Dein erstes Forum » s a team is not wrong.The circle (of team ass

ANGLET, France -- For many people, vacation means lying poolside or beachside, reading and relaxing. But for me, it meant biking through the French Pyrenees in a week-long race, taking in the famous climbs of the Tour de France with 400 others.It was agonizingly difficult, one steep, grueling mountain road after another. But it was also wonderful.The event was part of the Haute Route series, billed as the highest, toughest and most prestigious amateur cycling events in the world. The events take place annually in the French Pyrenees, French Alps and Italian Dolomites. A U.S. event is planned for the Rocky Mountains in June 2017.Haute Route events attract cycling-crazy folks from around the world of all ages and abilities. At the sharp end of the stick are aspiring or retired professionals, in the middle are fit cycling enthusiasts like me and at the bottom are people who signed up on a whim and may be regretting it. Some brave souls do all three European events, back to back, the so-called triple crown.My August trip to southwestern France was a 50th birthday present from my wife. I met up for the race with a friend, Paul ODonnell, also turning 50. Both of us race bikes regularly in the New York area and are, for our ages, very fit. This was to be a stiff test of our abilities: 500 miles (800 kilometers) with 65,000-plus feet (20,000-plus meters) of climbing. Each day wed burn 4,000 to 5,000 calories.The event began in Anglet in rainy weather. Then we hit the first major uphill of the day, the Col dAhusquy, a steep 8-mile (13-kilometer) ascent. Id never been on a climb this long and difficult before and found myself breathless and exhausted halfway up, wondering what Id gotten myself into.A quick pause and it was down the other side toward the days second and final climb, the Pierre St. Martin, a 10-mile (16-kilometer) climb through heavy fog, with visibility dropping to about 20 meters (65 feet), a blessing because you couldnt see the long series of switchbacks coming. It was quiet for long stretches but for the whirring of bikes and the riders breathing, with cowbells softly tinkling in the distance. A car or motorcycle engine would come and go and then you could focus on your own engine again -- heart, lungs, legs.Day two saw four climbs, all hard and long, with the Col DAubisque the killer, on and on (and then on some more) for 10 miles (17 kilometers). Exhausted, rationing water, stuffing down energy gels, controlling the breathing, I tried to focus. Sweat dripped into my eyes, stinging me onto another pedal stroke, and then another.Some might call it suffering, but for me it was cleansing, liberating, nothing but effort and the road ahead. The mind? Circling the wheel, wondering what was to come. And then I passed a one-legged, one-handed man on his bike, also making his way up. Hes Christian Haettich, a regular, who lost his leg and hand in a traffic accident as an adolescent and yet hes chugging away on some of the toughest climbs in Europe.At the top, the landscape was astonishing, massive mountains upholstered in green grass and trees like giant sleeping ogres. The Pyrenees, where Iberia smashes slowly into France.Dropping down like a marble, through tunnels bored through the rock, we descended into the valley. Cows lay nonchalantly by the roadside, big metal bells around their necks, a few pigs too and some sheep, guarded by large mountain dogs. We were warned not to approach the sheep lest the dogs mistake us for wolves and attack, as had apparently happened in previous years.And then to the base of the days final climb, the Col de Spandelles, just 6 miles (10 kilometers) long but with steeply graded ramps. Small groups of curious bystanders would form by the road, some clapping, some cheering us on.We went through the legendary Tourmalet climb, scene of epic battles in Tour de France races. Drink, drink, sweat, sweat and drink some more. More switchbacks, focus, OK, half a mile (1 kilometer) to go, pushing a bit harder and onwards, up and then down through majestic scenery, but always keeping an eye on the clock. Each day had a time cut off and if you didnt make it, youd be eliminated from the timed event and escorted to the broom wagon for a ride to the finish. The next day you could continue at your own pace, no longer timed.The final day was a mere 105 miles (169 kilometers), just one major climb and then mostly downhill through rolling farmland into Toulouse. And then it was over. We got our participant medals, then celebrated with pizza, soft drinks and later in Toulouse, a beer or two.Reflecting on the week, each day had seemed as punishing as the next, my whole body a slippery sinew of muscle turning and turning. But Id gradually adjusted to the effort, the fitness kicking in. What seemed like misery in the moment felt like triumph looking back. But would I trade a beach vacation for a week of pushing uphill again?Absolutely.