Casey Fields Criterium

Posted on November 7, 2011 by admin

Wow!  Summer arrives early. Sunny and 32 degrees with a moderate northerly. Let’s go crit racing 😉

After last week’s disappointing effort I was keen to hang in a bit longer on the flat this week. I’m still coming back after a month of minimal riding (exemplified by some scary HR readings) and the good news is the neck pain has eased somewhat. An hour out on the drops should put it to the test!

B Grade was comprised of a bunch of 17 including some of the big strong types along with classic ‘sit in ‘ sprinters. With that northerly blowing I was concerned to stay forward and hold tight onto wheels as a gap at the wrong part of the circuit would surely mean ‘curtains’. Ian Smith guided us around the first few laps before the first of several solo escape attempts emerged. With various of the strong men driving the pace, Rob Harris, Andrew Nielsen, Martin Stalder and others (some new names to me who have emerged during the Winter) each escapee was left to hang before succumbing to the effort and returning back to field. My biggest fear was that 4 or 5 of those rouleurs would get away together but somehow it didn’t work out that way – thankfully.

Looking back at the stats indicates a harder race than it seemed at the time – average over 37kph if you lose the warm up. Then again, for me sitting in for the whole race, it would be manageable, right? Still, with those HR readings obviously I’ve got a way to go fitness-wise. As the plan was to effectively get motor paced to the end I’d have to say mission accomplished.

As the clock ticked over the hour and we were still all together it was clear that a bunch sprint was coming up. The average speed dropped from 37 down to 35 and the tension and anticipation level rose in response. Heading around the back of the circuit there was a bit of bumping as the field bunched up prompting a rider to attack off the front. ‘Folly!’ the bunch collectively sighed and continued on towards the back straight. Jean-Philippe Leclercq is a relatively new rider and with a tailwind down the back straight the ‘folly’ turned to ‘hmm, good move’ as he continued to build a gap. Sensing this the bunch surged and I managed to move up to about 5th or 6th. However, by the time we’d reached the final bend into the finish straight the old heart started ‘valve-bouncing’ and I decided to back it off and leave it to the big boys to fight it out. A wall of riders pounded into the headwind but, despite getting to a photo finish, they were unable to pass Jean-Philippe.

Top effort there for a new marked man. Greg Lipple was the man who almost was with ‘big men’ Dayle Goodall and Andrew Nielsen taking 3rd and 4th. A nice return to crit racing and a fun day out in the sun. Bring on more!

More details:

connect.garmin.com/activity/127045838

Stats:

Last lap:

Overall splits:

 

 

Posted in 2011, Nov 5, Race Reports | Tagged | Leave a comment

Arthurs Creek Road Race

Posted on October 29, 2011 by admin

After 2 weeks of overseas travel and a persistent neck problem keeping me off the bike for a further 2 weeks it didn’t take a Minority Report to predict the outcome of this race. Still, I was pretty desperate to get back out there and the weather gods have done a nice job with the day – dry roads!

One ‘palindrome lap’ of Arfur’s – 16km

Click pic to zoom then hit BACK to return to blog

Only ten of us in B Grade set off over the hill in neutral for 4 laps of this out and back course. The pace was easy and perhaps that is what inspired Ian Smith to ride off the front. He claims it wasn’t an attack but once he saw he was alone decided to just continue on. Well that’s fine but this is only 1/4 distance into the first lap. Collectively the bunch thought the same thing and allowed him to ride off out of sight.

Arriving at the turn we could see that he was perhaps 300 metres ahead of us. Given that all those metres are uphill we assessed that he had a nice gap there. By the time we were half way back 2 riders had had enough and decided to bridge. Quentin Frayne and Warren Steinicke pushed off the front with the bunch initially looking on bemused. When two more riders also attacked it was time for some co-ordination. Mal Jones and Thorkild (I believe) were quickly brought back and I believe it was me who started to get vocal about working together.

Up ahead we could now see Ian sitting up while Quentin and Warren bridged. Our pace behind increased however there were only 3 or 4 of us working, Ray Russo, Martin Stalder, Thorkild Muurholm and myself. With more urging we avoided surging on the hills to the turn around and remained grupetto out to the orchard on lap 2. Somehow a few little surges on the hills were having me off the back and I had to scramble back on wondering if I could keep pace. By the time we’d gone half way out to the turn I was finished, cooked, blown!

Beautiful day for a ride … I’ve never noticed how nice the countryside is out here… la de da…

Actually I did continue to push my own pace and try to make it a training ride of some value. However my average speed dropped from the 33kph of the first lap with the bunch down to 31.5kph for the second then 29.2kph for the third at which point I called it quits. Not fair to have the follow car dragging its butt around behind me while everyone else is back at the school drinking beer!

As it turned out the bunch did work the leaders back and arrived into the final straight ready to sprint. They were a tight bunch and across the road so some likely sprinting types like Quentin were blocked for a run. Martin also took a squeeze but still managed 3rd. Ray Russo was chasing hard but it was Warren Steinicke who had surged away for the win – despite having spent quite a lot of the race in the break.

For me, glad to be back out there in the hills and looking forward to rediscovering some kind of form as we head to the Summer Season. But can I be ready in time for the Tour of Bright?

Okay, so I’m not all that fit but that HR is obviously ridiculous!

Posted in 2011, Oct 29, Race Reports | Tagged | Leave a comment

Mount Laguna Loop

Posted on September 28, 2011 by admin

Visiting San Diego for some meetings so only one thing for it – call up Jon and arrange a roll. He spread the word and we are joined by two riders, John and Jerry, itching for a mid-week run out to Kitchen Creek Road – in the East County hills. The morning fog has lifted by the time we drive out to the start point and already the temperature is rising into the 80’s (Fahrenheit used round these parts). There’s a strong gusting dry wind building from the North East which is sure to play a big part in the day’s proceedings.

Here’s the route:

We take off from the car park next to the 8 and head south through Pine Valley. After the first small descent it’s climb time already and I’m not ready – ouch! Breakfast is hanging heavy and I’m off the pace. Jerry powers off ahead with the others on his wheel until they notice I’m gone. First waiting stop of the day! My excuses of jetlag and tiredness wear thin pretty quickly so I’m keen to get these old muscles up to speed ASAP.

We connect up with the old Hwy 80 next to the 8 then make a right, er – left, on to Kitchen Creek Road.  I have already finished bidon 1 so we stop in at the Fire Station for refills. Once we leave there it’s a 12 mile climb all the way to the T intersection where we go right to the Mount Laguna general store.

