Recce of the Cols- Glandon & Croix de Fer

Alas my week in des Voges has come to an end.  Time to hit the big smoke.  And as I pass through Grenoble with the Peugeot humming along on autopilot I baulk at what is looming on the horizon.  Yikes!  Now they are ‘real’ mountains.  I start to feel a sense of foreboding which only build as I get closer and then start to climb said ‘hills’ to my home in Sardonne for the next 3 weeks.

Sardonne from above

Unpacked and settled in.  Only one thing for it – go hit ’em!

First ride is a recce of the Col du Glandon and if I’m feeling up to it continue on to the Col de la Croix de Fer.  I’ve ridden part way up the Glandon last year but obviously I missed the ‘best bit’.  I recall the 10% sections in the first 5km, rolling through the easier sections of the joli village, Le Rivier del Allemond – where I refilled the bidon already.  Did I mention it was hot? Bloody hot in fact, reaching 36 degrees but the time I’d returned through this village.

After Le Rivier there’s a 4km flat section with a fast downhill with switchbacks.  As I’m descending I notice 10 – 11 – 12 – 13 – yikes – 14% shine up from the Garmin. Fun for descending but I’m going to have to climb back up this baby in a few hours time.  Hmm….

At the bottom there’s a right-hander over a bridge that takes you across the river before swinging back left and, oh, it goes upwards. Don’t you love that feeling of lactic acid returning? The next kilometer is UP.  Settle into a rhythm, well let’s call it a grind. I’m still trying to hold off on the granny gear (50/28) so push that 24 in and out of the saddle and gently work my way over those nasty little 12% pinches.

I pass a guy with his partner and she is somehow keeping the bike upright at about 4kph. Can she be seriously thinking of riding like that to the top?  Generally all the riders I see are young dudes, well there are women too, and sure, some are old dudes like me too.  There is every kind of rider you can imagine here – in fact I reckon EVERYONE who rides a bike in France is here – if it weren’t for the Dutch, German, English voices that is… They call it Cycling Mecca and it’s true, we are all bowed down hunched over the bars in a solemn prayer to any god that will help us get up these hills.

Is it any wonder that the ‘%’ symbol predominates any text or blog or email from these parts? This is the land of the 8% False Flat! But I digress. What really draws you in is the stunning scenery – bloody awesome peaks and luscious green forests full of twittering birds – TWITTER? No not that kind – real twittering, sounds that actually have meaning for the abundant wildlife. To prove it here’s a few photos along the way including the Lac du Grand Maison which signals the end of the 13% pinches which gradually give way, mercifully, to a mere 8% … like I said, false flat.

Gotta get to that damned wall!

The next 7km is up and down – yep, down. Nice for the legs to have a stretch – until lthe next uphill that is, which is “ouch” again. At the 17km mark there is a real downhill, whopping -6% where the speed flies into the 50s and the wind in your hair, well, no, swishing through that hot and sweaty lycra is refreshing. The price one pays for that is a final 2km section rising at about 8% average to the junction – and the bar/café – full of no doubt smelly cyclists.

Summit - Col du Glandon

I pass on, take a left and check out the summit and the descent to Saint-Etienne-de-Cuines where I’ll be heading on Saturday. It looks steep and should be fun with 4,000 other riders.  Then again maybe they will all be up the road by the time I get there and I’ll be free to zoom 😉

The descent to Saint-Etienne-de-Cuines

I decide I can handle the additional 2.5km up to the Col de la Croix de Fer. It’s pretty straightforward at about 6%. That should be easy, well it is, once that lactic acid gives over. There’s plenty of folks at the top checking out the Iron Cross – and enjoying the bar/café of course. I settle for a few more pieces of my Endura bar and the odd Snake. A bunch of snaps for the Blog and I’m heading down.

No wonder I didn't feel any headwind - I was pushed up!

I'ze been robbed of 120m - Garmin explanation required!

Did I mention I had hurt my hand? Tweaked the thumb joint on my mate’s iron gate. Climbing was not free of pain though it did force me to change hand positions regularly – always a good thing. However the real test was going to be the descending. To get any kind of leverage on the levers I had to go into the drops. Now descending on the drops is the way to go at the best of times but when you’re flying down long 10+% grades you’re inclined to pick up just a little speed. Suffice to say there were sections of over a kilometer where you didn’t get out of the 70s. Things max’d out at 77kph with the ‘breeze’ drying out the kit nicely 😉  BTW, on the way down, not all that far from the top, I passed that woman and her patient partner still grinding her way up – chapeau! No one is immune from the lure of pain and exhilaration of a challenge.

I roll in to Allemont – looking for an open store where I might buy some coffee grounds.  None open, drats! As mentioned, the temp has hit 36 degrees so I don’t hang about. Only thing is the short 6km roll back to Sardonne. Roll? Hmm, not likely. Try 6km with 350m vertical ascent at, you guessed it, mostly 8% … not feeling like a false flat anymore. But it’s a nice ride through shady trees with the promise of ice cold beer and food awaiting.

The only reason I rode at all today 😉

So the recce is done. It felt pretty good – manageable. A confidence boost or fool’s paradise? Only time will tell. 1,985m of climbing in the legs over 71km. Yep, not quite a Marmotte but let’s see how tomorrow turns out. Here’s some more pics and graphs and a link to the Garmin file – if anyone’s still reading!

Sardonne-Col de la Croix de Fer

Just the climb to the Col de la Croix de Fer

The day's stats