News

Title: Chamonix to Nice and back!

Date: 23/09/2009

Take no prisoners, there can be only 1!

I'm just back from my biking 'holiday' with GPM10.com Chamonix to Nice!

I came straight down off Mont Blanc last week for the last trip up of the summer, that makes it 8 summits out of 10 attempts, 1 blown off due to bad weather and 1 with a client who was suffering from altitude and so we did 2 climbing days instead. Anyway, all done but during the last 2 weeks I did 3 summit trips, 2 via the Cosmiques and then a final real cold one via the Tete Rousse. The last 2 weeks my knees started to ache a little on the descents but after such a long busy summer I guess this is normal.

So I came down on the Tuesday, rested for a couple of days and set off for Nice on the bike on the Friday morning with Andy Cook and a group of 12 other riders.

GPM10 is a small Alpine road cycling training company set up and run by my friend Mark Neep. Over the past few years as cycling has gained in popularity so have his courses and today you're lucky if you can get on one of his big trips sometimes a year in advance. GPM10 clients range in size and age but the one thing they all have in common is their dedication and their passion for cycling.

Me and Andy turned up to meet the rest of the team keen and eager on Friday morning at the hotel Eden over in Les Praz. At around 10ish we're off and hyper keen, its a smooth roll down towards Sallanches first via a small climb up the Vaudagne, this is all familliar territory so far and so I'm feeling confident and can't help blasting off, it being down hill also helps! Mark keeps me in check and his 2 other Cycling superstars (Gareth and Rusty our guides) look at me as if I'm nuts and don't know there's still 600km to go!

From the bottom of the valley we head up to Megeve and then on to the first big climb of the day the col du Saisies 1633m, I feel good but probably go a little hard as its the first day and I'm unaware of the grandness of the next col that follows, the Cornet du Roseland at 1968m and stretched out over 19km of up hill climbing. An amazing descent takes us down to Bourg St Maurice where we regroup and climb up to St Foy.

The end of the first big day and is been a real shock to the system! legs are sore and boddies are in shock. Everyone is giving the Tour de France guys that race this kind of distance everyday, big respect and wondering how we'll do it all again tomorrow.

Day 2 we ride the 40km of uphill from St Foy to the col d' Iseran at a staggering 2770m.

Val d'Isere in the background below the col d'Iseran.

I pace myself better on this one and feel strangely good at the top riding along side Andy who is keeping me in check. We descend together hitting speeds of 75kmh and nearly hitting 2 sheep a herd of goats and 2 Marmotts.
Another climb follows up to the col du Mont Cenis 2083m where its a bit cold and windy but then follows one of the best descents in the Alps down to the Italian town of Susa. We have pretty much traversed over the Alps today and will head back over tomorrow. Today hasn't felt so bad and the riding has been great. Tomorrow is the big one so its time to stuff as much food into the system as possible and sleep.

Day 3 sees us heading up what Mark refers to as a small incline up to to the rolling valley that leads to our first climb up to Montgenevre. The rolling incline sees many riders fading and wondering how they'll make it through the day but soon its over and back together we fly along the rolling roads of the elevated valley some finding welcome shelter in the rear of the fast paced group.

The climb up to Montgenevre doesn't seem to bad and I take the front with Mark, who I think finds it funny to ask questions when he can see that to answer would bring on a certain coronary as you try to take in oxygen through every pore. He quickly names a sprint finish and bolts off as I make a spirited attempt to follow but I'm stuck in the small chain ring and flounder in his wake swareing I'll get him next time!

Arriving at the Col d'Izoard.

A great descent to Briancon and lunch before the 2nd climb of the day up to the Tour de France famed 20km col d' Izoard. The first half of this climb is slightly easier angled and suits my style of riding (which, like most, is great as long as its flat or down hill) and so I power off with the 2 leaders and put in some miles at a strong pace. The top half unfortunately but inevitably kicks up and my pace slows until the 2 infront are long gone and I climb slowly up to the col alone but feeling strangely good.

Another big descent follows down to Guillestre and the final climb up to the col du Vars passing the ski resort of Vars where I did my very first winter season working as a ski intructor in a small french ski school way back in 1987.

Unfortunately as we finish the descent and power along through the gorge towards Guillestre I start to get a pain in the inside of my right knee and as I start the climb it quickly gets worse and I slowly grind to a halt.

The support van gives me a tow up to where the angle eases a little to see if I can carry on but after a couple of further Kilometers of trying everything including riding with one leg I have to call it quits and jump in the van hoping that if I stop now I'll be able to ride tomorrow. By early evening everyone is in the Gite at the top of the col du Vars. Some are more tired than others and some are suffering but all are phsyched for the day ahead that should see us riding all the way 195km to Nice.

The final big day, stormy skies is the norm now as we set off and ride quickly over the col du Vars and down towards the climb up to the col du Cayolle. The road is blocked to traffic but passable on a bike, my knee has felt ok on the flats and easy climbs but flares up quickly as soon as I have to oush on it on steeper climbs so I take a map and the van and head off looking for a route around to meet the guys on the other side. I'm surprised at how many ski resorts there are in the surrounding mountains, the peaks here are at around 2700m and the winters must suffer from the effects of climate change although the lifts look strangely new.

I hook up with the group at the other side of the col where we stop for lunch, this is climbing country and I can't help looking for lines in the limestone cliffs all around us.

After Lunch we begin the final 100km to Nice that is reputed to be all down hill. Feeling good after my rest I jump on the front and help lead the group through the amazing red rocked gorge that follows and onwards through rolling hills towards the sun.

Speeding towards the beach on the last day!

The skyline drops and the heat rises as we power onwards at a constant 40+kmh covering the distance in quick time until the final climb up and over to look down on the city of Nice. The final climb is only 6km but it ruins my knee and I finally make it up pushing with one leg and one arm on the other knee.

We roll down to Nice and the sea where Mark is waiting in his summer gear and the evening beckons. Some of the guys are flying out straight away and have to begin packing away their bikes as soon as we arrive. the rest of us relax and prepare for the evening ahead but know we'll be back to the hotel and passed out in bed before most Niceards are even ready to begin their evening entertainments.

Its been an amazing trip, I learned a lot about riding my bike, spinning easier gears, riding as a group and pacing myself up big climbs. I'm now physched to get out on my bike over the next couple of months on the run up to the winter but first need to make sure that my knee is on the medn and so will take a few days of rest and recovery before I start working on my sprinting power. I've a sprint show down booked with Mark at the end of the month and I can almost hear him shaking in fear!

Practice, practice, practice. Practice and dedication that's what I need but family life is calling or more to the point, crawling all over me so I've got to go play with my girls on their new trampoline, Manon was 5 whilst I was away and we've loads to catch up on but I'll sneak out there and run a few laps whilst they're at school. Ruth is keen to get a bike now too so hopefully I'll soon have a new training partner, I'll just have to keep tightening her brakes so that she doesn't get too far ahead.

Winter is coming and there's many changes afoot in McNab Snowboarding, a constant whirlwind rollercoaster ride that takes me up and down some of the greatest rideable mountains in the world and keeps me busy from morning until night. A new web site is on the way and I've loads to get on with so I'm off for a play and then back to work but playing will definitely take priority as its got to be one of the finest things in life and I just happen to have made it my job!

Life is good, hope to see you out here soon,

all the best,

Neil.

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