I conquered the Col de Marie Blanque today

I can now call myself a road cyclist. I am a Cyclist. Finally!

I rode the Route du Fromage today in a beautiful boucle (circle) that included the Col d'Ichere and the Col de Marie Blanque. I know that bike rides in France such as the Col du Galibier and the Col du Tourmalet are legendary, and they are tough, but they are also doable.  In my mind (and body) the Marie Blanque is one of the hardest climbs in the Pyrenees.  I had to dig deep to get this climb done. The Col de Marie Blanque is included in Stage 17 of the 2010 Tour de France as one of the first climbs of a day that will see the riders finish on the Col du Tourmalet. 

Recommended Route in the Pyrenees: 

Col de la Marie Blanque loop ride   click to enlarge

If you will be riding in France and have an extra day, or perhaps you are wondering what to do on the Rest Day (the TDF rest day, not your own), try to squeeze in this ride. My ride today in France was an 83.1km loop from Arudy, to Assap-Arros, to Arette, over the Col d'Ichere (some gravel on the road), connecting to the Col de Marie Blanque, down into Bielle, and back to Arudy. Most of it was on white/green roads. Those are the wonderful white roads on the Michelin road maps that are highlighted in green to denote a beautiful route. It was indeed beautiful.

I met some fun people out there today, one gentleman who shook his hand and proclaimed "oooo, tres difficile," when I told him I was heading to the Marie Blanque (he took my picture on the Col d'Ichere), and made sure I understood the route was 10-12% gradient and rode with me to the base of the climb. I met a biker and a hiker at the town water spicket prior to the ascent of the Marie Blanque, a nice couple who witnessed my arrival at the Col and cheered, a nice woman from Germany who was herself on vacation (she took my picture on the descent).  Another nice man with a heavy country accent who teased me about the Americans being out of the World Cup.


I also saw lots of cows, horses, a donkey, birds of prey, dogs, cats, and flys. No bear - they do have bear in this region, and wolf are beginning to spread through the Pyrenees again now that they are protected. I am quite tired after this ride today, it was HOT climbing, 24C at the farm right now at 6:00pm. I am so thrilled to have completed this climb. It is super hard (tres tres difficile). I cannot believe that the riders of the Tour de France will ride from Pau, over the Col de la Marie Blanque, down around the foothills, then up the long ascent through Ferrieres, to the Col du Soulour, down into the next valley, and then up the Col du Tourmalet. Come over here and try just one of these climbs in one day.

You too will feel like a "cyclist". I'm not sure what that makes them? But I know I was dancing around happy at the top of that Col today. It was one of the reasons I had to return to the Pyrenees. In 2005 during the Etape du Tour I had to walk a small section of the climb, not today. Today I conquered the Marie Blanque!!!!

Images from my day on the Route de Fromage:

It is June in France, that means gravel on the roads. Gravel is worse than flys because you can hear it coming. My carbon frame is scared of gravel. This is a typical white/green road. Powering up the big Cols (to tick them off) is great, but try to take a detour onto a white/green road whenever possible (like the D13 circle in the Lavenden Valley near Argeles-Gazost. Today it was the D918 in the Valley d'Ossau)

The homes in this region, as I get closer to the Basque Country, have distinctive burnt sienna colored shutters.

What a great idea! Baguette delivery, just in time for lunch.

Views from my bike today (with very few cars on the road).

The Col d'Ichere is a good warm up climb.

This is the sign at the top. I didn't stop to take pictures of all the signs on the way up, because it was steep, and starting again when it is that steep is sort of tricky. the signs look just like the ones on the Col d'Ichere but basically they read 4%, 7%, 8%, 11%, 12%, 9.5%, 13% and then I needed to start ignoring them. The best news of the day is that just at the 13% sign, I discovered I was not yet in my 29 gear, yes, I can do this now I thought!

They kind of got in my way. Just after the top of the Col, it does not descend immediately. There is a large plateau up on top of the Col de la Marie Blanque.

My brother believes this plateau is one of the most beautiful places on earth.

This is the scene on the Marie Blanque - cyclists, motorcyclists, hikers, a few cars come and go. It was very peaceful and relaxed (except for the 13%!)

This is me again looking down on the Vallee d'Ossau and the town of Bielle. By now I am hot, tuckered, and hungry. The town of Bielle has a fabulous bakery (1 block up from the main road in the town square). The best pan chocolat I ever had.

Lots of cyclists are passing through town right now as I sit and use the free wi-fi in the town center. Tomorrow I am going to search for a morning market. Now home to make another great meal and celebrate with a glass of local rose wine. Excellent.

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My ride up the Col du Galibier

France Cycling - my ride up the Col du Galibier

The Col du Galibier is an intimidating climb. The road lays out in front on you visually hinting at what lies ahead. It is the kind of climb where you say in your mind, "this is going to hurt, for awhile, then it will be over". Well I didn't know how much it truly would hurt. I can honestly say that the only time I have ever bonked was coming back over the Col du Galibier in 2007. I had already gone over it once, I had to get myself back, it was the getting back that wiped me out.

Whenever someone tells me a story that includes the phrase, "I bonked," I can react with a knowing, "oh no," and truly understand what they mean. There I was in the middle of one of the most majestic climbs in the French Alps, well aware of it's history, drama and effort required, unaware that I was about to experience my own drama. It was our third hard day of climbing in a row, we had started from the Col du Lautaret, reached the top fairly easily and descended into the town of Valloire. We scrambled for lunch in a town mostly closed in June.

