Raid Alps 2024: Day 5 Allemont – Briançon

Day 5 Allemont – Briançon – 120 km – 3 100m D+ 

“Today’s ride is positively the most legendary of your entire Raid Alps cycling challenge. You will be climbing the 21 famous switchbacks of Alpe d’Huez and you will tackle the Lautaret taking you to the Glandon. Tonight, you will definitely deserve a hearty dinner and good night’s rest!”

Difficulties: 

-Alpe d’Huez (13.8 km at 7.9 %) 

-Col du Lautaret (19.2 km at 4.7 %) 

-Col du Galibier (8,6km at 6,7%)

In map form: 

But seeing it in graphic representation is nothing like riding it. You've got the graphic; here's the narrative:

Our rollout from the hotel was cool, and along a beautiful bike path alongside a river. “Alongside a river” means: level! Pedaling on the flat is an excellent way to loosen legs still tight and achey from the day previous.

We shed our layers and prepared for the 1st climb of the day.

The Alpe d’Huez is one of the iconic stages of the Tour de France, such that of the 21 turns from bottom to top, each is marked with the stage winner of a year that it was included in the tour. It’s the big one— but after our extremely challenging day previous, it seemed only rather, well, long, but all made it to the summit, where we celebrated at the various podiums set up for those who made it to the top.

After our celebration at the top, appropriate photos on the podium, and a bit of refueling— oh, and purchasing Alp d’Huez jerseys to remember and advertise our feats, we descended the same path we had just ascended, covering in minutes what it took us more than an hour to ascend, but fun nonetheless. Once at the bottom we regrouped, as always, then started on the second major climb of the day, the Col du Lautaret. It was long, but not as steep as the previous day’s route, but today challenging in its own right: the temps were getting warmer, and as we approached midway up the climb, winds that funneled down the valleys became ferocious, sometime headwinds, sometimes crosswinds, but never, it seemed, a pusher wind, Curses!

An aside here for my reputation: in the Pyrenees last year, and again this year in the Alps, I was the oldest member of the group, which ranges in age from early- to mid- 50’s, to somewhere into the mid- to late- 60’s. My almost 71 is bout 10 years past the median age of the group. This year I brought along and wore today my jersey that leans into my emeritus status: 

Although this is a tour, not a race, when it comes the climb, our different strengths as riders separates the group on the climbs. Last year I was consistently 2nd to the top on most of the climbs, prompting Constantin to ask for an ID as proof of age. This year he thinks I may even be stronger—wow! On the Lautaret I showed my mettle, crank, crank, cranking on the front, not to win, just to complete the climb at my most efficient pace, which I rode alone, hunkered down into “focus” mode. The last miles of the climb the wind was breathtaking, twice blowing me off the pavement onto the shoulder, and usually, it seems, in my face. The grade wasn’t extreme, but the overall conditions felt it. 

We lunched before the last of the Lauteret in sight of the Grave Glacier— wonderful food, wonderful view.

After completing the Lauteret,

we had a choice: descend the 20km to our next hotel, OR tackle the 8 km and 500m of vertical gain to the summit of the Galibier, then descend the 8+20 km down. I was ready to call it a day—until Tom, and a few others (Scott: “I bought the Galibier jersey, I’ve got to give it a go!”) said, “let’s do it.” So I was in, and again, crank, crank, CRANK to the top. Exhilerating, exhausting, satisfying. Once a the top we marveled and the moto (motorcycle) groups that had mad it to the summit, imagining the stamina it took to twist their throttles for many MINUTES as they made their way upwards. Likewise the Porsche drivers whose right feet were nearly cramping from the effort of struggling upwards. 

You can't know the relief, the exhilaration, the satisfaction of completing these climbs, today back-to-back-to back. And me the Old Guy. I am so, so fortunate.