On 29th June 2012 Nick Prout undertook a 3 day cycle challenge taking in the classic cols of the Tour De France in memory of Josh Fell. Below is his account of the experience.
CHALLENGE DAY 1.
Distance:- 63miles Time:- 4hours 50minutes
Total Ascent:- 2241m Av Speed:- 13mph
Col de Aravis:- 4.3miles long Av Gradient:- 6.2%
Col de Saises:- 9.3miles long Av Gradient:- 5.0%
“We set off from our hotel trying hard to remember to ride on the right side of the road. We rode out of Annecy heading towards our first mountain climb of the day, Col De Aravis at 1487m riding through the town of La Clusaz on the road out of the town we had our first water stop of the day for topping up bottles and a banana. We set off again heading for the summit climbing through a meadow with the road snaking its way to the top. I really enjoyed this climb getting into a nice rhythm pedalling at a good cadence treating myself to an orangina at the café at the top, I had completed my first Col.
The descent was great fun again with the road snaking its way down, tricky at times due to pot holes and cracks to be avoided, but still my first proper descent and was having a great time. At the base of the climb we joined the road to Flumet where we stopped for our lunch stop, trying to find shade as the temperature had risen to over 30degC.
After lunch it was straight into the climb of Col des Saises, although the profile showed a different story, this was much longer than the first and quiet a lot steeper with gradients going upto 12%, there was a rest bite, a good descent for a couple of K’s then back into it and this time it seemed steeper. I quickly learned not to pay much attention to the gradients stated on the markers as my garmen was stating a good 2 or 3% steeper. I was hoping to finish the first day having still got my lowest gear in reserve, but I needed it today, which was a bit of a worry for the following days. There wasn’t much at the summit, but our support van was there with water and snacks.
We then sent off for our next stop in Albertville, well I thought the descent from Aravis was good but this one was excellent long and fast with a few patches of loose grit on the roads to keep you on your toes (and brakes) it was a pleasant ride down the main road towards Albertville when puzzled we came across a marker arrow at a round about pointing up another Col, being good children we followed it going up and up. We discussed the climb saying ‘I’m sure this wasn’t on the profile of the day’ eventually we came to a T junction started heading back down joining the same road we where on earlier. Apparently the organisers decided to add this climb in to slow us down, NICE!”
CHALLENGE DAY 2.
Distance:- 66miles Time:- 5hours 43minutes
Total Ascent:- 2894m Av Speed:- 12mph
Col de l’Madeleine:- 15.5miles long Av Gradient:- 6.2%
Col du Telegraphe:- 9.3miles long Av Gradient:- 5.1%
“Setting off from Albertville, same start town being used by Le Tour De France for its stage this year, we had a nice 10km warm up before hitting the Infamous Col De La Madeleine a 24km long climb and climbing up to the peak at 2000m. I was determined to do this climb in one hit. The first section of the climb is a series of hairpin bends working its way higher and higher through the trees before emerging to meadow land on the mountain side.
We then got company when greeted with a large herd of sheep across the road which give me chance to get a bit to eat and drink and of cause a few photos of the sheep. I had a water stop in village a little further up from a spring on the side of the road, it was beginning to get warm so the fresh cold water was very refreshing. The climb just seems to just keep going and going and at one point, Mr Negative here was thinking if this doesn’t ease off soon I’ll stop and take a break. But thankfully I turned a corner and the gradient eased off a little just enough to take a slight breather. Nearer the top it became barren with just rock faces, the views where breath taking but I had to keep going. I was going to conquer this mountain. The gradient increased again but the last 1km levelled off some what and so could really enjoy the ride up to the summit waving my arms about like a mad man punching the air, I had made it. We had an Organina and a chocolate tart as a celebration. Looking at the road in front of us the descent looked amazing. It didn’t disappoint, apart from a few messages left by other sheep which kept you alert on a few corners, reaching 40mph in places and trying to feather the brakes for sharper corners to avoid overheating the wheel rims. It was brilliant fun we then had a lunch stop in La Chambre, which was decorated ready for the Tour to descend upon it.
