Altitude Begins to Affect Some Cyclists
July 22, 2008—The thin air high in the Rocky Mountains took its toll on some Sea to Sea cyclists yesterday as they reached almost 10,000 feet about sea level.
The Sea to Sea Bike Tour began its fourth week on the road Monday with a 90-mile, 145-km leg into Duchesne, Utah that included about 4,500 feet of climbing. Today, they’ll match that distance but with slightly less climbing, riding along US-40 into Colorado, their fifth state.
The riders were left wondering—even anxious—about what to expect on Monday’s ride as there was no elevation chart available. When Ed Witvoet, the tour’s operations and logistics manager, surveyed the route earlier this year, the road was closed so he was unable to get an elevation reading. Or, perhaps as Cynthia Aukema, of Chatham, Ont., suggested in her blog, “it was just too scary for us to look at.”
Joanna Tipple, of Ghent, NY, and Teresa Hoekstra, of Chatham, Ont., are two of a number of riders who had difficulty breathing in the higher altitudes of yesterday’s ride. For Hoekstra, who suffers from asthma, it means no longer cycling above 6,000 feet.
“She has strict orders from both the nurses here in camp not to ride for the remainder of the week, or she may end up in the hospital,” says Aukema. “This is a hard pill for Teresa to swallow because she so badly wants to bike it all (as do we all).”
The tour remains at 6,000 feet or higher until reaching Denver, the Mile High City, on Saturday.
Injuries or health problems are making it difficult for other riders to continue the daily grind. Stephanie Webb, of Brantford, Ont., and Art Smit, of Hamilton, Ont., are plagued by nagging knee injuries.
“Pray that everyone will have the strength and energy to complete the rides,” Marc Van Otteren (pictured above), of Grand Rapids, Mich., asks his supporters and blog readers. “Many have been struggling with the mountains and long distances. Also pray for health as there is also a cold bug going around camp.”
—Sea to Sea Communications