This review was written by Dom Larose for the internet Triathlon Magazine Tri Rudy in July 2005. www.trirudy.com ARIEGEOISE RACE REPORT AND TRIP RECOMMENDATION Hi Just thought that Tri Rudy readers based in Europe or wanting a training trip to the mountains might like to check out this link. http://www.marmot-tours.co.uk/summaries/rfa.htm I went to the Pyrenees on this trip a few weeks ago and can only recommend it to others. James (who organises the trip) will make sure you get what you need out of the trip, whilst Alan's local knowledge meant he was able to tailor the daily rides to suit. The basic idea was a week's cycling, building up to the Ariegoise Cyclosportif event (>3000 competitors, main race distance is 160km, 3500m+ of climbing), which takes in the awesome Plateau de Beille ascent as its finale. Some of the people on our trip used it as preparation for L'Etape, others as the culmination of three weeks of mountain riding, and some like me, as a one-off holiday/training. As far as the Race Report goes, the day itself was baking hot (34C). I was doing the intermediate 116km race, which around 1800 cyclists were also enrolled for. This being my first bike race, I was reasonably nervous about a mass start within Tarascon and a couple of sharp right and left turns to get on the main road out, but the field seemed to string out pretty effectively as soon as we got past the start banner (with Jacky Durand starting things off). The first few kms were fairly flat through to Belesta and it was a question of getting into a rhythm. Eventually I found a good pack to draft with. I wasn't planning to stop at the first fueling stop (at 30kms) but since the majority of riders did, I decided to follow their lead and get some liquid in (the herd mentality). Apparently, due to the heat, the organisers had added salts to the water which probably helped. The next 30kms saw the first climbs, with a few hundred metres of altitude gain. It also saw some great welcomes along the route lined by supporters, highlights being the village that had created a huge floral bike outside the local bar, the fire brigade who had come out with hoses to cool you down (thumbs up for a spray, shake your head to stay dry!) and the kids trying to run alongside the bikes. Around this time, the leaders from the longer 160km race overtook me, with the lead car blaring its horn and the breakaway consisting of around a dozen cyclists. With the hopes of keeping them in sight for more than a few seconds being nil (!) I concentrated my thoughts on the next feed station. One thing you can be certain of in France is decent food - the feeding stations had camembert, saucisson (which, admittedly, by the time you got to the last station had cooked and crisped up nicely in the sun!), bread, fresh and dried fruit....the list goes on. Having managed to resist the temptation for a full three course lunch and some vin de table :), I left the Col De Sept Freres behind me, and climbed up to Col De Marmare before starting a long descent and then undulating course across the stunning Route de Corniches. I was glad to have brought along a hydration pack as the tube was much easier to swing into my mouth on descents (and climbs also) than reaching for a bottle. Having never been in the mountains prior to the beginning of the week, my training having been less than ideal this year so far, and having arrived in France with the remnants of flu, my main aim was to arrive at Les Cabannes (at 100kms) having had a good race. This I did, and having got some more food and water inside me, started the long trip up Plateau de Beille. By now, I was running low on energy, despite all the feeding stations and gels. Apparently, Lance does this climb in 45 minutes, and on last year's tour even managed to finish with a sprint between himself and Basso, but for mere mortals this climb is a killer. 16 kilometres long, 1250m of altitude gain and no relief in the gradient until you get to the final km! I had to stop several times on the way up but thankfully not resort to pushing my bike (though it might have been faster...). I saw a lot of riders turning their bikes around and heading for the bottom again, and prayed I would not have to do the same! Encouragement came from riders descending from the top, having already reached the finish. I finally got to the finish, having managed to take over 2.5 hours to grind out the final ascent. Not very glorious but a huge sense of achievement. I ended up drinking more than 10 litres of water/isotonic drinks during the race, and when I got back to the UK worked out that I had lost 9lbs over the week (6% of my bodyweight!), despite Alan's fantastic cooking and baking throughout our stay, and the odd 3-course lunch during our day rides (I'm sure this isn't recommended in any cycling manual...but it should be!). Naturally, at the finish of the race you were handed a "snack" including lasagna, bread, cheese, yogurt, profiteroles and .... more water. Luckily James had parked his minibus at the top, so we loaded up the bikes and drove back to Alan's chambres d'hotes. The post-race dinner, held in Tarascon was fantastic in all respect (wine flowed freely....), but the sports hall used was unbearingly hot, which was the only downside. All in all, a tiring but great day, and I definitely would like to return to do the longer race sometime...maybe next year who knows. If you want any more details on the trip itself (as opposed to the race), then I'd be happy to tell you more. Dom P.S. Race website - http://www.cyclosport-ariegeoise.com/ |
