Tour du Mont Blanc b Sportive Beyond The Tour du Mont Blanc sportive is notimits just tough – it’s insane. Cyclist heads to the Alps to grapple with 338km of riding and 8,400m of ascent in threel different countries Words STU BOWERS Photography PATRIK LUNDIN 118 CYCLIST.CO.UK CYCLIST.CO.UK 119 b Tour du Mont Blanc Sportive any regard the 1980 Road Race World Championships, held in Sallanches in the French Alps, as the hardest ever. The 268km course took riders over the Côte de Domancy – a 2.5km climb at an average of 8.6% M– a soul-crushing 20 times. That meant the race amassed a huge 6,000m of climbing. Fittingly it was won by notorious hardman Bernard Hinault. Well, Monsieur Hinault, I’ll see your 6,000m of climbing, and I’ll raise you an extra 2,400m. And as for that paltry 268km, let’s add another 70km, shall we? Because that’s what I’m facing The mood is on a damp, dark morning in July. almost sombre as Bigger and badder Few would argue the Tour du Mont Blanc is the we file onto the most gruelling single-day sportive of them all. The course is loosely based on the two most road. I still feel testing mountain stages of the 2009 Tour de France, run as a single event. It’s 338km long half asleep with over 8,400m of vertical ascent, made up of nine climbs, five of which are hors categorie. Or to put that another way, it’s roughly the The details equivalent of doing the Marmotte twice. It’s a monster! Col de la Forclaz It’s 3.45am in a hotel in Les Saisies in the What: Tour du Mont Blanc French Alps (coincidentally only about 35km Where: Les Saisies, from Sallanches) and I’m trying to shovel Savoie Mont Blanc F cornflakes into my mouth at the breakfast R How far: 338km with Col des Montets A D N N buffet. I haven’t had much sleep, partly because A 8,400m ascent Col du Champex CE L , IT ER of the noise of the rain hammering against the ALY, SWITZ Next one: 20th July 2019 windows all night. At least the storm seems to Price: €145 (£127) have abated, although the forecast isn’t filling More information: Switzerland France me with confidence any more than these soggy letourdumontblanc.fr flakes are filling me with calories. Italy Unlike most sportives, there’s no throng of Col de Vaudagne thousands at the start. This year’s entry list totals Megève Col du Grand Saint-Bernard 650, a reflection possibly of the fact there is no Top left: The Col de short option. In other words, you’ve got to be la Forclaz comes after pretty committed to be here in the first place. about 85km, just after the route crosses into Les Saisles There is no Europop being blasted through Switzerland. It’s an 8km massive speakers, no compère to whip up the climb at an average of crowd. The mood is almost sombre as we file 8%, but on this route it feels like little more out of the car park and onto the road. I still feel than a molehill half asleep, but not for long. The first 15km is all Previous pages: downhill, and the sun won’t be up for another Rising from the valley Col du Petit Distance: hour, so the cold wakes me up as we descend at around 650m, the Cormet de Roselend Saint-Bernard 338km an Alpine road in near-total darkness. Col du Grand Bernard is a monstrous 30km Total ascent: I corner tentatively. Looking back up the 8,400m climb with 1,800m mountain, the road’s curves are illuminated P of vertical ascent 120 CYCLIST.CO.UK CYCLIST.CO.UK 121 Tour du Mont Blanc b Sportive The rider’s ride Cannondale SuperSix Evo Hi-Mod Disc, approx £8,500, cannondale.com When I sat down to consider what bike to use for the Tour du Mont Blanc I narrowed it down to three key attributes. It had to have disc brakes, it had to be as light as possible for the climbing and it had to be comfortable enough for 12 hours or more in the saddle. I decided to call on an old friend, a bike I’ve ridden a lot before. The SuperSix Hi-Mod Evo proved to be perfect. With Sram Red eTap and Zipp finishing kit (including Zipp’s superb 202 NSW wheels with 28mm Schwalbe Pro One tubeless tyres), it tipped the scales at less than 7kg, extremely light for a disc brake bike. The solidity of the build shone through both climbing and descending. Uphill I was never left wanting (from the bike at least) and on the several occasions I hit speeds of