Larry & Conor’s NoGo Tour day 5: Alpe d’Huez and Uncle Roger

Larry & Conor’s NoGo Tour day 5: Alpe d’Huez and Uncle Roger

Conor Dunne reaches Alpe d’Huez with Larry Warbasse on their NoGo Tour and reflects on his teenage inspiration – Uncle Roger


It’s hard to pinpoint exactly when that moment of no return is. That place in time when you throw yourself into something without looking back, with no regrets or doubts.

However, I know for sure that when I decided that I’d fully commit to cycling, I was on the final hairpin of Alpe d’Huez with my Uncle Roger. That was ten years ago now and since then cycling has given me so much more than I ever would have realised.

I knew riding up Alpe d’Huez today with Larry on our #NoGoTour would be a bit surreal; its the first time I’ve been back since that day as a fresh faced 16-year-old, although I didn’t realise just how emotional it would be

My Uncle Roger passed away three years ago and that hairpin on the Alpe carries huge significance. I can remember riding up that day, totally in awe of Roger and the whole circus that is Alpe d’Huez when the Tour is on. Then the race came through and I just knew I had to do that one day too. 

That was the moment for me when I was totally and utterly inspired to chase that dream and when you return to such a significant place in your life, you can’t help but look back. All I could think of was how grateful I am that my Uncle Roger decided to ride up Alpe d’Huez with me all those years ago, starting a chain of events that I will be eternally thankful for.

Thankful for days like today… seven and a half hours, a gazillion cols, descending in semi-darkness as the sun sets, chased by sheeps dogs, scoffing our faces mid-ride in an Intermarche during torrential rain, blowing up completely on Col du Glandon, descending in torrential rain, finding a hotel just before dark, making myself hurt up Alpe d’Huez and saying hello to my Uncle Rog!

Simply riding for the hell of it. 

It’s why we all started doing this in the first place, but then along the way it’s easy to forget. In all honesty, I was hoping to write this and explain why that feeling is so good. It’s been the sort of blog piece I’ve been wanting to write for so long, but never been able to find the words. I’m not sure I’ll ever pinpoint it.

 

I think that’s why we always go back, why there can never be one ride more epic than the last. Why we finish the ride and immediately start planning the next. Sometimes you have to go back to the start, to remind yourself of such things and today was that for me. Even if Larry did half-wheel me the whole way…

Back to basics: the NoGo Tour explained

Larry & Conor’s NoGo Tour day 4: Gone Swimming

 

The post Larry & Conor’s NoGo Tour day 5: Alpe d’Huez and Uncle Roger appeared first on The world's finest cycling magazine.


READ MORE

Watts Occurring Tour de France stage four: DING DING! Pogacar vs MVDP: Round Two

Watts Occurring Tour de France stage four: DING DING! Pogacar vs MVDP: Round Two

Listen to episode three of Watts Occurring, with Luke Rowe and Tom Fordyce

Read more
Lessons with Bardet, the art of suffering and balancing pressure - How Oscar Onley is having the Tour de France of his life

Lessons with Bardet, the art of suffering and balancing pressure - How Oscar Onley is having the Tour de France of his life

The British rider had his best finish yet on stage four – he spoke to Rouleur ahead of the race about how he has prepared...

Read more
Jonas Vingegaard

Victory for Pogačar, but the signs for Jonas Vingegaard already look good at the Tour de France

On the first GC uphill battle of the Tour, Vingegaard’s form is clearly better than at the Dauphiné

Read more
Tadej Pogačar, Tour de France 2025

Six years and 100 victories: Tadej Pogačar is peerless

Tadej Pogačar took his 100th win in stage four of the 2025 Tour de France, further cementing his breathtaking dominance among the current crop of...

Read more
Remco Evenepoel

Tour de France 2025 stage five preview: The race of truth

A flat time trial could provide a big shake-up on the general classification

Read more
Mathieu van der Poel

Tour de France 2025 standings: the results after stage four

The latest results and standings from the Tour de France 2025

Read more

READ RIDE REPEAT

JOIN ROULEUR TODAY

Get closer to the sport than ever before.

Enjoy a digital subscription to Rouleur for just £4 per month and get access to our award-winning magazines.

SUBSCRIBE