Haute Route - Day 2 update

It is hard to believe it is only day 2. Today was another tough day but at the same time more spectacular Alp views as we went from Megeve to Val D'Isere up over the Cormet De Roselend that reached a high point of 1,967m. The Cormet De Roselend is one of the famous climbs in the area and was the highlight for the day. A long not too steep climb that I climbed with Roberto, Ramon and a few others from the team, but that is jumping in front a bit.

I forgot to add last night that the place we stayed in upstairs, was for the intellectually handicapped, more than we bargained for is all i will say. Made for interesting dining room interactions. Enough on that.

The first 9 km today was neutralized as we worked our way to the bottom of the first climb, and here we were able to see just how fast the fast guys climb, as they must have been a minute in front very quickly. The climbed was a short 10km, and that was the warm up for the Cormet De Roselend which was 20km which was followed by a great 1,200m vert downhill. A true alps downhill, as it had everything from rough narrow, twisty roads, a heap of hairpins, to long straight fast sections. A fun downhill, and I was following Roberto and one of the others and they can really downhill. We were also chasing and trying to catch Ramon, as he did not stop at the aid station, but with no luck. He was like the fish that got away today!

The last climb up to Val D'Isere was cut short by 6 km, so instead of 22km, it was only 16km, but what they did not say last night is that they managed to get all the climbing in before the finish. It had been cut short as there were some pretty significant road works with traffic lights and it made sense. I started the climb pretty well, and managed unplanned, to ride Roberto and the other team mate off my wheel. Not the plan at all, and it meant i had a long lonely climb up to the finish. In the end Roberto got his second wind and was coming back strong and would have got me if there was more climbing, but i managed to stay away. Ramon had another good day today and managed to put 5 minutes into us from his skipping the aid station and riding with another group. A good effort and is riding well.

Overall everyone is very surprised at the level of riders here. The general comment is that the filed has improved a lot from last year, when there were a lot more slower and not so fit riders. This year it is a different story.

Results from the day, 4hr 17mins for I think around 90th. Overall after two days I am 87th, almost 2 hours behind the leaders! Roberto is in 73rd and Ramon is 65th. As those two are in the top 75, they get to start with the fast boys tomorrow.

Tomorrow is the marathon stage. 163km, and 3,400m climbing and we go from the start straight into the Col D'Isere, one of the highest roads in Europe at 2,770m. Then we venture into Italy, for not doubt a steep and nasty climb, before the monster 35km ad 1,200vert m climb. That is big is all i will say. Not steep but long. Another factor is that it is going to be cold, but dry. 3 degrees at the start, and then 1 degree at the top of the climb and about the same again later. The discussion now is what to wear.....

Highlights from the day - see the pics below.

Signing off for the day.

cheers

hamish

Roberto and my Mexican teammates.

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Day 1 Haute Route update - In Megeve

Day 1 update. Hard to believe it is only day 1.

A long day is what I will say, but not as long as for some people. 3,400m climbing over 153km. High but not super high, but the views were spectacular, when I looked up. From Lake Geneve it was 25km of neutralized riding, then once we crossed the border into France it was all go, and racing was on. To call it racing might be going a bit far, as more like fast tempo riding, as everyone knew a long way was in front of them. 3 named climbs, and a couple of others in there to keep you on you’re a game. Today we climbed Col De L’Encarenaz, then into the Col De Joux. I have never done a cloimb wjere you just dropped straight down, and went straight back up. A new test for the legs, but the scenery as we cloimbed up from the valley floor, through the pine forests and eventually above tree line was worth the climb. Big views out over Mt Blanc, and I even stopped to get a picture as it was just spectacular.

The kicker was at the end, the climb up to Megeve. A Nasty little 700m climb, made harder as we blew past the second to last aid station, so everyone in our group was a little dry by the time we hit the aid station. To add to the fun, there were a few steeper ramps, which I am sure were not in the road book.

Tomorrow, 111km, 3,500m climbing as we travel to Val D’Isere. The kicker tomorrow is a 1,000m climb up to Val D’Isere. I am not looking forward to that.

Update post briefing - we have been blessed as there are road works during the last 6 km up to Val D'Isere, so this will not be timed.

Roberto is 10 mins in front of me, and in 56^th position. I am not sure of the others.

Signing off until tomorrow.

Hamish

PS – thanks for all the support. It is great.

View coming down off the tops.. Yes, I stopped and took a picture...

Leah rides for coffee, I ride for ice cream.

Bike storage..

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Haute Route -1 day. 12 hours and I will be well on my way...

Haute Route update day -1. 12 hours until race start

Signed in – check

Race number – check

Bike checked – check

Race briefing - check

Intimidated – check. The MOUNTAINS are HUGE, and there are a lot o very fit looking people. (scary veiny legs..)

