WASGS L’ETAPE PREVIEW

As tradition now dictates I create every year my own race profile overview for l’Etape du Tour, from Pau to Hautacam. There are a lot of overviews around but I never found one the way I like. Either they are too detailed or don’t have enough information. I’ve also created a sticker template to be placed on the bike’s top tube and used as a guide. And by doing both, I decided to write again m own preview of the race on July 20th.

Como já é tradição, eu criei mais uma vez o meu próprio profile da l’Etape du Tour, de Pau até Hautacam. Existem vários na internet, mas eu nunca encontro um do jeito que eu gosto. Ou eles tem muito detalhes ou pouca informação. Eu também criei uma versão simplificada para ser colada no tubo superior do quadro para servir de guia durante a corrida. E quando fiz os dois, decidi escrever uma prévia do que vai ser a corrida no dia 20 de Julho.

The stage is almost a repetition of the first one I did in 2008 on my first E’tape. It will leave the city of Pau, potentially from the same parking lot of 7 years ago, but hopefully not on heavy rain as then. The first kilometers are dead flat and immediately out of the city we will face a quick downhill. It will be a very nervous start with crazy guys (and girls) dashing off with adrenaline pumping deaf ears… got to be careful on those little first 3 kilometers.

It is my experience that it is always better to get some speed at the beginning and stay more or less at same speed of the group around you. Too slow you will get people passing on your left and right. Which is very dangerous. Too fast and we will be burning out too early. Also good to stick with a smallish group of friends and call out to each other if any back or front dangers. You should already be used to how your group rides and that would be extra protection.

And most important, if you are not managing to keep up with the group, stick to the right side of the road. Let the crazies go to the left and try to remember some of them. If you play it well, you will see a lot of them later, either on the Tourmalet or in Hautacam. Totally burned down… It can be quite frustrating to be passed by thousands of cyclists in the first 2 or 3 hours, but if you play your pace, you will get them back.

After that we will go thru more or less 11 kilometers of rolling hills. The first climb will calm some people but not enough. My memory tells me that in that area it will be some accidents. There are some descends with some sharp corners, all sided by trees and vegetation. So, if it had rained in the night before (or it is still raining), the tarmac will be slippery and over enthusiastic riders will over cook corners. If you stay on the right side, just be gentle on the right turners.

If the turn is going left, stay alert to speed up a bit or break to avoid some over cooking idiot. After the rolling hills we will 17 kms of flat with beautiful scenery of grass fields, beautiful little cities and small roads. Keep a steady pace and eat and drink. Just before the next climb, around 21 kms, in the city of Nay, there will be the first drink station. A bit early for my taste and I will pass this one for sure.

STICKER FOR THE TOP TUBE: ON THE LEFT, THE KILOMETERS WHERE THINGS WILL BE PLACED. ON THE MIDDLE THE FEED STATIONS FOR DRINK AND FOOD AND THE START OF EACH CLIMB. THE BIG BLACK NUMBERS ARE THE SIZE OF THE CLIMBS AND ON THE RIGHT, ELIMINATION TIMES. BE AWARE, IF YOU ARE NOT AT 16:40 ON AYROS, THEY WON’T LET YOU UP THE MOUTAIN.

CLIMBING | Once you reach Côte de Bénéjacq, the climbing will start. This is the first longer climb of the day. It goes up to 3.5% gradient and it is quite a straight line uphill. But it is only 2.5 kilometers followed by a 3 kms of flatish, but still ondulating terrain before hitting the Pontacq climb. Just at the bottom of the climb, there will be the first food station. If this is your first time, you will find a incredible variety of food: sweets, bananas, oranges, bread, energy drinks, etc. Also water. Also, almost a repetition of the previous climb: 3% gradient for 2kms. If you feel good, you can push to go thru it quick because after that it will be another 15 flat kilometer. This is the last real flat piece of road for the next 40 kms.

At the end of this section just before you hit the next climb, there will be another drink station on the city of Orincles. And with 56 kms into the race, there will be another little climb of 3.5% for 4 kms. And then the real climb start after a small descend. The official Col du Tourmalet only start at 78 kms into the race, but from 60 kms to that point it will be a constant uphill. This is an interesting and dangerous area. First, you just come down from a quick descend with speed, then you start going thru the gentle 1% gradient. If the group around is moving at a good speed, you tend to push  a little hard to stay with them.

