Stage 3 L'Alpe-d'Stankment

Today is the third stage of what some riders are calling the hardest Base III they've ever been a part of. Today the riders (OK, RIDER) will be heading away from the flats of the mountain valley that have catered to the big sprinters during Stages 1 and 2. And they will find themselves going STRAIGHT up L'Alpe-D'Stankment. A 60 minute Hors Category (above category) climb to the very top of the legendary mountain.

The stage's final 25 minutes will be that of a long descent with some false flats that finally finishes at the same infamous French ski station that almost every stage of the year's Base III ends- Le Tapis De Stinky (The Stinky Carpet). The Tapis is known for it's numerous sweat puddles, dried snot rockets and of course- it's near constant offensive odor. A finish these riders will surely remember all season long.

Here's a look at how today's stage breaks down (click to enlarge)

A full 1:25 in length, Stage 3 will include 2 intermediate sprints, and 4 chances for the tiny climbers to "dance on the pedals" in pursuit of KOM points. The fourth chance for KOM points will be at the end of the devilishly hard HC climb leading up to Minute 60. After the riders are up and over the top of the climb, it's a 25 minute descent to Le Tapis De Stinky and the finish. 25 minutes that will have these riders wondering who they "wronged" in The Base III Organization's Board of Directors that would have them include 25 minutes of false flats and boredom to reach the finish.

No matter how you look at it, this 3rd stage of this week's Base III is going to burn the quads of many of these lack luster riders including the big American- Jason Mahokey. Mahokey is not known for his climbing prowess, or his descending skills. In fact many riders in the peloton including Team Slipstream's David Millar have been VERY outspoken on Mahokey's inability to ride at this level at all. This is what Millar had to say:

"I'm not sure WHERE he even came from! I heard he races endurance mountain bike
in the States. For the sake of the peloton's safety, I wish he would return."
-David Millar, Team Slipstream

Harsh words indeed from the former doping Scotsman turned high sock wearing Dopers Suck crusader. Words that in light of today's Stage 3 results have never been more untrue or seemed more "mean spirited". For Mahokey would not only complete today's stage, he would WIN the stage virtually uncontested! Arriving at Le Tapis alone, with an empty water bottle, and a nearly cramped right calf.

The look on Mahokey's face at the completion of minute 85 did not show the usual joy of a racer taking a stage win. Just of relief that the stage was over.

Mahokey spoke with reporters after the stage and had this to say:

"F*ck I'm glad that shit's over. 85 minute seemed to go on forever.
Even with that bad ass mix I had going on my iPod.
I just want to go get a shower, make some pasta, and start looking
forward to tomorrow's rest day and a few Sierra Nevadas."
-Jason Mahokey

With that, another stage of Base III comes to a close. Stay tuned this weekend as Base III HOPES to move Stage 4 to the outside! (weather permitting). Good night.

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Sorry about all that. But I was really getting tired of blogging about my boring trainer rides. This way I STILL wrote about it, but had more fun doing that way than saying- I did big 60 minutes of big gear seated "hill climbs" with some out of the saddle one's too. And then I finished with 25 minutes of tempo riding until I was bored and had burned the desired amount of calories. SEE????

I promise never to do all this again.

Later.