The Final Goal

Cooor who's that speedy chap on a bike coming down the other side of the Glandon......

1. He can't be local, look how pale he looks
2. He can't be a pro, look he's not even wearing proper road shoes, just the mtb jobbies
3. I think his helmet is on all wonky


Thats right guys it's me and as the road is going downwards and not up I look bloody smug :)

So photos to follow, the following provides a written account of the event and how it all went but for those that can't be bothered to read to the bottom

I did a 8hr 30 and so was reasonably happy with that
The event was hard but totally achievable for most with a bit of training
Its bloody brilliant, if you get the chance just enter and worry about the training bit later and in summary best day I have ever spent on a bike.

Early Rise:

We were camping just up the road in Venosc and after a good nights sleep we crawled out of our luxury one man tents just before 6. The gods were definitely smiling, with blue skies (not too hot, just right) and for the 1st time in I don't know how many nights camping the need to get out of my tent and have a number 1 at 3.30 in the morning didn't occur.......today was indeed already a very good day.

We packed the car and set off towards Bourg and about 2 miles out pulled up in a lay-by and got ready. There were lots and lots of people doing the same but everyone seemed remarkably chilled and the gentle 2 mile ride into Bourg and the start was a really nice way to start the ride.

The Start:

You are directed into a back street of Bourg and you queue up with the thousands of others on a road next to the river that runs through town. We got there about 7:15 for the 7:50 start, ideally it would of been nice to be a little further forward however very quickly we were under way

Glandon:

The ride to Glandon was pretty chilled for me, the guy I was riding with was happy with a gentle start keeping in mind what was to come however again next time I think I would be keen to get into a fast group and nail the section to the base of the glandon quickly. You hit a couple of ramps initially....don't get excited this isn't the climb proper but don't worry its not much further and you'll realise soon enough when you get onto it (Ant decided another piss stop was in order....he really should drink less!).

I really enjoyed this climb, its quite busy due to its proximity to the start however its long and fairly constant in gradient so just sit into and enjoy.

After a while you descend and then climb again and this ramp is quite steep and then after a bit longer you reach.....chaos!

That will be the top of the Glandon then, and the 1st feed stop, good luck in the scrummage is all I can say.

I made the 1st tactical mistake here....I went through and descended as quickly as possible and then queued for 10 mins in the 1st village for water.

So lets read that again....I went as quickly as I could through the neutralised section (they stop timing you!) and only when we went over the timing matts to restart the timer did I then stop and wait at the slowest water fountain in France for water.......schoolboy error don't make the same mistake. Chill out all down the Glandon and get your breath back and enjoy the views.

To to The Telegraph:
This is a fairly flat section through the valley and I was buggered if I could find a group to tag onto but to be fair I wasn't about to do any work either so I just rode well within myself to the Telegraph. At the end of this section before the climb is a water station and I got water and then after a few mins I met Ant after he had motored along the valley. Ant again used my holding onto his bike skills while he fought the water scrap....hint here I just chucked my bottle to one of the guys nearby and he sorted me out......queuing well thats just for us Brit suckers.

The Telegraph:
Great climb this one, again quite steady and wooded to start with and all rather nice to be honest. I felt quite strong on this one and to be honest just made sure that I kept my HR below my target 150bpm and that I didn't get caught in the moment. Very soon I was into Valoire....keep going the feed station is right out the other side.

Galibier:
So the Telegraph....piece of cake frankly whats all the talk about (this is a huge lie).

Galibier....this will make you hurt, you will suffer, you will find a dark..dark place during this section (or you are a freak)

This climb is stunning but simply goes on forever and really comes in two sections. The 1st section is hard as the climb heads along the valley at a fairly steady gradient and destroys your confidence and will power. It just seems to keep on going and you make what appears to be bugger all progress for what is quite a significant investment. You of course have the Telegraph in your legs and this is all before you hit stage 2

After a lifetime of twiddling you turn right and actually start the climb out of the valley to go over the pass. So we are back to hairpin turns and its only after what is a considerable time before you can even see the top. The top will seem so far away and yet at this stage you will be suffering, for me this was tough the only really grim part of the whole experience. I have a video of me entering the feed station at the top and I look cooked. I took some time out at the top and tried to eat and drink. The truth is that it was on the Galibier my stomach said no more and I suffered major stomach cramps all the way up. I got to the top and any effort just made me want to throw up. After about 10 mins I headed off and this is the important bit now...

The Important Bit:
I headed off down the other side and it was suddenly then it all hit me. That was it I was going to finish, the worst was done and I now had getting on for an hour of descending before the Alp......bloody hell I'm going to finish!!

If I have to walk the whole way up the Alp....I was going to finish
If I have to crawl up the Alp...I was going to finish
If it took me 10 hours....I was going to finish

Yea you could say I was bloody happy and if you have done it or are going to think back to this bit......for me the best feeling of the ride....completely euphoric :)

Alp
You have an awesome descent almost all the way to the foot of the Alp. There is a climb towards the end so be aware of that however its no biggie. The last 7-8 miles is quite flat and again I just sat there riding along waiting for the Alp. It was only when I got to the feed station at the base I looked around and saw about 50 riders tucked onto my wheel......bloody cheeky sods not one came through and helped and I was only pootling along!!!!

So after 5 mins to stock up at the feed I set off:

The 1st part of the Alp is cruel, the ramps are steepest and its hotter at the base. I felt fine though and just kept going, in fact it only started to hurt as we got into the small village on the way up. From here onwards the Alp was tough and I was slow. Eventually after too long you can see the top however be aware they make you use all the hill here. You go through the town, turn left, keep climbing and only then on the other side of the town do you see the finish.

The Finish:
So I crossed the line and after my high spirits after the Galibier to be honest I just felt a bit runined after crossing the line. My stomach now had left the building and with it my pride, so I found a place to lie down and stayed there for some time. After a while I felt OK again and waited for Ant to finish and when I saw him I was bloody chuffed we both did it. A great feeling and with my big medal in hand I was all chipper and annoying again.

Summary:
After beer and food in Bourg I felt human and I would say:

1. It really was the best day on the bike I have ever had
2, Its tough but doable...if I do it again sub 8 should be straightforward assuming no mechanicals
3.Orgainsation is fantastic
4, Its one of the few events worthy of the hype

I came away really wanting to do another one, not necessarily this one but a continental sportive in the high mountains.......aha that will be the blog to follow and I already have a few in mind :)

Well I'm off with the family to the Pyrenees in 2 weeks so I'll be doing a bit more, enjoy the TDF fingers crossed for a UK 1 & 2 :)

Steve