Trois Ballons Granfondo b Sportive

he and tear their way out of the landscape, tortured into existence by the collision of African and Eurasian tectonic plates 25 million years ago. They surge upwards, increasing in steepness as they break Great above the treeline in a jumble of pointed rock. By comparison, the aren’t even real mountains. Created by a downward slip between parallel fault lines, their landscape of valleys and of escarpments has been softened and their rough edges smoothed by millennia balls of glacial erosion. As a result, despite rising to a height of 1,424m, the ballons of the Vosges swell softly from the land in a decidedly unmountainlike way. Consequently, the roads that cross them tend to taper upwards gradually before reaching a crux that’s seldom too challenging. Rarely higher than the treeline they tend to be The Vosgesfire mountains of northeast verdant and winding, rather than rugged and twisting. may lack the majesty of the With so much drama on offer to the south, the Vosges were overlooked by the Tour de France for most of the 20th Alps, but their ballons still provide century, and only gained prominence with the inclusion of a severe test of climbing mettle La Planche des Belles Filles in the 2012 Tour. They featured again in 2017, but not before Cyclist had a chance to tackle Words JOSEPH DELVES them at the Ridley Les Trois Ballons Granfondo. Photography MICHAEL MILLS Big day While the Vosges might lack the absolute height of other ranges, Cycling Classics France, which organises the event as part of its Grand Trophée series, makes up for this by cramming six significant climbs into the 211km route, providing over 4,400m of vertical ascent. Mindful of the challenges to come, I force myself to start conservatively as we depart the town of Luxeuil-les-Bains. Other than a bit of pushing and shoving, the 4,000 cyclists released from their pens manage the first few kilometres without incident, our collective enthusiasm flattening the slight uphill gradient. Once out of town we cross a river into Belonchamp, where the villagers have hung out flags. I see a rider in Française des Jeux kit sneaking off down a side road – it’s probably local lad Thibaut Pinot, who lives in the adjacent village of Mélisey. The first short climbs are steady but not overly challenging – a miniaturised preview of what’s to come. Having gained a little altitude we reach Plancher-les- Mines, a small town on the edge of the mountains that we’ll pass through again once we’ve completed 165km. Lining the road are plywood cutouts of former and current Grand Tour riders. Created for the Tour but brought out in our honour, whoever painted them paid special attention to the teeth, lending them a slightly ridiculous demeanour. First is toothy Contador, then toothy Ullrich, Moreau, Chavanel, Mayo, Armstrong, Nibali and finally a toothy Froome. Having left the town and its grinning plywood pros behind, we pass a sawmill and a sign marking the way P

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P to the start of La Planche des Belles Filles. We’ll be A few kilometres into heading that way, but only later on our second pass the sportive the riders cross a bridge into through the area. For now we stay low, heading into a forest Belonchamp, where and on to the adjacent climb of the Ballon de Servance. At they will be greeted 7km long, with a consistent gradient averaging 5.9%, it’s by enthusiastic locals a case of picking a gear and winding steadily upwards. This first exertion settles everyone down. I notice flies hovering around the riders, whose progress is too slow to shake them. Sometimes other cyclists come into view above or below, but for the most part everything is hidden by the trees. Time and altitude tick gradually by. Around each corner the avenue of crowded trees repeats itself, until eventually up the road is a square of sunlight. We pass out of the forest at the top of the climb and straight onto a steep, open descent. One climb done. The details It’s as easy as un, deux, trois. Sort of Although the sun has burned away the cloud it’s not yet properly warm. Clammy from the climb I regret not putting on my gilet, as there’s no chance to fiddle about with clothing before the plunge downwards. Living in the south of England, I find the next 10km both fun and slightly terrifying as I struggle to remember how to find the right balance between speed and self-preservation. Just as I start getting the hang of it we’re back at the valley floor. Almost immediately we pass through the village of Le Thillot, where there’s a fair bit of traffic on the road. I try an easy gear and spinning. I try a big gear and grinding. Nothing helps

Weaving through it I hear someone yelling ahead and What Ridley Les Trois Ballons Granfondo spy a gendarme wielding a baton. Luckily he’s not using Where Luxeuil les Bains, France it to cosh unruly cyclists around the head, but is instead How far 211km (full route) or 125km directing them down the main street. Out of town we (Medio Fondo option) ride down wide and easy roads to the town of Le Ménil Next one 9th June 2018 then Travexin at 75km, where I stop for the first time. Price €65 (£59) Stocked up on snacks I grind my way slowly up the More information grandtrophee.fr following 10km climb of the Col d’Oderen. We’re on the easier western ascent, whose slopes never exceed 6%, so it’s shallow enough for the road to be almost straight. On the far side we descend via a series of steeper switchbacks, which require concentration in picking the right line. With 100km done and two climbs completed, I have to say my legs are feeling uncharacteristically happy, and I’m starting to feel slightly smug.

