Did you have particular nutrition strategy you were following during the event / and how long did it take?

My plan was this - bars early on in ride and gels later in ride with real food, like a tuna or ham sandwich, whenever I could get my hands on it. I generally tried to put something in my mouth every 20-30mins but I had the added luxury of knowing my wife was somewhere on the course armed with goodies!

I started carb loading from 4 days before the event without cutting down on my carb intake before loading.
My favorite training food ended up being: SIS Go barsHigh 5 GelsHigh 5 Protein Drink or barsHigh 5 4:1 Drink

We all seem have weird routines & habits when in comes to fuel and recovery. One of mine being when I get in from a ride I plug in my computer and download data while I stretch and drink, put 100g of whole grain pasta in a pot, go have my shower and then back to the kitchen to stir in a packet of tuna with a twist (packets of tuna with dressing already on by John West)– dead easy and next to no washing up to do!

Make sure you take a good multi vitamin if your training hard as your immune system will be low. I also chew on a zinc tablet if I feel like a cold is attacking me and trying to ruin my training schedule.
If your trying to brake bad habits I think it’s best to try and rediscover the simple things like yogurts or keeping oranges in the fridge to make them taste more refreshing.

It took 8h 05mins to do the event including about 25-30 minutes stopped time. I stopped at all the feed stations, which were very busy. Its nice to get off the bike for a few minutes and enjoy the event from the side of the road, don’t hang around too long though the broom is on its way!

What would you say were the highest and lowest points of event for you?

When it comes to low points I think it was the bad weather and that it turned the event in a danger zone where survival was the main objective. I don’t know how I would have faired if it was scorching like 2 years before where train tracks were buckling and riders sitting on every corner of Alp d’huez waiting for the broom. It’s definitely something to think about when you’re booking your trip.
Highs come from the bad weather also because it made the achievement much greater. To look around at the start and see all these super fit looking cyclists and match them on the climbs is a great feeling, also being able to watch the pros do it a week later makes you feel pretty cool. Unfortunately as a musician you have few people to brag to, musicians have as much interest in endurance events as they do in knitting patterns!

By all accounts the descents of L'Etape can be pretty hair-raising! What was your experience like?

Fast and cold, not a barrel of laughs to be honest, but on a normal day - awesome! I was well wrapped up but you could see some riders really suffering with the cold as they were dressed in summer gear. I tried not to think about descending because I had just gotten over the broken bones. It’s definitely an area that needs work for me compared to my climbing which I’ve worked hard on. I’d like to practice descending more but it’s difficult to find similar descents in Ireland obviously. Upper body strength exercises pay off here as your shoulder blades and hands ache from the tension, but the more relaxed (and insane) you are also helps.

Was there a good mix of nationalities at the event or was it dominated by a few nations in particular?
There are people from all over the world and no one nationality stood out apart from the French obviously as it’s their event and they like to remind you if your riding skills stand out for the wrong reasons!
 
For those out there who might be considering it, would you recommend L'Etape as an event?

Yes go for it.

Try and go over prepared by doing the Wicklow 200 and similar events beforehand. If you love mountains and bikes it cannot be beaten.

What standard of fitness do you think they would need before being ready for the start line?
I was the fittest I’ve ever been on the bike and would not want to have felt anything less. Get a coach and find out what needs to be done, it’s not as expensive as joining a gym (I’m not a member of a gym) and much more fun.

To a certain degree fitness is just one element to the event. Mentally at times it was like trying to sight reading Stravinsky whist being shouted at by Gunnery Sergeant Hartman from Full Metal Jacket.

It’s important you have good group riding skills and know how to avoid accidents and hazards. You’ll see a lot of strong looking cyclists on the broom’s “Sweep up” coaches – yes, there are coaches full by the end of the event. Some riders I met that DNF were just unlucky and got caught in crashes and others simply got a puncture, did not fix it properly, lost more time and got stopped at an elimination point.

If you’re reading this you’ll know all about the mental challenges of endurance events. People often just see the physical side of our achievements but I think we are all digging deeper than muscle and will power, it can be a challenging place to go to say the least. If I could ever communicate something similar through music I’d be very happy – you can only do your best! So anyway, you’re not going to experience it on the couch, you’ll need a good excuse, like a few days in France the first week in July or just play your heart out next time someone is willing to listen.

Finally, now that you have got L'Etape under your belt, what is the next challenge you would like to get under your belt?

The Marmotte, a cycling sportif in the Alps, considered the hardest going…. Yikes!

Mike thanks a million for your time! We have no doubt that you'll crack Marmotte and will look forward to catching up with you again for an update!

If you would like to find out more about Mike Brookfield, feel free to check out his webiste at: www.mikebrookfield.com or you can click on this link