L’Etape de Légende
term1te
Posts: 1,462
Anyone else cycle through the Vosges on Sunday? Excellent day 
the weather couldn’t have been better, neither could the organisation. I was 5 minutes short of a medal, but very pleased with my time, 9 hours and 46 seconds. By the look of it only about half the starting field got to the Ballon d’Alsace before the cut off time.
the weather couldn’t have been better, neither could the organisation. I was 5 minutes short of a medal, but very pleased with my time, 9 hours and 46 seconds. By the look of it only about half the starting field got to the Ballon d’Alsace before the cut off time. 
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That's surprising - I really feel for all those people who had got that far but weren't allowed to continue. In a funny kind of way, it makes me feel even better for having completed
Skinsey, I too had cramp - terrible cramp at the top of Col de Breitfirst. Involved a good 10 to 15 minutes of rolling around in agony on the ground before I could pluck up the courage to get back on the bike. Didn't spoil the day one little bit, though, although I was a bit cautious over the next few km.
It was the penultimate climb that got me, from about 140k to 160k, which just seemed to go on and on. Must have taken at least an hour and a half to climb it, I reckon.
Favourite parts were the first 35k of bowling along at over 40kph in a massive group; the descent along Rue des Cretes from the penultimate hill; and the flatt(er) bit after the third feed stop when I hooked up again with another big group.
Least favourite part was seeing that poor guy who had wiped out early on one of the first corners on the first big descent. He looked in a bad way and I hope he was ok.
Organisation was superb, really well signed, very well marshalled and supervised (a motorcycle marshal stopped within a few moments of me cramping to ask "Avez vous la crampe? Vous voulez un docteur?" Perhaps I should have followed skinsey's precedent and told her she was very jolie, but I didn't.
A fantastic day, a hard day, but no harder than I was expecting and no easier than I would have wanted. Loads of people along the route, really good to be encouraged along like that.
I know they were hoping for closer to 8000 than the 3000 they got, but I really hope it goes down as a success and that there's something similar next year...
I see you use the same photographer as me.
The Moser
The VN
One of the papers bemoaned the lack of spectators while the other was more jubilant, estimating there to have been over 6000 along the route. (I’d actually guess a couple of thousand more than that, or maybe that’s because I found the 6000 as encouraging as 10,000 might be!)
As for another event next year, one local newspaper today reported that ASO weren’t really happy with the event as a financial success but would likely try it again next year at a different location, i.e. a different legendary Tour day (though the local organisers said they would be happy to have a repeat next year).
I feel certain that next year ASO will arrange an Etape de Legende elsewhere, hoping it eventually takes off - the Etape du Tour wasn’t as big an event in its early years as it is now. (I look forward to the year they do Chiappucci's breakaway ride through the Alps!)
Some French riders I spoke to afterwards said they felt the ride was too long, saying neither the Etape du Tour nor the actual mountain stages in the ‘real’ Tour are nowadays as long and with as much climbing as this was. And I think they are correct – this had 215 km with about 3700 m climbing whereas the 2006 Etape du Tour ‘only’ had 190 km with 3500 m climbing, and the 2007 version ‘only’ had 195 km with 3000 m climbing.
ASO seem to have, with hindsight, also quickly realised that it was really too difficult for too many riders, because they’ve already said the next Etape de Legende will be shorter and easier. They themselves also misjudged the difficulty when they announced the winner would probably arrive about 13.00, whereas he only rolled over the line at about 13.45.
I had a look at the results from the legendary 1967 stage and was surprised to see the winner, Lucien Aimar, took about the same time (6 hrs 45 mins) as this Sunday’s winner, despite a heavier, old-fashioned bike, and less idea of training and nutrition. In fact, in 1967, all the peloton finished within 7 hrs 15 mins, whereas on Sunday only the first 15 riders were within this time.
The riders of 1967 obviously come from a time when ‘men were men’ or were on better amphetamines than are available nowadays!
I also saw a bloke 200 yards in front of me crash at the bottom of the descent from the Route des Cretes, at the junction to turn left towards La Bresse. Fortunately a bunch of firemen seemed to having their annual picnic just nearby so ran to help him. Later the ambulance taking him away passed me.
