Great weather returned this week and on Wednesday I finished my last section of the cyclists Tour du Mont Blanc to complete the circuit of Western Europe's highest peak. This involved a 90KM, 2200M of climbing. Down from Megeve through Flumet and then over the northern side of the Col de Saisies via Crest Voland. Once over the top I descended down the southern side of the climb to Villard sur Doron and then ascended again to the top of the Saisies on the main road and finally descending towards Flumet via Notra Dame de Bellecote. There are four routes over this climb and the ride covered all of them. Next time I'd climb back over on the Villard su Doron route and this road is much quieter and on a hot day is shaded most of the way up.
All eyes are now on the Houch'hard climb on the 5th September which is our local race. There's also the small matter of launching our new bike tours website!
Completing the Etape du Tour and La Marmotte double in 2011. Mike is co-owner of www.breathebike.com with Wife Jude and are permanently based at Chalet Annabelle in the Chamonix Valley, France.
Tour de France Cols
Friday, August 27, 2010
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Passy Climb
Sunday saw the mass start race up the climb to Bay from Passy. Nearly 8km and 380M of climbing, summer has returned to Chamonix and its a hot morning. Different approach this week with over an hour on the bike before the race. It worked! People that beat me by 3 1/2Mins on the Colombiere last week only beat me by 30 seconds this week!
Thoughts now turn to the final race this year, our own local Houch'hard up the climb to Les Houches through Vaudagne on the 5th September. Also, getting some long miles in the legs for the upcoming trip to Mont Ventoux at the end of September helping to guide for Julie at Ridestrong Bike Tours.
Thoughts now turn to the final race this year, our own local Houch'hard up the climb to Les Houches through Vaudagne on the 5th September. Also, getting some long miles in the legs for the upcoming trip to Mont Ventoux at the end of September helping to guide for Julie at Ridestrong Bike Tours.
Saturday, August 21, 2010
This week in the Alps!
What's happened to Summer? We had snow above 2000M earlier in the week! Monday was a washout but Tuesday dodging the showers it was a blast from Servoz to Cluses and back, 64KM's in just over 2 hours! Wednesday we were concentrating our our new bike website for next year.
Thursday and its much warmer - decided to leave the van down in Sallanches and headed over the Col des Arreches towards the ski resort of Flaine before turning left and onto the col de Chatillon and descending into the Samoens Valley. Opting for a flatish ride today and ignoring the signs for the Col de la joux Plane for once. This is a great ride for avoiding too much climbing and before long after a loop through the Samoens Valley we arrived back at Taninges and the back road up the Chattillon avoiding the traffic. One car and 5 cyclists later we're descending the fast road down into Cluses and then back along the Sallanches Valley for a 2hr 40m 73KM ride in much warmer weather.
Friday is here again and with Sunday's grimpe (climb) race upto Plateau d'assy so its just short of 50KM's to the Swiss border and back over the 1461M Col des Montets in around 1hr 50M.
Sunday's race is only 7.5km ascending 390M similar to the race up the Colombiere last week, but its a mass start, eyeballs out race to the summit with someone no doubt finishing in around 15 Mins. I'll be happy with anything under 22 mins! Watch this space!
Thursday and its much warmer - decided to leave the van down in Sallanches and headed over the Col des Arreches towards the ski resort of Flaine before turning left and onto the col de Chatillon and descending into the Samoens Valley. Opting for a flatish ride today and ignoring the signs for the Col de la joux Plane for once. This is a great ride for avoiding too much climbing and before long after a loop through the Samoens Valley we arrived back at Taninges and the back road up the Chattillon avoiding the traffic. One car and 5 cyclists later we're descending the fast road down into Cluses and then back along the Sallanches Valley for a 2hr 40m 73KM ride in much warmer weather.
Friday is here again and with Sunday's grimpe (climb) race upto Plateau d'assy so its just short of 50KM's to the Swiss border and back over the 1461M Col des Montets in around 1hr 50M.
