By now the sun was shining and all there was left was a gentle roll down the hill (finally) to the official finish on the Promenade des Anglais. I also learned that a lot of the guides based in Chamonix, France love working for Alpenwild because Alpenwild trusts the guides. Stage 4 was definitely a “softer” day, starting with a long slow drag up the Lauteret. And sure enough they did – what then followed was the most fun part of the HR so far – being in fast and cooperative chain gang and overtaking other groups in the valley. Stage 3. The altitude was such at the summit that most riders resembled 2-pack-a-day smokers late for the bus. One final push over the 8km ramp to Pra Loup, and we were home. However today was the first and last short stage (except for the ITT which comes on Stage 5) – from tomorrow onwards the epicness scale ramps up. Enjoy the company of the best staff in the business and hotels in great locations for the 2021 Haute Route Alps. A large group punched hard over a 2km initiation climb, followed by some roads best suiting the rouleur (including Col d’Pallon) to the base of Col d’Vars, 19km @ 8%. Haute Route 2019 ALPS. Change ). Today was the best stage yet. Missing home, but with an undeniable twinge, of the kind that reassures you that life is being lived as it was intended. The Haute Route Alps - the original event of the European Haute Route multi-day cyclosportive series – returns to its North to South route in 2019. Learn how your comment data is processed. One guy said to me as he passed me (as everybody else seemed to do) how easy I made it look as I was “so light” on the pedals – because my legs were exerting very little power. In fact the most dangerous part of the whole ride was probably along the sea side cycling path with cyclists, scooters, children and pedestrians randomly walking out in front of you. ( Log Out /  At a gradient of only 3-5% for most of it (it steepens 6-7% towards the top) I knew that being in a group would make a huge difference. Within seconds he had pulled over to the side of the road with a mechanical. So the legs will be particularly tired and heavy. *Climbs I never want to do again – the Granon, the Mortirolo, the Muro Di Sormano, and now the Col de la Loze. As mentioned in a previous post, finishing that stage was only half the battle, and it was best to keep the helmet on and the elbows out in order to get a hotel room, dinner and a massage. Haute Route Alps 2019. The reality was probably the most exciting stage of the entire journey! I finally managed to have my first decent night’s sleep since Stage 1. 475 started in Megeve of which 45 were women; 401 completed all 7 stages. The day finished on the nasty climb of Col d’Granon. It was one of those days which made me feel extremely lucky to be out here in the Alps doing what I love. Somewhere along the way Amandine and I became dislodged from the group. Snow crossings If you do find yourself at a snow crossing, it can be about 30 – 40 feet long (~9 meters). The Haute Route Pyrénées doesn’t have the ‘big name’ feel of the Haute Route Alps; that allure of Alpe D’Huez, the Glandon, Madeleine and the handful of bucket list climbs. Nine hours on the bike today. A long neutralised descent into St-Étienne-de-Tinée followed where we all regrouped for the start of stage 7B at 1045. Who knew that all that riding in Cyprus in March in that heavy rain would turn out to be excellent training! By now it was really hot – luckily Pra Loup is only a 6km climb. After 7 stages, many tears and lots of physio tape holding up various bits of my body I swore I would never do another 7 day Haute Route again. Starting in Megève in the Northern Alps the event covers over 8ookm in 8 stages over 7 days to finish on the Promenade des Anglais in Nice. And finally, tomorrow is the “rest day” – just an ITT up the Izoard after breakfast. By the time I got to the top I really felt invincible! Today it was my turn to shout out “useful” advice such as “keep going”, “not long now”, “looking strong”. Into the business end of the trip, we departed Briançon for the last time. With overContinue reading “Haute Route Alps 2019” So – kit all prepped, bottles are made up, and the bike is ready. Haute Route Alps 2019. by Lillian | posted in: Cycling | 0 . 