One rider I did feel sorry for crashed very early on, maybe only 20 km out of Strasbourg, probably a wheel-touching incident. I saw him being helped into an ambulance.
I saw the ambulance one other time in action, and as it was on a steep climb, I guess the guy just went so slow he eventually toppled over to the side, but you can still break your arm like that.
And I agree that it was very well put together - organisation (very efficient but still very very friendly), route, scenery (I already know the Vosges well and love the area), closed roads, food (I liked the spice cake at the feeding stations a lot) - while the weather played along wonderfully too.
Unfortunately, however, I was one of those who never made it to the end this time.
I was hoping to arrive at the top of the Ballon D'Alsace by about 17.45 pm, and the beginning of the Etape went well enough. At 11.15 am, after 4 hours riding plus 10 mins at the first feeding station, I was at the top of the 4th col (Col de Freland) at the 102 km mark, so I comfortably ahead of my own schedule,
For reasons into which I won't go (and unfortunately not pleasurable ones either), I'd only had 2-2½ hours sleep the night before in Strasbourg, and as we went through Orbey (115 km) I started to feel drowsy as my sleep deficit kicked in. On the pretty-easy Col de Wettstein I lost touch with the group I'd been riding with and then, on the equally-easy Collet du Linge, immediately after the Wettstein, things got worse - my eyelids kept dropping and my eyes closing involuntarily.
It was the same micro-sleep experience that many people probably know from driving when overtired. For a second or three, your eyes close and you are asleep at the wheel (and a great danger). On Sunday I was falling asleep on the bike!
I managed to make it to the next feeding station, where I discovered 'my' group had already been and gone, meaning I'd fallen back near enough 15 mins compared to them. But I realised I couldn't go on like that, so after the feeding station, I pulled over and went and lay in a field, hoping a 10 mins catnap might help. I came round about 30 mins later! This meant within about 25 km, I'd lost over 45 mins, or practically an hour if you add on my time at the feeding station.
The shut-eye helped a bit, because going up the Col du Platzerwasel, I found myself passing many riders, though I was also pretty slow. On the Route des Cretes and the subsequent descent, I still wasn't feeling that good nor riding with the speed I usually do, but I still believed I might just make it to the finish within the time limit.
However, when I reached the next feeding station at the 174 km mark, the broom wagon suddenly appeared as I was eating an orange. Well, to me it was 'sudden', and a surprise.
Although I never thought of it at the time, I can now see from the route table we were given that when I started riding again at the foot of the Platzerwasel, I was then probably only 5 mins ahead of the broom wagon. That 5 mins was 'eaten up' at the feeding station.
As the broom wagon (organisation car, buses for riders and vans for bikes) appeared, about 7-8 guys fled on their bikes at the first sight of it, but I didn't try to as I was uncertain whether the heavy drowsiness would return and didn't want to feel the pressure of the broom wagon right behind me for the rest of the way when I wasn't feeling good. Though later, I wondered if I was right to let myself get hauled in so easily.
There were riders already in some buses, and a couple more were picked up on the way to the foot of the Ballon climb. From thereon riders were allowed to complete the ride if they wished, but their transponders were removed from them if it looked like they wouldn't make the top within the time limit. The last guy to get in my bus was only about 4 km short of the finish but he said he'd had enough.
I later learnt most of the group with whom I'd been riding with as far as Orbey (115 km), so when my droopy eyes problem set in, arrived at the finish between 17.35-17.55 pm. So I think had I not been suffering sleep deprivation, I would have done the same and met my aim.
Obviously I'm disappointed but at least I know it wasn't my cycling ability which failed me. And I have ridden the Ballon D'Alsace twice before (once in a cyclosportive - Les Trois Ballons), so it's not like I've never ever climbed it and will never have chance again.
Oh well!
I passed about 8 other Brits during the ride, 5 on the first col (Kreuzweg), and 2-3 of them a second time plus 3 others on the Platzerwasel (I imagine all those I passed on the Platzerwasel got in front of me while I was asleep in the field). I knew they were Brits from bits of conversation they were having between themselves. And I doubt most of them finished either; three in particular looked already well whacked by the 140 km mark.
