25 August 2011 Summer Entry #27 Hello Haute Route Day Five

Next Stop Pra Loup

La Haute Route 2011 - “I need a hug day”

Serre Chevalier > Pra Loup 

Weather - Cold + Hot - 9-33C

Stats

Time 4:57:13

Distance 118.47km

Elevation 2,776m

Avg Speed 23.9km/h

Max HR 159 bpm

Avg HR 137 bpm

Winning Time TBC 

The official review of the Haute Route Stage from today is below.  Also, to see video footage from each days stage at the Haute Route check here, there is some great footage. 

Food - coke, does that count as food? At the HR they have food and drink stops at the top of each Cols and at the finish line. Now I’m not usually a coke drinker but when you’ve just climbed a mountain for almost two hours, such as Col d’Izoard, you’re willing to try anything to get more energy. 

Weather - a pretty hot day again up to 33C! Then again we started early enough to get Col d’Izoard in the shade plus there was quite a bit of cloud cover which provided bursts of shade whilst climbing up the three monsters today.

Mode of Transport - four or five bikes working together to get through valley flats as quickly as possible. Thank goodness I descended the epic climbs of Col d’Izoard and Col de Vars near other riders. That means when you get to the bottom you’ve got a ‘train’ to get through the flats. I would have hated to be out there alone during these sections today, or any other day while apart of the Haute Route.

Conversation - the interview I did with Adam, one of the media people on tour, on the final ascent to Pra Loup. It took part during the last 2k about ‘how was I feeling? I don’t know if it’ll be posted but I’m sure my answer was “I’m in pain” - I’ve blanked it out already ... today was hard, aka I need a hug.

Animal - if I mentioned crickets yesterday, they may have been grasshoppers, then it’ll have to be the butterflies. They are everywhere around here. Lovely when they are flying besides you but not as nice when they turn into projectile missiles. They have a special knack for running into your sunglasses as you descent at great speeds down some absolutely amazing descents! I know poor me, no poor them!

What else of note - the reason it is a ‘I need a hug day’ - was due to the fact that today was a 4 out of 5 star day. I knew it was going to be tough but I really needed a hug after the initial secured convoy from Serre Chevalier was over after 10k. Once we crossed the official start line, at the beginning of the climb to the top of Col d’Izoard (2361m) all the people that I had ridden with on the past few days just took off! Where did they get their ‘fresh’ legs, why weren’t my legs able to keep up ... I thought they were my ‘friends’. Alas, it wasn’t to be so I had to make new ‘friends’ today. Thank goodness I did. When I arrived to the finish line I was spoke to a few of those who finished in front of me, my ‘friends’, and some of them rode alone for most of the day, including the flats, see ‘mode of transport’ for why this would have been awful.  

Parting thought of the day/blog: tomorrow is going to be hard, haven’t I written that already this week!? A little preview from the organisers, ‘The Cime de la Bonette , is 25 kilometres of ascent from Jausiers, through to the height of 2802 meters high making it the highest road in Europe and the ‘roof’ of the Haute Route!’ 

A summation of the day from the organisers:

What Claude Droussent, French cycling specialist, says about Stage 5

STAGE 5 - SERRE CHEVALIER TO PRA LOUP

“Here again, a monster after Briançon, but climbed by its “cool” side. The Col d’Izoard by its North side, and the famous Casse Deserte during the descent. A long ascent (20 kilometres) in the pine trees, difficult in its second bit after Cervières. Along the last nine kilometres up to 2361 meters high, it never goes below 8-9%, especially near the Refuge Napoleon...

It will be the same for the Col de Vars culminating at 2109 metres. But here, it’s the bottom that is very difficult, after Guillestre. A long ascent with 18 kilometres. The 8 kilometres of the final ascent of Pra Loup after Barcelonnette won’t be so simple. Remember Eddy Merckx’s lapse in 1975, and Bernard Thevenet’s glorious day... After the Galibier’s day, it will be the second hardest day of the week”.

Main feature of Stage 5

• Start in Serre Chevalier, Thursday 25th August at 07:30 

• Arrival in Pra Loup, between 12:00 and 15:45 • 119 km overall, 112 km timed • 2800 metres ascent / 2400 metres descent

• 2 full refreshment points at the top of the cols (Izoard and Vars) 

• 1 food and drink supply after the finish line

3 ascents on the menu of Stage 5

Col d’Izoard, 2361 metres high, summit 28 km from the start - 32 times in TdF

Col de Vars, 2109 metres high, summit 78 km from the start - 33 times in TdF

Arrival in altitude in Pra Loup, 1598 metres high

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A little about Will Levy, la Haute Route and twowheeltours.com.au

TWT, mtnbike.com.au and bike shuttle.com.au are three companies based out of Sydney that offer road and mountain bike trips from Sydney to Canberra, New Zealand and Europe. We also transport/shuttle bikes to various races around Australia including the Noosa Triathlon and the Tour Down Under.
Will is taking part of the Haute Route Race in 2011, an innovative, prestigious and international cyclosportive with a unique concept: link Geneva to Nice by road bike in 7 timed consecutive stages on a legendary race course taking on 15 mythical cols and ascents of the Alps whilst covering 730 km.
twowheeltours.com.au will be at the Haute Route again in 2012 - we will be providing logistical support for riders, and their non riding partners, from Australia and New Zealand. This will include early arrival and pickup from Geneva Airport or CFF train station. Riders and their non riding partners will have first class accommodation on the lead up the race. During the race, non riders will have a bilingual guide taking them to daily activities. The trip will conclude with an extra two days, again in first class accommodation in Nice on the Promenade des Anglais.