Ok, so it's now nearly three weeks since I got back from the Alps and this is the first chance I've had, or even felt like updating my blog. Since making the return trip in the Rolls (which i will cover later), I have been knackered, and this week has been the first week I have felt like training and writing this blog since returning.
Friday in the Alps (Friday 2nd July in fact) was the day before the TdF started, little did I expect the epic battle between Schleck and Contador at that point and frankly I couldn't care less. . . I was on my way to the Alpe D'Huez.
That wasn't to say the Alpe solely. We had the Col d' Glandon to do first. Legendary climb in the alps as well as D'Huez, the Glandon hadn't really entered my head as a serious challenge as I was so focused on the Alp itself. I suppose I had always seen the Glandon as an inferior version of the nearby'ish Col du Galibier (even though I had ridden neither). I know both these climbs feature on La Marmotte cyclo-sportive, as well as the Lauteret and D'huez and originally we were going to do the Marmotte, so I was happy we were at least riding two of the climbs.
After Mark had tried to kill me off on the Iseran on Monday I had been feeling stronger each day and with some trepidation, we climbed into Paul's van (
http://www.triathlonholidays.co.uk/ ) and headed for the Glandon. Pulling over into a dirt car park, in about 80-85 degress of heat, I still hadn't really given it much thought, but I needed a piss so I sought out a bush. Typical British time triallists paranoia, there were no bushes!! and in fact no one looking anyway, but still I found the thinnest, barest twig of a sapling to hide behind. I watched my pee as it instantly soaked into the bone dry dust and dried up before my eyes. This was bad, it was bloody hot!!! Pee finished, I walked back to the van where we were witnessing some French bird and a suitcase being chatted up by a local garage attendant and ushered away quick smart, very dodgy looking and we had a laugh about that. Maybe seems I did have reason for pre-ride pee paranoia - a phrase I have now coined PRPP :0)
Soon we were on the bikes and off we went. me, bro in-law Paul and Mark riding, with the other Paul following in the van. We hit the lower slopes and Mark was creaking. I thought it was his knees but it was his bike. Oh well, we could only go up so I carried on. 19k to I think 1924metres. What a beautiful climb. This was by far the best climb in the Alps for me, and for 15k I was in the big ring 50/25 ratio and feeling great. I was ahead of Mark and Paul and really had no idea how far but we'd all meet at the top so I just carried on as I was. Saw Paul (host) on a couple of occasions in the van and asked if it would get steeper, he didn't really give me an answer ;0) and with about 8k to go the scenery just got even more heavenly. I can tell you now, I don't think I have been anywhere, ever, so beautiful in my life. The road narrowed, there was a rapid river flowing to the left and then the right of me, which I traversed a few times over stone bridges. It got hotter, the crickets were bleating louder and louder, the cars were maybe once every four minutes and the silence was just, well, silent. I could hear my heart beating in my head and my chain meshing on the gears in what felt like perfection. Then with 6k to go I looked up and saw the tiniest car moving its way to the top of the mountain. The climb had entered a new part of the valley with the most awesome set of hairpins winding its way up to the last 6k and peaks rising either side to bare stone and snow capped summits. A bit of snow dotted the landscape so I knew I was getting near the top. Even though it looked a long way still, I was surprised how quick that 6k was covered; guess because it was hard to focus on the pain because the landscape was so awesome, and before I knew it I was at the top and ready for a well earned rest, but not before picking my way through an army of maingy mountain sheep and goats spread across the last kilometre.
It had taken me 1h 27minutes to cover that 19k and I still felt pretty fresh, which was good because I knew we still had D'huez to do. Paul followed maybe 20mins later and Mark had enough of the creaking and climbed into the van, soon to face the most laid back shop mechanic I've ever seen.
I could wax lyrical about the descent too but since finishing the holiday, I now know that the Glandon descent, even though awesome, was not a patch on some of the others. A horrible triple hairpin climb half way down wasn't welcome, that's for sure, but the bottom section was very! fast. I got a pic of the dam too that I had seen on Google earth whilst doing a Google search on La Marmotte back in the winter. Was pretty satisfied with that.
Alpe D'Huez to folow . . . . but here's those last 6k of the Col Du Glandon in Google Earth (below)
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