Classic Climbs - False Incline
In search of high mountain preparation for the Etape du Tour, a trio of procycling staffers head off to the Alps for a couple of days riding in the fully-supported company of GPM10.
Words: Peter Cossins
Photography: Peter Cossins
First, an explanation of this story's headline. There is, you will quite rightly have surmised, no such thing as a false incline, and certainly not in the section of the Alps where we are doing a weekend ride with GPM10. An incline is either there or it's not, or could perhaps be a false flat. A false incline is no more than a motivational, and clearly ironic, tool used by GPM10 founder and commander-in-chief Mark Neep. In short, it's a way of enabling you to forget, even for a brief moment, about the toughness of the climb you're hauling yourself up. It's a phrase that keeps repeating in my head during this two-day Alpine expedition.
The trip with GPM10 was the first procycling has taken having decided to revamp the longstanding and very popular Great Rides section. The intention is to focus more on the places and climbs most readily associated with the professional side of the sport. This may mean revisiting some places and mountains we've been to in the past, but there is rarely a lack of new things to say when visiting Mont Ventoux, for example. The best routes change, travel options become easier, and recommended hotels go out of business or off the price scale for most travellers. So, as the Dauphiné Libéré peloton tackles the Alps from one side, we're going at them from another.
GPM10 offers two basic trips to their customers. One is the three-day Tour de Mont Blanc, which covers 240 miles and a number of famous passes, including the Forclaz, the Col du Grand St Bernard , the Petit St Bernard, the Cormet de Roselend and, on the final day, the Saisies, Aravis and Colombiere.
The last three climbs are located in France's Haute Savoie, the location for the second of GPM10's trips – the two-day Haute Savoie training weekend. These are ideal as primers for cyclosportif events such as the Tour or for simply topping up fitness levels, and are built around riders from the UK flying out to Geneva airport on a Friday evening, and then flying home on a Sunday night. But they are open to anyone who fancies two days' riding in some of the most stunning scenery in the Alps, supported by full back-up and with nothing to worry about except making it to the top of that 'false incline'.
Once you have got yourself and your bike to Geneva airport, GPM10 take over, shuttling riders and bikes to Chamonix's Hotel Eden, which nestles at the foot of the stunning Mont Blanc massif. The restaurant in the two-star hotel is extremely good – fresh salads, pasta and other cyclist-friendly fare – and the setting couldn't be better, with mountains crowding in on all sides and the Bossons glacier tumbling down towards the resorts of Les Houches and Chamonix.
At a shade under 60 miles, Saturday's ride to the lakeside town of Annecy tends to be the shorter of the two days. From experience, Mark reckons most people ride more strongly on the second day, once they've adjusted to the length of the climbs and the testing descents. I certainly found it took time to adjust to climbs of 14 and more kilometres at average gradients of seven to eight per cent from the
1-in-6 and 400-metre-long climbs that are my usual fare in the Yorkshire Dales. However, after the first couple you tend to find a pace that is good for you and stick with it.
The ride starts with a run down the valley from Chamonix , where the autoroute cuts through the Mont Blanc range via a 12km tunnel to Italy – where, incidentally, Mrs Raimondas Rumsas was stopped by police in 2002 driving a car packed with medical products. The first climb to Vaudagne is a loosener, up through the pine forests and then back down into St Gervais, from where we follow a back road to Mégève.
Our first real encounter of the day is with the col des Aravis, but first there's a pause for pictures and the distribution of Viper bars. The size of a Club biscuit, these little beauties contain 140mg of caffeine and deliver the same kick as a double espresso. As I've already downed a couple of those for breakfast, I'm feeling pretty good, although preventing camera shake and sitting still for more than a moment are way beyond me.
Mark tells me to eat half a bar near the bottom of the climb, which should be enough, he says, to see me through to top of the 12-kilometre-long Aravis and a lunch stop. We turn right at Flumet and start the ascent. Initially, the road runs through the narrow Gorge de l'Arondine, with dark, dripping tunnels, but opens out a little bit before the village of Manant .
Halfway up the climb, the switchbacks start, and the gradient gets a little tougher. Our little group begins to spread out, but ride leaders Mark and Sam Gardner impress on us the need to find our own pace rather than pushing to stay with faster climbers. Euphoric both with the beauty of the setting and a considerable caffeine boost, I'm happy to drop into the 23, and then the 25 as the hairpins steepen. Several of the advantages of being part of a fully-supported ride become apparent at this point as Brian in the GPM10 car passes every few minutes offering fresh bottles, a place for that long-sleeved jersey that I suddenly don't need.
Climbing, my overriding feeling is one of wondering why I don't do this more often. Once you've found a comfortable pace, what better feeling could there be than steadily climbing up through some of Europe's most stunning countryside, each turn offering a new angle. Nearing the top, the vista broadens out, and looming back behind us is the Mont Blanc Massif, cloud swirling around the top of Western Europe 's highest peak.
