Find Alpine road cycling tough? Imagine doing it with one leg

Prior to tackling Europe's 2015 Haute Route, Peter Kimpton talks to two inspiring cyclists also preparing for the challenge - champion pro Emma Pooley, and remarkable disabled rider Christian Haettich

At first I wasn't sure if my eyes were seeing correctly. I rubbed them, not merely because sweat was pouring in during a long, steep climb up Italy's challenging, dramatic Passo di Pordoi in 2014, but because of the cyclist ahead of me. Then, breathing heavily as I slowly passed him, we exchanged a friendly nod, and I was filled with admiration and wonder.

Christian Haettich, from Alsace in north-eastern France, lost most of his left leg and part of his left arm due to a road accident in 1976, when he was 15. He was hit head-on by a car while riding a moped. The amputations understandably made his life extremely difficult. He made it through dark times, got married, had children, yet it wasn't until 1995 when he spotted a cyclist who also had one leg making his way up a col that his life changed again.