Race report – Alpe d’Huez L Triathlon and its 21 mythical turns

Why sign up for such a long triathlon?

On the triathlon website, the race description leaves me dreaming: “The Alpe d’Huez L Triathlon gives you the opportunity to write your own legend. In the face of the mountains, your humility and mental strength will be your greatest assets.”

As soon as registration opened, I grabbed my number, the easiest stage of the challenge. I’ve still got a good few months to go before the fateful date, so I’ll be able to prepare with the utmost care to finish this triathlon in style.

In the midst of the race number buying madness, I sign up the same week for the RAF 300, which takes place at the end of June. Theemphasis will therefore be on cycling during my preparation, which is rather strategic given the altitude difference that awaits me on the Alpe triathlon.

Pre-race mood: I’m going but I’m scared

Preparation with my coach Charlène Clavel (world triathlon champion, might as well surround yourself with the best ;)) is going well. Even if it’s sometimes a game of Tetris to manage to fit my training in between all my activities.

Two months before the race, in a delightful heatwave, I reconnoitered the 21 bends of Alpe d’Huez, to prepare myself mentally for this major undertaking (13.9 km, D+1118m, 8% average). Conclusion: it’s doable, but I’m going to have to manage the bike over the many kilometers before the Alpe climb!

A month before the race, I did the RAF 300, a long 300km bike ride with 6000m D+.

Clearly, I hadn’t anticipated the fact that only four weeks between the RAF and Alpe d’Huez isn’t much time to recharge your mental and physical batteries!

After a little mental reset and a chat with a friend, I rediscovered my original motivation for signing up for this challenge: to have fun. No matter the ranking, no matter the time. As my friend reminds me, in five years’ time, I’ll remember neither the ranking nor the time, but the sensations and emotions felt during the race.

The mental side is boosted, but on the physical side, we’re not in optimal condition.

A week before the race, I do my last split session with good sensations. All that’s left now is to trot home and enjoy the benefits of this session.

On the way back, I had a technical mishap and took an uncontrolled tumble on the asphalt. No roots to explain the fall, no untidy gravel, just a stumble, I knit between my feet and amoche knee and hands on the bike path. Nothing too serious, apart from a slightly bruised ego and a badly torn palm.

I’ll be resting until the day before the race , until my unblocking run, with a few accelerations to wake up the body.

Barely five minutes of running, still in the middle of my warm-up, and here I am again, horizontal on the asphalt. Still nothing on the ground that tripped me, just an immense fatigue that means I can’t lift my feet off the ground properly, apparently.

The same day I have an appointment with the physiotherapist for a weekly check-up, and I tell him about my two falls. He seemed worried about my physical state, questioned the fact that I was taking part in the triathlon the following day and, above all, advised me to be very vigilant on the bike.

I really want to take on this challenge, even if my body seems to be on standby. Especially as I realize that the day of the triathlon coincides with my 1st day of menstruation!

I’m going but I’m scared.

The race: a long day to become a legend

Pre-race logistics

The day before the race, I pick up my number at the Palais des Sports in Alpe d’Huez. I listen to the briefing and, above all, drop off my T2 transition bag with my running gear.

I’m staying in a van at the Plan campsite in Allemond, at the foot of Lac du Verney (where the swim will take place the next day).

Indeed, there are a few logistics to manage on this triathlon, as we start from the Lac du Verney by bike after the swim and finish the event in the Alpe d’Huez resort with the run.

Fortunately, I’ve got my support crew to lighten the mental loadand avoid starting the long day by cycling down the Alpe before heading back up to the lake to begin the race!

Surprisingly, the night before the race was good, I think I managed to really not put any pressure on myself for this triathlon!

So I’m setting off relatively serene for this beautiful day:

• 2.2km swim in the lake
• 120km of cycling with 3200m D+.
• 20km run with 355 D+.

Swimming: the glide

Before starting the race, we of course have access to the bike park to prepare a quality transition (spoiler: I put 12 minutes on my transitions!).

You can also warm up with a few strokes on Lac du Verney, where swimming is forbidden for the rest of the year. In fact, this lake belongs to the EDF Hydroelectric power station of Grand’Maison, which interrupts its production to allow the event to take place.

The start is at 9.30 a.m. for all triathletes, in the form of a rolling start. As in a marathon, you choose your starting SAS according to your estimated speed (elite, fast, medium, slow or something similar for the SAS names), allowing you to start in a continuous flow. The stopwatch only goes off when you enter the water, so there’s no mass start (Alleluia!). I decide to position myself at the end of the “fast” SAS, hoping to get into the path of the good swimmers without being jostled too much by those behind.

Just before I jump into the water, I see a friend who has surprised me by coming to cheer me on. I control the watering so as not to get too much water in my glasses!

We set off on a simple 2.2km loop, in translucent water, at the foot of a majestic mountain cirque; a dream setting for a swim!

After a few turns of the arm, I find my target: a rather good swimmer who seems to know his way around well. The joy of swimming in his feet, the glide is good, and the little of the landscape I can see from my half-lunette is splendid!

