Posted by admin on November 2nd, 2011 |
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Five members of Limerick CC took part in this year’s Etape du Tour Part 1 which took place on 11 July and followed the route of Stage 18 of the Tour de France (Modane Valfreus to Alpe d’Huez). The event attracted over 8000 riders from all over the world. This year the distance was shorter than usual at 109K but the route took in a number of serious climbs – the Col du Telegraph, Col du Galibier and of course Alpe d’Huez. The Limerick CC riders – Pat Spaight, Joe Walsh, Seamus McDonnell, Arthur and Damien Schmid – were part of a 50-strong Irish contingent who travelled to France with Sean O’Leary of Trailseekers. We were based in the picturesque village of Villar d’Arene which is about 15k below the summit of the Col du Galibier. In the days leading up to the event, we had the opportunity to tackle some of the famous climbs of the Tour – Les Deux Alpes, Croix de Fer, Col du Glandon. While some of us preferred to take it easy in the run-up, others (i.e. Joe) took the opportunity to nail every Col within range!
We rose at 3.30am on the morning of the Etape and, after a hearty breakfast of Flahavan’s porridge (kindly supplied by a rider from Dungarvan CC), we boarded the bus for Modane. A 90-minute ride (via the summit of the Galibier) to the start of the race had us in Modane before 6am. As veterans of the Etape, Joe and Pat provided plenty of good advice to us rookies. As for Arthur, he couldn’t wait to get off the bus and straight into action! While the race (yes, it is a race and not a tour) officially started at 7am, the sheer numbers meant that the start was staggered with the final riders getting away well after 8am. Riders were corralled into pens according to ability, which explains why Pat was up there in pen no. 1 with the pros! The Limerick riders were scattered across the 10 or so pens which meant that we didn’t see each other again until the finish.
The day was dry and warm as finally departed and quickly covered the first 15K downhill section to the village of St Jean de Maurienne at the foot of the Col du Telegraph. The Telegraph at 1556m was supposed to be the “easy” climb of the day but it was still a demanding 12K climb at an average gradient of 7.1%. The day was starting to warm up quickly but some relief was provided by the shade of the trees lining the route. The road was thronged with cyclists and it was difficult to get into a steady rhythm as riders weaved in and out all around you. With the Galibier to come, this was not the time for heroics….. just keep it steady and avoid any mishaps. After we crossed the summit, there followed a sharp decent of around 5K into the town of Valloire, which had the first feed station of the day. Valloire also marked the start of the 17K ascent of the Col du Galibier, so it was vital to refill those water bottles.
The Galibier at 2642m (8000ft) is one of the highest mountain passes in France. Unlike the Telegraph, there is no shade and nowhere to hide! While the lower slopes are not particularly steep, once you cross the river at Plan Lachat over half way up, the gradient kicks up to 9% plus as you enter series of spectacular hairpin bends. As you ascend the mountain, you see cyclists strung out in a continuous line in front of you and behind. The scenery is breathtaking with gorgeous views of alpine meadows and of snow-capped peaks in the distance. Also breathtaking was the combination of gradient, heat and oxygen deficit which started to take its toll of as you got closer to the summit. Despite the numbers, the silence was deafening. The road got steeper for the last few kilometers which were a real grind. At this point I had been climbing for over 3 hours and my legs were burning and head spinning. It was a relief to finally arrive at the summit which was thronged with riders, pausing to savour this special place. Most people however didn’t dally as the mother of all descents lay just ahead, a 45K rollercoaster ride to Bourg d’Oisans at the bottom of Alpe d’Huez. The first 8K down to the Col du Lauteret is narrow, winding and extremely fast. For the first part there are sheer drops on one side, with no barriers, so you really do not want to overcook any bend. Excessive braking on the many bends can also cause problems with wheel rims overheating. One member of our extended group had a blow-out a few days earlier and wrote off a carbon wheel (and nearly himself!). The biggest hazard however was the sheer number of riders, many descending at speeds of 80kph+.
Once we had passed the Col du Lauteret, the road widened but just as you started to relax a little and enjoy the surroundings, you entered the first of a succession of dimly-lit alpine tunnels. Going from brilliant sunshine into a darkened tunnel at speed can be terrifying to the uninitiated. Some of the tunnels had stretches which were pitch black and all you could do was keep your speed steady and pray that nothing untoward happened in front of you. In fact, there were numerous crashes on this stretch and we learned later of one fatality and of another cyclist going off the road into a ravine and being brought by helicopter to hospital. Having done a number of trial runs through the tunnels (in heavy traffic!) in the preceding days, we at least knew what to expect but it is not for the faint-hearted.
The descent tapers off as you approach the town of Bourg d’Oisans. Only 14k to go which couldn’t be that bad! Only that this is the infamous Alpe d’Huez with a series of 21 hairpins and an average gradient of 8%. Taken on its own it is quite manageable. However, with the Telegraph and Galibier in your legs and the temperature touching 37C, it is a monster. Plus, there is little or no shade on this south-facing slope. The first two hairpins are the steepest at (up to12%) and already I was suffering badly in the heat. It felt like a turbo session in a sauna! Thankfully, there were two water stops on the way up. At the first stop, a race official sprayed riders with water from a hose which was an absolute godsend. Hundreds of spectators including many from Ireland lined the upper slopes and shouted encouragement. Children ran alongside and doused us with water. The day was starting to take its toll with some riders abandoning their bikes and walking and others taking refuge in the many alpine streams that ran down the cliff face. It was a hard and relentless grind all the way as you counted down the hairpins one by one. The hairpins themselves offered only limited respite as the road generally kicked up almost immediately. We went through the village of Huez and had another stop to refill empty bottles. 5K to go but the end was in sight, on a plateau above us. Lots of encouragement from the onlookers…”Allez Limerick!” A final push up to Alpe d’Huez, a ski station where the road flattens out for the last kilometre or so, and a final dash to the finish line. The relief and emotion at the end were overwhelming! We had all made it safely to the end line and no one had fallen victim to the dreaded broom wagon or worse. While Pat was the first Limerick CC rider home, Joe posted the best time at 6.10 with Pat and Arthur just minutes back. These times include any stops along the route at feed stations, etc. Damien and I got delayed by the crashes on the decent (that is our excuse!) and came in a little later.
The following week, Schleck, Evans, Contador and co showed us how it is done by the pros. This turned out to be one of the best stages of the Tour with action all the way - Contador attacking on the Telegraph, dropping Voeckler and Evans but not Schleck, being caught by Evans on the descent, and attacking once more on the Alpe d’Huez only to be overhauled by Rolland. For the mere mortals of Limerick CC, it was an unforgettable experience. It was a great privilege to spend time in this cycling mecca and to tackle some of cycling’s most famous climbs. It also gave us a small taste of what the pros go through day in day out on the Tour and you can only have the highest admiration and respect for their achievements. Next years route has not yet been announced, but I suspect the lure of “hors categorie” climbing will see many of us back for more!
