TeamAD6Tweets Archives

Alpe d’HuZes 2012

On this page you can find all information about my participation in the Alpe d’HuZes challenge 2012, Bike Rebel WITH a cause for once.

(Nederlandse versie hier)

What is it?

Alpe d’HuZes is an initiative to raise funds for cancer research; the participants help fight cancer by cycling up the Alpe d’Huez a maximum if six times one day. They raise funds by finding sponsors that are willing to donate money; this can be either a fixed amount or for instance an (increasing) amount per climb they accomplish.

The name, Alpe d’HuZes, is a contraction of the Dutch word for six – ‘zes’ – and the name of the mountain. It is endorsed by the KWF Kankerbestrijding (the Dutch Cancer Society), LiveStrong Foundation and Inspire2Live.

The dream – the ultimate goal – is for cancer to evolve from a deadly disease into a chronic illness. The guys from Team AD6 Tweets share this dream and for that they participated in Alpe d’HuZes 2012.

“If at first an idea is not absurd, there is no hope for it” – Albert Einstein

Alpe d’HuYes – report of our AD6 week

(Nederlandse versie hier)

With the announcement that 32.231.747,35 Euro has been raised, the 2012 edition of the Alpe d’HuZes came to a close last weekend (Oct. 7). A staggering amount and one to be very, very proud of – and I am / we are!

This year’s edition was the one of Team AD6 Tweets and 7,892 other participants, countless volunteers and even more supporters – all in all more than 25.000 people were involved during this week. I am proud and happy to have been part of this event – read on about how a year of preparation culminated in ‘one week of Alpe d’HuZes‘…

Alpe d’HuZes – Final Notice

This day next week around this time I hope to be ready to start my 3rd climb up the Alpe d’Huez during Alpe d’HuZes.

Deemed physically impossible by those who have a medical degree, I (still) beg to differ. As stated before, I may – or will – have to come to terms with the idea that six climbs will be impossible, but to not try is not an option.

We will leave for France tomorrow morning and I will have some time to ~~run~~ cycle a final test or two. As we do not have Internet in the apartment, this may well be my last post untill after D-Day. We do have Wi-Fi in Le Bourg-d’Oisans and probably around the ‘Alpe d’HuZes area’ too, but that means some Twitter or Facebook posts at best.

So, needing all the help I can get, keep your fingers crossed and I will try to defy science 🙂

Alpe d’HuZes – Two Weeks Notice

In two weeks from today, I will be struggling on the flanks of the Alpe d’Huez. Some 5.000 fellow (crazy) Dutch cyclists will be attempting to climb up that famous alp as many times as possible. The ultimate target being six (6!) times, which means that you will conquer around 6.400 altimeters in approximately 79 kilometers of climbing…

This craziness is called Alpe d’HuZes, “zes” being the Dutch word for six and we do this to raise money for cancer research, so that one day cancer will be a chronic illness instead of a deadly disease. June 7 is not the only day we’re doing crazy stuff on the alp – the Wednesday is reserved for some 2.500 more lunatics, running, skating and also cycling (but not six times) up the mountain.

Les Ménuires – AD6 training camp

(Dutch here)

Between May 11 and 17, we were with all but one members of Team AD6 Tweets on a training camp for Alpe d’HuZes in the French mountains.

We were stationed in Les Ménuires – Réberty, 10 kilometers north of Val Thorens, a beautiful albeit almost completely deserted area, because the (winter) season ends mid-May here.

Paula and I picked up Stefan on Thursday and we arrived on Friday, a day ahead of the rest. So, after settling into the apartment,

Stefan and I went out for a first ride. From the apartment we headed down towards Moutiers, where we turned around to make our way back up again: a solid 1500 altimeters to ‘warm up’.

Not that we needed to warm up in the true sense of the words, because the temperature was well above 30 degrees down in the valley…