I thought I rode hard during my lunch hour last week...

... and then I dug these up on youtube from the 1987 TdF:





yeah, when you need supplemental oxygen, and can't stand up on our own, well, I reckon that means you laid down a maximal effort.

Something to think about when comparing race efforts to training efforts, and the definition of "maximal" vs "kinda hard".

Those tours, and the CBS weekly coverage in the late 80's, hooked me on the sport...

JF-Bernard and the Ventoux - with Phil's call "how high, how far, how fast" stays with me to this day...