The start of the climb up Kitchen Creek Road is on a wide 2 lane road which is exposed to the wind and steep with lots of sections around 10%. Already I’m missing my compact 50/34 and 11-28 gearing. I’m on a rented Specialized Tarmac sporting standard gearing 53/39, 12-25. That should be fine but I’m not used to that kind of grinding and the wind is not helping! Okay, I’m getting old(er) and soft!

John & Nigel grinding upwards

John looking comfortable

 

About half way up the climb the road narrows to a single lane and is decorated with grasses, pot holes and plenty of coyote poo. This really is remote stuff. No sign of any other traffic and no wonder it’s a favourite run for cyclists especially on weekends. Today we have it all to ourselves.

It’s always nice to look back down the valley where the hard work has already been done.

I’ve decided to wear my trophy jersey from La Marmotte ride but I’m afraid I wasn’t able to do it justice by showing my incredible climbing prowess! If it looks like I’m suffering – I am. The gradient is not consistent and varies from between 5 and 10% making getting into a rhythm difficult.

But it’s a beautiful climb especially near the top where the pine trees kick in.

 

Near the summit I start to hunger flat and begin cramming jelly Shots and Aussie ‘snakes’ which I snuck into the suitcase before leaving home for just such an eventuality. It’s enough to get me to the T-intersection and we push on to Mount Laguna general store where I scoff a can of coke and Cliff bar. After a short break I’m revived and with bidons refilled it’s time for the fun of the descent.

The route takes us down Sunrise Hwy which includes both fast descents as well as rolling climbs spiced with healthy cross winds to keep us alert. We are descending from 1,750m and off to the right there is a spectacular view of the Anza-Boreggo Desert State Park. John and Jerry are strong descenders leaving us flyweights, Jon and myself, floundering in their  jetstream. We generally regroup on the climbs then split again as they power off together again.

The run through the marshy area of Lake Cuyamaca is line astern behind Jerry who is taking great delight in powering along at over 40mph (65kph). After the long straight we zoom through a series of esses (s’s? S es?) which are a lot of fun at speed. We’re enjoying the cross-tail winds and the general negative gradient. However there are also plenty of those rolling climbs which are just a bit too tough to big ring given the tired legs. Still, the return to base is quick and a lot of fun.

The run home was not without incident with Jerry scoring a bee sting on the thumb when said insect decided to lodge in his glove. Then, almost within sight of the car, John scores a slow puncture. Luckily a quick pump enabled him to make it back with just a short walk up that last little climb. Four hot and sweaty bodies try to freshen up before the drive back for the obligatory coffee and water. Well deserved I’d say after 102km and 4 hours out in that heat. It hit 93F while we were out there.

Awesome ride in great company. Thanks boys! Enjoyed it immensely but the legs will take a while to recover.

All photos taken by Jon Powell. Thanks Jon!

 

Some stats:

Click image to zoom:

 

Posted in Ride Reports, Sept 27 | Tagged , | 1 Comment

2011 Etape du Tour Act 2

Posted on July 17, 2011 by admin

I may have been moved to tears in climbing the mythical Mt Ventoux and the Alpe d’Huez during previous Etapes. But if there were tears this year they would have been for different reasons and surely washed away into the highland streams and lakes of the Massif Centrale. A day like that deserves some poetic words in response. Well, anyway I think the ‘heavens’ did enough crying for all of us. What a day!

I’m sorry I can’t offer any of my own ‘snaps’ or video for this ride. Within the first 20km it quickly became a game of survival rather than the intended fun day out on the bike. I was determined to get to the finish and never allowed any thoughts of abandon. However there were many times when I wondered just how things could have gotten any worse – and yet they did.

This Etape promised to be a beauty with a bucket load of climbs along the 200km route of the Massif Central region.

Click image to zoom then BACK to return to the blog

Mountain passes & Hills

Issoire Saint-Flour – 208 km
  • Km 43.5 – Côte de Massiac – 3.4 km climb to 6.2 % – Category 3
  • Km 99.5 – Col du Pas de Peyrol (Le Puy Mary) (1589 m) – 7.7 km climb to 6.2 % – Category 2
  • Km 116.0 – Col du Perthus (1309m) – 4.4 km climb to 7.9 % – Category 2
  • Km 127.5 – Col de Cère (1294 m) – 2.9 km climb to 6.3 % – Category 3
  • Km 139.5 – Côte de la Chevade – 3.0 km climb to 7.9 % – Category 3
  • Km 154.0 – Col de Prat de Bouc (Plomb du Cantal) (1392 m) – 8.0 km climb to 6.1 % – Category 2
  • Km 193.0 – Côte du Château d’Alleuze – 2.0 km climb to 4.9 % – Category 4
  • Km 208.0 – SAINT-FLOUR Montée des Orgues – 1.6 km climb to 6.1 % – Category 4

When the weather forecasts were indicating a wet race I figured that should be okay for, unlike the 3Peaks ride back home in the mountains of Victoria, the temperature should be warm enough so long as the wind was light. Completely wrong! While we are supposed to be experiencing the French Summer there was the small factor called altitude. Most of the many peaks on the route climbed to over 1,200 metres with the highest, the Col du Pas de Peyrol (Le Puy Mary) topping out at 1589m. That’s not far short of the Alpe d’Huez. However, beyond the first 50km the route rarely dropped under 1,000 metres. And, of course, there WAS wind – plenty of it!

A recipe for disaster, a word much used in the blogs and news reports of the day. Well to be more accurate, the words often used were “catastrophe”, “apocalypse” ….. In fact it was disaster that was averted by the incredible effort achieved by the organisers who were surely stretched to the limit with only 25% of those registered to ride actually finishing the event.

After a 300km drive across from the Alps Pete (my riding buddy) and I went down to the sign on and then settled in to our nearby hotel to pack and prepare. Deciding on clothing was the hardest thing to judge as the forecasts, while predicting rain, were somewhat at odds with the clearing skies above. This illusion was quickly dampened the next morning as the windscreen wipers got a working over as we drove to Issoire for the start where rain jackets were everywhere.

At the start in Issoire (photo Velo101)

My bib number of 2257 got me into a fairly early start but already I was shivering. Once moving the body quickly warmed but I don’t think the hands ever did. As the stream of riders climbed out of Issoire the rain began to fall harder and as soon as we got in to the hills and on the highlands beyond the Côte de Massiac the wind picked up as well. On these lower slopes the fields were open with no shelter whatsoever. Here’s a pic I found on a website (http://www.velo101.com/photos/galerie/letape-du-tour-mondovelo-acte-2/108) that gives a bit of an indication of the conditions out there.

