In the summer of 2022 I had the chance to catch up on trips that had been postponed from the previous year.
La Marmotte (June/July 2022)
Thursday 30 June
Great day’s riding in the Alps yesterday. Started with my best ever ascent of Alpe d’Huez in perfect conditions – it was early, good temperature and I was fresh, quite unlike previous rides which had either come at the end of a long day or in boiling temperatures. Then re-descended to Bourg d’Oisans where I had stayed the night before (stopping for a photo at bend 13 aka Geraint Thomas corner!) and then climbed again, this time to Villard Reculas where a group of us are staying for a few nights to ride the Marmotte on Sunday. Photos taken on the climbs never really do the topography justice, but the long shots show just how far we come!
Friday 1 July
Today started with the mountains wrapped in cotton wool – remnants of last night’s thunder storms during which the others turned up at the chalet. Still misty as we set off down the Alpe for a tilt at a new climb for me – Les Deux Alpes. Beautiful climb through some wooded areas to get to the top, and then back down again as there is nowhere else to go once you reach this ski resort. Then on to the Col de Sarenne which is a third way to reach Alpe d’Huez, climbing up the back of it before dropping down into the village where we received our rider packs for Sunday’s Marmotte. Not before taking a silly photo at the top of course ! And why couldn’t that Col be 1 metre higher? Seems cruel to leave us stranded on 1,999 metres! More evidence today of God’s wonderful creation.
Saturday 2 July
Today was a rest day. Well OK, so it involved riding to the top of Alpe d’Huez for coffee, but that only meant riding a short distance (5 of the 21 bends) to the village and back.
Sunday 3 July
What. A. Day. The weather for the Marmotte ride was brutally hot, in the high 30s most of the day and touching 41C – even in the high mountains! Made for a much slower time than I might have expected, though interruptions to training from two bouts of illness and two injuries this Spring played their part.
I had the dubious honour of DNS (Did Not Start), leading the race and also DNF (Did Not Finish)! DNS because I skipped the mayhem of the official start and joined the route a few km in by riding directly from our chalet to a point before the climbing started. This gave me at least an extra hour to complete the ride, which turned out to be a good call given the conditions as well as my lack of training. It also meant that I joined the route ahead of the lead pack, though it took just 30 minutes for the leaders to overhaul me. Meanwhile, I was concerned the gendarmes or security bikes would pull me over for my cheekiness but they weren’t concerned!
Saw my friend Pete en route too, who was staying with friends on the race route – a highlight of the day!
My friends who had gone to the official start caught me as I knew they would and we were at the feedstop on the Galibier together. Given my desire to be back at the chalet by 7pm at the latest, I decided not to bother going to the top of the Alpe d’Huez but to turn off a few km from the top and return directly to the chalet. Another good call, which gave me time to recover before our BBQ. And I was happy with my ride up the Alpe when I was fresh on Thursday anyway, so I didn’t feel the need to do it again! Lost track of how much liquid I consumed, but hydration was key today. I poured quite a bit of water over my head too!
Overall pleased with what I did given the circumstances, though without troubling the scorers – the first person home took 5h50, meanwhile I was out on the bike for just over 12 hours. My usual rule applies then – I take twice as long as the quicker people but then again I am twice their age!
Le Loop (July 2022)
Just three days with Le Loop in the Pyrenees this time, being all I could commit to what with catching up on the postponed Marmotte trip. But it was good to get back out on Tour – many of us are “repeat offenders”, so it was good to meet up with old friends again.
TDF Stage 16
Three hot days in the Pyrenees. Day 1 followed stage 16 of this year’s Tour de France and was HOT. Temperature climbed quickly to 41C (if my device is to be believed) where it stayed all day. First climb (Port de Lers) saw me stopping at times to soak my cap in cold water – it then acted as an air conditioning unit and stopped my brains from boiling. Second climb of the day (Mur de Péguère) is a steep little so-and-so that I’ve climbed twice before – but in today’s heat I took nearly twice that. How am I going to cope over the next two days? All in a good cause though, riding with www.rideleloop.com raising funds for the William Wates Memorial Trust, which I have been supporting for a number of years now.
TDF Stage 17
Day 2 in the Pyrenees wasn’t any cooler – I think my device goes straight to recording 41C and then doesn’t go any higher so that it doesn’t scare me by claiming to be any hotter! I took a lite option today by missing out the first two climbs – I didn’t think I could take another day like yesterday just yet. After climbing Col de Val Louron Azet it was a long descent to Loudanvielle where the climb to the final mountain (Peyragudes) started – or not, in my case. That’s because our final feed stop was located there too, so I opted to end my ride at 3pm, have a massage and then spend two hours in the spa! My whole focus was on being able to ride the whole stage tomorrow so I wanted to be in the best shape possible, given that I came into this somewhat undertrained despite my recent Alpine adventure.
TDF Stage 18
Day three was quite the challenge! Great climb up the Aubisque to the highest point of these few days (1,709 metres). At our feed stop there, Neddy was trying to sign in and snaffle a few more cheese and pickle sandwiches! Next climb was Spandelles and not one I’ve climbed before – unrelenting, tough and hot. Although the day had started cooler (and stayed in the mid 30s), my device registered 43C at one point – there was next to no shade, so the heat was really bouncing off the road. Cycled the top part of that more or less one-legged as my hip flexor was giving me trouble. But I was able to stretch that out at the top and I was then good for the final ascent up the Hautacam. I was determined to complete this ride, if only to justify taking the easy option (plus two hours in the spa) yesterday!
johnstourdeforce 