2019 is the 9th edition of the event that started it all, Haute Route Alps. I was left to ride alone up the Col d’Glandon, the second of the three sisters who, although not unattractive in appearance, had quite the spiteful sting to that tail. Since 2019 we have helped 2,000+ hikers easily plan and confidently navigate legendary trails in the Alps . For me the crux was definitely the Glandon, particularly the last 4km which average 10%. Taken in its entirety, the last day was a whopper! I will also miss the camaraderie of having LD team mates this time – with Mark Gray and Alex Donaldson starting the 5 day Swiss Epic MTB race in Davos on Tuesday, and Mark Noblet fighting an even bigger challenge of his own at the moment. Haute Route Alps BOOK NOW 22nd - 28th August 2021 (Arrival 21st August for registration, departure 29th August) The Haute Route is, quite simply, the best amateur cycling event that we've come across. 4th September 2019. Stage 4 was a solo time trial up the Col d’Izoard, starting in Briançon. Chamonix Zermatt Ski Haute Route. Taking entrants across famed mountain ranges on fully timed & ranked road stages, plus a mountain time trial, this is the ultimate test for the most committed of riders. This is the 3rd time I’ve worked the kit check at a HR. Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. The pressure is well and truly on Maps to come good with that Fendi… kidneys or not. Race timing stopped at the summit, presumably because the long drop into Saint Etienne de Tinée was potentially quite tricky. (I subsequently found out that 15 went down at the same corner in the group behind). The timing stopped in Aspremont, 20km uphill from Nice and it was great to cross this together with Amandine, having cycled together for much of HR Norway as well. Published on Aug 25, 2019 Following a multilingual countdown from Fergus Grant, the ninth edition of Haute Route Alps started in waves from Le Palais Megève this morning. It’ll be 7 days before I see it again in Nice. Haute Route Alps 2019. Posted on September 2, 2019 September 2, 2019 by Stuart Morgan On a warm Saturday afternoon, the ninth annual Haute Route Alps reached its final destination on the seaside Promenade des Anglais in Nice, France. Unlike the rest of the week I even enjoyed this part. The maths don’t lie… that’s 59 repeats up Withers Way, for those who know what that means. Stage 7, climbed Cime d’la Bonnette, allegedly the highest mountain road in Europe. About. Geneva August 2017. He floated gently up the Col d’Madelaine, the first 25km climb in our gargantuan third stage. It was at this point we knew we’d probably underestimated the strength of the front third of the 500-strong field. Luckily within several minutes a guy called Angus (we are all wearing numbered bins with our names on them) came steaming past with a Spanish guy on his wheel so I quickly jumped on. Geneva August 2017. Each day an increasing number of people were bandaged up. Herve was a rider of panache. This means not only delivering first class hospitality and event management, but all the key ingredients that make up the culture and experience of professional road racing. Mark and Lillian’s Haute Route Alps. Out of all the climbs this week, I enjoyed this one the most. In a move focused on providing unrivalled support for cyclists participating in all Haute Route events, Colnago has taken on the role of title partner for the iconic cycling series. My legs were so trashed by now after the valley riding that I wondered several times how slow I could spin without falling over. His early pace seemed slow, but he knew plenty that we didn’t, accelerating through the climb and disappearing down the other side like a magic act in a puff of cologne and appropriately-lengthened clean white socks. Events would show that most of the back third had overestimated theirs. I only just had enough time to refill my bottles, reorganise my food and grab some cheese and crackers before it was time to go again. However as it’s for bikes only, the road builders dispensed with niceties such as the need for hairpin corners – what followed were ramps of up to 16%, an absolute killer with 3000m of climbing in the legs already. Prepare kit and bottles for the next day. Unperturbed by the weather, the distance, and the inevitable crashes, Maps and I both had our best results for the week, sliding our way upwards in the general standings. After a three day warm up event in the Dolomites in June it was time to take part in the ‘flagship’ 7 day Haute Route Alps. Job done. 9th September 2017. Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), VTT en Oisans / MTB in Oisans Translated (2019), The Plateau d’Albion: Missiles and Michelin Stars, Trophée du Muveran 2019 (8 Lessons from a Ski-Mo Newbie), 3 Peaks Cyclocross Race (5 things I wish I’d known), Directeur Sportif (Haute Route Dolomites 2018), Wilson Trail / Outdoor Hong Kong (Part 5), The X Files (Lessons learned in my first season of racing cyclo-cross), Granfondo Gassin Golfe de Saint-Tropez 2016, Rock Climbing in Switzerland (Practical Information), Tour de Mont Blanc (Practical Information). 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