Haute Route Alps: Stage 1

Haute Route Day 1:

August 21st, 2022
Start: Nice, France.

Finish: Cuneo, Italy.

117 miles

8:10 riding time

14.3 mph average

13,947 ft elevation gain

Climbs: Col du Saint-Martin (7K), Col de la Lombarde (20K)

We woke up around 4:45am and ate as much as we could stomach around 5am. We were surrounded by other riders in the hotel breakfast room - and you could feel the nervous tension. I started my period that morning. Ugh, the worst timing. We packed up our gear, dropped our luggage off downstairs under the designated sign for our next accomodation (100+ miles away in Italy) and left our hotel around 6:10am. Because this was our first time at this event, we wanted to give ourselves extra time. We biked through the somewhat empty streets of Nice and arrived to the event venue a few minutes later. We dropped off our post race bags at the designated truck and lined ourselves up near the front of the corral around 6:20am. The energy was positive and the music was pumping. We ran into Matt Dixon from Purple Patch and it was nice to see a familiar face in the crowd. With over 400 riders ready to go, I was feeling extremely nervous. 

At 6:45am, it was time to roll out of Nice and start our long journey to Italy. The first few kilometers through the town were a bit sketchy as we navigated round abouts and other road furniture. It was so cool to have the Mavic cars, motorcycles and other staff support around us - giving us the right of way. The first 11K was neutralized but even with the lead Mavic vehicle keeping the pace "slow" we were climbing out of Nice and Karel and I felt like our hearts were going to pop out of our chest. We both felt nauseous and anaerobic. It was not a comfortable feeling. But we felt like we needed to stay with the group as that is what you do in group rides. Once we reached the first timed segment of the day (11.2K to 21.7K), the reality hit that this was going to be way harder than I ever imagined. I couldn't keep up with anyone and I found myself riding alone - dropped from group after group after group. The next timed segment was 29K to 67.9K and finished at the top of Saint-Martin. I enjoyed the quick descend and really needed it to bring my heart rate down. I didn't stop at the first feed station but aited until I reached the top of the climb. I started the ride with 2 bottles of Skratch SuperFuel. Karel had 2 bottles of Never Second C90. 

I was shocked how long the climbs were and how hard they were. Each kilometer marker would show the upcoming gradient, which was good and bad. Good to know what's coming next, bad to know what's coming next. After 20 miles and an hour and 40 minutes, I finally reached the top of the climb. Karel was there and we were both exhausted. We only covered 40 miles but accumulated over 6500 feet. I got my first taste of descending in the Alps and I loved it - 10 miles of descending on the narrow roads with switchbacks and incredible scenery. I have really improved my descending skills over the years so I welcomed the descend. Karel loved the descends as he has exceptional descending skills. 

Before starting the next timing segment, I noticed that several of the top riders were waiting just before the timing segment. I was confused why they were doing this as there were strict cut-off times to meet. But later I learned that cyclists would wait before the timing segments to ride together in a group - ah, that made total sense! Here I am trying to do everything on my own when I could have been much more strategic. I would still get dropped on the climbs but in the flat segments, you could go so much faster in a group. It was neat going through so many tunnels (thus the required lights) and passing through the small towns and villages. 

The next 23.7 miles were tough. Really really tough. For 2 hours and 36 minutes and 6000 feet, I climbed. Pedal stroke after pedal stroke, it was constant work. It was hard to control my heart rate, I was feeling yucky with the start of my menstrual cycle, I was getting into higher altitudes and I was tired. But I kept pedaling. When I finally got to the top and saw Karel, I was so relieved. This was hard. And it was only day 1. 

Thankfully, that was the last climb of the day. We really took in the views before another amazing descend. I've never descended for 15 miles before and even though it took over 40 minutes, it went by really quickly. 

Karel and I learned our lesson so we waited before the next timing segment for a group to gather. We joined a group of around 20 riders and the last 12 miles were fast and fun. I was the lone female in the group and we had our own motorcycle escort. The road we were on was rough and narrow so it was nice having a lead vehicle as the group was flying. We averaged 22 mph for for this last 30 min segment. After 7 hours and 18 minutes and 13,700 feet of elevation, we finally reached the finish line of stage 1. We couldn't believe what we just did. And it was only day 1. We just rode from France to Italy. 

We had 11 miles of riding to reach the village of Cuneo and although we were ready to be done, it was nice to spin the legs (active recovery) and enjoy some of the sights. We made our way to the athlete village in the town of Cuneo, got our backpacks (and recovery drink), dropped off our bikes, walked to get a delicious meal and then checked out the map to see where we were staying for the evening. We skipped the post race massage as we were so ready to get to our hotel to cool off and recover. 