We started the long climb back to the summit from the east side. And I bonked! Not just a little hunger knock, an all out bonk on the switchbacks near the top. Every one of those last switchbacks is now ingrained in my mind. My body had nothing to give, but I was fully aware that I had to keep going, that I had to get myself back. My mind climbed the Galibier that day, my body could not. My brother Michael stayed with me at every turn mostly saying nothing, simply letting me know he was there. I made it to the top exhausted from the experience. I almost cried when we found the car at the bottom of the Col, it was an elation like non other.

Photos by: Karen Rakestraw, PedalDancer.com

This is the view of the Glacier in La Grave where we stayed nearby.

Looking down from the west side of the Col du Galibier onto the Col du Lautaret. (The road up to the Col du Lautaret from La Grave is a busy highway, under construction at the time of our visit).

The climb up from the Col du Lautaret to the summit of the Col du Galiber (riding with my brother Michael) was relaxed and beautiful. We pretty much looked at the scenery the entire climb. I remember people cheering me on because they thought it fantastic to see a woman climbing on a bike.

At the Henri Desgrange monument at the summit of the Col du Galibier.

A storefront in the town of Vallorie. I loved this old bike.

Somewhere on this curvy line, before the top blue dot, I bonked on the way back over the Col du Galibier from Vallorie.

The switchbacks of the east side of Col du Galibier.

But I managed to see this sign for the second time in the day (in a daze of bonkdom).

Col du Galibier West side profile from Col du Lautaret

Col du Galibier East side profile Vallorie. It was only 54km, but when you bonk, you bonk!

The next day we had a lovely picnic next to this river (on the back side of Les Deux Alpes) (this is my sister-in-law Suz). What a wonderful way to spend a well-needed rest day.

Some fun information about profiles, video and map of the Col du Galibier can be found at Cycling Challenge . Climb by Bike - Col du Galibier profile page. The GrenobleCycling.com page for the Galibier. Read more: an article by VeloNews.com Le Galibier The Sacred Monster.

My Ride up the Alpe d' Huez

France Cycling - My Ride up the Alpe d' Huez
 

In 2007 I rode up the Alpe d'Huez with my brother Mike on a peaceful non-Tour de France day in June. The most striking thing about riding L'Alpe d'Huez on a bike, is that the switchbacks appear to come in three parts. You see a section above, ride it, only to come around the bend and see another section, ride that, then another one appears. It is like getting a lump in your throat every 3-5km, "okay, now I'll ride up that", "okay, now I'll ride up that".
 

This ride is not over, until it is over. Over comes at the ski station at the top and a nice cool drink in one of the cafe bars. However this climb is honestly not that hard (unless you come over the Col de Telegraphe and the Galibier first). The climb of Alpe d'Huez is only 8.9 miles long from Bourg-d'Oisans, a nice town at the base of the climb, with plenty of parking and cafes to sit and watch the cyclists come and go.

I like this climb. As you climb Alpe d'Huez the views of the valley below are changing, the switchbacks are a nice relief on the body, and the marker signs at every numbered switchback are very entertaining to read. I also find the relatively flat corners sort of fun to ride (until the much steeper straight hits just after each corner).

I was aiming to beat Lance Armstrong's time, but I am certain I at least beat Sheryl Crow's time.  

Record holders: Marco Pantani was the fastest at 37.35 minutes, Lance Armstrong 41.18 minutes.

Signs on Alpe d'Huez: There are 21 hairpin bends on Alpe d'Huez. (Follow the link to learn more about the signs on Alpe d'Huez).

The climb goes up quickly. The view down to Bourg-d'Oisans

Spectacular views of the surrounding Alps

21 switchback corners on Alpe d'Huez

The church is a landmark on the climb to the top of Alpe d'Huez

I also rode up the Alpe d'Huez in 2003 on a crowded very hot day of the Tour de France. The hardest part (by far!) was descending the mountain amongst the crowd after the stage was over.

On that Tour de France day in July, I waited with a very nice French family and their not so high tech TV set-up for the Tour riders to come up the valley from the Col de Galibier over the Col du Lauteret into Bourg d'Oisans and up Alpe d'Huez. It was a very long but memorable day.

Climbing Alpe d'Huez on Tour de France day 2003

The nice French family who shared their TV screens with their fellow fans at km 4

Read more about the hairpin turns on Alpe d'Huez on my post "21 steps to heaven, or 21 steps to Hell". Great information about the signs on the climb. Read all PedalDancer posts on Alpe d'Huez. Or go directly to Climbing Alpe d'Huez.


Update: A recent famous moment on Alpe d'Huez happened at the 2011 Tour de France when Jens Voigt stopped to insure that the correct fan (a child) received his water bottle, read: A Tour de France Gift From Jens
 
Information from other online sources to help you plan your ride up Alpe d'Huez:

• The Grenoble Cycling page for Alpe d'Huez. 
• The Climb by Bike page for Alpe d'Huez. 
• A fun read about a cyclists experience at the Etape du Tour in 2006 climbing the Alpe d'Huez, read The Tour de France Almost Killed Me