ALPE D'HUEZ -- Ride Across the Alps Day 3

Wait till you see who I am. Look at that. We're in Borgdestan, the base of Alpe d'Huez, and we are about to take on the Zwift Challenge. So basically, today is the day that Tour de France Femme Avec Zwift is their stage eight, their final stage, their deciding stage. And as part of that, we are gonna be riding up there with Zwift. And yeah, it's basically open to anyone. Anyone can come and ride this. There's people on tandems, there's people on e-bikes, there's people on mountain bikes, anything goes. So we're all gonna go ride up and have a good time. And look who's here. I said that you'd know people. It's Lou! My name's Nervous and I'm Lou. Okay, Lou, she's like, I'm so nervous. This is Lou. I've actually had a cry, like a couple of cries. I'm so nervous. See, any of you know what Lou could do more than you know. Five years ago, I'm like, I'm tired. You're not tired. You've got a new bike. Oh, actually, can I show them? Because there's the jockey wheels. Are you ready for this? Hang on. I don't know if I can lug that jockey wheel up the hill. It's almost as big as my cassette. We're looking like you've got like a litre and a half and I've only got one bottle. What am I even doing? Oh, hang on. I'm thirsty. Oh, look how good all the jerseys look. What? Are you all right? It's like I'm washing your bike. So excited to do this. And the weather said it was gonna be chucking down. And so thank you, weather gods. Thank you for looking after us. And also the race. Obviously, when you see this, it'll be after, but I don't know who's gonna take it. Off to work! Really not the best spot to get started. The thing is, you're gonna see this back at the end and you'll be like, what was I worried about? I know, because it's out of blue air. Yeah, but you did Tourmalet. I found Tourmalet easier than what I think this is. Really? I did Tourmalet, but it was rough. I didn't get my video out until I was one K from the top when I thought, oh, I might actually do this. Before that point, I was like, oh. Party pace, Lou, party pace. No smashy. So far above the clouds. Playing a little switchbacks to go. That smells probably your jockey wheel. 15. I find it now, Lou. You've helped me so much. You and your incessant nattering has drowned out the voices in my head. I'm only joking. What, even me, nattering? You're helping me manage my effort and we're- I'm just doing it on this. I'm just like, stay in zone two. It's just so, this is like perfect riding day. And then I get to see Lou. I've missed you so much. Oh, I've missed you. I'm glad to keep you up to date with all your videos. Woo, woo, woo. This is way nicer than I remembered it. It's actually pretty steady. I'm pretty sure you're going at a nice pace. Yeah. If you smash it, nothing happens. Oh, yeah. Get up to halfway. Do you know the song that goes, No, I do now. So on this challenge, like I said earlier, there's like all bikes. An e-bike just gone past. Tandems, mountain bikes. We saw a fat bike, didn't we? Yeah. Dude pulling a daughter. Yeah. So, it's just nice because we're all in the same kit. It is really nice. It's just like in the same little clan. So thank you again to Zwift for putting this on and inviting us along because I love the Alps. The Alps climb, the route on Zwift is my favourite route. So the past three years, I lead a group ride up the Alps. First Tuesday of every month. And I think I've done it 56 times, I think. Check last night. And like just giving you that, like stamina to ride up a climb this long, I just think is making this feel like pretty nice. I mean, I'm not pushing it, but it's just having that stamina once a month. So, come and do it. There's no necessarily time limit that you have to do it in. We've got a sub hour and sub 90 minute group. If it takes you longer, absolutely no problem. It is weird how it replicates the gradients and stuff, like when you're on Zwift, especially those first few switchbacks. I was like, oh my God, this actually feels like Zwift. 5K to the top. Look how high up we are. Hey. So that is the end of the Zwift challenge. Top of Alpe d'Huez. Aw, come and have a cuddle. You silly little bugger. You did so good. How do you feel now? Amazing. I can't even tell you how much I enjoyed that. I love the Alps. So, so much. I mean, I love it on Zwift, but in real life, especially as part of this challenge, like so many people, so many different bikes, so many different paces. It's just really, really fun. And now we get to wait up here for the pros to come in for the final stage eight of the Tour de France FEM. I think it's weird. So I'm gonna go and get some food. So glad I got this jacket. So glad. So lovely to- Are you going up to the finish? You guys at the finish? I'll be up there at the finish. I'll see you at the finish. Okay. Awesome. Okay, so we're walking up. Hold on, hold on. And who I ran into. My name is Inga Thompson and I rode the Tour de France in 1986 and 1989. Got third twice, won some stages, polka dot jersey. And we're part of the originals from 84 to 1989. It is so wonderful coming back here and seeing what Zwift is doing to get the women's Tour de France back. We had, what was it? Close to 40 years that we didn't have the race. And I'm watching all of the, I'm just gonna make me cry, but I'm watching all of these young girls on the side. They wanna be here. They wanna race. And that's how I got started was I heard that they were gonna have a women's Tour de France. It is why I got on a bike. It is why I bought a bike, was to do the women's Tour de France. As a child, I watched the men's Tour de France every single year. And I was always told, women can't, women can't. Women didn't have these opportunities. And in 84, when I was 20, they said there was a women's, first ever women's Tour de France. And I'm like, I'm doing it. And I had this old Schwinn, you know, varsity, whatever, 50 pounds, and then bought a racing bike. And I just thought, but it got me into a racing bike and riding a bike. And when I was there, I just saw some dreams of young women dashing. They couldn't do it. So it's back. And now we've got it back. And now we have it. And it's back. Met these guys that got me right up last week. Met these guys yesterday. And we just bump into each other at the top of Alpe d'Huez. So we've got about three hours until the women come in. So we're just gonna just chill out. A couple of my friends are at the top already. I think Lou and the others are gonna go down to one of the switchbacks. I think I'm gonna watch it from up here though. I've had the nicest afternoon. So let me give you a little catch up. Honestly, it's so surreal. So as I was, what you