After 8 hours of riding (and 10 hours of total time outside), we finally reached our hotel after 5:30pm. We were thankful for the AC in our room - and a refreshing shower. It was a hot, long day. Because we were a few miles out of the town, we were too exhausted to search for more food so the receptionist at the hotel (who spoke a little English) helped us find a delivery service so we could enjoy pizza - when in Italy! Little did I realize, this would of been one of many pizzas that I consumed over the next 7 days.

Our new nightly routine involved me downloading my Go Pro footage, charging our lights, charging (and downloading) our computers, pining our bib numbers on our jersey for the next stage, preparing bottles, preparing our recovery drink (and post even bag), eating as much as we could (and rehydrating) and trying to get into a good headspace to prepare ourselves for another day. We went to bed around 9:30pm, although it wasn't the most restful night of sleep. 

We were exhausted, sore, tired and depleted. And we were about to do it all again tomorrow. 

Lessons Learned
We quickly learned that we went out way too hard to try to keep up with a group. We also learned that it's important to find a group that is your fitness level as you will overcook yourself trying to stay with a group that is way too fast. Our bike handling skills allowed us to ride safely and confidently on the descends, as well as in a group. We also learned to be more strategic with the timing sections and to really take it easy in the neutralized sections. We enjoyed the feed stations, especially the food and the scenery. It was really cool to meet new people from all over the world. Having your name on your bib number and front bike plate was so nice as you got cheers and encouragement from so many people. Also having the American flag on our bib numbers let other people know what language we spoke. I needed to be more prepared with our post event food. Perhaps stocking up the stage prior for the next stage as we were just so exhausted to try to find food and eat. 

2022 Haute Route Alps - post event reflection

 

It was 2019 when I came across a YouTube video discussing the Haute Route Alps. Despite not having the best bike handling skills, having little understanding of what it's like to cycle in the French Alps (besides watching the Tour de France) and training exclusively for long distance triathlons, I was captivated by this event and I knew it was something we had to experience. Somehow I sold Karel on the idea of combining our love of cycling and traveling to Europe and we registered for the 2020 event. Fast forward two years later, after living through a worlwide pandemic, the reality hit that we were finally checking this 7-day, 500-mile, 70,000+ feet elevation gain event off our bucket list. 

We knew this event would challenge us physically and mentally but we had no idea what we were truly in for when we registered for this 7-day event. Known as the toughest amateur cycling race in the world, for the past 10+ years, the Haute Route Alps combines top-notch services with legendary climbs for an unforgettable, life changing experience. Although our long distance triathlon training and racing provided us with great endurance and resiliency for this event and we became an official Haute Route finisher, we learned so much from this adventure and we would have done several things differently in the preparation and execution of this event. 

The distances, the elevation, the altitude, the time limits, the relentless climbs that go on for hours, the uncomfortable gradients, the long descends, the mental games, the weather, the effort, the tactics and the organization - every day we questioned how we would finish the upcoming stage. What was conceptualized as a bucket-list event, the Haute Route Alps has been etched in our minds and we will be forever changed because of this physical and mental test of discipline and endurance. 

While riding your bike all day is the main focus of this event, it's only one part of the challenge. Riding from one location to the next, locating your next hotel, unpacking and re-packing gear, charging gadgets, trying to find food in a country where you don't speak the language, struggling to sleep because your legs are throbbing, analyzing the next day's stage and statistics in fear of what's to come and waking up between 5:30-6:30am every morning to attempt to eat as much as your body can handle all catches up on the body.

The time cuts are strict, there are crashes and mechanicals, the weather is unpredictable, the climbs are gruelling and the descends are long. Sure, it's a race with a start and finish line. But there's no gaurantee that you will finish the entire event. To be counted in the official results, you must finish all seven stages - and meet all time cuts. You need great physical fitness and a lot of good luck. Everyday would wake up each morning nervous, anxious and fearful, wondering if it was physically possible to climb yet another 10,000 feet. 

Although there is a lot of suffering, strangely there is comfort knowing that you are not alone. Throughout the event, you find yourself riding the same people/groups and you begin to know one another one a first-name basis. Depending on the level of exhaustion of each rider, it's not uncommon to get to know personal details about your "teammates" while grinding at 40-50 rpms for 2+ hours. The sights of horses, goals, cows and sheeps brought us joy and the scenery reminded us how lucky we are to see this part of Europe on two wheels. With all kinds of mental and physical challenges to overcome each day, you form strong bonds with the other riders. Although there was plenty of competition on the course, it was a friendly and supportive environment. By the end of the week we made so many great friends. Even if we were from different parts of the world, the cycling language is universal. And with less than 35 women in the event, it was something special to be one of the females who completed the entire event. 

The Haute Route organization excels on route guidance and safety. There were arrow signs at every turn, vigilant course marshals giving us the right of way, well-stocked aid stations, regular updates on the app, daily briefings, newsletters, videos and photos and attention to every detail from the pre and post stage food, staffed feed stations, and daily massages.

