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May 2002 Diary - Part Two

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May 17th - The Cormet de Roseland and La Plagne

I drove from Grenoble to Bourg St Maurice, keen to ride two of the climbs from this years Tour de France. I had ridden them before but that was back in 1998, and I wanted to reaquiant myself with the roads. The temperature was set to peak at 28 degrees in Grenoble, and it was a day to leave the city behind.

My first climb of the day was the Cormet de Roseland. Yesterday, I'd driven up the other side of the climb from Beaufort so I knew that it was open. This would be the first climb of the Tour de France stage this year when the riders cycle from Bourg St Maurice to Cluses. The climb would also be used in the Etape du Tour, a few days before the Tour riders race up the climb.

After leaving Bourg St Maurice behind, the road follows a narrow valley and was in the cover of shade. The river ran beside the road and I passed a huge snail chancing its life by crossing the road. The gradient starts off with a nice five percent average for the first eight kilometres. This changed after I passed the ruins of an old mill and then zigzagged my way up the mountainside on the regular hairpins after Bonneval. The hairpins came in quick succession and gradient increased for four kilometres before I rounded a corner and cycled into a new valley. The road had recently been surfaced and was perfect for cycling on.

The Cormet de Roseland is one of the most beautiful Cols in the Alps. The scenery is stunning with high cliffs, glaciers in the distance, and the riding is varied with hairpins and valleys. The climb the gets increasingly more rugged the higher you climb.

The climb started in earnest again after two kilometres in the valley but there were only six kilometres left. Everything was so quiet except for the rushing of water and the infrequent chirping of marmottes on the mountainsides. I had spectacular views across to the Mont Blanc massif, with the contrast of white glaciers, blue sky in the distance and the green mountains around me. The climb hugged the left-hand side of the valley and the road started climbing up into the mountains to the left.

In the last three kilometres, snow started appearing next to the roadside. I had a tailwind blowing me up the climb and I was able to go down a gear. I was passed by a large lorry, which suprised me as I'd seen three cars on the climb so I wasn't expecting a lorry to be up so high. A group of five marmottes ran up the mountainside near me, startled by my appearance. At the Col, two workmen were building a wall. I donned my windcape and turned back for the descent.

I stopped to take a photo of the snow covered peak in the Mont Blanc massif, and was stopped by loud crashing noise in the mountains behind me. There was obviously a landslide or avalanche, but with mountains all around I couldn't see anything, I could just hear it.

The climb of La Plagne is another Tour de France climb that will be used this year. The riders will have already covered the difficult Col du Galibier and Col de la Madeleine, and will finish be climbing up to the ski resort of La Plagne.

The road starts in Aime, a small village that is only a few kilometres from Bourg St Maurice. The first slopes are not steep and after two kilometres, I cycled through the only village on the climb, Macot. Yet again roadworks were being carried out and there was a detour in place. I started off in my 39-26 as I knew I'd be climbing for over an hour and wanted to make sure I wouldn't be weaving all over the road for the last few kilometres. The road was busier than the other climbs I'd been up in the last two days, but still quiet compared to the summer. The majority of vehicles seemed to be white utility vans.

Soon after the town, I saw what I thought was a rat running in the road ahead. It was only when the animal stopped and turned, I could see that it was a weasel. The long thin brown body with a long tail quickly disappeared under a wooden shed as I cycled closer.

La Plagne is one of a number of ski resorts along the Tarentaise valley, including Les Arcs, Val Thorens and Courchevel. The climb is 19 kilometres from the valley to the ski resort and just under 1,400 metres of vertical climb. It averages just under seven percent in gradient.

In the first few kilometres, the road is boarded by trees so it is often difficult to see the mountains opposite. There are regular kilometre stones and hairpins, and the first four kilometres seemed to last too long. After six kilometres, the hamlet of les Villards-de-Macot had two water fountains. I covered my head in cold water and filled my bottle, and was happy to have done so as there was nothing else on the climb.

The views across the valley steadily became more impressive the higher I climbed. First the Col du Petit St Bernard could be seen to the north-east. The top of the Col was white, and the signs in Bourg St Maurice had said it was closed. The peaks opposite looked less dominating and finally the Mont Blanc towered above everything else.

With six kilometres of climbing left, the olympic bob run came into view. A concrete snake that twisted and turned down the mountainside. There was no competition today but I did see a guy in full leathers come flying down the mountain while lying on a skateboard type contraption. He stopped next to me and we said hello as I passed.

I climbed above the bob run and up to La Plagne 1800. The road continues for another two kilometres until you reach La Plagne. The village was lifeless except for a dog wandering along the roadside. The tourist office and cafes were closed, and my water bottle was empty, so I didn't hang around.

I didn't need my windcape for the descent, and filled my bottle at the first of the two fountains. The temperature felt warm back in the valley.

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