My teammates (The Mexicans) - are the ready – maybe

Will they be fast – sure. How long will they be fast for – no one knows

Are they funny as hell – YES

Am I ready – as ready as I will ever be..

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Bike4Peaks stage 4 and all over - I am done:)

Sorry about the delay final update. I posted a short piece to Facebook, and did not get to finishing this yesterday.

Done and finished the Bike4Peaks race. A great, but hard 4 days. Thanks for all the support over the past 4 days. Much appreciated. The final stage had a flat and fast, 45-50kmph, section at the start. It was like one giant rubber band at pace as I started in the lead 150 riders, and was not going to let them get away. Small bike paths, sharp turns, railway crossings, and it was all on all the time. This came to a nasty abrupt stop as we had a steep but relatively short 400 vert m climb to do, which was mostly walking as just so steep, and the person in front of me was walking so no choice. Then after a gravel road downhill, it was all on again on the flat. This time the groups were smaller and I had to do some work, no sitting in. Not so far and we all knew the last climb was going so the pace was down a little.

Lucky for us, the last climb had been reduced by 300 vert meters, due to snow, and it was only 1,100m climbing. A long steady climb and I have climbed better is how I would describe the experience. It just took a long time, or so it felt, and I was pretty darn happy that we did not have to go to the very top. The downhill was the best yet, although I did do a flying leap over the handle bars at the top, and landed on my feet. I have a horrible feeling the photographer caught it on film as well. Will see. A long flowing, steep downhill all the way into Neukircken, and the finish in the middle of town. Cross the finish line feeling better than yesterday, and maybe I should I have gone a little harder on the climbs but a good feeling to be done. On the day 40th in my age group at 3hrs 35mins. It is amazing, as 10 mins faster and in the top twenty, so tight.

8,887m climbed and 296km. No punctures and 2 good falls. no injuries and bike is in one piece.

Total time 15hrs 58mins for 27th in my age group. Happy with that as first stage race, and I live in a land that is more below water than above, and this is a mountain race.

Highlight for the day - seeing Leah just after the finish. She did a marathon flight-train-taxi-train effort to get here. I am not sure which was harder....

In the evening we went back up to the top of the climb, this time by gondola, for the closing ceremony. The organizer made the right call not climbing to the top as it was more ski field than bike area, with a good 30 - 50cm of scattered snow about, and their downhill trail covered in snow. It looked amazing, flowing and sweeping all the way down, but covered in snow.

Yesterday, was a day off the bike, but went hiking with Leah up to a mountain hut. a casual 3 hour walk up and 2 hours down, and i was really dragging to tell the truth. The hut was beautiful, up a valley, set in a high alpine meadow where they have 27 cows, and make their own butter and milk. A summer only operation, as in winter there would be a lot of snow.

Next big event Haute Route Cycling in late August. 7 days of road cycling from Geneva to Nice. Although the IronBike mountain bike stage race in Italy has caught my eye. Late July, but that might be a bit much and a bit close to the Haute Cycling route.



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Bike4Peaks - Update day 3 - I am shattered

Update day 3 - I am shattered..

Tough day today. Hot, long climbs and off day for my legs. I think my hardest day ever on the bike. I think it is a combination of 2 previous days and a really nasty start. The first 8kms were in the pelaton, rolling pretty fast uphill, then the cows got in the way and broke things up abit (see below), before a nasty, nasty, 1,200m climb. Walking through snow drifts up to your knees, and a lot of bike pushing were the order of the day on that climb. Then a good downhill, before a flat fast 30km on bike paths, tucked into a group, but really having to work at times to hang on, as the legs were not cooperating today. The day was topped off by a final 700m climb, within sight of the finish line. In fact, I am pretty sure, then first finishers were finishing as we headed up the last climb. It has been a long time since I wanted to walk, and I came close today. Just had to keep going, and not looking at the speedo as it was slow.

Highlights of the day - over enthusiastic supporters tried to run with the pelaton at the start, only they were cows that had jumped a fence. They even had bells. Other highlight - finishing... In between big climbs that just hurt and some fun downhills.

Long day on the bike today as 4hrs 46mins, which was 32nd for Masters and puts me in 26th at the end of stage 3 for Masters.

Tomorrow - I hope I get my legs back as it is the final day from Kaprun to Neukirchn where I will meet up with Leah. The stage has a flat start, then a bump in the middle before more flat, and a 1,100m climb and then drop down to the finish.

Now, eat - rest - massage - eat - sleep....

hamish



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Bike4Peaks Day 2 - Conserve energy (draft) and big hills + a touch of sunburn

Conserve energy and big hills were the theme today, as well as a touch of sunburn. Todays stage had a fast road start, then a 600m high hill, and a nice little downhill to a long bike path section, which was more like road riding than mountain biking. 40+km/h for a good section, and I was "that" person who sits in and does not do any work. Guilty as charged, and it felt good, then at the end of the long flat on a intermediate hill, a small group of us rode off the front of the group.

