28 August 2011 Summer Entry #29 Hello Haute Route Day Seven and NICE

Next and last stop NICE

La Haute Route 2011 - “Done”

Saint Etienne-de-Tinee > Carros > Nice

Weather - Cold + Hot - 10-31C

Stats

Time 3:09:02

Distance 103.56km

Elevation 1,092m

Avg Speed 32.9km/h

Max HR 164 bpm

Avg HR 126 bpm

Winning Time 1:52:07

Results can be found here ... now I know how I’m doing! Final results for the Haute Route 2011, for Solo Men 46th, can be found here - 76th overall - happy with that. 

The official review of the Haute Route Stage 7 is below.  Also, to see video footage from each days stage at the Haute Route check here, there is some great footage. 

Food - The food at the Haute Route Closing Ceremony/Cocktail Party at the top of the Jardins du Château in Nice. Amazing food, plenty of drinks, beautiful view, great company and lots of desserts. To spend a glorious summer evening in Nice and to reminisce about the week of riding that just passed was truly the icing on the cake.  

Weather - freezing in the morning, lovely in the afternoon. I felt sorry for Francois Lemaut who weighs in at 52kg, interview day two. While waiting to depart, from Saint Etienne-de-Tinee, the poor guy was visibly shaking. My Garmin says 10C but it felt colder than that, especially when rolling through the valley, along the river plus the windchill, before the start of the climb. Once at the climb the temperature changed and before you knew it, vests were off and zippers were down. Our last chance to put it to the pedals. This was no last day of the TdF with champagne out on course, that would have to wait till lunch and then at the Cocktail Party.  

Mode of Transport - bikes bikes bikes!

Conversation - not that there were no interesting conversations on the last day but I do have to pass on two stories/situations that occurred on Day 6 and 7 with Paul Larsen. The first was while riding on Stage 6. I was slightly ahead of Paul on the climb of Cime de la Bonette. I called out to him while rounding one of the many bends “come-on Paul”. Next thing I knew, he was level pegged for a second, says “hello”, then flies past me. Flash forward to our interview at dinner that night in Auron. During our conversation he mentioned that “he uses me as a bit of a guide as to how he is doing”. We had been rather equal on the stages thus far and he says that “he can’t miss me riding up a hill as I’m one of the only ones in green kit”. Then some of his mates came past and mentioned something along the lines of, “you know Paul is the second placed Australian and you’re the first, he is coming after you tomorrow.” Little did I know but Paul, competing in a team situation, was a measly one minute behind me in the Overall Scratch standings. How could this statement not weigh on me!? Deep down we are all competitive and although I laughed it off I thought I have to give tomorrow my all! I only woke up once during the night in a cold sweat thinking about my riding strategy for Stage 7 ... how do professionals do it, did Cadel Evans even sleep the night before the TT at the TdF in 2011!? 

To start Stage 7 we had a 32k secured convoy before the official timing start. Paul was in the first secured convoy and I was in the second, he was in sight. Once the flag was dropped and the hill climb started it was time to ride. I’ll cut to the chase, I did ride with an entirely different group going up Col Saint Martin (1500m), a faster one than normal. I didn’t stop for long at the refreshment area at the top of the mountain and I did pedal my little legs off down the hill. NOTE - Paul is trying to break the World Speed Record in Sailing - read - he likes a bit of speed and descends like a bat-out-of-hell! I was thankful that a group gathered in the valley and we could work together through the flats, Paul wasn’t in that bunch. At the finish I ran into Paul’s girlfriend and mentioned that “I was sorry that I didn’t know where Paul was” and also regaled her with the story of my 4am wake up. I met Paul soon after, had a laugh and chatted about another fantastic day of the bike, for both of us.  

Animal - the pigs that provided the ham and salami at the finish line of each day, good to replenish our lost salt stores. 

What else of note - Cheers Paul Larsen, the other 298 riders and the 80+ staff that made the Haute Route 2011 such a success. I’ll forever have such great memories and look forward to heading back in 2012, this time as a supporter for Australian and NZ riders. I’ll hope to do a few stages, how could I resist!? 

Parting thought of the day/blog: Bring on Haute Route 2012 - details of our fully catered trip will be published by the end of September. 

A summation of the day from the organisers:

What Claude Droussent, French cycling specialist, says about Stage 7

STAGE 7 - AURON TO NICE

“Today, you are probably shattered, waking up every morning has become harder and harder each day. But today, you will be rewarded with the crossing of the Mercantour National Park, the backcountry and then Nice, the coast, the sea... The Col Saint Martin with its 1500 metres above the Vésubie is nothing compared to what you have already overcome. Beware of the distance however, 140 kilometres, it can seem a bit long... and at the finish, I dare you... to go for a dive in the Big Blue!”

Main features of Stage 7

• Start in St-Etienne-de-Tinée, Saturday 27th August at 08:00 
• End of timed stage in Carros, arrival between 10:50 and 12:50 
• Peloton gathering in Vence between 11:30 and 13:45 
• Final arrival in Nice around 15:30 • 140 km overall, 71 km timed 
• 1600 metres ascent / 2800 metres descent 
• 1 full refreshment station at the top of Col Saint Martin 
• 1 full refreshment station at the peloton gathering in Vence 

• 1 refreshment station after the finish line in Nice

1 col on the menu of Stage 7

• Col Saint Martin, 1500 metres high, summit 49 km from the start--

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.