The hump If you’re an experienced traveller you will at some point have come across a ‘mystery hill’. These are strange places where water appears to flow uphill, or where a car left out of gear will seemingly roll against the gradient. But rather than being the result of supernatural forces they’re in reality optical illusions created when the horizon is obstructed, leaving you without a reliable reference point to accurately judge a slope. I’ve decided the Grand Ballon is just such a mystery hill. First off, despite rising almost a full kilometre vertically, it’s easy to miss on a map since, unlike the switchbacks that zigzag up most high mountain climbs, the road P

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which sits beside the rest stop, is now the only remaining natural glacial lake in the region. I fill my bottles and stick my head into a cattle trough to cool down before heading onto the penultimate climb. A few kilometres along the route is another lake, this time artificially enlarged by the addition of a dam. Climbing steeply, I’m sorely tempted to jump in once I reach the top. It’s now the hottest part of the day and there are people diving from the rocks and splashing into the water. The climb meanders for a few kilometres before snaking upwards via a series of wide hairpins. Although the gradient never exceeds 7%, with almost 170km behind me it feels steeper. The landscape is green, tree-lined and pretty, but so were the other climbs and, truth be told, by this point they’re all starting to blur together. Eventually it’s over and, aware that this is the point of the ride where I normally make some sort of unforced and painful trajectory error, I crawl cautiously down the day’s last descent. With five of the six climbs done I know I’m going to make it home, but I also know there’s a pig of an ascent still to come.

Grand Tour pretensions Despite being a recent addition to the Tour, La Planche des Belles Filles has had an impact out of proportion to its moderate 503m of vertical gain. Brought in for 2012, its first running saw Chris Froome nursing his team leader Bradley Wiggins to the line. Froome took the stage, but Wiggins went on to win the race overall in what was a fractious but wildly successful Tour for Team Sky. The Vosges doesn’t Two years later it returned as the conclusion to Stage 10. P draped over the Grand Ballon is pretty direct. On top of feature the sort of This time the spoils went to Vincenzo Nibali, who won on that, with trees obscuring the view on both sides, the road dramatically jagged My only chance his way to his own moment on the top step of the podium ahead provides the only horizon line so it’s impossible to peaks you’ll find in the Alps or Pyrenees, but in Paris. This summer La Planche des Belles Filles makes its gauge how high you’ve climbed or see how much more is to go as slowly as your legs won’t know third appearance on the Tour menu. I don’t know it yet, but might be ahead. Coming on slowly, with an absolutely the difference after the stage will be won by Nibali’s former Astana teammate consistent 6% gradient, for the first half of its 20km I’d possible without six climbs totalling 4,400m of ascent Fabio Aru, with Froome riding back into the yellow jersey, swear blind I’m riding downhill rather than up. which he’ll hold onto all the way to Paris. The effect is truly weird. It’s only the occasional cyclist actually falling over It takes me more than twice as long to climb La Planche freewheeling in the opposite direction that gives the des Belles Filles as it does the pros. The road is littered game away. That and the fact that ceasing to pedal brings considerably, and resolve to stamp up the next climb with hunched casualties pushing their bikes, and I decide me quickly to a halt. The cumulative effect after several in a bid to claw back some lost time. my only chance of making it to the top is to go as slowly as kilometres is like being trapped in a dream where you’re possible without actually falling over. P trying to run, but find your legs inexplicably weak. History time I try riding out of the saddle. I try an easy gear and Green and pleasant at first glance, has historically spinning. I try a big gear and grinding. Nothing helps, been Europe’s industrial heart. Strip away the greenery my speed steadily drops and all the while the road gives and underneath are huge deposits of iron ore and coal. This The rider’s ride no visual cues as to why I should be suffering this much. mineral wealth has been a mixed blessing for the region, Ridley Fenix SLX, €3,399 (approx £3,000), I reach the summit after more than an hour of climbing, though, and it has switched ownership between empires ridley-bikes.com and I’m not sure I’ll ever forgive the Grand Ballon. The and countries multiple times over its troubled history. As a proportion of budget relative to income, Ridley supports altitude at least means the trees start to thin out, revealing Sitting on the border between Germany and France, more teams than any other bike maker. Despite being touted as for the first time how high the road has climbed above the the Vosges was the only area of the Western Front to see an endurance platform, given its manufacturer’s racing pedigree it’s unsurprising that the longstanding Fenix is no slouchy comfort surrounding landscape. I’m now close to the highest point mountain fighting during the First World War. In fact the bike. In truth its low and tight geometry would look aggressive in the Vosges. road that climbs the distinctly German-sounding Col du stacked up against most brands’ conventional race bikes. The view from the top is spectacular, and the feed Hundsruck was constructed during the War as a supply The recent addition of disc brakes has done nothing to dampen station well placed. Stocked up on cheese and salami route before the Treaty of Versailles passed the entire this race-focused attitude. Part of Campagnolo’s new Potenza baguettes I carry on. The road descends a little before an region, including the Hundsruck, to the French. It’s groupset, the discs provide fantastic stopping and superb abrupt climb takes us briefly back up again and over the a lot more peaceful these days, and there’s little traffic modulation. Given the amount of descending involved they got far side of the mountaintop. Looking east across the Rhine about to see me heaving myself up its 9km length. me out of trouble on multiple occasions. A world away from the cushioned ride of some endurance Valley you can see as far as Germany’s Black Forest. With two more climbs and two more feed stops marked bikes, the Fenix just softens the road’s rougher edges, while still I’ve been riding for upwards of five hours now, and on the route map, I decide to make the village of Sewen leaving plenty of feel. Its low and stretched position may have I’m feeling a lot less smug. At least the gradient is with at the foot of the Ballon d’Alsace my last stop. The unique been a little aggressive for the 211km Les Trois Ballons, but if me, so I hunker down and descend as fast as I dare. I tick landscape of the Vosges is sometimes referred to as ‘The you’ve got the prerequisite flexibility, the Fenix is an unrelenting off another 15km without effort, which cheers me up Land of the 1,000 Lakes’, although the Lac de Sewen, and engaging choice.

