Pete Richardson has returned from the Pyrenees after scouting out this year’s Etape du Tour route and watching the finale of the women’s Tour De France whilst also finding time to ride the Hubert Arbes
Sportive which climbed over one of France’s toughest cols, the Tourmalet.

The Etape Du Tour, which is an annual sportive based on one of this year’s Tour De France mountain stages (stage 15), is never easy with this edition being over 5 mountains and 200km. The penultimate climb,
the Port Du Bales is really steep in places and with the mileage and expected high temperatures, many riders will be in for a long, difficult day. “It is good to see in advance and train on the actual roads that will be used in the event” says Pete who is returning to the Etape for his eleventh consecutive year.

Watch this page for the account of our London Phoenix riders at the Etape du Tour.

London Phoenix entered two men’s teams, a women’s team and a solo woman for the 12 hour mountain bike race at Bristol on 9 June. Sarah Northall won third place in the solo women’s category. Scroll down for a selection of the action. Click here to read about the race in 2006.