Miserable conditions

Pete was up ahead having started in the second wave and I was wondering how he was faring – already worried about all the climbing to be done on this tough course the weather was surely compounding his concerns. When I finally arrived at the first feedzone in Allanche I was stunned by the sight of thousands (literally) of bicycles leaning up against a wall and riders wandering around with dazed looks on their faces. As I rolled to a stop and tried to click out nothing worked and I crashed to the ground. I was so cold that I couldn’t reach into my back pocket to get my phone out to call Peter. I decided to get some food and hot coffee and try to thaw out.

It took 10 minutes before I finally fumbled with the phone only to hear that Pete was abandoning. Thousands of others did the same and some were in pretty bad condition. This is where the organisers and locals came into the picture. Locals were sheltering people in their shops and supplying hot drinks, heat and blankets. The organisers herded people into a local pavilion with medical teams assessing their condition on entry. Some were immediately wrapped in space blankets and treated for hypothermia. These pictures from Peter give an idea of the scene.

Out in the street I was getting cold and decided I’d be warmer if I kept riding. Standing there for an hour waiting for a bus was unimaginable. So off I went into the gloom and mist, out through the village and immediately onto a stiff climb. As I tried to shift into a higher gearing I found my shifter stuck and all but came to a standstill. The fall I’d taken earlier had bent the derailleur cable back on itself breaking the plastic grommet where it slots in. I carefully bent it back into something resembling its correct position and got the gears working of a fashion. However it was jumping off the 28 and clicking and carrying on. Some small adjustments settled it down but suddenly, with the next big climbs and more wilderness approaching, I had a new concern to add to the weather conditions.

Frankly from here on the next 150km were a blur. I do recall the sky clearing at one point and exposing an incredible sight of the beautiful mountain peaks of this region; a fellow wandering on the verge with a seriously scared look on his face at the predicament he was in – in the wilderness and yet unable to ride on and no shelter or support for miles around; ambulances passing constantly; a very cloudy summit of the Col du Pas de Peyrol; a scary descent where I couldn’t tell how many fingers I had on the brake levers; a phone call with Peter saying he’d made it back to the hotel and would meet me at the finish; a very muddy feedzone next to a stream with hot but unpalatable coffee; running along the grassy slopes with barbed wire where Fletcha and Hoogerland had come to grief; and a wonderful and fast section sitting in a small bunch of big Dutch dudes (wearing orange) smashing it along a ridge on the approach to Saint-Flour.

The final 30km seemed to take an eternity, probably due to the anticipation and expectation that seems to make time stand still some times. Finally, eventually I reached Saint-Flour and dragged my sorry butt up the final insult, a 1km climb to the top of the village and the finish. Pete was there to greet me and I think I was too exhausted and dazed to even shed a tear. My eyes were red raw from the grit, hail and beating rain already – I’ll never forget to wear a peak cap in the wet again!

As always there were hordes of volunteers assisting riders and handing out medals and food. And in spite of those awful conditions there were local people out all along the route, on the roads both in villages and even in the remote fields, cheering and encouraging the riders along with “chapeau”, “bon courage” and applause. As if riding these special areas of the world on closed roads isn’t enough the French people’s love of cycling and bonne volonté towards those who take on such challenges is quite amazing.

One day I want to return to this route and ride it in conditions where it can be enjoyed.

Results for what it’s worth:

Total time: 10:25:42  :  Ride time: 9:23:10

Classement réel: 1630 of 2094 finishers  :  Classement D (50 – 59yrs): 372 of 500

Madone challenge (both Etapes): 211 of 314 finishers

The ride is on the Garmin site:   http://connect.garmin.com/player/106083523

Official results, photos and videos:   http://www.asochallenge.com/

And here’s some stats:

While my story goes some way towards describing the event I was also quite taken by the words, photos and videos of others who have posted on various sites. Here are some of them:

http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/latest/529414/weather-wreaks-havoc-at-etape-du-tour.html

http://physicaledgeuk.wordpress.com/2011/07/19/etape-du-tour-2011-the-real-story/

http://auvergne.france3.fr/info/la-mondovelo-dans-la-tourmente-69703726.html?onglet=videos&

 

Posted in CycloSportives, France, Ride Reports | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

2011 Etape du Tour Act 1

Posted on July 11, 2011 by admin

This is Act 1 of the two Etapes du Tour being run this year. It’s basically a half a Marmotte, kind of, as it runs from Modane to L’Alpe d’Huez via the Télégraphe and Galibier. This is handy as I can use the figures from my Marmotte to guestimate some average speeds with a bit more aggressive riding over the shorter distance.

The course

As it follows the same route and I am focused more on a stronger performance I don’t have any pics or videos along the way. Frankly you could imagine the scene as pretty much the same as the Marmotte blog. The same number of starters, 7,000 and the same long line of suffering snaking their way up those long climbs. Here are a few snaps taken from my pen #4 while waiting for the start in Modane. Check out that line way off into the distance behind – if you squint! (sorry only iPhone resolution)

Rider up front

Riders waiting behind - way behind!

But let’s backtrack a bit and paint a picture of how the day unfolded. The alarm is set for 4:45 which should have me in the car by 5 for the 90 minute drive over the Col du Glandon and down to Modane for a 7am start. But, as usual, I wake early, 4:15. That’s only 4.5hrs sleep – bugger! No point in lying there and I figure the sooner I get over there and find a park the better as the start town is always bedlam. By the time I’m dressed, sunscreened and lanolined 😉 and packed into the car it’s 4:50 anyway – would have been late as usual!

The drive there is a bit full on with plenty headlights dipping in and out of view as we wind our way up and over the Glandon in the wee hours of dawn. It’s a bit difficult with all the spinning of the steering wheel but I manage to eat the baguette and banana I’ve packed for breakfast and wash it down with a cold coffee in a bottle. I drove this route on Friday especially to scope out the route so why did I get off the freeway at exit 29 instead of 30? Let’s put some pressure on! So now I’m driving through Saint-Michelle-de-Maurienne behind a tractor with no idea how far to get to a safe park. I’m leaving the car overnight and am scared it’ll be stripped by the side of the road when I come to collect it next day.

