Haute Route Dolomites "individual" Time Trial....???

Haute Route ITT (or should we say TEAM time trail).

Well, where do I start with today. I was secretly hoping for a top 10 or at best top 5 finish position. To end up 3rd on the day is great. I think the conditions might have helped a few others suffer a little bit more and mentally may have not bothered as much as I did. So you may think I would be really happy with the day, yes with the effort I did I have no guilt with my ride and happy with it. Talking to friends who rode earlier in the day and what I witnessed first hand with my own eyes really has left a bitter taste.

I heard from three different people I know who are genuine honest riders that there were big groups (almost pelotons) riding the “individual” time trial!! 10-15 riders sharing the work and on such a flat course this would make a huge difference. I did not see this myself but I certainly have seen it before and one guy I overtook early on in the ride tried (but failed) to hold my wheel. Later towards the summit another guy did similar. I wonder if these people get any pleasure doing this, why not train hard and get a result you can be proud of??? Maybe I am alone on this, who knows.

Worse than this, I started my ride around 300m behind the leader of the race. This was good as a really decent guide to see how long I could keep him in sight, I know I am well under his talent so would lose him at some point but was happy to be holding close ish. Then after the first couple of k I was shocked to see his team motorhome sitting in front of him and him draft it. This was not for long but seriously, why bother. Your going to win the stage and the event, really disappointing. The drafting happens every year to an extent but usually the climb is not that assisting to using the slipstream. I am not sure where all the safety out riders go on the TT days but maybe these can be scattered on the course to at least try to discourage this drafting and especially motorpacing.

Tomorrow is another day, I will try to take a little bit of confidence from today into the ride. We have a short (ish) ride but constantly up and down. We also finish on the top of the Stelvio, a monster of a climb. In addition to this they are talking about it raining again, more so in the morning but either way this could increase the misery levels up nice and high as we are also riding quite high all day. From memory 4 times over 2000m, this equals chilly...!

Thanks for reading and I hope you all enjoyed the ride in the wet...?! I forgot to mention it was torrential rain all through the TT, 30 mins after we had all finished, oh yes you guessed it.... sun came out and rain buggered off.... Law of sod.