After lunch we had a not so pleasant ride along a main road and with temperatures rising to 38degC hydration was the key. On arriving in St Michel, we rode through the town went underneath a bridge and we were on the Col Du Telegraphe. In hindsight I should have stopped and had a bottle refill with cold water, because I found out quickly my water bottles had got warm and didn’t taste nice. I just couldn’t face drinking my water so seeing the support van with fresh water was a very welcome sight, fresh water on board I was off again. This climb was practically tough because most of the straights had been gritted so loose gravel made it hard work. Although it is a famous climb from last years Tour when Contador attacked I found this climb very hard, because it was mainly tree lined it was hard to gauge your progress, when I emerged from the trees and could see over the barrier and saw how high I had ridden, it gave me a boost but still was very pleased to reach the top for a café stop and a can of coke this time.
We only had a short descent to Valloire where we were staying, we had our first irate car driver who was not impressed with us on the descent, but again the road had been gritted in places so you had to keep your wits about you.”
CHALLENGE DAY 3.
Distance:- 50miles Time:- 4hours 24minutes
Total Ascent:- 2665m Av Speed:- 12mph
Col de Galibier:- 11miles long Av Gradient:- 6.8%
Aple D’Huez:- 8.6miles long Av Gradient:- 7.9%
“The Col Du Telegraphe and the Col Du Galibier, our first climb today, are usually tackled together especially in the Tour as they follow on from each other. Therefore it was out of the hotel and straight into it through the village and out towards the Col. The weather was not so nice today with a light drizzle to start with but the wind had also woken up. The drizzle was cooling to begin with but as we climbed it began to become cold, so it was short stop to put arm warmers and rain jacket on. If we had them lights were on too. The first part of the climb was quiet a gradual drag up the valley with the odd steeper section to get you working, as we got nearer the actual Col we saw the road cross a bridge then ramp up the side with another hairpin corner section for the start of the proper climb. Because we had started at 1300m we soon found our selves in a barren landscape with the wind and rain becoming a major factor in this climb and towards the top on one section was head wind plus a gradient of around 10%. It got very blustery and you had to be very careful when going around corners in case the wind caught hold of you, as on this climb it was sheer drops off the edge of the road. The water stop at the summit was very welcome as I had a couple cups of tea to warm me up, looking down at the descent which looked amazing if it was sunny but in these freezing conditions it looked very daunting, we put every bit of clothing we had on and set off cautiously as it was hard to keep control of the bike with frozen hands and strong wind. We made it down so far and there was a visitor’s centre which we invaded to try and get warm. We decided lunch was going to be a café today so found a café in La Grave and ordered a croque monsieur ham & cheese sandwich and hot chocolate which was delicious and definitely hit the spot. While in the café we managed to miss a very heavy rain shower so when we emerged it was light rain again along a road with a few tunnels along the way, one which went extremely dark in the middle which got scary as my front light wasn’t particularly bright.
We travelled along this road, the scenery was spectacular and you could just stand and look at it for hours, but we had Alpe D’Huez to climb. I had watched the climb on youtube and knew that you travelled through Le Bourg-D’Oisans and go around a left hand bend and you were then faced with a wall of road infront of you, ‘the first part is the hardest’ they said and it was tough probably the first 4km was around 12% with around four hairpins which counted down from twenty one. Like someone said later the hairpins felt like downhill but they were still around 5% but they where a nice rest ‘ish’ where I decided was my reminder to take a drink which worked quiet well.
This is the most famous climb we were tackling on this challenge so it was great to be in the wheel tracks of the pro’s of previous years, reading their names which were painted across the road. A few people told me that it got easier as you got nearer the top but it didn’t after the first steep section it kept pretty much around 10% again the views as you made your way up the mountain was amazing and satisfying as looked down at where you began the climb from. Towards the top I could see two of the cyclist in our group in front of me and began to try and bridge the gap as I got nearer the finish, I turned hairpin no 1 and thought right I can really start to up the pace I then came across hairpin no 0, whose idea was a hairpin numbered 0, but still feeling good I kept changing up the gears and racing to the finish I went past the first support van but I wanted to finish at the Tour finish line which was further up. I didn’t quiet manage to catch the other two but I did get close. Then it was back to village centre for well earned hot chocolate and purchase a Alpe D’Huez Cycling jersey as a souvenir of a fantastic trip with great company, breath taking scenery and the satisfaction that I had completed my cycling challenge of a life time and raised great deal of funds in memory of Josh Fell for CRY.”
Nick Prout
