Did I mention it's hot?

The circuit I rode Sunday is similar to one used by a popular annual ride which draws big numbers. It is a clockwise loop which heads over the Col de la Croix de Fer (HC), down to the next valley and back over the mountain range via the Col Du Telegraphe (Cat 1), a short descent into Valloire and then over the Col du Galibier (HC). Then it’s a long descent back into Bourg D’Oisans and then finally up Alpe D’Huez. I planned to ride this minus the final ascent of Alpe D’Huez.

It’s still freezing in the shaded valley when I left, but as soon as the sun appeared the gillet and arm warmers were quickly removed. The first climb for the day starts a short way from town and is a mix of gradients up to 11.2%. Due to the undulations it was hard to find a rhythm but I managed it okay.

On the road to Col du Glandon

As the Col du Glandon 1924m (HC)  is a short deviation from the road up to Col de la Croix de Fer 2067m (HC), I ride up to the Glandon for my first col.

Col Du Glandon from the Lac du Grand Maison

  
First Col in France - Col Du Glandon

                                                      

The last few kilometres up to Col de la Croix de Fer are uneventful, with the hardest kilometres done well before the Glandon turn off. So with that I’ve just completed my second HC col for the day. A quick petit espresso at the café at the col and it’s down into the valley via the pretty village of Saint-Sorlin-d'Arves.

The ride up the valley to the Col du Telegraphe is along a main road running parallel to the autobahn. This stretch is not the nicest, but as on all French roads the drivers are very respectful of cyclists and it isn’t too long before I’m off the main road and back in the hills.

Col du Telegraphe

Starting from the town of Saint Michel de Maurienne, the Col du Telegraphe 1566m is only 12km long but hovers around 7-8% for much of the way. It is treed so offered some respite from the sun at least. From the col it is a short descent into ski resort village of Valloire. Here I stopped at a l'eau potable water fountain and decided I needed a coke from the bar / restaurant next door. Somewhere along the way my order for just a coke was lost in translation and a toasted cheese and ham sandwich with salad came out with the drink! Later I discovered that when she replied with what sounded like 'Coke monsieur?' that the waitress wasn't confirming my order but was actually confirming I was ordering a croque monsieur; the sandwich! To be honest I should have ordered food anyway so eat it, but am not feeling that well from the heat and exertion so struggled to eat it.

The road immediately kicks up out of town and the trees are gone. After 6 kilometres I am still not feeling that great so stopped under one of the few trees to try and recover. I still needed to ride 11km to the Col du Galibier before I could descend the last 40km back to Bourg D’Oisans, so with no other option available I finally talked myself back up and onto the bike.

 I only made it another 3km’s to the restaurant at Plan Lachat, where another water fountain and the shade of a small conifer were far too nice to pass up. Here also marks the start of the final 8km of hairpins and steep roads that menaced above.

Just over 2km to go

To get over these last kilometres I decided to ride it in sections and was able to make it another 4km without stopping. Shortly after though the decision when to stop was taken away from me as both legs cramped! Another couple of enforced stops and much of it ridden standing (I could only ride at most 10 seconds at a time seated before the legs wanted to cramp again) I made the tunnel and final  kilometre and 9% gradient marker. I pushed on only to cramp again within sight of the top!

Looking north from just below the Col du Galibier - seen in the top left corner

It was an overwhelming sense of relief rather than elation making the col, I was just glad that it was over! The small dusty car park at the col du Galibier 2645m was swarming with tourists who had driven up by car or ridden one of the many motorbikes.

Exhausted

The descent is super-fast, though once on the main road there are numerous long tunnels that need to be ridden through. They are partially lit so not as bad as it could have been…

View of the mountains in the Parc National des Ecrins

So after the second day, I am exhausted! Plus a little sun burnt and quite demoralised. To be honest I am not sure what the main cause is? Whether it is the heat (bike computer registered 40 degrees on the Galibier), the jet lag, the altitude, the severity of the climbs or a combination of all the above? I had planned later in the week to ride the Glandon again to access the Madeleine to return back over the Glandon, this time from the north. That would mean I’d be riding three HC climbs in the one day! Now having ridden over some of these big climbs, I don’t think it is feasible for me in this first week. If I was in Bourg D’Oisans in a couple of weeks’ time most likely, as I should be fit enough by then for such a challenge.

 I now know nothing I trained on back home compares to these mountains! On the climbs here in France, passing traffic is often accompanied by the smell of cooked clutches and burning brakes! It has been a very painful introduction; these climbs demand respect.

Ride details:

Distance 171.65km

6637m elevation