Sunday's race is only 7.5km ascending 390M similar to the race up the Colombiere last week, but its a mass start, eyeballs out race to the summit with someone no doubt finishing in around 15 Mins. I'll be happy with anything under 22 mins! Watch this space!
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Col de la Colombiere race
Super cold in the Alps today with snow, yep SNOW above 2000m and its only August! Come on - whats a happening with the weather?
Early start today for the mass start race up the Col de la Colombiere from the Grand Bornand side - opposite side to the Tour de France race route this year. This is a series of races up cols at this time of year on consecutive weekends - all well organised by local cycling clubs.
8 degrees c at the 9.00 start and straight into the climb. This side of the Col is much easier than the Cluses side but it still manages to climb 650M in just over 12 km.
Trouble with these kind of races is that even with a good warm up I always start too fast, fade, then get into a good rhythm half way up. Note to self - start slower!
I'd aimed for under 45 mins and crossed the line in 42 mins 20 something so happy with that. The superhuman winner did it in just under 30 Mins.
Descending back into Le Grand Bo its freezing and the recovery ride is binned for the day!
Back in Chamonix we have rain, more rain , some thunder and rain! Summer should be back tomorrow fingers crossed!
Early start today for the mass start race up the Col de la Colombiere from the Grand Bornand side - opposite side to the Tour de France race route this year. This is a series of races up cols at this time of year on consecutive weekends - all well organised by local cycling clubs.
8 degrees c at the 9.00 start and straight into the climb. This side of the Col is much easier than the Cluses side but it still manages to climb 650M in just over 12 km.
Trouble with these kind of races is that even with a good warm up I always start too fast, fade, then get into a good rhythm half way up. Note to self - start slower!
I'd aimed for under 45 mins and crossed the line in 42 mins 20 something so happy with that. The superhuman winner did it in just under 30 Mins.
Descending back into Le Grand Bo its freezing and the recovery ride is binned for the day!
Back in Chamonix we have rain, more rain , some thunder and rain! Summer should be back tomorrow fingers crossed!
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
3 Countries, 155km, 3200M of climbing and saddle sores!
Just after 8 am from Chalet Annabelle a bit later than planned but the sun is just trying to show itself over the Chamonix Aiguilles. Its a chilly start for this first half of the Cyclists Tour of Mont Blanc, and the steady ride up through the Chamonix Valley (1050M altitude) to Argentiere and by 9am I'm over the first climb of the day, the Col de Montets (1461M). Arm warmers and gilete for the descent and 10 minutes later I'm over the border and in my second country of the day, Switzerland.
It's a steady climb after the border over the Col de Forclaz (1530M) and then the 65KM an hour descent all the way down to 470M altitude to the town of Martigny and it's only 10am!
From here it's he true start of the Grand St Bernard pass. It's definitely not the steepest pass in the Alps by any means, but the length of it certainly takes it's toll which gives it a HC catergory status. It's over 40KM from Martigny to the Summit at over 2400M and gets really interesting when the Grand St Bernard Tunnel road cuts off and 6km from the summit the road turns to virtually single track for the final climb. You'd recognise this part of the climb from the original Italian job where the coach ends up hanging over the edge at the end of the film. Its also supposed to be where Hannibal took his elephants over the Alps.
Thankfully today the temperatures are only in the mid 20's and after a mammoth 3 hours from Martigny I'm finally over the summit. Definitely the longest 40Km of my life. I'm now in my third country of the day, Italy.
From here its a dizzy descent on smooth tarmac for around 10km's before joining the main road and descending another 30+KM into the Aosta valley. The final section for today is the 35KM ride up through the Aosta valley to the Spa town of Pre St Didier. This is rolling for the last hour or so and is a great way to end the day.
Pre ST D is the start of the Petit St Bernard pass - more on that one soon!
So back to Chalet Annabelle through the Mont Blanc tunnel with Jude taxi.
Reflecting on the day, its great to cycle through 3 countries, and with around 100 Miles in the bag its a great day out. This took me about 7 hours actual cycling.
It's a steady climb after the border over the Col de Forclaz (1530M) and then the 65KM an hour descent all the way down to 470M altitude to the town of Martigny and it's only 10am!
