CRAMPS

TOP OF THE COL DU CHAUSSY

Second team ride of the Nike team in France. Today was an extreme ride for me with lots of pain, cramps and suffering. Also it was a very hot day, with 37 degrees in the shade and a feeling of 45 under the sun. For the first time since I started, I end up a ride getting into a car instead of completing it on bike. Humiliating but better now than on Sunday. Read more about after the link and see some nice pictures.

Segunda volta do time da Nike na França. Hoje foi uma volta extrema de muita dor, câimbras e sofrimento. Também foi um dia muito quente, com 37 graus na sombra e sensação de 45 no sol. Pela primeira vez desde que comecei com ciclismo, eu acabei uma corrida dentro de um carro em vez de acabar pedalando. Humilhante mas melhor do que se fosse na corrida do Domingo. Veja como foi e mais um par de fotos depois do link.

The day started with a nice descend from the Col du Madeleine towards the village of La Chambre, where it will be the first food station of the Etape. The descend was fantastic. Very fast and fun. Hit top speed of 75 kms/h. From there the group splitted in 2. Some of the guys went back to the hotel directly and a second group went to do the climb of the Col du Chaussy, the first climb of Sunday.

I wanted to do the Col du Chaussy before the race day and went with the second group. The climb started nicely (right after a concrete barrier). Chaussy, from this side, is a climb that is difficult to get a rhythm. It goes from 11% to 5% and keep shifting all the time. You need to keep changing gears and turning on the hairpins. But it is a very beautiful climb with rocky walls, forest and nice road.

At around 4 kms to the top (the climb has 15 kms) I had the first cramp of the day. A cramp at the top of the hamstring when it connects with the buttocks. One can’t continue climb when the cramp hits there because it locks the leg movement immediately. I stopped for 3 minutes and after some massaging I could continue to the top.

From there, after meeting the team, drinking almost two litters of water and eating we went down in splitted groups again. We took easy on this one and at the bottom a small group of 8 riders turned right to climb the Col du Madeleine towards the hotel. At around 8 kilometers to the hotel the nightmare started.

The day was at the top of heat at that point. With a feeling of 50 degrees on the sun and no wind to alleviate it. It was scorching. I was riding easy pace with a heart rate of 158 to 162 bpm to avoid overheating. Also I was afraid the cramps would come back. And all of a sudden it did. The hamstring locked again and I had to stop. From that moment on, I had to stop almost every 500/800 meter because of the pain. I was caught by some of the guys that I had dropped at the beginning of the climb.

At that moment another rider, Tom, was suffering in the same way. We were actually passing each other every little while because one of us would need to stop because of the cramps. At some point I was with Darren, Fletcher and Yanick and we stopped at a little fountain. We refilled out bottles and I decided to water my legs with the very cold water. That was a terrible mistake.

I continue and less than a kilometer later, with only 3 kms and a half to the hotel, the cramps got even worst. My front muscles of the top legs just cramp so heavily that I almost felt of the bike. I was screaming in pain and stayed there for a good 10 minutes. I was really dreading getting back on the bike and didn’t know how to continue. That is when, by a miracle or coincidence, a colleague, Jesse, appear out of nowhere by car. He asked me if I want to get back by car. YES. I didn’t cry just because I was already crying… silently!

I put the bike on the car and went back to the hotel. On the way, we offered Tom to jump in the car as well but he refused. Stubborn! But respect to finish in that kind of pain! All in wall a terrible ride as I haven’t had in years. Pretty disappointing but now all I can do if forget it and rest for Sunday. See the pictures below.

 

THE TURN BEFORE NIGHTMARE STARTS. MAYBE I SHOULD SELL THE BIKE AND BUY A MOTORBIKE…