After a kilometer, the buoy announces the turn for two metres before rejoining the shore. It’s always a bit chaotic going through the buoys; in the rush I lose my hare.

On the way back, I find some “new feet”, but unfortunately this swimmer flaps his legs too much, plunging me into a blind Jacuzzi atmosphere.

I change pilot and find another swimmer who swims well, but we’ll have to wait and see about his sense of direction. After a few detours, we arrive at our destination: 2.2km in 39 minutes (1:46min/100m), one of my best swims ever and a lot of fun.

I’d trade an extra lap of swimming for fewer kilometers on the bike!

My T1 transition was rather slow, so I decided to change entirely for comfort on the bike, so no tri-function! 7 min to take off the wetsuit and put on the shorts and technical jersey, all the while waving to my spectators who are enjoying the show!

Cycling: the emotion

Let’s set off for a long bike ride of 120km and 3200m of D+. The scenery is superb, with very little traffic on the road. After about 25km of downhill to warm up and realize we’re now on the bike, the real warm-up begins with the Col de la Morte (15km at 6.5%). Legs not in top form, I decide to climb at a leisurely pace.

Two other climbs follow: the Col de Malissol (2.4km at 8.5%), which climbs well, and the Col d’Ormon (14.4km at 4%), with its demanding final kilometers.

I still enjoy riding alone in the mountains.

Last but not least: the mythical ascent of the 21 bends of Alpe d’Huez (13.9km at 8%).

The main challenge on the bike is to reach the foot of the climb with enough strength and energy to climb the pass and then follow up with a half-marathon run at altitude.

The first kilometer begins with a 9% gradient, followed by the second kilometer at 10%. Add to this a mild heatwave and you’ve got a perfect bake!

I concentrate on one bend at a time, taking a sip of water at every turn and telling myself that the hardest gradients are behind me.

Between turns 7 and 6, a Fan Zone has been set up for spectators who can arrive by gondola from l’Alpe. At that moment, walking through a crowd cheering your name, written on your bib, gives me wings. I feel like Pogacar in the Tour de France (minus the speed and watts!). I shed a few tears of emotion.

By the last kilometer, I can feel the emotion building: the bike part is over, I’ve done it!

6:23 later, I arrive at Alpe d’Huez.

As soon as I get off my bike, I can feel that it’s going to be difficult to run with my stomach acting up.

A T2 transition just as slow as the first , to change completely and get comfortable on the run. I keep my bike mitts on for running, to prevent a third ventriglisse!

Running: suffering

I knew in advance that the running part was going to be a challenge: saving the furniture with heavy legs, the altitude taking its toll on cardio and a 1st day of rule.

20 km with 355m D+ divided into three laps .

In addition to the tough climbs on this route, there’s the added difficulty of the descent from the Altiport (air traffic is suspended during the race!). After reaching the summit of the Col de Sarenne, you descend a long 440-metre straight stretch overlooking the valley, with an average gradient of 15.5%; perfect for wearing out the quadriceps.

“The descent of the Altiport is a bit like registering for the Alpe d’Huez Triathlon: you have to let your instincts speak for themselves, let your body and heart pick up speed, and put your doubts to one side,” the organizers tell us on Facebook.

On the first lap, as I was walking uphill, I started chatting to another runner who was also walking. After exchanging a few words, we decided to support each other and finish the race together.

On the second lap, I was forced to lose my teammate for an emergency toilet stop on the course. I’ll spare you the details, but the menstrual cup was full, my guts twisted in four. Not easy being a female triathlete!

At the start of the 3rd lap, I was delighted to find my fellow countryman in pain, who couldn’t make any headway without my cackling.

We continued together on this last lap, running when we could and walking uphill. All around us, it’s starting to look like the court of miracles, with runners hobbling along because of leg cramps, those throwing up on the side of the road or starting to lose their lucidity. Triathlon really is a sexy sport!

As best we could, we crossed the finish line together after 2 hours 25 minutes of running.

A flood of emotions washed over me: 9h41 of racing (9th in my category, F35-39), I became “a legend” (at least that’s what it says on the Alpe d’Huez triathlon website! :-P).

This is my primary motivation for this kind of challenge: to experience such beautiful and intense emotions during the race and at the finish line; to share a moment in life with strangers, but also with my loved ones present on D-day.

Time for a post-race review

My former coach had given me very good advice on the choice of triathlon. It was tough, but I really enjoyed the challenge:

• the privilege of swimming in thecrystal-clear waters of Lac du Verney
• the superb cycling route
• top-notch organization, with quality refreshment stands, a large number of volunteers to ensure safety and signposting, and toilets on the course (!)
• a crazy atmosphere in the Fan Zone and at the finish line
• numerous goodies, from a free backpack to a finisher’s medal with the option of engraving our race time

I can’t say enough about this triathlon, it’s a race that will remain engraved in my memory (and in my body!).

This challenge reinforces the idea that I like long formats: the seed of the Ironman has been sown. Story to follow …