The Mavic support, cheers from onlookers in each village, motorcycle escorts, SAG vehicles and supporitve staff made this event unlike anything else. Everyone involved made this event all about us - the riders - so that we could do what we love - ride our bikes. The stress-free accomodation package was worth every euro. The Haute Route took care of all of our accomodations so that all we had to do was show up to the next hotel. At least 90 minutes before every stage, we had breakfast available every morning in the restaurant of our hotel.  Our luggage was always waiting for us at every next hotel. And as the event went on, our hotels got cuter and cuter. My favorite lodging was our last hotel in Megeve (picture below). 

The race directors are exceptional at planning each route. I can't imagine the work that goes into planning this event for 400+ riders over 7 days. Having a race village in a new location every day was a reminder of the magnitude of this event. 

The distinctive kilmeter markers on the side of the road were helpful (yet often painful) notifications of the name, length and gradient of each climb. After accomplishing an iconic climb, we could cherish the challenge of reaching the summit - only to think ahead to the next climb. Seeing the names of riders synonymous with the Tour de France painted on the ground was a constant reminder that we were riding on legendary, historic climbs. It would be a feat to ride up one famous mountain road in a day yet we would conquer 2-3 bucket list climbs, day after day after day. The excitement and mystery of the views at the top of each climb kept us pedaling through exhaustion, shortness of breathe and soreness. 

Because the descents were fast and somewhat dangerous, they were not often timed. So when we reached the end of a timed section, we could stop and soak it all in. For a moment in time, we could relish in our accomplishment of what we conquered over the past 2+ hours and push aside the agony of what was about to come. We learned tactics throughout the event, like waiting for a group to form before the next timed section as a grupetto will get you to the next climb a lot faster than riding solo. 

The front of the Haute Route is a race - it's very competitive with very strong and skilled riders. At the back of the race you can find gritty riders hoping to finish a stage. In the middle are riders who are competitive, mostly against themselves. But no matter where you are in the field, you are bound to have good and bad days. No matter how hard you trained, you will struggle. You can't fake this event. The Haute Route knows how to find your weaknesses. You will have to dig really deep. You will question if your next pedal stroke will your last. Empty, sore and exhausted, you will have more moments of self-doubt than confidence. But despite the roller coaster of emotions felt within each kilometer, somehow you have to find a way to keep yourself moving. 

It's hard to grasp the absurdity of what we accomplished. Riding for 5-8 hours every day, covering no less than 10,000 feet of elevation on most stages. Attempting a time trial on day 5 with pitches over 18% that require all your strength to power up so that you don't fall over. Having no concept of the time of the day, how many miles ridden or how much elevation accumulated, the enormity of each stage is something we still can't seem to comprehend. It's going to take some time for this accomplishment to sink in. 

The only way to get through this event was to focus on one kilomenter at a time, one day at a time. This event taught me a lot about staying in the moment and removing pressure on expectations - two vital tools that are needed with long distance training and racing. 

Pressure. It's a word that most endurance athletes can relate to. Anytime you feel "pressure" to perform, it's more than likely that you perceive there are expectations placed on you. But the truth is that pressure is nothing more than a self-imposed, product of the imagination that we create for ourselves. 

With so much uncertainty as to how the body will perform in training or on race day, the best way to not feel pressure is to not create it in the first place. There's a big difference between what we believe we are capable of achieving versus what we think we must achieve. It's within this gap that the worry, stress, anxiety and doubts occurs. 

The Haute Route taught me so much about managing expectations. After getting dropped from group after group in the first stage, within the first 60 minutes of the ride, I was being taught a valuable lesson that in order for me to finish this event, I needed to race my own race. I constantly reminded myself that I don't have to be good at something that I've never done before. It was when I started to stay present in the moment and attack each climb with a more task-oriented, learning persepctive that I began to improve and to gain confidence in my abilities. Even though I had a lot of struggles during this event, I had my own set of internal motivators to keep me going.

The next time you find yourself drowning in negative self-talk or feeling a tremendous amount of pressure to perform, remind yourself that the training session or race outcome is not the most important thing in life. The pressure you feel is more than likely a fear of failure. Relax. Enjoy the training session. Enjoy the event. It's just another day in your life. 

Our next (epic) adventure - Haute Route Alps!

 

After three years of waiting, the time has finally come for us to participate in our hardest, most difficult and extreme endurance event that we have ever attempted. On Friday morning we will fly from Vienna, Austria to Nice, France and on August 21st (Sunday) at 6:45am, we will start stage 1 of the 7-day Haute Route Alps. For seven continuous days, we will cover almost 500 miles, climb almost 70,000 feet and travel to 6 different locations in France (and one in Italy).