The conserve energy was for the brute of a hill at the end. A 1,000m vertical climb up to the snow line over about 10km, and my plan worked, as I climbed pretty comfortably on the last long climb. The downhill was on the World Mountain Bike Marathon course and was the most technical riding so far. I ate it a couple of times. The old saying of "if you look at the tree, you will hit the tree" is very true, as was loosing my balance on a small bridge and laying down softly in the mud. Lucky nobody was around for that one, as they would have good a good laugh as well.

The destination for today was Kirchberg. Another beautiful mountain town, and more a ski resort than a summer resort. The hotel I am staying in did not appreciate me trying to take my clean bike up to my room. They should have seen the bath after I had showered and done some laundry. The bike was the cleanest thing about me! Now the bike is locked up outside the hotel, with a cluster of other bikes, and I need to put it in bike storage, but that is about 1km away. That can wait, and the hotel can get used to having the bikes outside. At least mine is out of the way, unlike some of the others.

I thought I would add a little on my daily routine as it is amusing - wake up, eat, ride bike, eat, clean bike, eat, massage, eat, and eat again later then sleep. Life is simple at the moment, and I am not sure if I spend more time eating or riding my bike.

Tomorrow, is another day with a 1,200m climb out of the gate, a good long downhill, then flat and another 700m climb at the end. The end climb is what I would call gratuitous climbing as we bike pretty much past the finish liner, then do the climb. Destination is Kaprun.

Opps, almost forgot. Came in 19th in masters today, 4hrs 15mins, and that moves me up to 21st in the masters category. The fast guys are still darn fast!



The view from the hotel. There are pro teams here, and I am jealous as they have people to hand out water on the course, then to clean and tune the bikes at the end of the day...



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Bike4Peaks - mountain bike race - Day 1 before start

Bike4Peaks - Day -1

I am not sure what i have signed up for, as I sit in a small German bar ordering dinner in a small mountain village called Rupholding. Rupholding is a mountain pass away from Austria and is also close to the worst of the flooding here in Europe, and I am here for a 4 day mountain bike stage race. Bike4Peaks starts tomorrow and the first day has two big climbs in it, and the second one will be taking us 300m vertical above the snow line! It should be interesting, as well as wet, and hopefully not too cold. Each day is between 70 and 85km long with about 2,200m climbing each day, and has just under 1,000 competitors. Tomorrow I start at my start number 693, then each day after that i start more where i finished the day before.

The day 1 profile below..

Getting here was interesting with the flooding, as some trains were running and others were not. For a while there it looked like I was going to have to wait 4 hours in a small town, so just caught a taxi. I had another small drama as I put my bike back together, and could not work out why my rear derailer was not working, until I looked at the handlebars. Somehow the airline managed to snap the derailer cable. Lucky that was all they broke. It must have been how I packed the bike. Better luck next time.

Briefing - a little nervous.

Hopefully the sun will shine tomorrow and I will have tales of sunny mountain passes. One can only hope.

Hamish

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Amsterdam - the flat land

Overall - enjoying some time off, and starting to ride my real road bike so the world just got better, and colder.

Update from Amsterdam and a picture from todays bike ride.
- Found house, but do not move in for another 2 weeks. Next to a canal, in the downtown area. Happy - Happy, plus have a spare room.
- Sold the Subaru in the US and brought two Amsterdam bikes and go everywhere on them. Biking back from a date night with Leah in the rain. We feel like locals...
- Started to ride my road bike in the fog (see today's pic!). Fog + just above freezing = cold Hamish
- Completed the NOLS Wilderbness First Responder first aid course. that was 10 days in Sweden. a great course.
- Have not got a phone yet. Need more "official" paperwork, that will arrive sometime in the next month or so. Not having a smart phone is "liberating" to start with, but am now in the "I am tired of this game stage". Getting bank accounts, visa etc is time consummmminggg....
- Getting used to unemployment - maybe it is time i started to look for something. Hard to believe it has not even been a month since I left the US.
- Off to Barcelona this week for the US Thanks Giving. Yes we are in Europe, but Leah works for a US company, and they are shutting down. We will bank both the US holidays and the EU ones, especially the long summer holidays.
- Missing the sunshine, but getting used to the fog/rain/cloud of AMS

That is Amsterdam. Not sure where i will be skiing this year, but I might go across and see my brother and at the same time try and get a few days in the Alps. It would be a shame not to as we are based here.

Hope all is well, and i hope you are getting a few days on the slopes.

Cheers

Hamish