DAVE RIDES UP ALPE D'HUEZ

Yes, I did ride up the legendary climb of Alpe d'Huez. Don't be too impressed because if anyone remembers I am not a great climber. We camped at the base of the climb in the same campground as a group from the Tandem Club of France. They had done Alpe d'Huez and were also riding other climbs like the Col de la Croix de Fer (also the Col de Glandon on the way up). Any reasonably fit person with a triple chain ring (small gear) can make up Alpe d'Huez.

Below you can see how the road drops off behind me.

The climb up Alpe d'Huez is 13.8 km (I showed 14.4) at an average gradient of 7.9% with 21 hairpin (les 21 virages) bends. Don't be fooled by the 7.9%. The first 1.5 km are more than 10% so it is steep at the beginning. After that all the switchbacks are flat so the actual average climbing grade is probably around 8.5%. The steepest I recorded on my bike computer was 18% near the top in the town of Alpe d'Huez. I had to take a slight detour through the town because it was Market Day (outdoor). Fortunately I was near the top and the adrenalin was really kicking in. Just before the town I had been starting to suffer.

Each switchback is numbered 21 - 1(bottom to top) and lists the name of a winner. Having finished there for the 22nd time in 2001, the authorities had to start again at the bottom with a double panel honoring Fausto Coppi and Lance Armstrong. Andy Hampsten's is on Switchback number 4 near the top.

The 2004 Tour de France route featured an individual time trial up Alpe d'Huez. Lance Armstrong won the stage and his time was only 1 second slower than the official record set by the late Marco Pantani of 37 minutes, 35 seconds.

It took me either 1:07, 1:11 or 1:13 depending on the timing spot. The fastest time was just before the village of Alpe d'Huez and the slowest time was through the village where the Tour finishes. You can rent a timing chip and get an official time. The website is TIMTOO.COM and you can see my time.

There are two photographers that take your picture. This is the picture I bought from photobreton.com

Many people do this climb everyday. There were 20 other people I saw during the ride up. I passed 18 people but one of them was just a guy just walking up without a bike so he doesn't count. Two people passed me. I used a 39x27 gear almost all the way up and would have liked to have a smaller gear. I could have spun a smaller gear faster. I would stand up for a short time after each switchback but most of the climb was sitting down. Only one other person was using the same size gear (he passed me). Everyone else was using a smaller gear. My heart rate averaged almost 90% (160bpm) with a max of 100%.

One of the fun parts of riding in the Alps is reading the cycling graffiti on the roads. Sometimes it’s real art. There were many painted saying on the road and the most popular team was CSC. The most bizarre thing I saw was some reference to Borat.

I did make it to the finish line. Here Meghan and I are both happy it is over. When Meghan asked why I did it, I told her it is like hitting yourself in the head with a hammer. It feels so good when it is over.