Argh! The further I go the more the road is filling with cyclists all heading in one direction. When I get to within 4km of Modane there are so many people being dropped off that I become afraid I won’t get a park at all and will have to do a U-turn and waste more time. So I pull into the next spot marked “P” – a mere siding by the roadside and manage to take the last spot available.

I quickly saddle up and join the growing peloton of riders heading for town. Most of the pens are already full and I get channeled into my spot thankfully seeded forward this year so I won’t have to wait too long. However, as it happens they leave even longer between the groups so it is still 35 minutes before we are go. The last riders surely would be over an hour waiting. That’s a big buffer and painful for them waiting in the cold.

The run out of Modane is downhill so we’re zooming along at a nice pace. As I started at the back of my pen I didn’t have to contend with hotshots coming through from behind and was able to roll along nicely all the way to Saint-Michelle-de-Maurienne.  Zipping through the town with full access to the road carefully controlled by police on every intersection is really something awesome. Closed roads all the way to Alpe d’Huez! Can it get any better?

So the first split of 16km is completed with an average speed of 45.5kph. The climb all the way to the summit of the Galibier is uneventful. I’m simply focused on keeping a steady tempo with a bit more urgency than during the Marmotte. I’d hoped to average 12+kph for the Télégraphe and actually managed a tad over 13Kph so things were looking good. I’ve already consumed one of the pain au chocolât that I’ve packed and been steadily sucking on the gel bottle to keep ahead of the energy depletion.  A very brief stop at the water station refilled both bidons with fresh mountain H2O.

The most fantastic section of the ride was the descent off the Galibier and especially from the Col du Lautaret where the road is much smoother. Absolutely spectacular sweeping and fast using all the closed road swapping turns with two big guys who obviously really know their stuff. In the past descents have been dodgy due to uncomfortable descenders having started in front of you. With this new seeding system based on previous performances that problem is almost completely resolved.

The only problem – really BIG problem – was the tunnels. There are a number of them on this descent and I had discovered during the Marmotte that it is essential to remove sun glasses before entering or you can’t see a thing. A group of about 30 of us blasted into one of them at over 50kph to be greeted with desperate shouts – SLOW! BRAKING! @#$% in French! Someone ahead had obviously freaked out and hit the brakes causing serious danger for those following. Fortunately, thanks to the skill of the riders round me we managed to settle the pace and rolled carefully through. The later tunnels were treated with greater caution with bigger gaps between us.

So, the 48km from the summit of the Galibier down 2,000m to Le Bourg d’Oisans is completed in just over an hour, average speed of 45kph for an hour! Too much fun! Max speed was 71.2kph – off the bit! On the valley floor I sat in with a bunch of about 50 riders being sucked along at 35kph and took the opportunity to devour the last banana and prepare mentally for the final challenge, l’Alpe d’Huez…. mecca of pain.

And so it proved to be again for me. In spite of good early pace I found the final 6km very tough. I was still passing a lot of riders but as also getting passed myself so it was hard to judge the reality of my pace. Best I could do was grind on and ride the threshold of suffering. At least it wasn’t as desperate or nauseous as for the Marmotte and I managed to shave off 5 minutes or so form that time. 1:27 is not a PB (that’s more like 1:05) but after the day’s efforts I had to be happy. Once through the cafés I drove hard for the final kilometer and up to the TdF finish line to join the throng of spent but elated rouleurs.

 

J'arrive!

 

 

So that’s it for the report as such. Here’s a few extra thoughts about the ride that you can skip if you’re over it already.

To me the big thing, challenge if you like, about these rides is the planning and execution – how well I achieve this is reflected in the results to a degree but one can gain a lot of satisfaction from the way you managed your ride as much as where you finished in the bunch. I don’t just mean the forward planning of what to carry, food, drink, clothing, short gloves long gloves and so on. As Robbie McEwen says, it’s not how much energy you expend on a race, it’s how much you conserve. The ideal is to arrive a spent force having left it all out there on the road. This requires continuing assessment of how you’re feeling and making a judgement call on how much you’ve got left to give.  Will another suck on the gel bottle make the difference?  Have you drunk enough or too much liquid? How many ‘natural breaks’

That said, here’s some Official stats:
Time    05:27:47
Climb of l’Alpe d’Huez 01:26:44

Ranking 1,595 out of 7,000 starters – 6443 finishers.

I placed 243 of 1,251 in the 50 – 59 age group.

Two 50 year olds in the top 10!  The guy who won our category came in 8th overall – incredible! Well literally?  Who knows? He had 03:48 overall time with 50min flat for l’Alpe. If I’d been able to get up the Alpe that fast (take off 30 min) my time would still have been 5hrs, over an hour behind this guy. Just very impressed by these riders.

6443 finished within the time limit. Fastest time 03:39:10 from a C Grader!  Let’s see how that compares with the pros next week.

Overview

Splits

Profile vs Time

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/98498862

Posted in CycloSportives, France, Ride Reports | Tagged , | 4 Comments

La Marmotte 2011

Posted on July 2, 2011 by admin

Well here we go – the big one. Bit weird starting the CycloSportives I’ve planned for this trip with the hardest one of the lot. Not that the others will be easy but what can compete with 176km and 5,000m of climbing? According to the organisers, not much.

I set out with the intention of just trying to get through it as a ‘training ride’ in preparation for les Etapes du Tour.  But you know me. It wasn’t long before I was checking out the schedule and planning out the times only to realise that maybe I could consider going for a time. Gold in my age group was 9:36, cough cough, a bit unlikely, but with Silver at 11:32 who knows? Regardless, I was definitely committed to riding within myself all the way to the top of the Galibier and see how the legs are after that.
The first problem was getting to the start line. From my digs in Sardonne I’d have to ride along the main road to Le Bourg d’Oisans – which was going to be closed in time for the first wave of riders departing at 7:00. Alas my start was slated at 7:50 and I’d rather not be standing and freezing in a pen for an hour or more. I took my chances and went down a bit late and as is the way here in France cyclists get priority so I, along with a hundred or more others, was waved through the barrier by the authoritative Gendarme and cruised down to Bourg tucked into a nice rolling group. As it happened I arrived just before the Départ and had time to capture the atmos.

The start in Le Bourg d'Oisans

 

The first wave was the 400 top class individuals plus team riders and a bunch of VIPs. It also included a guy, Andrew, who’s staying here at the gite riding the full week, 4 big ‘stages’ making up the Grand Trophee. He came in 29th overall – strong rider, oh to be 37 again! Anyway, I digress, here’s the scene in Bourg.  Wouldn’t want to be trying to have a sleep in on a Saturday morning with all this action around. Suddenly they’re away!

