"la mythique", it is was they call the 21 hairpin bends that snake their way up to the ski resort of l'Alpe d'Huez from the town of Bourg d'Oisans. Of course there is some snobbishness from bike aficionados who don't see what all the fuss is about and say it is not the hardest climb in the Alps, it is not even the hardest climb in the Isere!
Nice Barnett
The ClimbByBike website lists the newly created Col de la Loze as mainland France's hardest climb
and says that Val Pelouse (above Pontcharra) is the hardest Isere climb, although they haven't classified the Col de Pre Long opposite me on their website. L'Alpe languishes at 99th place but that is to ignore the history. You can almost smell the sweat of riders past: Coppi, Hinault, Pantani. It is a magnificent amphitheater of cycling. The coliseum of pro cycling.
Hairpins of legend
The climb itself starts on the plan flat valley floor at Bourg d'Oisans and climbs 1071 vertical meters to 1815 meters altitude over 13.2 km giving an average of 8.1% with sections as steep as 13%. As Gavin (weathercam) has mentioned there are a whole series of closed to motor vehicle events in the Alps this, and every summer. The Weathercam family have cycled and run already so I decided to tackle l'Alpe on rollerskis.
After a very busy winter I've had a bit of a hiatus. Two 'flu like viruses and a bad back meant I didn't do much sport in July apart from commuting to work by bike. I had my doubts about tackling "la Mythique" but thought I could always stop somewhere en-route if I were too tired. On the Monday I booked Tuesday off work. Arriving at the start just before 9am they were stopping traffic for 2 hours. My aim was to make Huez village at 1400 meters by 10am... ish to allow an hour to climb to the final 400 meters to the ski resort, traverse town and take the 11.10am bus down to Bourg.
Skike boys
At the start there were a couple of guys on skikes - off road rollerskis with fat tires. They were going to double pole all the way to the top. I was on classic skis as was French Team Member and local club skier Thaïs Barthélémy was also on classic but her friend had opted for skate skis. Skate skis are generally faster but uphill require a lot of strength. With classic skis if you get tired you can fall back to a kind of "skimo" rhythm using the ratchet to stop yourself going backwards.
Thaïs Barthélémy
The skike twins were already out of the gate. I was a few minutes behind and Thaïs and friend were still getting prepared. Joining us were some 1250 cyclists. There was no fixed depart, ideal under Covid conditions. Instead the road was closed at 9 and it was up to cyclists to decide when they'd begin their climb, some people rode up from Grenoble and got on the climb at 10.
Spotted by France TV - the guy in orange is 93 years old !!!
The first part of the climb to the hamlet and cafe at la Garde is steep. I slowly gained on the skike boys and caught them at la Garde but in turn was caught by Thaïs and friend who looked well within their comfort zones. The road flattened, I skied behind the two skikes up to Ribot were I stopped for water. A bit of a palava as my botted was in my rucksack. A camel back would have been a good idea and I envied the cyclists who were just reaching for their bottles mounted on the downtube... well not the guy who fumbled his only to see it disappear over cliffs to much cursing. The section to Huez village was pleasant although by now the sun was beginning to beat down. At Huez, or rather Dutch corner, I sought aid from the first aid team for a blister that had developed on my heal and took the chance to drink and have a gel. Climbing up through Huez from Dutch Corner was longer than I remembered and I reached the crossroads below Huez at around 10h30.
Dutch corner, hairpin 9 where I got some first aid
It is joked that l'Alpe d'Huez is Holland's highest mountain and the Dutch were certainly dominant in the Tour de France's of the 70s and 80s with wins by Joop Zoetemelk, Hennie Kuiper, Peter Winnen, Peter Winnen and last but not least Gert-Jan Theunisse. The Dutch have retained a special affection for l'Alpe and today was no exception: old, young, kids, male, female, race bikes, shopping bikes, e-bikes all were on the climb. A couple of Dutch guys at the finish said it was the hardest thing they'd ever done in their lives. For them the myth is real.
Musettes waiting patiently
The final bends looked as intimidating as ever and I began to catch cyclists, some of whom had got off to walk. The road was a bit rough from here which slowed me down, I climbed in the center to find the best tarmac - ideal with the closed roads. Finally the last hairpin, #1, I didn't even see who it is dedicated to, Coppi maybe? No, il campionissimo watches over hairpin 21 that greets you on the climb. I rounded the bend and could see the church, not too far off but the gradient ramped up again into the village. Then finally a big group of non-Covid compliant cyclists blocking the road, high fiving, talking of their climb, getting refreshments provided by the organizers. I grabbed a musette but made my through and along to les Bergers to wait for the bus down.
