops to see if my similar neck issue could be fixed as well…
Because it sounded to good to be true, I got a second opinion from a German neurosurgeon working at a Dutch clinic.
He told me he was familiar with the procedure as a quick way to make – a lot – of money.
However, having studied the MRI imagery, he told me that my back was basically in such a bad shape that it would, in fact, be a waste of money to go for it.
Tour de France 2023 – Recap & Stats
As customary after all my cycling trips into the high mountains, most of those shamelessly dubbed Tour de France like this one or Giro d’Italia, I give you a recap with some stats of my latest adventure.
Compared to other two-week (14 or 15 stages) “grand tours”, it wasn’t the hardest, but it came in close 3rd in distance.
This is also its rank in elevation (D+) but looking at the average D+ over the total distance, it lands on 6th spot (from 7, as neither the TDF 2022 nor the Giro 2020 were two weeks)…
For a total of 1,147 kms, the D+ was 31,971 m – applying the not totally correct, but fair enough 50/50 rule, that amounts to some 56 m of D+ per km of climbing.
Compare that to the Giro’s of 2011 and 2015 (both 82 m/km) or the “toughest” TDF, 2022 at 66 m/km, and this “Pyrenees” Tour seems relatively easy.
Now, I know I’m getting older and some of the (previous) numbers are “off” – be it taken from Garmin, Strava or RideWithGPS – but this Tour really didn’t feel any easier…
Tour de France 2023 – Report Week 2
This post is a recap of the Tour de France 2023 week 2/8 stages…
As mentioned in my previous recap, I had already cycled stage 8 with an unforeseen early finish, which gave me some time to write that post.
By now, we have returned home safe and (relatively) well, I’ve started to dose down the candy and cycled a few times in my backyard.
I’m scheduled to have two neurologist appointments next week, after which I’ll have to make up my mind about surgery.
I’m not convinced I will be able to go pain-free after that and at any rate, in general my spine issues remain and may cause new problems in other areas/on other discs later.
However, getting by on Oxy and Prednisone is not really an option either, nor does it extend my life span, although you never know when that will end anyway…
Tour de France 2023 – Report Week 1
This post is a recap of the Tour de France 2023 week 1/7 stages…
Stage 1
I started last Friday at our stop-over near Montréjeau, heading for the Port de Balès.
We had a little trouble navigating there and as I looked at the route on the Strava app, I decided to start a recording.
Which turned out to be a good thing, as I managed to get rid of the Garmin recording at the end of the stage🤦♂️