All too soon, we're at the top, where directeur for the day Brian Taylor is waiting with sandwiches, fresh quiche and more coffee – can't have those levels dropping too low, can we? My strategy at any meal stop is to eat absolutely anything that comes my way; it would be rude not to.
The descent off the north side of the Aravis is much more open than that off the south side, which means you can see what's coming up the other way and makes it easier to handle the numerous hairpin corners. But we're soon turning left towards the col de la Croix Fry. It's only a handful of kilometres to the top, from where there is a very long and steep descent down into Thônes.
From Thônes, we fly down the main road towards the turquoise blue of Lake Annecy , dodging through the city's late afternoon rush hour and into the haven of the Hotel Les Acacias. Beer replaces coffee as the drink of choice for all us except Sam, who slides into his triathlon gear, dons a Jacques Cousteau-like mask and trots off across the road for a swim in the waters of the very chilly lake.
Day 2
Now for the test of Mark's theory about feeling better on the second day of the ride. We start by heading south alongside the lake, offering me the chance to set the pace and those behind the opportunity for some unhurried viewing of the still waters.
The climbing begins again at Faverges, where we turn north for the long, mountainous run to Cluses. After some initial grumbles, my legs do seem to have a bit more zip in them, and we set a good pace up the first climb of the morning. It's the Col du Marais, which is apparently no more than a leg-stretcher for approaching the day's main target, the Col de la Colombière.
We drop down into Thônes once again and this time turn north-east towards Le Grand Bornand rather than west to Annecy . The climb of the Colombiere officially starts in the resort town of Le Grand Bornand , where Lance Armstrong caught Andreas Klöden right on the line in last year's Tour for his famous 'No Gifts' victory. But the 11 kilometres from Thônes runs up a steep valley to the resort, and this is no easy lead-in. But the sun is out, I've got two Vipers in my pocket and the next coffee is not too far away.
Caffeine levels ramped up once again in Le Grand Bornand, the assault on the Colombière begins. Initially, all is well as we pass shuttered ski lodges and look across to the scene of Armstrong's triumph on the other side of the valley. But we're soon zig-zagging up steeper sections. There is brief respite as we pass through the resort of Le Chinaillon, but after that it's everyone for themselves.
Mark has warned us to save something for the final 500 metres, which rise up much more steeply than what has gone before. But a headwind blowing straight down the pass into our faces is soon sapping our strength. I'm saved in the last kilometre by a huge switchback that suddenly has the wind on my back before turning into that final 500 metres. And, yes, you need to save something.
This being the longer day in terms of distance, there's little time to dally before tackling the long descent to Cluses. Perhaps because the Dauphiné Libéré was due to follow the same road just a couple of days after us, much of this descent had been relaid – it made for a thrilling drop into the Arve valley.
We're quickly back on smaller roads again and climbing to Vaudagne, from where we drop down and under the main Chamonix road to follow the back way into town via the resort of Les Houches. By this stage, I'm almost umbilically attached to the support car. If I concentrate hard enough I can almost see the beer waiting for me at the very aptly named Hotel Eden.
We're soon sprinting for the 'Chamonix' sign – or at least most of us are. I'm just looking ahead to drinking something that hasn't got caffeine in it and pondering on the fact that, for me at least, days like these are what cycling is all about and wondering where my false incline will be.
Mountain focus
There are any number of route options in the Chaîne des Aravis range that stands between Mégève in the east and Annecy in the west, and the GPM10 team is more than willing to tailor its routes towards riders' preferences. For instance, we could have added a diversion into Sallanches to ride the course where Bernard Hinault won the world championship title in 1980. Or, with more time (and Viper bars), we could have added the tough climb up the west side of the Col de la Croix Fry (1467m) on the second day before the Colombiere.
The Col des Aravis (11.5km, 1468m): A second-cat climb for the pros and a good introduction to the high mountains for us. We came into the climb from Flumet, on the south side, through the Gorges de l'Arondine. The road is a bit rough initially as it hangs over the side of the gorge and cuts through a short tunnel, but it soon opens out through the village of Manant . The toughest sections are within a series of hairpins over the last 5.5km to the summit. A 25 sprocket is more than enough to cope, and fitter rides won't even need that.
There are plenty of refreshment options at the summit, as there are in Mégève before you start the climb, and La Clusaz after it. The northern side of the Aravis has more ski fields and fewer trees. The road is well surfaced, although it should always be remembered that mountain roads can quickly disintegrate once the frost gets into them, so be prepared for an ill-appointed pot-hole when you are descending. This is very much a tourist route, so the traffic is unlikely to be heavy, and there should be more bikes than cars, especially at weekends.
The Col de la Colombière (14km, 1613m): From St Jean de Sixt, this climb starts with a short, but steep drop, before climbing through the resort of Le Grand Bornand. From here, there are two steeper sections sandwiching an easier section through the resort of Le Chinaillon, where you should take the opportunity to ease off a touch if you are struggling. After the resort, the gradient goes up a few degrees and you start on a series of long hairpins that don't offer much respite. Save something for the nasty kick at the end, though, when the last hairpin turns you towards the summit, but at a 10 per cent gradient you might not appreciate at this altitude.