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Les Trois Ballons’ six climbs have a cumulative effect on the legs and do a fine job of thinning out the field, which means there are times when the riders find themselves in splendid isolation

Ahead, someone wobbles to a halt, only for a spectator to shove them bodily on their way

P Enacting my plan I find someone who looks to be suffering even more than me and stick to their wheel. When they give up I bridge across to the next rider. This How we works for a while, but as the gradient swings above 10% the person I’ve chosen starts weaving erratically. Swerving got there to a stop he climbs off in the middle of the road, swearing. TRAVEL Maybe he knows what’s to come. I certainly do. As Basel in Switzerland is the handiest airport for reaching the Vosges but, with it being the road eases off for a few kilometres I try to regroup for located on the French-Swiss border, just the grand finale. Yesterday I was at the top, watching the make sure you take the correct exit or organisers erect the finishing arch, so I know the final you’ll end up in the wrong country. Ryanair 200m ramp is at almost 20%. The pros surge through it, but and Easyjet fly from London to Basel and for me it looks likely to be more a public walk of shame. offer some ridiculously cheap fares, but if Swinging around the final bend the road rears up you’re taking a bike a better bet is British and I try to keep the pedals turning. My calves feel like Airways, which flies from Heathrow from around £65 each way (including bike). someone’s pumped them full of cement. Ahead, someone With 55km between the event’s start wobbles to a halt, only for a spectator to shove them bodily and finish, transfers between the two on their way. Pointing straight up, there’s only a window locations are available for riders and their of sky above the finish line, but I can barely lift my head. bikes at a cost of €20. A few more painful turns and I’m through – the hardest few metres of a 211km course saved right until the end. ACCOMMODATION I’m truly beat, as are the riders lying all around the Cyclist stayed in nearby Belfort, but a more sensible option would be to book finishing area. I know that when I return home, few people somewhere in Luxeuil-les-Bains, where will recognise the names of the climbs I’ve just dragged the ride begins. However if you have a car, myself over. Yet while none of them would be overly taxing finding somewhere in one of the smaller on their own, the cumulative effect has shattered me. The villages dotted throughout the Parc naturel Vosges might not be a region associated with climbing régional des Ballons des Vosges would by bike, but by packing in similar elevation to most big make for a more picturesque alternative. mountain stages at the Tour, the Ridley Trois Ballons is a THANKS challenge to be underestimated at your own peril. I cling Many thanks go to Ridley for hosting the to this thought as I stumble off my bike, very much ready event and providing Cyclist with a first ] for the rest day. ride of the Fenix SLX. Gratitude is also Joseph Delves is a freelance journalist and owner of the due to grandtrophee.fr for the invite world’s dirtiest laugh to ride the event.

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