Haute Route Alps, Stage 3. ITT

Haute Route Alps, Stage 3. ITT.

Col de Grandon.

Today was the perfect time for the Individual Time Trial for me. Kind of a resty day, with a 12k climb...

I started to feel a little bit ill last last night, aching back is usually where I start to feel flu type symptoms. A slight head ache and I never get head aches. I woke up a few time during the night and had a blocked nose. Once morning had broken and a fabulous alarm call at 08:00 I did not feel that bad in the legs department. We were asked to do a little bit of promotion for the info-cranks guys on the turbo trainers. Probably a good thing as I usually never warm up properly.

Ten minutes of agony in the saddle area later and I decided that was enough “warm up”, it was more loosening the legs. I had decided to go for 1 minute in the Time Trial and if I did not feel right I would then pull the plug and just get up the climb as easily as possible. Unfortunately the climb was not one that allowed much of a relaxing leg spin, after the first k which was a steady grade I would guess we were up at 9.5% average. Tough to just spin up.

As expected I wasn’t feeling great in this first minute so pulled said plug, the legs were not actually that bad almost ok. Just I had lower back aching and a very slight head ache. So I enjoyed the climb as we had wall to wall sunshine today, a MASSIVE bonus to the last two days. I was over taken by a few people but stayed in my easy zone keeping the competitive urge under control.

After the advertised 12k the finish line was under me and that lovely “bleep” and I hit the stop button on my Garmin. All done and I wasn’t in a mess, only after a few minutes did I feel worse than I had in the morning. More aching, so I floated around the Punto Tours support van eating and drinking for only a few minutes as I wanted to get down and start recovery.

So there was the “resty” day done. This afternoon I decided there was no real point to suffer too much in the Alps anymore feeling a bit ill, I was miles off in the GC and there is clearly no way in beating anyone in the top ten the way I am riding. So I am now likely to ride the last 4 stages super easy and just complete it in the attempt of being well and more ready for the Dolomites. It is tough to face this fact but I am convinced it is the way forward and the only way I can mentally continue getting on my bike each day.

Lonnnnggggg day tomorrow, there is over 4200m of climbing and 167k (if memory serves me). So whatever the pace it will still be a tough one. We also hear the weather will be very warm from mid morning onwards so maybe we can get the winter kit and tuck it away soon..! :-)