This is a series of posts on my daily rides and other events on our holiday in Bourg d’Oisans in the French Alps. I started to write an account of each ride individually and then thought that I was missing some interesting stuff either side of those rides and thought I would add it for your reading pleasure. It’s a daily diary if you will.
This was the day we were going to hire a couple of bikes and take our daughters to experience some mountain climbing with my daughter Jaime and Iain’s daughter Elyse. They were both excited about going out with their dads and seeing what all the fuss was about.
The plan was to keep it fairly flat and ride along to Allemond, a beautiful little village with a river running alongside and a play area for the children. Jayne and Alison would bring a picnic and we would meet up at the end of the ride to enjoy the meal together.
First things first, we had to go to Bleach to pick up the bikes. Elyse was going for a roadie and Jaime for an electric bike. Bleach is always busy this time of year but they got to us quickly and fitted the girls with the correct size bike and kit. Jaime had used an electric bike before so was confident in using it but for Elyse, it was her first time using a road bike so we had to go through the basics to get her ready. She picked it all up super fast and then we made our way back to the campsite to prepare.
Packed and ready, we set off for Allemond. The plan was that we were going to ride along the river to the main turn, go straight through to the lake, do a circuit of the lake taking in the climb at the east side and then cut back to Allemond and the picnic.
The four of us head out of the campsite and on the main road through the village of Bourg d’Oisans. In single file we ride out of the village and down a long straight road (D1091) to the turn to Allemond. This is also the start of the famous La Marmotte race held every year.
The La Marmotte event is a race that loops the whole area that we are in. It starts in Bourg d’Oisans and finishes on top of Alpe D’Huez. It is 174.4 km in total distance with nearly 5,200 meters of elevation and includes the climbs of Le Col de la Croix de Fer, Le Col de Télégraphe, Le Galibier and Alpe D’Huez. The race itself is open to 7000 participants and registration fills up very quickly. I have ridden the route, unofficially, twice in 2009 and 2011 and both times I was in the saddle for over 13 hours.
Back to our ride. We reached the Col d’Ornon turn off and we pull off of the road on to the new pathway alongside the river. It is perfectly tarmacked and very smooth. It makes the bike and your body feel like it's working perfectly. We follow the path for about 8 km’s, we reach the end and turn right onto the D526.
The pleasant little village of Allemond is one of the main thoroughfares to go north across the mountains by way of the Col du Glandon or Col de la Croix de Fer. We cycle through the first part which has the play and picnic areas and then reach the busier part with shops and B&Bs. Up ahead you can see a couple of switchbacks to get up to the level of the lake. This is the first climbing test for the girls and is a bit of an eye opener for them. Even so they make it up fine and we stop at the corner of the lake to take in the view.
We continue along the right side of the lake to the far end where we descend for a stretch. The girls enjoyed the drop but we kept the speed down for their safety. I think Iain and I were more concerned than they were! At the base of the small descent is the start of the first climb to the Col de la Croix de Fer. We had to tackle about 500 meters of 8% climb until we could turn left and head back along the other side of the lake.
Jaime was on the electric bike but still had to work very hard to reach our goal but for Elyse this was a challenge as she was on a road bike. She is a determined sportsgirl and she was taking it on with full determination. Pedal stroke by pedal stroke she pushed her way up to the place that we could turn and then we all stopped for a quick breather. It is a shock when you hit the alps for the first time. There is nowhere to hide and no shortcuts to take. You pedal or you get off! It is something that I have embraced over the years and even grown to love in a sadistic kind of way.
We crossed the road and head back towards the lake through some tiny mountain villages. It was a nice easy next section that was reasonably flat. We went along for 5 km’s and then dropped down to the aforementioned switchbacks, descend to the bottom, make our way back to the picnic area and find a nice spot by the river so we can relax and wait for the girls to arrive. The climb at the back of the lake was a little tougher than we anticipated and it was a challenge but they did well and we were very proud of the girls efforts.
Jayne, Alison and Leila arrive with the food along with Gav, Laura and baby Henry. Now we can start the feast. We have the usual fresh bread, cheese in the form of compte, brie and roquefort, fruit juice for the riders, wine for the hikers and lots of amazing fresh fruit. Combine this awesome produce with the surroundings and mountain air and food doesn’t taste any better than this.