over 80kmh on descents I never felt nervous thanks to its superbly balanced feel and assured handling. Small groups form relatively early in the day, but even these The snow capped peaks that were a will be blown apart when the serious picturesque backdrop in the distance climbing begins - now tower ominously above me P by a millipede of bright dots snaking down By the top our group has dwindled to five. through the blackness. After 20 minutes of One of our number is a woman who seems descending, I’m relieved to arrive at the main to be pedalling effortlessly, so I stick close by road that will take us through the valley to her wheel for the next two climbs: the Col des Praz-sur-Arly and Megève. Montets, which is followed by a superb descent over the border into Switzerland, and Col de la Buddy up Forclaz. On any other day these climbs would be Groups begin to form as the road flattens out. the main course, but today they are merely the I take shelter in a group of 12 and we forge a good hors d’oeuvres. pace, the kilometres ticking past relatively easily. ‘Well, that’s a few down,’ says an English It’s daylight by the time we reach the foot of the rider as he rolls up alongside me. ‘I’m sticking first big climb, the Col de Vaudagne, although to this today,’ he adds, pointing at his bike early morning mist still hangs in the air. Some computer. ‘Never more than 200 watts or I’ll riders are eager to test themselves and scamper never make it round.’ away up its hairpins, but I resist the urge to chase His strategy is actually fairly sound, but I have after them. There is a long day to come. no such regimented plan. Besides, I’m hoping P 122 CYCLIST.CO.UK CYCLIST.CO.UK 123 b Tour du Mont Blanc Sportive P there will be better things to look at than my Garmin screen today. The Col du Champex is where things start French ex pro to get tougher. It’s the first HC climb, coming at around 110km, and the point at which this Nicolas Roux route begins to unleash its fury. Champex rises - from around 650m to just over 1,500m in 12km will go on to with ramps up to 10-12%. My leg-saving tactic of staying seated and trying to pedal a smooth, win in a time high cadence becomes almost impossible and I struggle just to keep going. The effect of the of 11h 17min steep ramps is to fracture the groups and now the riders are mostly in ones and twos. When I reach the ski resort at the top I’m greeted by a shimmering blue lake and clean mountain air. The sun is trying hard to peek through the cloud and bring some welcome warmth, but the descent that follows is treacherous. Countless freeze-thaw cycles have left the road surface cracked and rutted, and the hairpins are tight. I proceed with caution. The hard yards Things are getting serious. I’ve been riding for just under five hours as I hit the Col du Grand Saint-Bernard, a monstrous 30km long climb with an average gradient of 5.7%, leading to the high point of the day at just under 2,500m. It begins fairly low in the valley too, with a total height gain of nearly 1,800 vertical metres. The snow-capped peaks that until this point have been a picturesque backdrop in the distance now tower ominously above me. I’m riding alone, but that’s OK. Up ahead I can see a string of riders dotted on the hillside, and I figure I’ll ride at my own pace and see how many I can pick off. The lower section is a busy road, but beyond Bourg Saint-Pierre the traffic disappears into a tunnel towards Italy, leaving us to continue upwards in peace. The road winds through an amphitheatre of rock, with snow lying in patches on the verges. It’s beautiful, but not quite enough to take my mind off the constant 7% gradient. The 150km in my legs is starting to tell. The Col du Petit It’s midday when I arrive at the summit after Saint-Bernard takes you back into France two hours of climbing. I’m handed a coffee, and via its 2,188m summit, the man serving me says the leader passed here with the steepest just after 10am. That was French ex-pro Nicolas slopes of the climb coming near the top Roux, who will win in a time of 11h 17min.P 124 CYCLIST.CO.UK CYCLIST.CO.UK 125 b Tour du Mont Blanc Sportive The best thing about now over 270km in, and I’ve been riding for 12 the Col du Grand hours.