 

I quickly scooted around the back of town along a laneway and was funneled into my pen at the back of the field. 7,000 riders is a lot of machinery, a lot of foreign voices, a lot of ‘blokes’ – although there were some female riders and inevitably, a lot of nervous bladders needing emptying. I was fine so settled in for the wait munching on one of the 2 bananas I’d brought along for the ride. As always I had a shocker of a sleep, maybe 4 hours if I was lucky, so got up early and ate some muesli and had a coffee so was somewhat fuelled up. I also carried a pain au chocolat, my usual bar bag loaded with chopped Endura & muesli bars and good old Aussie ‘snakes’ from the Natural Confectionary Company – no I’m not sponsored by them but do like them on a ride. Most important was my dispenser containing 5 Endura Raspberry gels. No way I was going to be one of the hundreds of street junkers who tossed gel and bar wrappers all over the course. I just don’t get that in a cyclist. Crap everywhere along the route including uneaten bars which people drop accidentally and prefer to ride on rather than stop and collect them.  What is that all about?

In the murky morning light we edge closer to the start line after the 2000-4000 dossards depart

Enough preamble! At 7:50 exactly the front of the line begins to stir and it’s not long before we’re rolling back down the road I’d just come in on. I’m happy to sit in and roll and just keep out of the way of the impetuous ones, yep they’re all young, who are dashing along presumably looking for ‘position’ before the climbing? Dunno but I don’t get that either. It’s a cruisy run all the way to Allemont reservoir where the climb to the Glandon starts. Did I mention the cold? I won’t say I was freezing but it was brisk and I was shivering during the wait in the pen and took most of the run to Allemont to start to warm up. And lo and behold as we arrive there the sun peeks over the mountain ledge and lights up the valley turning the reservoir water a gorgeous deep greeny blue.
However no time to enjoy the scenery. There are wheels to watch and ‘sensations in the legs’ to be concentrating on. After my recon of the Glandon earlier in the week I had a good sense of an acceptable speed. Already I went all the way to the top of the cassette to the 28 determined to ‘float’ to the top. I didn’t want to even feel the legs until … well at all really, but certainly not soon. The climb was busy with the big groups shifting forwards or backwards according to the desired pace. One had to be careful to avoid running into slower riders while staying right which makes it just a tad difficult holding a desired rhythm.
One of the worst things about cyclosportives is the way people refuse to ride on the right (or left in Australia where it is a similar problem) making the ascents messy and the descents downright dangerous. The drivers on freeways are fantastic, certainly compared with Australian lane huggers. They are so respectful and considerate of cars coming up behind and keeping the passing lane clear. So why don’t cyclists do it in bunches? Grrr. That and the trash on the roads are the down side.
The up side is the amazing sensation of riding with 7,000 cyclists with hundreds at close quarters silently grinding their way up some of the most amazing scenery in the world. On this early climb there was a bit of excited banter mainly it seemed by Italians. Later there was nothing but the wind, highly inflated tyres and the odd carbon rims, a stream or two and bleating sheep on the slopes of the Galibier. But before then we have to mount this beast called Glandon.
It’s great to feel familiar with the run in to Le Rivier and the steep winding descent shortly afterwards followed by the 13% pinches up and down before that long slog up to the reservoir. The sun was well and truly up and over even the highest peaks now and the slopes were a rich green and the sky a deep blue. I don’t recall seeing a cloud all day. The temperature was predicted to be 27 degrees and the wind 10 – 20kph, perfect! So I’m not carrying the rain jacket – just the vest and arm warmers, short gloves, bare legs, no toesies. Could be a gamble, these are the Alps after all.

Graphs of the Col du Glandon

The climb to the Glandon was uneventful, exactly as I’d wanted it. Not only that but my time was 5 minutes quicker than the training ride last Monday. I couldn’t feel any work in my legs, I’d finished the bidon of Endurox and the second one of water and was ready to refill both with water and take on some fresh food. Fresh food? Hmm, can’t see any around and things are a bit chaotic so I decide to descend and work on my stash of bars with just the water replenished. While one can plan according to the info at hand one needs also to expect things to not quite go to plan. Fortunately there was food further up the road at Valloire. One noticeable positive was the fresh tasting water all along the route. Something to be said for being in the mountains even though much of it was decanted from pretty industrial looking trucks or ‘black bladders’! The water was great and plentiful – all 8 bidons I consumed along the route.

The descent to Saint-Étienne du Cuines was steep and fast.  Well it would have been fast if riders would stay right and stop braking in the corners. Throughout the day I must have seen 20 people repairing flats and nearly always it was on the descents. Braking too much and heating up rims to bursting point I speculate. Other than that hazard there were the kamikazes who just over cooked it. Through the day I saw about 6 ambulances tending to the crashed and I hear some of them were particularly nasty – like the guy who went over the edge of the Galibier. Now that’s a big fall.
I count myself as a pretty good descender and found some nice sweeping stuff to negotiate at speed.  However a lot of the descending was taken with attention to what others were doing and picking appropriate braking spots rather than endless riding the rims red. Another factor was my sore left thumb causing pain when using the all important rear brake lever. I spent a lot of time on the drops to get better leverage but of course that makes you go faster. There was plenty to think about on those descents but all were negotiated without any sense of danger.
In an effort to hose down crazy descending the organisers have been told they must remove the timing from the Glandon descent in order to get a licence for the ride. So, there’s a timing mat at the top and bottom of the mountain where you clock in and out. Strangely though, it seems that your overall time still includes that time, your full day including any stopping. A second time is provided with the Glandon descent removed but I have no idea what meaning that time has. But let’s worry about time later. For now the complete focus is on conserving energy.
So where are we? Ah yes, the flat 12km run from Saint-Étienne du Cuines to Saint-Jean de Maurienne. After a bit of swapping and changing I find a nice bunch of about 40 riders going my pace and happily find a possie to sit in. There’s the occasional stupidity, moving up on the right or pushing in on the left, but generally it’s safe and I conserve a lot of energy there before most of them pull off for a water stop.  My bidons will see me to the next stop at the Col du Télégraphe so I push on.
The next 14km contains a gradual climb of about 250m. Nothing steep but a bit of work just the same. At least the scenery starts to get a bit more interesting as the next cols start to loom up ahead. The Col du Télégraphe is a pretty climb with some nice green overhang providing early shade as the temperature is now starting to climb. The winding road also provides some lovely views back down the valley to Saint-Michel de Maurienne and I’m always surprised at how quickly one seems to gain altitude. Ah, this seems like a perfect spot for another ‘natural break’ – and photo opportunity!