If you are curious on pricing for this incredible experience, the registration fee was $1899 Euros per person, we bought one accomodation package (comfort double) for $1339 and airport transportation to the Geneva airport after the event is complete ($59 euros) for a total of $3297 Euros (or around $3300 US dollars). Total for both of us was ~$5255 Euros. While an expensive event, we work hard so we can play hard and we love finding epic ways to turn our vacations into race-cations. 

As for what is included in our registration and a typical day at the Haute Route, here is what I know so far......

As part of our registration package, our accomodations from Saturday until the following Sunday are taken care of by the Haute Route staff. I booked an extra night in Nice at the same hotel for Saturday so that we could arrive on Friday. Although we planned on bringing our road bikes for this trip (and renting mountain bikes), the recent issues with lost luggage concerned us and because of our within-Europe flights to two different airports, we didn't want to take the chance that our bikes wouldn't arrive to Nice (or return back to Vienna with us after the event). Instead, we decided the best option was to rent road bikes from France Bike Rentals - a partner of Haute Route. Karel decided on package 3 for us (Pinarello Prince Disc Ultegra Di2) and he will make sure that we are both set up well for the event. Karel also brought my crank (Rotor aldhu w/ 155 crank length) to swap out from the rental bike (which will have 170 crank). We will pick up our bikes at registration on Saturday and we will be able to ride the bikes on Saturday afteernoon as part of the kick-off ride. 

We will be given a backpack and duffle bag and at the end of every stage, we receive our backpack (with items that we want to have immediately after each stage) and our duffle bag will be taken to the hotel where we will stay that evening (between stages). We receive breakfast and a post race meal, massages and full tech support (similar to the Tour de France). There will also be cut-off times for each stage. In the evening, we have a mandatory athlete briefing for the next stage. We heard there are between 450-600 riders at this event. 

We have the course maps loaded into our bike computers. Here's a summary of each stage:

• August 21st: Nice, France to Cuneo, Italy -
  114 miles/184km, 13,450 feet/4100+ meters
• August 22nd: Cuneo, Italy to Serre Chevalier Briancon, France -
  88 miles/141km, 11,811 feet/3600+ meters
• August 23rd: Serre Chevalier Briancon, France to Les Deux Alpes, France -
  68 miles/109km, 9842 feet/3,000+ meters
• August 24th: Les Deux Alps to Meribel, France -
  95 miles/153km, 13779 feet/4200+ meters
• August 25th: Meribel, France -
  6.2 miles/10km, 2788 feet/850+ meters (time trial)
• August 26th: Meribel, France to Megeve, France -
  86 miles/138km, 11,482 feet/3500+ meters
• August 27th: Megeve, France -
  62 miles/99km, 7874 feet/2400+ meters

We were instructed to download the Ride with GPS app (with a special code to connect us with the Haute Route Alps official app). Within this app, we have everything we need for throughout the event. There's a link for our accomodations, the routes, weather report, latest news, start times and locations and so much more. This is what we see for each stage of the event:

All the information for the upcoming stage with important times and locations. 

As you can see from the bottom graph (above), certain segements (red line between the timer icon) are timed, which is what is included in the results. There are also several feed zones throughout each stage (which I heard are well stocked with a lot of great food and sport nutrition varieties). For this specific stage, after we finish the actual stage, we have another 16k to ride to get to the town of Cuneo, to reach our accomodations. I've already looked up places for Pizza in Italy - there are a lot! 

We also have a description of the climbs. For Stage 1 we have two big climbs. As you can see from this picture, our climb is 12 miles or 20K (although we are climbing well before we actually start the official climb) and goes up to almost 8000 feet elevation. We can also see the gradient/inclines for each part of the climb. Stage 1 is 104 miles and 13,450 feet of elevation gain. 

Karel and I are nervous and excited. This event will test us mentally and physically, in ways that we have never experienced before. We are hoping that our years of long distance triathlon training and racing, as well training on our technical and challenging terrain in Greenville, will have prepared us for this event. I don't think it's possible to feel fully prepared so I know there will be many struggles along the way. If you are familiar with the documentary ICARUS, the initial focus for the production was to race the 2015 Haute Route Alps while taking part in a doping procedure. I mention this because the Haute Route Alps is only open to amateurs (not professionals) and to win the overall title is a prestigous accomplishment. Karel and I are not expecting to be competive at the top but we will still try to complete the event while also feeling like we are "racing" - whatever that looks like on each day. I'm thinking some stages, it'll be all about trying to complete the stage and not compete on the stage. Karel and I will not stay together throughout each stage so that we can each get the most out of the event. 

I'll be sharing updates throughout the week on social media (Facebook and Instagram) if you'd like to follow our journey. 

Tracking and Results can be found HERE.