Haute Route Alps Stage 4: Galibier Time Trial
Stage 4: Galibier Time Trial
I’ve never done a true time trial before, let alone one uphill. This was always going to be a test, and it was. Although you couldn’t officially DNF on the TT, you could lose a lot of time. Losing time is what I couldn’t afford to do. I was in the early start group. My main goal for the week was to stay inside the top 300. That was proving more challenging than I thought. My legs just didn’t want to work at altitude, and my heart was taking time out.
It was nerve-racking having to wait in the pen before being called to the start ramp. My main aim for starting the TT was not to fall off the fucking ramp. Aim achieved. Although not the fasted start, actually I finished 328th. That’s not a good result, by the way. Everything ticked by. There’s not much to say about the Galibier, other than it’s bloody tough. An average gradient of 7.5%, with the top being over 9. That’s always going to hurt.
After the TT I headed straight back to Hotel Tatami. A hotel that will never be forgotten. I’m pretty sure it was at Hotel Tatami that I got sick. I remember eating some ham, that even at the time I thought was dodgy. It sure proved to be. For the next 3 days, I’d suffer like a dog on the bike. So much so that on stage 5 I didn’t want to even get on the damn thing.
Overall position after stage 4: 314
Position on stage 4: 328
