This is the end of the big adventure : 10 hairpins from the top of Alpe d'Huez
I got here at about 3:15pm and was eliminated from the race.
Once the timing car reaches you, you are eliminated. At this point you have a couple of choices; Get on the broom waggon (bus) for a lift to the top, wait for the cavalcade to pass you and carry on, or go down.
I wasn't going to get on the bus !!
I sat and watched the convoy pass and tried to start off again for the top, but it just wasn't going to happen. The heat had got to me. The legs had gone. The reason for being there had passed.
I made it about 100 yds further up from the hairpin and the legs locked up with cramp. Time to go home.
***
I'm now safely home, and I am trying to look back and asses what happened. What went wrong? Lots of things come to mind - the last months training for a start ? The heat on the day? Was my fueling right? Did I drink enough water? Where did the time go ?
I have been lucky enough to have a lot of nice comments from people on the day and since the race. Many saying I should be proud of what I have achieved. Currently it doesn't feel like that. Currently I just feel like I've failed.
Tim, I looked for your results after the race and wondered what happened. I'm sorry you couldn't get up the Alpe - it was humbling for everyone, if that's any consolation.
ReplyDeleteI don't know you as a rider at all, but I'm sure there could be any number of contributing factors, e.g. food, water, the heat, or a combination of those and more.
I won't say don't be disappointed because I know I would be. But your friends are right, there is some pride to be taken in getting that far. They don't call those mountains 'mythic' for nothing!
And...there's always next year...