Blog post

Haute Route Alps Stage 7: Megeve to Geneva

Haute Route Alps Stage 7: Megeve to Geneva, well, to Yvoire, but that’s close enough.

I started to feel better today. Finally, my stomach has started to settle down. It has been abused, not only by Hotel Tatami, but also from the amounts of food consumed in the morning, and the vast quantities of gels just to get me through the day. It’s was sad to see the door of Hotel Aux Ducs de Savoie. It would also mean that the Fins, Peter, and Stephen would soon be going separate ways. We’d come to the end of our journey in the Alps.dsc_0460

So we set off, all guns were blazing from the start line. I’d been told/warned that the last stage of each week is fast. Those who are only completing the week put it all on the line. The rest just try and survive. I was in survival mode, but I felt good. Before we set off Mark prayed to the cycling gods. He did this every day. It obviously works.

The start of stage 7 was all about the Col des Aravis and Colombiere. The Aravis is an 11km, at 7%, leg warmer. It really starts to get Hiedi picture postcard perfect around here. The chalets are cutesy, the grass green, and the mountains less oppressive. It’s a hill of two halves. The first being moderately gentle, it’s all relative, and the second being quite tough. I started to find my legs on the second half but was cautious not to blow.

Next up is the mountain of the day, Col de la Colombiere. In my mind it has always sounded tough, I don’t really know why. I was intimidated but feeling ok. I pushed it a bit more. I was now riding how I thought I’d ride. Not the slow weary mofo that I’d become. If there’s ever a climb not to be intimidated by it’s the Col de la Colombiere. From the side of Le Grand Bornand, you only have just over 11km to climb. With just 700 metres altitude to cover it makes for a great climb. Not like some of the other brutes during the week.

The Fins and me, in YvoireOnce that bastard was knocked off it was all about speed. With just two pimples, remember that it’s all relative, to cover, the week would practically be over. Those two pimples on my Alps face were the Terramont and the Col de Cou. Both posed little problem. In fact, the only problem was the female leader not wanting to take her turn on the front. She then smashed us up the Col de Cou. Claiming you’re tired and then smashing us ain’t good! You know who you are.

The finish was unspectacular, very! Screaming down the Col de Cou and turning into a carpark was an anticlimax to the end of a great event. From the carpark, we headed into Yvoire for lunch and a precession into Geneva, with backpacks.

Lunch was a great event, shared with great people, minus Peter and Erica.

A special shoutout to Kenneth Krog from Denmark for giving me some High5 tablets and getting me through stage 7. I’d set out to complete with a time. In the top 400 would be great. Top 300 amazing, and yeah…

Kenneth Krog from Denmark, the High5 tablet king!

Kenneth Krog from Denmark, the High5 tablet king!

Stage 7 position: 259

Overall position: 293

Comments

comments

By admin

Comments

comments

Previous Post

Next Post