Stop smiling and look behind you...
| So, one more Etape du Tour completed this Sunday. The end of another cycling season with the biggest challenge of the year. And what a challenge it was. We faced muggy heat, ice cold rain, flirted with hypothermia and climbed two huge mountains in the Pyrenees with very steep slopes. The whole team completed it, but it was a very hard and miserable day. An anti-climax de uma semana perfeita. Take a look after the link how bad it went. | Uma more Etape du Tour feita nesse último domingo. O fim de outra temporada de ciclismo com o maior desafio do ano. E foi um desafio dos grandes. Enfrentamos clima abafado e quente, chuva gelada por horas, namoramos com hipotermia e subimos duas montanhas gigantescas. O time inteiro completou a prova mas foi um dia muito duro e miseravelmente frio para mim. Um anti-climax de uma semana perfeita. Dá uma olhada depois do link. |
GROUP AT THE STARTING AREA.
I've arrived in France on Sunday looking forward to a week of climbing on the wonderful mountains of the Pyrenees. After that week of training in very hot weather, we were somewhat nervous to learn what was in storage for us for race day. The forecast changed every day but on Saturday the idea was we would be riding in temperatures between 14 and 20 degrees with some rain showers and the occasional thunderstorms. Nothing major. The traditional mandatory ritual of day race was followed to the letter, with very early wake up at 3:30, bus ride at 4:15 and waiting at the start line for 45 minutes. During this time we could see the dark clouds sliding thru with strong wind and the distant lightning. Everything to make us even more nervous.
13 THOUSAND AT THAT START, ONLY 8 THOUSAND WOULD FINISH
RACE - the race started with the usual high speed, everybody on a sugar and adrenaline high. Four other colleagues were with me in the same start area and we managed to match the speed of the group around us: +/- 38 km/h. We stayed out of trouble and the racing was quite nice with a warm cloudy day. For the first 67 kms, we managed to keep pushing with the rolling hills and the small 2 to 3 kilometers climbs that were on the course: Col du Benejacq, Pontacq and Loucroup.
Each one of the group took a lead at some point and that made for fun racing. At some point I went ahead alone and start working with two other french looking cyclist. Cooperating with them was really nice as we push the speed to 40 /42 km/h and jumped from group to group. At the water station on km 68 into the race we regroup on the feeding station on the bottom of the Col du Tourmalet for a quick refill of water and some eating. And that is when the fun part of the day ended. We were about to start the 17 kms climb of the highest Pyrenees mountain of the Tour de France and we would do it in very especial conditions.
RAIN & COLD - right after we left the feeding zone a light rain started. I was prepared for it as i have brought a thin rain jacket and managed to put it on while riding. We started the first kilometers of the Tourmalet with the rain dripping and getting us slowly soaked. The more we went up the harder it rained and colder it got. I was dropped by the team and went alone.
With 10 kms to the top, the rain was pouring down and the fog was turning everything white. I couldn't see anything. Water was streaming down the road and even the rain jacket didn't managed to keep me dry anymore. I was completely soaked and cold. I pushed thru and sometimes we had some road concrete coverage that gave a little protection and break from the rain.
At the ski resort of La Mongie, with 4.5 kms to go, the rain went a bit softer and the fog got ticker. I decided not to stop to avoid the risk of getting even colder. After I learned that a big number of people had to stop and were put on stretchers with heavy blanks to avoid severe hypothermia. At that point the mountain also change: being the highest mountain around, it opens up to the wind and we were totally exposed. It got even colder and I started getting cramps and pain in the ligaments of my right knee.
Another change was that instead of long straight lines, from that point the mountain is full of hairpins. Every time we turned right we got a chilling headwind that felt like a sharp knife thru the chest. The 5 degrees cold, tick fog, music and shouting voices carried by the wind made it almost a mystical experience. To bring me back to reality, a group of people were just starting a barbecue at one of the corners and the smell of chicken and sausages was like torture. Even from a little distance I could fantasize about the warmth of the fire. But on I went with the fear of stopping and not having the mental power to continue.
DESCEND TO ICE HELL - I crested the mountain exactly as scheduled at noon. I went straight thru it and stopped at the second corner to put my glasses on, eat a energy bar and a gel and continue. The descend was a nightmare. One of the worst moments in my cycling history. Because of the wind speed, the soaked body and the once again hard rain, the temperatures felt like sub zero. I was so cold my teeth started clattering and legs and arms started shivering on the bike, which made difficult to control the bike.
The layer of water streaming down the road was so tick that breaking was almost impossible and every turn was treated with utmost fear. Once or twice I tried to shake my hands to get blood flowing again and the fingers moving better. And almost crashed. The descending speed was so slow that it took forever to go down to the next village. In the process I got so cold I started getting cramps in my left leg, lower back and neck.
In 7 years of cycling this can be considered the most painful moment. I have never considered quiting any race no matter how hard it had been, including the one I fainted from exhaustion at the finishing line. But this time I was very close to that. But the thought that Jos would give everything to be suffering that climb instead of facing the ALS made me keep going.
Finally I got to the feeding zone at the village in the bottom of Tourmalet. I stopped to recover from the cold and was shivering so violently I almost couldn't get my leg above the saddle to move out of the bike. My legs and arms were trembling so much I could barely stand. I had to stay in that poor fashion for some time until I could control my breathing enough to be able to eat and drink. I've learned that in cold you need to keep eating and drinking to avoid getting even colder. The doctors at the corner just looked at us and did nothing. Maybe they thought if I were still able to stand I was OK. I was not OK.
