Haute Route Alps, Stage 1.

Haute Route Alps, Stage 1

Well, that was rather miserable overall. I have probably spent near on 2 months in the Nice area in the last 5 months and today it had to rain... Only 2 minutes before we were due to leave the hotel the spitting started, I was utterly shocked. I had already packed my arm and leg warmers in my day bag which was deep in the van and knew I needed to leave pretty punctual. So I was half stuck in my summer gear.

The light shower died off and the roads started to dry as we rolled neutralised out of Nice. We had 16k of this, and as usual I had started right at the front, and as per usual soon got cut up and spat out toward the back of the lead 75 riders. I do not think myself as anything special but feel I deserve to be in the lead 75, looking about me I could see a large number of people who were riding in this group and bumping and barging to gain places in what is the “neutral” sector. Trying not to use up nervous energy I ended up rolling towards the rear and settled for the fact I would be in no place to try to ride with the top guys in the lead 20.

Where I had expected the start to officially be, there it was and the pace kicked up. More people poured past me before the timing mat and off we went. Many people weezing like an asthmatic within the first few minutes as I settled in to my consistent power as usual and passing these people who thought it wise to put a sprint in at the start of a 125k ride! :-) Oh and by this time the rain was more consistent, UK style. Quite ironic as the UK has had a bit of a mini heat wave!

Our first climb was one I knew well, Col de Nice. Not really a climb, just a couple of hundred meters of elevation to get over. This did sort a few people out but not many, once that was dealt with we had a 1k descent into a village I have been through many times l’escarene. A tight right corner and then we started one of 3 long drag sections, this first one was around 8k from memory and took us to Luceram. Here the first “real” climb started, Col de St Roch. Even this was only a short climb and not too steep. I was still a little out of position and steadily picking off people, when we were riding out of the trees lined roads I tried to look ahead and see where the leaders were. Every now and again I thought about going full gas and see if I could get near to them but then you know there is completely no point. These guys out front and stronger and lighter than me, and with gravity a fixed variable I just sat on my numbers and miserably plodded on in the rain.

St Roch ended with a couple of k of slippery flats, then time was off. I grabbed some food and thought I should keep moving, I was already getting pretty cold! Skitchy descent done, people were queuing up for the next “time on” section... This started with a tiny 150m climb then a descent which I was looking forward to as much as a kick in the crouch. Then after that another long drag section, I missed the Emma Pooley group, she rides for Tempo Sport, these guys are a great bunch. From last years experience I knew they all do their fair share of work on these drags so I was rather annoyed to lose them. Once I arrived on the 2-3% drag section I was stuck with people who were more than happy for me to pull them along, but strangely once I signalled for some help they decided they could not assist. Sometimes I do not mind these “lazy” people but I think by this time I was so far out of position some of them really could not add to the pace.

Eventually we arrived at the village of St Martin where Col de St Martin genuinely start to kick up and they had all dropped off pretty quickly. That climb is nearer to a proper climb, 7-8k and 7% so reasonable. The time was off at the summit and i knew the guys from Punto tours would be there with my day bag and in there... my ARM WARMERS!! I think I did a reasonable stint up the climb and was happy to see my day bag! A little bit of food and I saw the Tempo sport group filling their bellies. So I headed down the neutralised descent to make sure I would be riding with them on the biggest false flat drag of the day. Again from memory, near on 30k of the stuff!

In theory a big group is great and there was around 60 people waiting at the start of the next timed section, but the downside is 90% of the 60 were there for an easy ride up the valley, they have no interest in helping out, and from what I can gather no guilt either which is what I would have!

Maybe it is not something that is done, but I was getting pretty annoyed with how many people were there for the ride. Emma as always was vocal in trying to get them to help, which to be fair did work for sections if only for a minute or so. After half the valley I had had enough and once I had done my turn I deliberately took my foot off the gas and left a gap behind the 6 or 7 of us who were working and then waved the others through, funny enough some then panicked as their free ride was going away. I would leave it until there was a 40-60m gap then I could boot it across and work in the group without our big train. Annoyingly the train worked to get on us then would sit up and rest behind us again. I think the 4th time we finally got away and arrived at the foot of the Auron with 9 of us. I again settled into my power band and was a little surprised I dropped the rest of the guys after a couple of k’s. I carried this on and as usual put a little more in towards the end and “bleep” the stage was done.

There were times when I was utterly miserable and freezing cold but towards the end I had cheered up 10% perhaps. As I write this we had no internet and it is streaming rain outside and a little bit of thunder to boot (fun times)...! I would guess this stage will be a day bihind once I get to Wifi that works.

Tomorrows stage there is some talk of being horrific... If the forecast is as it is now we are likely to face wet and incredibly cold conditions up the first climb, Col de la Bonnette. It is likely to be our worse day for cold and wet with the highest point on the entire Haute Route 2015! BAD timing eh...

Hope I didn’t depress you too much with the above misery. Hope weather is better bad home in sunny Henley/Sudbury.

Thanks as always for reading. Ciao (inspired by out Italian tour company! ;-)