At 175km with 5000m of ascent this is said to be one of the toughest of the French “cyclosportives” .  Around 75% of participants are foreign (the French have obviously got more sense!) with an increasing number of Brits I would guess as a result of events such as the Fred Witton becoming ever more popular over here.

 

With a 7am start the first climb up the Col du Glandon is a real pleasure in the cool with fresh legs. On the descent there are Marshalls everywhere telling you to slow but still people are flying past me at scary speeds. I finally reach the Maurienne Valley where there is a bit less than 20km of flat, time to find a bunch going at a sensible speed and get dragged along.  We start with about 6 and end up with a full Tour de France size peloton.  I’m being pushed a bit faster than I want but if I’m going to get under 10 hours I need to get some kms done fast.

 

From the bottom of the Col du Telegraph I’m facing over 30km practically all uphill to the top of the Col du Galibier at 2600m, the telegraph is steady but once on the Galibier the gradient and the altitude start to have an effect and I wonder how I am ever going to make it to the Col let alone the finish. Close to the top where the gradient and the altitude really kick in a Dutchman sees I’m in agony and pushes me a few metres which provides only a brief respite and makes it feel even harder when I have to propel myself again. I finally arrive and collapse over the handlebars gasping for breath.  Two guys on a motorbike provide me with plenty of encouragement and continue to do so at various stages all the way to the finish as they follow the event back.  My bright orange Norton Wheelers shirt is fantastic as I am easily recognizable and chatting to other people takes my mind off the torture!

 

Around 45km nearly all downhill follows, steep and winding at first to the Lauteret then I turn into a headwind, time to find myself someone tall to hide behind, I glance over my shoulder to see if there is anyone  around and catch a load of guys lined out behind me! I drift on and off of various groups losing touch in the badly lit tunnels hoping there are no holes as it is impossible to see. A guy on a touring bike with no panniers just a track pump and a bunch of flowers on the back comes flying past and everyone follows, I curse him because he isn’t in the race and he is pushing the pace so I can’t keep up. I finally reach Bourg d’Oisans, a last stop and then the final 14.5km up Alpd’Huez, I have 2 hours left to get my gold standard surely I can manage that!

 

I set off with enthusiasm but the first 2km are the steepest on the climb and I am soon struggling to keep myself going, I stop and gasp for breath, what’s happening I did this last summer on the same bike in 1hr 15mins no bother.  100miles and 4000m have taken their toll and I am  struggling big time, I spot the team shirts of the numerous Brits I have made friends with on my way round, some of them look just as bad as me and we try to encourage each other to keep going. I pass the 8km to go marker but at only 8kph that means another hour of this!  I struggle on, only a few more km surely I can pick up the pace a bit. With about 5km to go I find a hosepipe and pour water all over myself, the effect is instant and I finally feel like I am going to make it. The last couple of km through the village get easier with people cheering and finally a right turn slightly downhill, I freewheel as I don’t even have the energy to change gear. A last turn into the finishing straight with a huge grin on my face and the relief is out of this world.  I cross the line dump my bike and collapse on the tarmac. I babble a load of complete nonsense to a few Brits who are collapsed around me and try to listen to the prize giving as I am hoping my friend Jan has won her category, I don’t want to miss her on the podium but for the moment I am going nowhere.  I promise myself that I will never put my body through this torture again. However having managed to knock 1hr45mins off my time from 3 years ago and achieve the gold standard I am well chuffed!

 

If you fancy a challenge this is certainly a good event to have a go at, harder and considerably cheaper and easier to get into than the etape, but unfortunately the roads are not closed.  I was lucky that I only got held up for 10 minutes on the top of the first climb while 4 cyclists were scrapped off the road.  Later on some people were delayed for up to 2 hours whilst the road was closed as a car had plunged off the edge!

 

If you are interested the website is www.sportcommunication.com or you can ask me all about it, my description of the torture on the last climb might be enough to make you see sense!

 

Lynn