As with the Aravis, there are plenty of refreshment options at the top – as well as at the bottom on both sides. On the north side, the road surface was fine when we descended, and the only concern on what was a very sunny day was a couple of sections that suddenly went under a canopy of trees and were suddenly very dark.
Cycling-specific info
Chamonix and Annecy are both great cycling centres and you will have no problem finding spares if you do find yourself without something. GPM10 recommend Le Grand B bike shop in Chamonix (240 avenue du Bouchet). The Michelin maps covering the area are numbers 328 (Ain/Haute Savoie) and D74 (Haute Savoie Department). Obviously, these resorts and rides are in the heart of the Alps , and rides can only be tackled for a limited number of months each year. GPM10's trips run May to September. But even during the summer months there can be poor conditions even at lower altitudes, so pack accordingly.
There are a number of good cyclosportif events in this area over the summer months. They kick off in early June with the Cyclo Passoni Samoëns (lacyclo.org), a 137km event that starts and finishes in Samoëns and takes in the climbs of the Ramaz and Joux Plane. In mid-June the Time Mégève Mont Blanc offers three routes, with the longest at 140km tackling the Aravis, Croix Fry, Aravis again and the Saisies. At the end of the month is Le Grand Bo' (legrandbornand.com), based in the resort of the same name.
In mid-July, the L'Arvan Villards (les-sybelles.com) offers three route options, the longest of 130km taking in the Croix de Fer and Glandon climbs. At about the same time in the month, La Madeleine (comitesavoieffc.com) is based in the village of La Lechere , to the south of Albertville , and is based around the Madeleine pass that featured in this year's Tour.
On August 21 the Prealpes event (chambery-cyclisme.com) in Les Echelles near Chambéry offers two routes, the longest of 150km. Back towards the Chamonix area, the Jacques Michaud cyclosportif event (vcannemasse.com) takes place on August 28 and the longest of their three routes includes the Joux Plane, Ramaz and Plaine Joux.
Other rides in the region
Unless you are considering a long loop of the Mont Blanc massif comprising some huge climbs in Switzerland , Italy and then back in France again over at least two and preferably three days, almost all of your other ride options in this area are to the west of Chamonix . If you do fancy the Tour du Mont Blanc circuit see the panel on GPM10 (below) for further details.
An easy-to-find option to the Aravis is to head south rather than north from Flumet and over the Col des Saisies (14.5km, 1650m). There is a sizeable resort at the summit and some parts should be open during the summer. The road descends down towards Beaufort. To the east of the town is the huge Cormet de Roselend climb (1967m), which featured on this year's Tour stage to Courchevel. Our suggestion, though, is to turn west and head down the valley as far as Queige and hop over the short Col de la Forclaz into Ugine. From there you can either follow the N212 up the Gorges de l'Arly back to Flumet or take the small climb out of the back of the town to Héry and then back to Flumet.
Another option, perhaps best tackled with a couple of days of acclimatisation in your legs, is to ride down the valley towards Geneva, then turn north at Cluses on the D902, east at Taninges on the D907, and north at Samoëns on the D354 to scale the Joux Plane (1712m), scene of one of Armstrong's few days of weakness in the 2000 Tour. Drop from there into Morzine and return on the D902 to Cluses.
GPM10 focus
The company – whose name comes from the distance markers in races to the top of mountain passes – was set up by Mark Neep in 2003 to provide easy and affordable access to one of the most beautiful parts of Europe and one inextricably linked with the history of cycle racing. The company's basic philosophy is “get yourself to Geneva ” and they do pretty much everything for you after that except ride your bike over the mountains. After an airport pick-up they will transport you and your bike back to the hotel, put the bike together for you on the first morning, guide and fully support the ride, providing food and drink along the way, including Maximuscle Viper energy bars and drinks. The car does carry bike spares
The accommodation is two-star and fairly basic, but when doing this much riding in two days all you really need to know is that the beds are comfortable. The chef at the Eden is very good – we'd definitely recommend sampling their fare on the first night. The food at the Acacias at the Annecy end is less imaginative, but there is plenty of it, and for most cyclists that is what will count.
Assuming your bike is in good working order and you have kit to cover both summer and winter conditions, your only real concern would be your level of fitness. I will admit that a month with very little riding before this expedition meant I struggled on the final climb to Les Houches, but a decent level of fitness should be enough to see you through. If you have any doubts, you can contact the GPM10 with fitness queries through their website.
The best part of a GPM trip is the support received on the road. This emcompasses everything from insight into key sections of each climb, to technical tips on descending. Massage is available at the Hotel Eden courtesy of Tania Cotton. Her field of expertise is movement assessment and functional stability retraining; in layman's terms, looking at the way athletes perform and assessing how that performance can be improved by corrections to bike set-up and improvement in muscle function.