saw, I was chatting to the women who did the first women's tour in the eighties. Then I was walking along and I saw two of the guys from Garmin ride up last weekend. So I've just stood chatting to them for ages. And then I saw the two guys from yesterday on the ride. And then I saw one of Eric Min's relatives. So Eric Min is the CEO of Zwift. And he came over and he was just so nice. I saw Eric as well, chatting to them. Anyway, and then I was walking along and I know one of my friends from Australia, Nicole, is out here on her honeymoon. Bumped into them. So I was obviously planning to meet and bumped into them. So I was chatting to them. But it's just so nice. And then Paddy from my club at RAF in Manchester, he was like literally around the corner. He just rode past. I was like, why are you doing it? Honestly, this is just like the best little meet up place. Obviously for a million other reasons other than it's just a great spot to meet everyone that you know cycling. And now I want to go and head into the Zwift section and then watch the end of the race because that is why we're all here. Hello. I'm not sure. Look, do I look professional with my little microphone? I wasn't sure how much you'd be able to hear. So I was like, I better bring a mic. How many of you are? I can't wait to show you. The crowd, the atmosphere. I don't know whether she has. Plus one minute. 102. I think she got it. Yeah, plus 102. Did you enjoy it? It's so much better than the men's race. I've got to say. It's so good, isn't it? It's so good. That separation between like top three is like three seconds. I know. I've been waiting for Cassia for so long. We're just walking to go and get the final glimpse of the podium. Just watched the prize giving ceremony and you can't help but feel gutted for Demi. It's just, I guess for us it's exciting, but for them it's pretty brutal. What an incredible race, specifically the last couple of stages. And do you know what else I really like? Like, look where we are. In this beautiful, amazing, incredible place. And we're all here because we love women's cycling, women's racing in particular. I've done this for three years now and it's just getting bigger and better every year. And the support is getting bigger, which is just incredible. Actually, I've come the wrong way. Can't remember how I got in there. I'm finding my way back. I've got lost. Can I get over this way? That way. How do I get in there? You got the card. This is signed by Cassia. Oh! Jackie! Oh! You sure? It's Cassia. Yes! Wow. My heart is racing right now. We just had the most epic finish to the Tour de France Femme Evêque Zwift. Like, I woke up this morning like a kid at Christmas, so excited. Like, I've never been more excited about a sporting event. And this race has just built every day this week and to an incredible climax. And it had everything that we want in great sport. We had the most incredible characters, the drama, the raging crowds. It was gorgeous. The epic, iconic. Like, look where we are. Backdrop. And how do you feel like this is like the third year? Every year, I'm like, oh my God, it was too good. We just like shot ourselves in the foot because you can't get better than this. And every year, every year it gets better. So this is just absolutely incredible. Kate has done everything that she can possible to get this race on at Zwift, to get people here, to get women involved in racing and on bikes. Not just necessarily in pro racing, but just bikes in general, like with the challenge. Like everything you've done, like it accumulates, I guess, to this moment. It's so much fun to work for a company that wanted to do things differently. And like, you know, I get this platform, I have this virtual, you know, video game that wanted to try new things and to create more space in the sport and to create more opportunities. And now we're here at the Tour de France FEMME of Xwift. You know, eight years later at Zwift and watch the FEMME is everywhere. And it's now, it's not a moment. It's a movement. This is, it's so promising. It's so beautiful. So many fans came out. You know, the first year, everybody's like, oh, well we need like an Alpe d'Huez or something. And I was like, no, no, not yet. Because I was worried that like the fans for the first year, the women's, you know, if you saw that next to like the men's Alpe d'Huez, it wouldn't compare. And then coming up, we got to ride up today and to see the fans lining the Alpe and to see the mobs up top, just to see this incredible battle for the yellow jersey. Something that we've not, like we've not seen a battle like that in the men's race for maybe 20 years. I don't even know. The seconds, it was seconds. I just love it. I have a dream job. We're all in this together. The best part about this is that I'm here with women like yourself in the industry. It's elevating all of us. And we're here to collectively make this shine. And it's an honor, honestly. You've done, honestly, you are just the best at what you do, Kate. Genuinely. And I'm always saying, it's just, I'm so grateful. Thank you so much. It's easy when you love what you do. Thank you. We love you. That was perfect. Thank you. Oh, I can't get these in. All right, let's find down the mountain before the sun comes down. Oh, I can't get these in. All right, let's go. Also, you have no idea how excited I am to just send this climb now. Like it's going to be so good. And some of the pros is just still going down. So look at all the cars going down. Look at the switchbacks. Look how stunning this climb is. And all these people just been up to support women's racing. I love it. And when I was riding down, I was just thinking, what would I have done if I didn't find cycling? Like for me, it's just, it is everything. It's the friendships. It's the adventures. It's the fitness. It's the, I don't know. It's just everything about cycling. I just love. It's my job as well. Like I get to do this and get to share these experiences with you. And I just could not be more grateful right now. It just makes me so, so happy. And I'm just going to go and enjoy the rest of the descent. Thank you so much to you for watching. Thank you for supporting this. It's some view, right? Yeah. What a view. Thanks again to Zwift for inviting me out. And I will see you all next video. I am going to film tomorrow's little trip back home in case you ever want to come out and do it. Show you what that's like. So yeah, I will see you all next video. Goodbye. Goodbye. Goodbye. A bit of pink. And then I decided to wear all of the pink. I love you. Goodness, there was no sand. I'm so dehydrated from the flying because that was legit Tour de France. Woo!