Before we left home we entered a time trial race up the infamous climb of Alpe D’Huez so it was time to pack up our van and drive three hours there. We stayed on a fantastic campsite (with a swimming pool and sauna!) full of French, Dutch, Belgians and British holidaymakers but these were no ordinary holiday makers – everyone was out before 8am on their road bikes or off out to practice for the crazy downhill mountain bike race called the Megavalanche. I have never seen such an active place and so many cyclists! As you drove through the valley there were just groups and groups of road cyclists heading each way up the famous Cols.
Our race, The Grimpee, started at 9am. Having driven the route the night before, we knew it consisted of 21 hairpin bends and a total of 14km averaging an 8% climb, my aim was just to finish and not to walk any of it. Also to just try my absolute hardest and know at the finish line that I couldn’t have done any more. As everyone gathered for registration I quickly realised that we were not among the company of normal human beings, we were surrounded by 257 tall, skinny cyclists who looked very pro. I quickly added a second goal – try not to be last.
And so we started, with only a couple of hundred metres of flat before the first steep hill. With lots of clicking of gears everyone jostled for position and the heavy breathing commenced – and that didn’t cease until over the finish line! I found myself chasing another girl and jostling for position with a young boy! And so it went from turn 21 until turn 9. At turn 9 I over took the girl and the boy was behind me but we kept all swapping places but then with 4km to go they both passed me and I couldn’t hang on anymore. My hip flexors were screaming with agony when I pushed really hard. I watched them both slowly pull away a little bit more each hairpin so I just concentrated on my own goals whilst silently hoping that there were still a few people behind me.
At the last hairpin an English supporter was shouting “Dig in, this is the last hairpin and last hill” – he lied – there were more hills to come but thankfully no more hairpins. As I passed through the town I could actually use my big gear cog for the first time and the finish line was in sight. I finished in 1 hour 30 minutes, I creaked off my bike and asked Pete “Am I last?” to which he assured me I wasn’t. It turned out I was 251st out of 259 (18th lady out of 21), some 13 minutes quicker than the last man. Phew!
I was happy, I hadn’t stopped at all and I couldn’t have given it any more. Pete had finished in 1 hour 19 minutes (230th overall and 209th man) which was fab! Amazingly the fastest guy had done it in 42 minutes – wow !!!!!!!
There are many many great cyclists in The Alps and it was great to be among them. I can’t imagine what the Tour de France boys will make the climb look like next week. I can’t wait to see it on TV!
On the way down we stopped to take some photos of the amazing scenery and sights.