I did see and also hear one Brit with a Swiss flag on his jersey, so would that be you, Term1te? If so, you passed me on one of the first couple of cols, I forget which.
And are you sure you've got your time right? About 9 hours would have just put you in the top 500 and certain of a medal. My wife, who watched everyone come in from about 4 pm onwards, said that all who finished within the time limit (11 hrs 35 mins) were given a medal.
People always find variations; one guy I know who did the Etape du Tour this year said he measured 199 km, not 196 km, for instance.
The official sites don’t give total climbing, I suppose because it varies depending on how sensitively one measures. So I quoted conservative figures based on a summation of the main climbs.
But again people always find variations. At the finish of the Etape de Legende, one guy told me he’d registered just over 4020 m climbing on his altimeter, so markedly higher than the figure I gave. But I felt I couldn’t use his figure when I knew no one who’d measured by altimeter during the Etape du Tour.
Winning time was 6 hours 21 munites for the 2007 Etape and cutoff time was 12 hours. Compared to 6 hours 43 minitues winning time for the Legend.
Based on these, I believe they were both brutally hard. Though it the 2007 etape was arguably probably on the hardest stage of the 2007 TDF. So maybe you have point about length, but don't discount the how brutal the combination of heat and the steepness of the Pyrenses are (having cycled there and the Balloons).
by the way, congratulations.
The Moser
The VN
Right side for me
As you say, not as appealing as riding a mountain stage, but the ease of access would be in its favour as far as I am concerned.
Gave me a posision of 650th I think, 266th in category which, considering I have not ridden over 90miles in a oner this year I was pretty pleased with.
A tough route : the numerous climbs taken in 39 x 23, 25 and 27 were wearing and the Platzerwasel and the subsequent 3 rises were really, really tough and I just ground up that one, content to pace myself sensibly which I just managed, and then the last climb, as I think I never really overextended myself, I felt relatively good on - nice to have a countdown of hairpins and the encouraging signs indicating that the end was near.
The crowds of locals were fantastic, very encouraging shouting 'Courage' and 'Champions !'. Very satisfying but I'm not sure if enjoyable is the right word to describe it - the memory of the Platzerwasel will remain with me for a while yet !
I normally do road races up to around 80 miles or so and TTs of 10 - 50 miles and, apart from 1 UK sportive of 90 miles and a 75 mile Fondo a couple of years ago, I've not riden anything like this : I'd personally do another but a long, flat ride would not interest me, a testing, but not ridiculous, parcour might see me do it again. I might try to do something a little different liek the Fladers sportive or another Fondo.
The Moser
The VN
If it makes knedlicky feel better he wasn't the only non finisher. I had just passed the 2km to summit sign on Platzerwasel when the pace car passed me some 7 hours in and around 150km on my computer. This climb was just too much on a 39 x 26 and my schedule was blown.
I enjoyed the day immensely, the weather, the crowds, everything others have said. I got up too early though and woud also have welcomed another hour's kip the night before.
I had the ride divided up into 3 x 3hour stints, 3 to first feed, 3 to second and 3 or a bit more to the finish.
Stage 1 and Stage 2 went fine and I arrived at second feed stop at just over 6 hours. Felt Ok leaving but was quite isolated at this stage - lots of riders still at feed stop when i left but after that I could look back and forward a long way and see no -one. the lack of any group made what was to come on platzerwasel worse. My gearing was all wrong and as the gradient went skyward so did my chances of finishing. I really need a compact or triple to get round any kind of mountain stage ( I know now).
I've only done one sportive and changed my fairly worn rear cog before it to give me a 26 instead of 23. Nowhere near enough for these continental hills which just go on and on.
I hired a trusty (and heavy) Scott mountain bike on Crete and with its triples sailed up some hairpin bend roads and tracks where only goats looked comfortable. So that helped my pride and I am determined to complete a mountain stage Etape next year.
Congratulations to everyone who took part.