C6 Tuesday, July 16, 2013
FITNESS & WELL-BEING
Making the
gradient Health editor Jeanette Wang takes part in the Étape du Tour, a race through a section of the Tour de France route for amateur cyclists
E
mmie Collinge has dreamed of riding the Tour de France since she was age 10. So when the 25year-old Briton won a contest to take part in the Étape du Tour, which took place on July 7, she couldn’t believe her luck. “I absolutely enjoyed every minute of it,” says Collinge, a fresh masters grad who lives in Gent, Belgium, because of the cycling opportunities there. “I loved overtaking everyone up the hills, I loved the crowds, but I hated the descents.” Since 1993, the Étape du Tour has been the holy grail for “cyclosportive” enthusiasts, the equivalent of Boston for marathoners and Kona for triathletes. Each year, event organisers ASO – the same ones behind the Tour de France – pick a major mountain stage to give amateurs a taste of what the pros go through in the 21stage Tour. The mass participation event sets cycling apart from
most other sports. You wouldn’t be able to drive an F1 car around Monaco, or hit a few balls on centre court at Wimbledon, or have a kick around at Old Trafford. This year’s Étape replicates the Tour’s penultimate stage, which the pros will ride this Saturday. It starts beside the lake in Annecy to the 1,700metre high summit of Semnoz, in the heart of the Bauges Natural Regional Park in the Haute-Savoie department of the RhôneAlpes region of eastern France. Although not nearly as long or with as much climbing as previous Étape editions, this year’s event is an undulating 128 kilometres, with 3,500 metres of cumulative elevation gain, the altitude distributed among many ascents – including a final 11-kilometre climb with an 8.5 per cent average gradient. “There is barely any chance to rest,” says Tour de France race director
Jean François Pescheux, in a preview of the stage. Collinge is among some 11,475 participants from more than 50 countries (including a group of us from Hong Kong). Race slots sell out almost instantly, but Collinge earned hers through a contest organised by race sponsors Rapha, the London-based cycling apparel brand that’s on a mission to get more women on bicycles. Yoko Aoki, a freelance writer from Kamakura, Japan, is also among the 600 women who do the Étape. “It is very well organised,” says Aoki, 44, who has ridden sportives in Honolulu and London. “The general level of the participants is very high – which is refreshing,” she says. There’s a large variance in abilities across the participants – the winner, Frenchman Nicolas Roux, took just four hours, 13 minutes, while the final finishers took about nine
hours, 30 minutes. But there’s a minimum riding ability and preparation experience. required. I’d call it About 1,000 an event The length, in kilometres, of rather than a people didn’t this year’s Étape du Tour, race, because finish the race. which took place in Former for most of the Annecy, France French participants – pro rider, myself included – the Dominique Gabellini, 57, who goal is enjoyment and to get to the end, rather than a still does club races, savoured podium finish or a personal his first sportive. Gabellini says it is a best. good all-round experience: The only pre-start jitters I “There is certainly a feeling of feel are due to the mass of bodies and bikes around me. accomplishment, but it’s to Riding elbow to elbow means do more with riding with friends and sharing the risking a crash. Thankfully, the passion for cycling.” organisers stagger the race This is my first Étape, starts between 7am and too. Although I’ve been road 8.30am, with better riders flagging off first, so there is no cycling for about 13 years and jostling involved. done a number of bike and With my nerves eased, I triathlon races, the Étape is a unique, unforgettable manage to fully enjoy the course. The first nine kilometres are a flat section that runs parallel to Lake Annecy, a great opportunity to spin lightly and get the engines warmed up. By Hong Kong standards, the inclines are not tough – about as steep as Stubbs Road heading up to the Peak – but they are energysapping because they are EMMIE COLLINGE (LEFT), PARTICIPANT persistent.