 

At 1556m the Col du Télégraphe is no soda fizz and requires a good steady rhythm. This is much more achievable now with the pack of riders having thinned out considerably. I’m passing some and others are passing me. There was a bit more traffic coming both up and down this road including a large truck, bus with trailer, many cars (some quite impatient on the horns) and the usual run of motorbikes. The scene at the top is quite chaotic but I need a water refill so open the shoulders and move in.

Graphs of the Col de Télégraphe

As can be seen in the graph the gradient varies generally between 5 and 10% averaging around 7 – 8%. The HR is in check and the speed sticking around 10kph. I’m happy with that. So we’ve just climbed 850m and what do we do? Go down! It might be nice to get the speedo ticking into the  50s again but down means up, or will do once we arrive at the start of the Galibier. Still, a rest for the legs is welcome and running through Valloire to the food stop is straightforward even if the town is bustling with tourists.
Food! At last a chance to get some fresh food into the stomach. I decide not to join others and sit on the nice grass and relax in the sun. Better to keep moving I think or the adrenaline might just dump me. I open two bits of baguette and shove some mortadella in to make a sandwidge of sorts and put a handful of dried apricots into my bag pocket to nibble on later. I remount the steep and push on thrugh a fairly flat transition before the climb. I’m not a great one for shovelling food down my throat but make a big effort to finish the roll before the road starts to climb.
With two fresh bidons of water and everything in order I set about the big one – 18km to climb the additional 1220m to the summit at 2,642m. I guess the pictures tell the story and frankly the memory of the rest of the ride gets a little hazy. I did stop for another natural break while still in the green section which made for a nice photo opportunity. Aaah!  Wildflowers…

Climbing the Galibier 1

Climbing the Galibier 2

 

The puff of air from the cheeks, French style ;-), in the video says it all. It may be beautiful but it’s a beast of a climb. One needs all the assistance one can get and today the wind was kind for the climb as witnessed by the flag banner near the summit.

Graphs of Col de Galibier

That wind! Hmm, bit bloody chilly cutting through the thin lycra. I pop on the vest and quickly battle through to the food and water – a piece of banana and a cup cake, two full bidons of that fresh tasting water out of a seemingly filthy black truck and I’m clipping in again. Whoah! Watch that first step. Negative 10% right out of the blocks soon wakens the adrenaline stocks. The top sections of the road have been resurfaced in readiness for the two times the Tour de France comes over here in a week or two. It’s nice and sticky and one can safely lean in to the bends.
Once past the tunnel (which passes under the summit) the road surface deteriorates yet opens up more to allow higher speed. There are the usual obstacles to avoid – nervous riders sitting in the middle of the road and quite a few cars coming up. Staying alert and free flowing is the best option especially since that nice tail wind has turned into a pretty nasty cross-head wind. Still it’s a pretty brisk run down to the Lautaret intersection where we meet the main road turning right towards Le Bourg d’Oisans and our final destination, or maybe that should be, destiny.
It’s a run of about 50km from the top of the Galibier down to the base of l’Alpe d’Huez. It’s fast, though would be even faster had it not been for that block head wind. I glance over my shoulder to discover a half a dozen dudes sitting on my wheel.  Hey! I ease off the pedals and entice a big fellow to come through and do a bit of the work. He obliges but the rest of them stay where they are until we enter the first of 3 or 4 quite poorly lit tunnels. The big fella in front has a tail light! Who has tail lights over here? I took mine off. It was certainly handy to be able to follow that red glow rather than fumble getting the sunglasses off.
Anyway, to help us get to the end of this story, let’s just say the transition down to Bourg was pretty brisk. I had stopped for one last ‘natural break’ and by the time I got going again I was presented with a nice sit behind a long bunch cruising along at about 30kph. That was a good chance for catching of breath and preparing oneself for that one last test of endurance, the 13km of l’Alpe.
Did I mention the stomach cramping, growing aches in the feet and the whiff of nausea? I think it was the hurried digestion of the pieces of baguette causing the cramps since I had only consumed half the Endura gels and hardly any of the bars and things. Fortunately that pain had subsided by the time I arrived at the base of the final climb. The foot ache didn’t go entirely but I managed to wiggle the toes and generally concentrate on moving about in my shoes to manage the situation. However the nausea was a problem. Whenever I tried to push it rose up filling me with dread. At first I thought I was done for but I discovered that if I eased off it would subside somewhat. So, I was hopeful that it was going to be manageable as well.
The first few kilometers are probably the steepest at regularly 10%. However it seemed that every time I looked down at the Garmin it was showing bloody 10+%. Perhaps I only looked when I was suffering? After a few switchbacks there was a scene on the other side of the road with 2 ambulances and a gendarme directing traffic. A young woman was being stretchered into an ambulance and I couldn’t see, or was beyond looking, at what else was going on. There was a lot of traffic on the road that afternoon – too much to be sharing with 7,000 bewildered cyclists. That’s one great thing about the Etape du Tour – closed roads – all the way – all 200km!
While the legs were clearly capable of providing power the rest of the body was not happy. I had to ride the nausea waves all the way to the top travelling at a frustratingly slow pace. I tried all my tricks, in and out of the saddle on and on top of the drops. It took over 1hr30min to get up to the finish, 20 minutes slower that my run up on Wednesday. True I had 150km in the legs to start the climb but the legs did feel okay. I think there’s something to look at there for future endeavors.

Graphs of L'Alpe d'Huez

Alas a great number of riders passed me on the climb and yet, there were many stopped, hunched over, walking in socks or somehow pushing on at less than 4kph. We were all suffering – as we should!
Arriving at the finish is always greeted with a nice crowd of cheering folks. I note the time clock 10:04:23 That’s good enough for a Silver Brevet. Pretty happy with that. According to the organisers this is the toughest one day CycloSportive in the world, well certainly in France, and I had no idea why I signed on for it in the first place. I’ve spent 5 months preparing for it and I’m so glad I did for without all that effort I think I’d have been a weeping mess on the lower slopes of the Galibier.
As I headed off back to my digs I had a view back over the switchbacks and could see the long continuous trail of suffereing ‘ants’ crawling up the slopes, as they would continue to do for another 2 hours. Courage and determination from them all.
As for the earlier ones, well what can one say about all these incredible riders? The first to finish in the 50 – 59 age group completed the course in 6h18m43s. Incredible. My time of 9h26m28s (remember they remove the time for the descent of the Glandon) put me in 407th place out of 712. Next year I’ll be 60 so surely I’d be cracking the top ten with all those ‘old codgers’. Ha! No way! The first to finish in the 60 – 69 age group had a time of 6h49m07s! My time would have placed me 74th out of those 149 ‘SuperCrusties’. Just amazing riders and a pretty awesome event. Thanks go to the organisers and volunteers. That can’t be an easy job either.