At the end of the picnic we pack up and the cyclist’s head off back to the hire shop to return the bikes. We average just under 30 km’s per hour on the pathway which is a decent speed for the girls to maintain and we were back in next to no time. We dropped the hire bikes off and walked back to the campsite ready for tonight's pre Tour de France stage BBQ.
The place is buzzing because the race is here for the next couple of days. Tomorrows stage is the famous 21 hairpins of Alpe D’Huez. The plan is to ride up the mountain with all of the fans; that are there for the Tour de France stage, present. This is a wonderful opportunity to soak up the atmosphere and receive the encouragement and admiration from the hundreds of thousands of people that have been practically living on the mountain roadside for days to get their spot. They have built up to a frenzy of excitement and as a rider you can really feed off of it. The day after is The Depart from Bourg d’Oisans where fans get the opportunity to meet the riders and watch as they roll out at the start of the stage. Two jam packed exciting days ahead.
We strike up the BBQ and cook the huge amount of food we have for the 17 people in attendance. Normally I would be a little concerned with the amount of noise that we were make with such a big group of people in the campsite but, for the next two nights, that is not a concern. The whole of Bourg is a party town.
So many different nationalities all thrown together with a common purpose. This is traditionally a Dutch stronghold, they even have a corner on Alpe D’Huez called Dutch Corner which is notoriously crazy and very orange. There are also a lot of British, Irish, Belgian, Italian, American and Colombian people, among lots of other nations. The music is being pumped out, there are people dancing in the streets, it is a carnival atmosphere!
Everyone descends on this little town for the couple of days of the Tour. It is a popular place to cycle at all times during the summer but the numbers increase beyond belief for the race. The Alpe D’Huez stage itself usually happens once every two years and this is the time we choose to visit. When we book the chalet during the race days we have to book two weeks minimum because of the popularity of those times. This gives us the wonderful contrast of being there during the race and then when everyone leaves to follow the race. It’s a totally different place. Peaceful, quiet and relaxing.
After eating too much and drinking too much we wind up the evening ready for our climb of D’Huez in the morning. I’m so excited I can hardly sleep. This mountain means so much to me and has so many memories that it holds a special place in my heart. I have lost count of the amount of times that I have traversed its 21 corners and read the names of the previous stage winners on each corner sign as I make the ascent. I quite often get emotional when I ride up this beautiful road, not just because of the sheer effort and determination it takes but because of the history, tradition and the childhood memories that I have of it. I can clearly remember back to the early eighties watching on the TV with my father and being in awe of these cycling legends like Bernard Hinault, Laurent Fignon, Greg Lemond and Sean Kelly
Mid morning we are ready to go. Gav, Iain, Will and myself. Will had already climbed D’Huez at first light so that it was quieter and a lot cooler than it will be for us. So the four of us spin off down the road to warm up and then head back to the base of the mountain to start the climb. At this point during the day it is really busy. The race is not due for another 4 -5 hours but people are making their way up by foot, by rollerblade, by roller skiing and of course by bicycle. You also see some ridiculous costumes on your way up too.
Bam! There is a 10% incline immediately and if you weren’t prepared for it you can be easily fooled into thinking that, after 100 meters of pure struggle, you aren’t going to make it to the top. That it’s just going to be too difficult. You struggle on anyway and see what happens. Once your heart rate and breathing settle into a pattern it starts to become a little more sane.
Then in the moment of struggle we have a moment of hilarity. Will; who unbeknownst to us was never intending on going up to the top again, says after 150 meters ‘Right! That’s enough for me’ and turns around and starts to roll back down. Not only were Gav, Iain and myself cracking up but the 20 or so riders in and around us were all laughing as well. It was a great moment when all of us are serious and determined and suddenly the mood lightens.So Will calls out goodbye and good luck and rolls off down the hill.
Alpe d’Huez stats
Distance: 13.8km
Average gradient: 8.1 per cent, steepest part 11.5 per cent
Maximum elevation: 1850 metres
Fastest recorded ascent: 37 minutes and 35 seconds by Marco Pantani during 1997 Tour de France
I’m was in a nice rhythm at this point and let Iain and Gav pull away slowly. Once again they both looked strong. I reached the first hairpin and it flattens out for a few seconds which gives your legs a chance for a little respite. You can tell how good you are riding and how you feel based on the flat parts of the turns. If your on or around the red line then you use these flat bits to recover, if you are fresh and feeling good then you use the turns to speed up and get ahead. At this time I was the former. I then head up to turn 2 which is still at 10% but the gradient drops slightly after that.