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I enjoyed every minute of it. I loved overtaking everyone up the hills
Officially, we climb six mountain passes and hills: Côte du Puget (5.4 kilometres long), Col de Leschaux (3.6 kilometres), Côte d’Aillon-le-Vieux (six kilometres), Col de Pres (3.4 kilometres), Mont Revard (15.9 kilometres) and AnnecySemnoz (10.7 kilometres). Unofficially, there are many ramps in between that are not mentioned, but the burn in the legs is just as real. The weather is perfect – at least for someone coming from Hong Kong’s summer – between 18 and 25 degrees Celsius. It eggs me on, as do the cheers from the crowds lining village streets, the hypnotic sound of cow bells, the smell of freshly cut hay and the calming sight of the azure blue sky meeting green vegetation. The refreshment stands are frequent and well-stocked: energy gels and bars, cakes, biscuits, bananas, oranges, dried fruit, and even local products such as Bauges Mountain cheeses, herbal tea and wine. I pass on the delicacies, preserving my stomach – as I’ve been doing with my legs – for the final push up the Semnoz. In bike races, most climbs are designated from category
one (hardest) to four (easiest), based on both steepness and length. Semnoz is hors catégorie, which is French for “beyond categorisation”, meaning it’s tough beyond description, and on the same level as mythical climbs such as Mont Ventoux and Alpe d’Huez. Thankfully, Hong Kong prepped me well. The climb, although long, is never really that steep – especially compared with the incline up Tung Chung Road to Pak Kung Au, or Ngong Ping Road to the Big Buddha, on Lantau Island. I stay seated on my saddle for most of the way, grinding out each pedal stroke with eyes fixed towards the summit. The flamme rouge, or the red flag that marks the final kilometre, comes sooner than I expect. The final straight is dotted with spectators, just as you see on the TV when the pros ride the Tour. In the final 500 metres, one zealous (and possibly inebriated) Spanish fan even gives me a gentle push. I cross the line, relieved, elated, tired, and with a whole new level of respect for the pros who do it day after day, for 21 days of the Tour. jeanette.wang@scmp.com
Amateur racers at the start line in Annecy (top); cyclists enjoy views of the French countryside. Photos: Jeanette Wang, Philip Gale/Velo Addict
What’s in a drink? Not many tipplers know ................................................ Balvinder Sandhu life@scmp.com Discussion about the negative effects of alcohol often focuses on liver and brain damage, but calorie content is rarely mentioned. The World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) warned earlier this year that alcohol accounts for nearly 10 per cent of total calorie intake among drinkers. “The calories in alcoholic drinks account for a significant proportion of a drinker’s calorie consumption, while providing little, if any, nutritional benefit,” says Kate Mendoza, head of health information at WCRF. “Cutting down on drinking can have a big effect on weight loss or maintaining a healthy weight. “Recent reports have shown that people are unaware of calories in drinks and don’t include them when calculating their daily consumption. This is important from a cancer perspective because, after smoking, being overweight or obese is the biggest risk factor.”
Alcohol is second only to fat in the number of calories per gram. Karen Chong, a registered dietitian with Matilda International Hospital, explains: “In our diet, there are four things that we get calories from: carbohydrate, protein, fat and alcohol. For one gram of each of those, carbohydrate and protein give us four calories, alcohol gives us seven and fat gives us nine.” There may be two reasons why calories are often overlooked when it comes to alcohol, says Dr Goh Ping Ping, a cardiologist at the Cardiac Specialist Centre of Mouth Elizabeth Medical Centre in Singapore. “Although we know the calorie content of alcohol, the actual calories consumed from a drink depends on its alcohol percentage,” she says. “There are many types of alcoholic beverage, each with a different alcohol content from very high, such as in spirits, to lower, such as in beer. Hence it may be difficult to tell how many calories are being consumed.
“Secondly, alcohol is usually not regarded as a ‘sweet’ beverage. People tend to worry more about the calories in soft drinks or ice cream because of the sweetness.” The higher a drink’s alcohol content, the more calories it contains. So whisky or vodka have more calories per millilitre than wine which has more than beer. “However, there is no best or worst alcoholic drink as people tend to consume a much larger volume of beer than whisky,” Goh says. “Thus overall, the total calories consumed may be quite similar.” The WCRF website has an alcohol calorie calculator (see wcrf-uk.org under health tools for cancer prevention). It also shows, for example, that a pint of lager has the same number of calories as three chocolate digestive biscuits. “Excess calories are converted to fats especially around the abdominal area and this type of weight gain increases the risk of developing diabetes, high cholesterol and hypertension.”
One gram of … carbohydrate gives us four calories, alcohol gives us seven KAREN CHONG, DIETITIAN
A pint of lager has the same number of calories as three chocolate digestive biscuits. Photo: Philippe Huguen
Often, it’s not just the alcohol that contributes to a person’s calorie count. The food that can accompany drinks, and the mixers, can also be high in calories. Cocktails, for example, can contain high-calorie ingredients such as cream or chocolate syrup. It is also common for fried food or other unhealthy snacks to be eaten while drinking. But there are healthier choices. “Nuts are good for the heart, but you need to choose the unsalted ones as too much salt can cause hypertension,” advises Goh. “Fried foods in
should also be consumed in moderation. Avoid snacks that contain trans fats and choose those low in saturated fat by looking at the food labels.” As for mixers, Chong suggests diluting your drink with a lowcalorie mixer such as tonic water, or adding sugar-free or low-calorie soft drinks, or even some fresh fruit juice. Chong suggests alternating between an alcoholic drink and water, which also helps you rehydrate; reducing the amount of calories you consume in your meals on days you know you’re going to have alcohol; and drinking light beer or wine. Goh advises caution even with light or low-calorie options as “the danger is overconsumption in terms of drinking a larger volume.” Most drinkers we spoke to were unaware of how many calories were in alcohol; some vowed to pay more attention. Emilie Gomez, 35, says she’ll be sticking to wine from now on and Jason Chan, 38, says: “I might be diluting my drinks with healthier options now.”