Thanks for reading this far! A GOLD brevet to you!

A bientôt!

Here’s a few more stats and maps and stuff:

Map of the course

 

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/97079978

Overalll stats: the usual CAD and HR glitches that Garmin won't let you edit out ... frustrating!

The full Marmotte

You can search for results on this website:

http://www.sportcommunication.info/

click on the left picture for Grand Trophee and then the menu choice Resultats. There’s even some video of each of us suffereing!

Posted in CycloSportives, France, June 26 - Jul 2, Ride Reports | Tagged , | 8 Comments

More climbing – Col de Sarenne loop

Posted on June 27, 2011 by admin

Today I want to reacquaint myself with a ride I did last year, the Col de Sarenne. Some of the pics I’ll use here are from that ride with my son, Viv. It was a very similar day, hot and sunny and the views especially from the ‘balcony’ road across the ridge above the valley are staggering.

Firstly I have to make my way across from here to the village of Huez. No mean feat I tell you.  Straight out of the driveway and up 10% before settling into an average 8% for the 6km ride to Villard-Reculas. It’s a bit easier from there to Huez. By the time I get there, though, I have already consumed a bidon! As with all these villages there is a Potable Water fountain available for a top up of cold fresh mountain H2O. Got to love this place!

When I arrive at Huez I’m greeted by the constant stream of suffering faces who are following their pilgrimage to the special, dare I say sacred?, place atop l’Alpe d’Huez. It’s the last climb of the Marmotte which I’ll hit with 150km and 4,000m in the legs already. Argh!  I don’t even want to think about it.

Today I’m going down it so want to enjoy that. I’m only descending half way to the village of La Garde at about 1,000m elevation from where I take a left and head along, well let’s call it up, the ‘balcony’ road along the ridge eventually dropping down to Le Freney-d’Oisans. These pics say everything needed to be said!

deRosa enjoying the view

 

 

the 'balcony' road

Here’s a little video clip of Viv riding the road last year:

By the time I roll in to Freney-d-O I’m well down on water so fill up at the usual place, Eau Potable. There’s even a loo so I don’t have to impersonate a Belgian cyclist! There’s a bar open for a café espresso and Orangina (some of you received this cheeky photo from there).

Lunch at the bar

However the menu wasn’t much use to me – salade or viande. Hmm, I’ll make do with my banana and continue with my energy bars. No gels! Did I mention that the dog ate my gels? Poor beast broke in to my bedroom and ‘stole’ a bulk bottle of Endura sucking out more than 10 gels worth which included caffeine!  Bloody hell, I get sick on 5 of them and I weigh 3 times that dog – down to 63kg BTW. Needless to say the beast looked a bit jumpy for that day – but it survived!

So, the few Endura gels I brought as extras remain precious and allocated to Saturday’s fun-fest. But I digress again … er, or maybe that is what a blog is, a digression… whatever.

I make a left and head in the direction of the Col de Lautaret. This is the main route through the valley so there is traffic but the road is wide and the surface immaculate. The road scoots across the dam wall of the Lac du Chambon before the sharp left run to Mizoën and the climbs beyond.

Lac du Chambon

Yeouch! Lactic acid is a painful thing. Bang! Straight up, 13% and thereabouts all the way to the town. Once through the initial pain barrier the red mist clears and one can settle in to a rhythm, of sorts – thoughts of what happened to Kurtz when he got off the boat to drift into a parallel universe of brutal carnage and suffering subside… The relief of arriving in Mizoën is palpable if short-lived.

There’s a small group of team riders, Dutch I think, young guys looking fit and lithe – shaved legs n all – not a particularly common sight round here – anyway, they slide on past me as I settle in for a quite memorable climb up to the Col de Sarenne. When I say memorable, it goes without saying that this is a temporary state – at least at my age. What I didn’t remember from last year was just what a tough mother of a climb it was. While the scenery is just great, deep forest followed by that classic alpine wilderness of open grassy slopes, rocky and dotted with those tough looking bushes that can clearly survive whatever mother nature can throw at them through the year – tougher than rocks I tell yer! On the other side of the valley one can easily be distracted by the awesome vistas of snow capped peaks and a glimpse of the glacier higher up the Lautaret but the swishing water cascading nearby bring the focus back to the hear (sic) and now and the reality of this climb.

If yesterday’s climb of the Glandon was a confidence booster this was a reality check. When my sunglasses fall from their hanging point on my jersey I have to stop. Suddenly I’m hit with that low blood pressure spin thing and it’s a whoah! moment. The short spell is actually welcome and once I manage to get clicked back in after 2 efforts – it’s steep! – I feel now more capable of getting to the top, now only 1km ahead, er, up.

Yep, we go up there

... and arrive here

And so it comes to pass and while the pic is from last year it feels the same – exaltation. A short rest here before the tricky descent into the valley filled with sheep then up the other side along the potholed rough track eventually arriving at the back of the summit of the village of l’Alpe d’Huez. I continue on and over down the other side, down the ‘tradesman’s entrance’ road, away from the suffering pilgrims until I reach the main route from where it’s a short run down to Huez again. The run home from there is generally downhill apart from a short lactic sting to Villards-Reculas. After that, all those 10% climbs out of Sardonne are now 10% descents with only the loose gravel to negotiate.  Loose gravel!  Did I mention the loose gravel? Well leave that for another day.

I’m back 74km, 5hours and 2,347m climbing later. Time to replace those 3,155 calories 😉

Let’s have tomorrow off the bike!  Then again….

 

(Click an image to zoom full size then browser ‘back’ to return to the blog page)

The climb of the Col de Sarenne

The day in blue curves and numbers

 

Posted in France, Ride Reports | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Recce of the Cols- Glandon & Croix de Fer

Posted on June 26, 2011 by admin

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

Posted in France, Ride Reports | Tagged , | 4 Comments

Week 1 – des Voges

Posted on June 24, 2011 by admin

After 12 months of planning finally the reality bites and I wake from jetlag to discover I’m in France. It’s strange going from the virtual world of endless hours on the internet arranging things to actually being here. It takes a bit of getting used to.