Turn 2 complete and then 3, 4 ,5 and up to 6. All of these turns have hundreds of people gathered and trying to grab the perfect spot to watch the pros later on. After turn 2 the turns come thick and fast. They average between 8-9% but in short bursts. Turn 6 is significant because it takes you away from the front face of the mountain and into the valley. You also pass the turn for the balcony route. I never managed to ride it this time but have completed it previously and it is a beautiful jaunt along the east side of the valley.
This valley section is supposed to be the easier section of the climb and drops as low as 7%. There are people everywhere now and the encouragement is fantastic. The only thing that is a slight drawback is that you have to navigate the hoards of cyclists that are all going at different speeds. I am being overtaken by lots of riders but at the same time I am overtaking lots too. You end up weaving in and out and riding extra kilometers just to get to the same finish line.
It has become the fashion to own a corner these days. We now have Welsh corner, Irish corner and Belgian corner but these mini festivals pale into insignificance compared to Dutch corner. It is a 24 hour a day party with pumping music, lots of alcohol and as mush orange as you can take in. I don’t know official numbers but I would estimate it at around 7-8000 people crammed into one corner of the mountain ready to go crazy. If you type it into google it is listed as a tourist attraction in itself!
I pass the small village of D’Huez and I enter the final third of the climb. At this point, motivated by all that orange, I am riding ok. The legs are still there and I feel like I can up the tempo a little. The view is stunning at this altitude. It is practically within the ski station from here on in and you can see the lifts and the chalets in the distance. I had run out of water at this point and desperately needed some. I took a chance and called out if anyone had any and this very nice couple in a motorhome took my bottle and filled it up. The guy even gave me a push start to get me going again which was very welcome.
One of my favourite pic's of an older ride up the mountain.
Suddenly with 4 turns remaining I catch a glimpse of Gavin and that gave me renewed vigour and motivation. I get my head down and I started to push harder. Three turns to go! I’m still feeling good and I’m slowly dragging Gav back. Two to go and I’m starting to feel it in my legs. Final turn. Gavin is about 30 second ahead of me and I’m going for it. This final stretch is at 9% and is tough. It has been freshly tarmaced though and feels lovely and smooth, which is helping. I’m pushing super hard and I started to red line but can I hold out at this pace to catch him? Gav is about 10 seconds ahead of me but he started to push too. The lactic acid in my legs is screaming at me but I’m nearly there. I’m overtaking so many people and reeling Gav in. 5 seconds between us with about 50 meters to go. Come on Gaz!
An awesome picture of the final straight from Cycling Weekly
Gav crosses the line a couple of seconds in front of me. I am absolutely on the limit, I unclip and slump over the bars. My time is 1:26 which is 15 minutes slower than my best ever time but also over a decade after I set that time too. We congratulate each other and find a cafe to sit down a chill for a bit. Coke, coffee, chocolate! Anything to replenish the now empty reserves. We realise that there is no sign of Iain and Gav hasn’t seen him since the lower slopes. He hasn’t got his phone on him either so we have to go search for him.
The finish at a quieter time of the year
The traditional finish line is different than the stage finish. After you complete the 21 turns you hit the first plateau at the ski station. This is the amature finish line for most organised events. It’s only when the Tour hits town that people ride through this area and head down to the stage finish, which is rammed full of people. This is where I assumed Iain had gone. We were never going to find him with all of the thousands upon thousands of people up here so after about 30 minutes of looking we head back to the first area and begin our descent.
This turned out to be difficult and a little unpleasant heading back down. We had left it very late to do this so the numbers were incredible large and space was at a premium. A descent that normally takes me 13 minutes took me nearly 30. One of the issues is all the breaking that you have to do. Even after a few turns down my hands and wrists were in pain and I am struggling to stop myself. You also need to be super attentive because of the traffic going both ways. Only official vehicles are allowed at this point but they are getting frustrated by the crowds and are starting to drive up the middle of the road and hold their ground. I was physically and mentally drained by the time we hit the bottom of the slope and extremely relieved.
Iain safely arrived about 20 minutes after us saying the same things about the descent. It was an eye opener and very treacherous. Overall the guys were pleased that they had conquered the famous mountain and now we could look forward to the craziness that is the Tour de France Alpe D’Huez style. For a detailed version of the rest of this day check out my Stage day post here
Coming soon. Taking on the Galibier, everybody abandons me and biting off more than I can chew.
Previous Posts in this series:
Thanks for reading.
Gaz