---If You Go...HAUTE ROUTE: http://www.hauteroute.org . Event organizers can handle hotels, meals and other logistics for participants. Punto Tours -- https://puntotours.com/ -- offers a more upscale experience with personalized support. Air Max 97 Vapormax Cheap . I cant pinpoint a date, but I do remember a player from my youth. Brian Downing was with the Chicago White Sox at a time when I listened to every game I possibly could on the radio. That particular season the late great Harry Caray was calling the White Sox games. Air Max 97 Undefeated For Sale .C. -- Chris Thorburn thinks one of the reasons the Winnipeg Jets have been successful under new coach Paul Maurice is that theyre playing together as a team. http://www.outletairmax97.com/air-max-97-mens-clearance.html . -- Los Angeles Lakers guard Jordan Farmar will be out for roughly four weeks after tearing his left hamstring. Nike Vapormax 97 Metallic Gold .ca looks back at the stories and moments that made the year memorable. Air Max 97/1 Sean Wotherspoon Fake . Pirlo limped out of Sundays 1-0 win over Udinese after just 13 minutes. Juventus says Pirlo underwent tests on Monday which revealed he has "a second-degree lesion to the collateral medial ligament in his right knee. PARIS -- Yes, it is cute but, no, it is not safe.UEFA explained Tuesday why it does not want players children to join in post-match celebrations at the European Championship.The scenes of toddlers in full Wales kit joining their dads on the pitch after another Euro 2016 win has added to the surprise semifinalists feel-good story and delighted spectators.However, UEFA has asked for no more on-field family scenes when Wales plays Portugal in Lyon on Wednesday.It is a European Championship not a family party, UEFAs tournament director Martin Kallen said at a briefing.A stadium is not the most safe place for small kids, Kallen said. There could be problems if fans invaded the field, and stadium staff operating machinery on the playing surface could also be an issue.Among the most vivid and defining images of Euro 2016 was Wales star Gareth Bale laughing and chasing his three-year-old daughter, Alba Violet, across the Parc des Princes pitch in Paris after a 1-0 win against Northern Ireland in the round of 16.To be able to share it with my daughter and my family was emotional for me, Bale said later. Obviously I havent seen them for four or five weeks now. Its an amazing experience, one Ill never forget.Germany team manager Oliver Bierhoff sided with UEFA, saying: For me its a bit too much at times. I think the notion that you take to the pitch as a team and stay as a team is not wrong.The circle (of team associates) is always getting biigger and it reaches a stage where you cant miss it.dddddddddddd From that point of view, I can understand such a decision or suggestion from UEFA, said Bierhoff.After stunning Belgium in the quarterfinals last Saturday, an entire teams worth of Welsh players children had a kickabout in the goalmouth in front of the Wales fans in the stadium at Lille.It is nice pictures, Kallen acknowledged. We are not 100 percent against it but we are cautious.UEFAs request to the Wales football federation was first reported on Monday by The Associated Press.The Wales team is following a recent football tradition of players celebrating with their children, especially after cup finals. In France, the children of several team players, including from Portugal and Croatia, have appeared on the pitch.It is getting more and more a habit that entire family members would like to go on the pitch or into the technical area, Kallen said. The principle is how far you go with having other people on the pitch than the players. People with accreditation cards should be on the pitch and not more.Kallen said UEFA has a responsibility to identify risk and ensure safety inside stadiums.Small kids of five, six years -- if something happened, what do you do afterwards? What do you say? he said. From our side there should be a certain order. ' ' '