I was so pissed off with that lack of “pro-activeness” or compassion I ate a energy bar, drank a complete one litter bottle of water, mounted the bike and started descending the last feel kilometers to the valley. I pushed the pedals to warm up but still was shivering heavily. I met Rich on the way down and could even speak properly. The only thing I could say was I was fed up and would quit at the bottom of the next and last mountain: Hautacam.
QUITING – In the valley the rain continue but the air was much warmer. And pushing hard to get quick to Hautacam started to make me feel better and stop shivering. I was still pissed but at least didn’t feel I was going to crash from coldness. At the roundabout that started Hautacam we met a colleague wife and I throw my bike in the grass. I sat on the chair offered by her and said: “I quit. I’m not going up. I’m not going thru that again!”.
She gave me a Coca-Cola and Rich told me to wait 10 minutes to see how I would feel. At this point it was quite warm and sunny and nobody there had any idea what was going on up the mountain. They were surprised when we told what was going on. I really didn’t want to go. I was afraid of the cold. After 10 to 15 minutes the dialog went like this:
- Rich: “Are you OK? Do you want to try?”
- Me: “No. I don’t. I don’t care. I quit”.
- Rich: “It is only 12 kms. Do it for Jos!”
- Long pause…
- Me: “You know what: F**k you! I knew you would say that. Shit! OK, Let’s go!”
I dried my socks, put the shoes back and started climbing again. Little stop where our colleague Tom was (he couldn’t ride because he’d broken his collar bone on Thursday) for another Coca-cola and went up. I didn’t want to go but I couldn’t say no to that. Again thinking about our colleague fighting for life against a terrible disease pushed us to keep on fighting as well. I pushed a little to warm up more and when I looked back I realized I had dropped Rich. I stopped to pee and wait a minute but decided to continue. I didn’t know he had problems with his heart monitor. I continue the climb until 6 kms to the finish line when the rain started again.
Hautacam is a very hard climb. Every kilometer has gradients from zero to 12% and sometimes a little descend. It was hard to keep on pushing and getting all wet again. The last kilometers were very slow and I really didn’t want to cycle anymore. I didn’t care about results, who would have better timings or better performance. But I kept on going. The rain was pouring down again but luckily there was no wind.
Because of the sudden cold again after warming up I started having stomach cramps now. I couldn’t eat or drink anymore and did the last 4 kms very slow. I was really just dragging myself to the finish line but at least didn’t put my foot on the ground or walk as I saw so many people doing. I had the feeling I could push harder as I had energy but also didn’t feel like it. With the finish on sight and a little respite on the gradient I still managed to keep tradition. I shift my front gear to the big ring to cross the line. Slow but with some dignity left on me. Not a chicken or a rat.
The finish was an anti-climax somber moment. Just crossed the line with heavy dark clouds and rain. It looked like it was night. I just put my long fingers gloves on, clean my glasses and turned back down. The descend was again cold and miserable but it was very slow.
At the bottom I went to the finish village to get my medal and met a group of colleagues there. John told me a long story about his race and I was so cold again I didn’t understand a word he said. I was shivering again. Got the medal and went back to the bus as quick I could to warm up and wait for the rest and hope they all made in one piece. A horrible day that was not about performance cycling but about getting out of there alive.
Am I happy that I completed? Not really. It still doesn’t matter. I had a target and a mission. I still don’t care I didn't get either. Just happy to get out of that shitty day. Happy that all ended well for everybody? You bet!
THINGS I NOTICED
- The start parking area was filled with broken glass. Finding one stuck to your tire 2 minutes to departure makes your heart rate go up… Whey they didn’t clean it before?
- The beginning of the Tourmalet climbing was a silent one. Not the usual excited chatting of the start of mountains. A very somber and downbeat group.
- A kid was shouting “allez” so enthusiastic at one point that everybody broke the silence with a good laughter. Gave us some “courage”. Thanks little boy!
- Cycling in tick fog with wind carried voices, some old tour radio broadcast blasting out of crap speakers and cramps makes you feel completed disoriented. Who would’ve guessed.
- Passing a group on the side road playing loud ACDC makes you climb better. Gives rhythm. High voltage was playing. Yeah, sure…
- Cows like to crap on the middle of the road. That is not a good combination with rain and water spray from the bike in front of you.
- When in French they say: “we warmly recommend to wear warm clothes…” it actually means “if you don’t you might die”.
- At the descend of Tourmalet a guy in a South Afrika short sleeve jersey passed me at high speed moaning and disappeared into the mist. I think it was a ghost.
- Not a lot of women this year on the Etape. Once again they prove they are smarter than men. Chapeu.
- With 4 kms to the finish a guy was riding weird. All the time standing but doing clearly in pain. He had no saddle and only the seat post… Ouch!
- Just ahead on the finish line was another Brazilian. He finished it screaming and cursing. I guess he had more energy than I did.
- After a day like this, a portion of salty hot french fries and a double espresso can taste like 5 stars restaurant stuff. That was good!
- Crossing the line after all this was very emotional. Good I was feeling too bad even to cry…
- 13 thousand cyclists started, 8.5 thousands finished. The bikes of people that didn’t completed the race filled 12 double load trucks. Still they got medals! WTF!?
See you next year France… maybe…
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