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LA MARMOTTE 2017


George
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I have read those already. Not entirely sure it was a good idea 😄😄

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Just a wee update

We left 0600 every thing fine in a very busy Glasgow , hung around London three hours then flight to Gineva

Arrived 14:10 went to pick up hire car two in front took adges , then drove Richie to pick up van missed the road that's ok we thought just circle round and get it no peak traffic took forever then after getting there Richie hasn't got his licence eventually back to Airport pick up bikes and the rest and drive to France more traffic eventually arrived at hotel 21:15 nearly 16 hours latter .

Needless to say we went out for some carbs

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Part 2

Today was the usual faff about register by some junk , briefing the eventually a bike ride it's fairly cold up here so cold ride down the Alp into the valley then back up anothe col 13k but not overly steep, this comes out 7 bends from the top just enough for a taster and trust me it was enough and this was the easy part.

Now going for food and hopefully a sleep before 05:30 breakfast

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50 mins to Arran on 7am ferry. Single done. 50 mins back on ferry. Home for lunch at 1245. Chill out afternoon and watch Lions beating All blacks replay, the watch people crashing in tour prologue.

 

Having said all that I wish I was there !

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50 mins to Arran on 7am ferry. Single done. 50 mins back on ferry. Home for lunch at 1245. Chill out afternoon and watch Lions beating All blacks replay, the watch people crashing in tour prologue.

 

Having said all that I wish I was there !

The day 0500! Up breakfast 5:30 Ride down the Alp 06:00

Then in pen eventually over the line 07:15 the ride to the glandon is fast and fun but over too quickly then the 24 k of the Glandon me Grieg and George rode up most of it together soon enough it was me and George 2 plus hours latter the decent which was damp and cold and scary lost George as he was well in front

Next year valley to Telegraph spent most of that on my own eventually reaching the col but spent a couple of matches caught up with George and rode the 12 k or so together nice short decent and the Galibier 20 k this was sole destroying eventually I left George and rode to the top and waited for a short time as it was freezing

Next a fantastic descent to the Alp again sort of on my own dragged a bunch to the btm of the Alp

The Alp 22 hair pins of total torture everything hurts close to chucking it many times hung in finished had a few beers and George rolled in

The rest can add but George's Alp storey is good

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By far the toughest thing I've done on the bike.

 

Very cool in the morning, thankfully, as would have struggled in the heat.

 

Fast start from Bourg but the group thinned out as soon as we hit the glandon. Really hard at the start but we got into a rhythm of sorts. Misty & cold at top & mental descent.

 

Got in a fast bunch on way to Telegraphe, this was long but not too bad (avg 7.5%) but then the Galibier- never ending. Truly horrible. Got cramp in left hamstring so so had to stop for a stretch.

 

This is when my stomach problems started. More later....

 

Descent from Galibier was super fast with very wide roads so great fun.

 

Got in a group and got to the Alpe in no time.

 

First 4K were horrendous & my hamstring cramped again. Stomach still playing up.

 

Counting down the corners now but moving at a snails pace then my right hamstring went-had to get off for a stretch.

 

Corner 13. Had to get off & scurry into the trees to make a deposit. Nasty.

 

Then just limped on and on and on while being baked in the heat.

 

Picked up in last few K as the gradient eased and rolled to a stop. Utterly spent.

 

Hardest day I've had on a bike but glad I did it. If only I'd trained for it although I'd likely had suffered as much but just gone faster.

 

Box tickedðŸ‘

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