4: Telegraphe - Col du Galibier (22.0k)

The descent of the Telegraphe is short, and not that technical; Valloire is just a few very short minutes away. And then the road starts going up again. It is only 2k more to the feed station and that keeps me pushing on the pedals. I pull off the road at the stop and have a few moments to stretch my legs, top up bottles and grab some food, and then it is time to climb back on the bike. I have being going a little over four-and-a-half hours, and have over four more to go.

Exiting the feed the road snakes up the valley floor, and although it looks innocuous, I start to feel my first bit of fatigue. My heart rate was just over 150 but I was now suffering.  The 6k to Plan Lachet should be the ‘easy’ bit of the Galibier, but there was nothing easy about this. At Plan Lachet the road turns sharply right back on itself and starts switchbacking up the far side of the valley.  I pause at the top of the first switchback and take a moment of recovery. I set off again. The road climbs, and climbs, and climbs. I start to feel a little fresher, like I can go on,  my pace is steady at best, but I am now looking down on the turns and the valley.  The landscape opens up and the road curves round a large open bowl and across the far side the summit and the final kilometres loom. 3km… 2km… the top gets closer. Then just a kilometre to go, I pass the tunnel and start climbing the final part of the ascent, this is the Galibier at its steepest now, over 10%, climbing through the snow to the top at 2,646metres.  There are five or so final switchbacks to overcome.  I am in my bottom gear and my cadence is painfully slow, my progress pedestrian, but I finally reach the timing mat and hit lap, I pull my bike over to the side of the road at the feed station – 6h08 – I had not been as slow as it felt, just one minute down on schedule.  I make my way through the hungry pack of other riders all after the same thing, food & water, to fill my bidons and get some bananas & apricots. After making up my energy drinks and finishing off my snackette it’s time to go on…



You Tube Link: Telegraphe Descent