On the way down I noticed the two skike boys, they had brakes mounted to their rollerskis and were hooning down the mountain as fast as our bus. Back in the day the bus would have to back up and negotiate each hairpin with a 3 or 5 point turn, 7 points if it was really tight. Now the driver just has to wait for the road to clear. The bends were widened and surfaced back in the pre war period by Joseph Paganon who dreamt of linking l'Alpe d'Huez through to Laval close to Grenoble with a road that would cross the Col de la Coche above Allemont. The second leg was never completed, the road to nowhere stops in the Belledonne mountains 3km short of the pass.
God, I really didn't realise the French were all mad. Silly me
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Nice write up. Done it several times. It's a climb thats probably on most serious cyclists bucket list due mainly to its history. Personally I don't find it a that nice. Sure it's tough and thats fine but it's just not very enjoyable. I thought it was perhaps the traffic levels but I've done it on closed roads and it was still the same. Of all the Alp and Pyranees climbs I've done it's probably bottom of the list for me.
I was on classic skis as was French Team Member and local club skier Thaïs Barthélémy was also on classic but her friend had opted for skate skis. Skate skis are generally faster but uphill require a lot of strength. With classic skis if you get tired you can fall back to a kind of "skimo" rhythm using the ratchet to stop yourself going backwards.
The skis basically roll in one direction (forward) freely, with the ratchet to stop them rolling back downhill in the same way as skins on touring skis in winter?
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Great report. I enjoyed that!
After all it is free
After all it is free
clarky999 wrote:
That's very cool!
Quote:
I was on classic skis as was French Team Member and local club skier Thaïs Barthélémy was also on classic but her friend had opted for skate skis. Skate skis are generally faster but uphill require a lot of strength. With classic skis if you get tired you can fall back to a kind of "skimo" rhythm using the ratchet to stop yourself going backwards.
The skis basically roll in one direction (forward) freely, with the ratchet to stop them rolling back downhill in the same way as skins on touring skis in winter?
exactly, in theory the forward motion isn't restricted (unlike skins) so you should be able to glide as in cross country but as it gets steep and depending on strength you can fall back to pure ski touring style
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
@davidof, Great report, well done. I have done the climb on a 16kg Full Suspension mountain bike, 2.5 hours in about 25deg but I did stop for a chat with a friend in Huez
Yes the Dutch love it, the Alpe d'HuZes (sic) event reached a peak of about €30M raised for a Dutch cancer charity with several thousand participants riding up the bends as many times as they can in a day.
I think the last ones raised about €12m a year with 4500 participants.
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
But most of you who have cycled it, have only done the Tourist's climb
Huge Chapeau to @davidof, for going up on Classic rollers, but would have been seriously impressed if he descended as well
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
@Weathercam, See you had a bit of a divert into Bourg d'Oisans ? To the pharmacie ? Whatever that Lance guy had please
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
@skitow, there's a good bike shop there opposite the supermarket and seem to recall my mate wanted to buy some ADH merchandise (water bottle) and some legalised stimulants (gels)
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
Weathercam wrote:
@skitow, there's a good bike shop there opposite the supermarket and seem to recall my mate wanted to buy some ADH merchandise (water bottle) and some legalised stimulants (gels)
Maybe I should have nipped in there before I rode up on my mountain bike
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
@skitow, I have ridden up there during the MEGAVALANCHE event and have seen some brave souls riding up there in full downhill gear and bike too.
And that Dutch event you refer to is amazing, the number of people is staggering!
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Weathercam wrote:
But most of you who have cycled it, have only done the Tourist's climb
And you come to that conclusion based on...?
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
@adithorp, no-one mentioned the Sarenne, and the vast majority that I've seen cycling the Alpe have no idea it exists, especially so before it was used in the Tour.
Plus If you want a quiet traffic free climb then go from the Clavans side.
The Sarenne is a great climb. People probably didn't mention it because the thread is based on a report of going up the classic TdF route.
From AdH to the col is nice but you've still got the 21hairpins and the town. Rather than the classic climb but I much prefer the other side of the Sarenne. The cruisiest route (and possibly the best views) is up from the base of the Glandon via VillardReculas. Of course that brings you out 1/2way up the Alp but throw a loop of Glandon and Croix d'Fer in first and you won't feel the need to go any further up.
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
@adithorp, might as well just do the Marmot and be done with it
We gatecrashed it a while back having parked up at the Lautaret and getting to Bourg before it started, then we were caught on the Glandon climb, down in the Maurienne it was stupidly hot, Telegraph on up to the Galibier was tough, not too sure how I would have faired doing the final ADH climb to be honest?
FAQ
Poster: A snowHead