From here it's he true start of the Grand St Bernard pass. It's definitely not the steepest pass in the Alps by any means, but the length of it certainly takes it's toll which gives it a HC catergory status. It's over 40KM from Martigny to the Summit at over 2400M and gets really interesting when the Grand St Bernard Tunnel road cuts off and 6km from the summit the road turns to virtually single track for the final climb. You'd recognise this part of the climb from the original Italian job where the coach ends up hanging over the edge at the end of the film. Its also supposed to be where Hannibal took his elephants over the Alps.
Thankfully today the temperatures are only in the mid 20's and after a mammoth 3 hours from Martigny I'm finally over the summit. Definitely the longest 40Km of my life. I'm now in my third country of the day, Italy.
From here its a dizzy descent on smooth tarmac for around 10km's before joining the main road and descending another 30+KM into the Aosta valley. The final section for today is the 35KM ride up through the Aosta valley to the Spa town of Pre St Didier. This is rolling for the last hour or so and is a great way to end the day.
Pre ST D is the start of the Petit St Bernard pass - more on that one soon!
So back to Chalet Annabelle through the Mont Blanc tunnel with Jude taxi.
Reflecting on the day, its great to cycle through 3 countries, and with around 100 Miles in the bag its a great day out. This took me about 7 hours actual cycling.
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Etape du Tour 2011 or the Marmotte ?
When we moved to Chamonix in the heart of the French Alps in 2007 it was an opportunity to get back on the road bike after an absence from racing of around 20 years. However it wasn't until 12 months ago that I finally competed in my first race, a local time trial up through Vaudagne, a 6km climb. The buzz of competing was back and the target is now to enter the Etape in 2011, or the Marmotte 2011, or maybe both!
My wife Jude and I moved to Chamonix escaping the corporate world and started our own Chalet Business focusing on winter sports and in the Summer months, cycling, and climbing Mont Blanc.
During 2010 I've completed the Time Megeve cyclosportive and also the Morzine event and looking forward to the race up the Col de la Colombiere next weekend.
In 2010 we teamed up with Julie Gildred at Ridestrong Bike Tours and ran a super successful cycling week from Chalet Annabelle seeing 3 stages of the Tour de France and taking on some classic Tour de France alpine climbs which are a short drive from Chalet Annabelle including the Col de la Ramaz, Avoriaz, Col de la Colombiere, Col des Aravis, Col de Petit St Bernard and the Cormet de Roseland.
So the plan for 2011! The Etape hasn't been in the Alps for around 5 years and the rumor mill has already started that the Etape will be ending in Alp D'Huez next year or somewhere else in the Alps. This makes sense as it will be 100 years since the Tour de France visited the Alps, and it even visited Chamonix in the race of 2011.
Over the coming weeks and months I'll post a snapshot of the rides we've been doing in the area and further a-field as I try to build up the training required for the event.
Watch this space!
My wife Jude and I moved to Chamonix escaping the corporate world and started our own Chalet Business focusing on winter sports and in the Summer months, cycling, and climbing Mont Blanc.
During 2010 I've completed the Time Megeve cyclosportive and also the Morzine event and looking forward to the race up the Col de la Colombiere next weekend.
In 2010 we teamed up with Julie Gildred at Ridestrong Bike Tours and ran a super successful cycling week from Chalet Annabelle seeing 3 stages of the Tour de France and taking on some classic Tour de France alpine climbs which are a short drive from Chalet Annabelle including the Col de la Ramaz, Avoriaz, Col de la Colombiere, Col des Aravis, Col de Petit St Bernard and the Cormet de Roseland.
So the plan for 2011! The Etape hasn't been in the Alps for around 5 years and the rumor mill has already started that the Etape will be ending in Alp D'Huez next year or somewhere else in the Alps. This makes sense as it will be 100 years since the Tour de France visited the Alps, and it even visited Chamonix in the race of 2011.
Over the coming weeks and months I'll post a snapshot of the rides we've been doing in the area and further a-field as I try to build up the training required for the event.
Watch this space!
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