Climbing time: 6hr57m
Finish time:10hr30
In Detail: Back home watching the highlights of stages I've missed while I was in the Tour myself. So that was indeed the hardest thing I have ever done, I knew it would be really tough but nothing like it actually was. After a stressed non stop day before arriving in race village, registering ourselves and bikes leaving hire car at finish line, shuttle bus back to village, taxi to our chalet, we got to bed with empty stomachs around 10.30pm, to be starting the next day at 4.30am. I hurried pasta and pesto into a bidon to eat on the way to the village, arriving in the pouring rain. Finally after around an hour wait in the start pen and much needed bitter coffee the peloton I was in set off at 7:00am. The start was naturally nervous by all riders around me, still wet we took around 12km over some – in places flanders-esq roads – to get to the first climb Col de la Madeleine, by now thankfully stopped raining and began drying out. I felt good taking it steady got to the top in under 2 hours I think. 20 minutes of descending didn't quite do the effort it took me to get up there justice. Then on the the Col du Glandon shortly followed by a wee descend and peaking at Croix de Fer. Now by this point I was starting to feel it, the sun beating down on us (someone told me it was 32ºC), with the sunscreen washed off my arms i was burning up. After an ass fight queue to get my bidons filled (a running theme), a decided not to hang round too much and crack on, I was around 6hr20mins in and at the start i was looking to get a time of 8ish hours. But believed the hard part was over – oh how I was wrong.
The "easier" climbs on paper were indeed the hardest on the day with Madeleine and CdF already in my legs. Spent Col du Mollard staring at the ground 50cm ahead of me, trying not to catch all the riders ahead snaking up the mountain. I was beginning to break up, my legs were fine even with the confident 12-25 (not particularly hill friendly) cassette I was sporting, it was the heat, I was on fire.
The final climb La Toussuir to finish I was in tears, my body was screaming at me to stop and get off, but I knew if i did i wouldn't start again. By this point I had made two rules for myself, not to stop and not to get off and push like the dozens around me. An english crowd spotted phoenix jersey and cheered me on, that was the moment I started crying. 10km to go was the longest of my life, once got into single figures I knew I had it, and even clicked down to a higher gear and raced it out, I wanted it to be over. The descents were brilliant though, closed roads great surface, really trusted throwing yourself into the corners. I actually enjoying going down for the first time ever. And it was all worth it for the pro tan lines I'm now sporting.
all packed
swiss air
pasta party in start village day before
much needed food at finish
finally a well deserved beer and pizza at the airport
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