But that is exactly the danger. There will be 17 kms of constant false flat. It starts with that 1% and it goes increasing slowly but surely. It hits almost 2% in the second third and finally 3.5% in the last third. If you push too much to keep the speed, you will loose lots of energy before hitting the real climb. Keep speed but staying in zone 3 it is a good bet. Suck as many wheels as possible but not loosing energy is the name of the game.

Another trick your brain will play with you is when the ride goes thru small cities. Being a Sunday, there will be potentially lots of people cheering on the sidewalks. That can make you over excited and start pushing harder. Feeling all Pro and again loosing important energy. Just be aware of your own ego! In Bagnéres de Bigorre, on km 67 the second food station will be located and the next food station is on La Mongie, 4 kms to the top.

And then you start the Tourmalet, from the northeast side. The official climb start from the city of Sain Marie de Campan on a 4% grade. It just easy up a bit on the second and third kilometer and than it just goes up and up forever, going up to 8 and 10%. It is a beautiful climb, with the Pyrenees trademark of high rough mountains. Not many villages around and long straight lines. Not many turns. In fact, in the whole climb there is only 5 hairpins and only 1 before the very top. There are some nice views and some places where they carve the road straight on the mountain with concrete arches on the side. Really beautiful.

Just 4 kms to the top, when the rides goes thru the skiing village of La Mongie, a food station will be located. On the profile, it looks like you just went thru the hardest part of the climb, leaving behind that 10% gradient. You might even be tempted to miss the feed station and go straight to the top. After all it is just 4 kms, right?… Wrong. Those last kilometers are really steep and the average gradient is lower because of the hairpins. If you are feeling tired or is going low on water, stop and relax before pushing forward.

There will be a feed station at the top as well but but the real good news is that the descent is fantastic. The views are incredible and after the feel first tight corners, the roads are long straight lines. You can pick up speed and be safe at the same time. The views are even better and until the village of Beaucens, it is only descending. Great time to relax, enjoy the views and eat and drink. Around 114 into the descend there will be another drink station, on Esquieze Serre. I might skip this one as well.

HAUTACAM - After a quick 5 kms of flat terrain, the final climb of the day start. To be honest, I haven’t done this climb before, so my memory won’t help me here (I was disqualified, long story for another post, or maybe not). For what I read thru the internet and talking to people from that time two things will mark this climb: the gradients never stay put and the heat in the afternoon is going to the hard. Just before start, a food station will be located in Ayros Arbouix, on mark km 131 followed almost immediately by a water station on Vier Bordes. A bit strange but you can decide where to stop depending on what you need.

The gradients varies quite a lot and never sets to one level. Quite difficult to stick to a climb rhythm if you like steady continuous climbs. The gradient goes over 13% at some points and down to 5 and 6% when the average says 8%. The last 3 to 5 kms are specially harder, again due to some big hairpins that brings the gradient to zero and low the average gradient of those kilometers.

The second point is that it is exposed to the sun and if it is a sunny warm day, there is no protection. You will be baked slowly until you hit the top. In those cases, I always put water in the back of my neck and my quads to cool down and avoid cramps. Every time I drink a sip of water, I water my neck and legs to get some relief. This is a trick I got from a old colleague and really works.

Two last tips: Hautacam is a cul de sac, which means it is closed at the end. There is only one way out of it and it is the same way up. That means, like last year, there will be riders goind down on the left side of the road while you climb on the right side. Be careful if you decide to overtake other riders that might be overtaking walking burned down cyclists. You can be hit by a descending tired cyclist.

The other is if the day is cold, bring a jacked, gilete and arm warmers. Maybe even long fingers gloves if it is raining. During the climbing, you won’t need it, but the difference in temperatures can be of even more than 10 degrees from the bottom to the top (especially if it is raining). It can be quite painful on the way down.

And that will be the job! Another beautiful Etape, for sure, if a bit on the short side. But if it is short for you, there is always the challenge of the gold medal (see below)! See you in France!