Lara Haume and the final climb!
Since our last update we have climbed Col de Galibier, completed the Alpe d’Huez triathlon, I have cycled my longest ride to-date (150km), and climbed Mt Ventoux.
 We climbed Col de Galibier (2,645m) the day before the tour reached it. This year the tour followed a different route to Galibier, so we followed the more frequented, and apparently harder route via Col du Telegraph (1,566m). Over the 2 Cols we covered 1,920m of elevation over 35km, and something like 3hrs 15mins. I absolutely loved it. The scenery was amazing and all the names on the road that spoke of many years of cycling greats ascending this beast helped spur me on to the finish. The final 6km to the Col were pretty tough and getting to the top felt like concurring the world, like climbing my own Everest. I was pretty shattered that night and for the next few days that followed.
The Alpe d’Huez short course triathlon was a 1,200m swim in a freezing lake, 30km bike up Alpe d’Huez to 1,850m, covering 1,200m elevation over 13km and the infamous 21 haripins, followed by a 7km run, all in 30 degree heat. Lance Armstrong does Alpe d’Huez in 37 minutes. I was more interested in breaking Sheryl Crowe’s record of 1hr 37mins. Sure, she is an aging rocker, but she looks a hell of a lot fitter than I do, and she had to have been coached by Lance. To beat that, and in a triathlon no less, would be an amazing achievement. I had a record to set.
I had an absolute shocker on the swim, what with my feet freezing off before we even started and then zig zagging all over the course to get wide of the bouys. I ended up well off course and had to gradually drag myself back through patches of freezing water intermixed with thermals back over to the finish. Once on the bike, I really struggled to recover from the swim for a good 7km of the 15km on route to the start of the climb, but once I reached the foot of the climb, all the excitement built up and I was rearing to go.
The first 3km of Alpe d'Huez is the hardest, 3km of 10%. I guess since you know it’s coming and your legs are still fresh-ish, you feel pretty good. Besides there’s still another 10km to go, none of which is going to be easy, so you just have to get through it and convince yourself you feel good anyway. I managed to settle into a rhythm after recovering from the first few kms, but then I struggled massively between 6-8km when I became overcome by heat (30+ degrees) and no water. The road to the next aid station seemed endless and I felt prepared to kill someone for some water. Once I finally reached it, I managed to cool down and recover enough to set my mind back on to Sheryl. The road ahead was still fairly steep and there was a long way to go. Somehow out of the blue I felt pretty strong for the last 4km, and at this stage I really started to smash myself, gritting my teeth and passing quite a lot of people to finish the climb really strong. Now I might have to lend some artistic licence to my time keeping. The transition area was a few minutes up from the official finish, and I recorded 1.39 on my watch from the beginning of the climb to transition, so I reckon I must have cleared the official finish in under 1.37 and I’m taking that record from Sheryl. The woman can sing, but can she swim, bike and run?
The run was described as “proposing some gorgeous landscapes”. Sure, but who’s going to see it when you’re suffering the worst torture of your life, and if by gorgeous they meant steep I wish they had have just said so. The first 3.5km was uphill on rocky off-road trail, just what we all needed after Alpe d’Huez. There were quite a few people who had decided to walk, and I was certainly tempted, but managed to hang on until I passed the photographers for a smile, and then broke into a waddle over the last 100m over the crest. The roll back down the hill was no relief. It was the slowest 7km I have ever run in my life.
I finished in a totally unrespectable time of 3.38, but at least I beat Sheryl….kind of. The following day we returned to Provence. I was happy to see the back of the Alps after 13 Cols climbed in the Boyd Tour de France. And, finally, we cycled Mt Ventoux. Steve and I have our own little piece of history here as 3 years ago, this is where we got engaged. Only last time, Steve said the next time he returned it would be to cycle it himself. Little had I thought that I would be cycling it too.
Mt Ventoux is 1,909m, and the ride covers 1,620m elevation over 22km. The first 6km or so is gentle, well relative to the next 16km. The 10km from 6-16km are unforgiving. Unlike Alpe d’Huez which offers you some recovery on the hairpins where they are flatter, Mt Ventoux just keeps on going at 9 and 10%. I’m pretty sure this is the longest I have every cycled at such a slow pace, probably averaging 6km/hr for some 10km’s. I might have even seen my speed drop below 5km/hr. I was grateful to have seen some shade from the trees on another 30 degree day.
Once you clear 16km and clear the forest, you can finally see the familiar moonscape of Mt Ventoux, you are exposed to the elements, but the gradient eases off for 3km and it all felt a little less brutal. It’s best not to get too excited though, cause the last 3km only gets harder again. We were fortunate to have a gentle breeze atop the rocky outcrop, and a clear sky to view out across Provence. Once finally atop the summit, fresh with the memories of last time I was here, looking back up over the Alps where we have just come from, and the realisation that all the climbing is now over, I really did feel like I was on top of the moon.
We’ve had a fantastic experience cycling in France, and with still another few months to go. Unfortunately this time around we won’t by cycling in the Pyrenees, and there are still quite a few Col’s in France left on the list, so I guess I need to prepare myself to be roped in to some more cycling holidays to come. How could I refuse, it’s been absolutely awesome.
Lara checks in from France
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