The first week is spent with my old friend Pete who has the good fortune to reside in Giromagny, at the base of the Ballon d’Alsace in the Voges region of France. Needless to say it is our plan to climb that hill regularly. Pete is joining me on the Etape du Tour II, the 207km stage from Issoire to Saint Flour in the Massif Central on July 17. But more on that later. Suffice to say we both need more kms of climbing in our legs over the coming weeks. My first test comes next Saturday, July 2, when I take on the beast of the ‘Oisans’, La Marmotte. The trepidation and fear I’m sensing is motivation to ride ride ride…

And so we do. Firstly I have unpack the deRosa to see how it travelled. Once again Singapore Airlines take good care of me and all is in order. I pack it well but you never know… I’ve heard horror stories of bags of carbon dust arriving. My aluminium/carbon frame has, dare I say it, travelled well over the years.

Sunday 19th June is an easy roll out and around the town through the gorgeous forested areas dotted with private lakes. The roads are pretty quiet and the weather perfect for a brisk afternoon spin.

Next day, the hills are calling. It’s an out and back, or should I say, up and down run of the Ballon d’Alsace. This is a neat climb of about 16km averaging about 5%. I take another run at it two days later as a solo ride but get hit by a thunderstorm on the descent. Ouch!  Hail hurts – so I hide under some trees for it to pass. Luckily I’m only 3km from home so getting soaked doesn’t matter too much.

We climb that Ballon from the other (steeper) side after we’ve rolled out on a longer loop of 70km via Servance on Tuesday and an ever larger loop of 100km on Friday. Both are fantastic rides and are a good preparation for the bigger stuff I’m heading for on Saturday.

Map of the 100km loop

Here’s some more impressions (click to zoom the ‘back’ button to return to page):

 

 

Let’s try a video from the iPhone:

 

 

Posted in France | Tagged | 1 Comment

Gembrook Road Race

Posted on May 28, 2011 by admin

Eastern Cycling Club

B Grade road race, Gembrook, 28th May 2011

The course

Eight riders blasted out of the blocks and down to the start finish line despite the insistent calling from the bunch captain, Ian Smith, “what is it about neutral that you don’t understand?”  Eventually it was yours truly who hammered over the gap to urge the recalcitrants to sit up and wait for the full complement of 16 riders.  Bewildered they sat up while the stragglers bridged and so the race continued grupetto for all of about 2 kilometres, a point marked by the arrival of the first of the climbs.  While only one of the short ‘bumps’, the gradient of 7 – 8% was enough to stress a number of riders.  The equally short and steep descent that followed was hardly enough time for recovery, not to mention overcome the cold conditions compounded by the chill factor of a race start with a descent.  However it was enough to enable me to scramble back on.  Already I had no idea what was happening behind me.  Carnage presumably.

Inevitably, the long climb that followed soon afterwards was enough to completely smash the group.  A select group of about 5 continued to push away lead by ‘Clembutador’ look alike, Spanish Dave, né David Depedro (eventual winner).  The group included all the eventual placegetters, Nick Tapp 2nd, Bret Henderson 3rd and Mark Ramsdale 4th.  Tim Ferres pulled out at Lap 1 and I’m not sure what happened to Peter Castillo.  Regardless, I was off the back again and really struggling with muscle stiffness, a max’d out HR and shuddering due to the cold damp atmos.  I really wasn’t ready for this!  It was all I could do to limit my losses along with one or two puffing individuals about me.

Eventually the uphill gave way to negative gradient – relief.  But so far, ouch!  And only a quarter of lap one completed.  Somehow Dale Goodall and I grouped up and, while never believing we had the goods to bridge to the leaders, set up a collaborative effort of rolling turns.  We wound our way through the forested section where the density of growth and sharp bends closed down our visual horizon and we seemed to be completely alone.  Eventually we were greeted by a fragmented A Grade making its way back to the start/finish.  A little while later came our lead group, seemingly quite comfortable in their own company and also with their comfortable gap to us.  Psychological blow!

A shape appeared up ahead which turned out to be a rider on a bike who turned out to be Ian Smith.  Now we were three. After the turn we were rolling nicely back to the start when brother Quentin casually cruised past seemingly unaffected by what he described as an asthma attack, “and I’ve left my puffer in the car!”  The speed and ease of his passing was a contradiction.  A rider with asthma can’t ride that briskly – unless they are hammering back to the car to get their puffer in which case they are not breathing well – er, go figure that one.  Anyway, what it meant was that we had to let him ride away.  As we approached the turn at the end of lap 1 he could be seen riding off the course – back to the car indeed his race over.

Now our race was settling into a nice rhythm however that didn’t translate into making headway on the lead group.  As we approached the turn for Lap 2, with the bell ringing in our ears, we could tell that the leaders were well ahead.  By the time we had hit the hills again they were out of sight and effectively out of reach.  At least that is how we three felt about it.  When Thorkild Muurholm loomed up out of nowhere and zoomed past us he murmured something about “catching them”.  Ambitious?  We found a little extra and worked across to his wheel.  Now we were 4.

As we approached the turn around for the second and last time Thorkild was getting pretty edgy and our bunch was under pressure.  Sure enough, as we turned for home, we lost one rider – Ian Smith.  Dale and I worked pretty well together while Thorkild was nervous and edgy, wanting to push harder in pursuit of what was surely a safe breakaway.  However he was not so comfortable on the fast descents and Dale and I slipped away from him with me hitting my race max of over 76kph.

The two of us held the gap until the long final climb to the finish whereby Thorkild attacked and pushed hard onwards and upwards.  He was away and continued for the 5km or so to the finish line.  Dale and I continued rolling turns until the downhill run to the finish came into view.  With about 100m to go I clicked down the gears and dug in for a ‘friendly’ sprint.  Dale was too strong and took what was by now 6th place.  I seemed to run out of spinning power and settled for 7th only to discover that I was still in the small chainring :-0

Ah!  Not to worry.  Was a strange and yet fun kind of a race over a testing parcours.  Now that we’re all familiar with the profile I suspect future races will go differently especially on a warmer day when the road is completely dry.  We shall see.

Stats:

Stats: Neutral -> Lap 1 -> Lap 2

Here’s a comparison between the two laps:

Blue = Lap 1, Red = Lap 2 (Click to zoom : then hit 'back' to return to Blog)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Posted in 2011, May 28, Race Reports | Tagged | Leave a comment