Posted: Sept. 8, 2009 / Filled under: Latest

This summer Steve went out to Alpe D'huez to try his luck after last years downpour and disappoinments. if you are thinking of doing it , this might be the inspiration you need to get involved! Second week of January and I’m on the tinter web again handing over 120 quid to enter the most mental races there is. 6 month later after months of bike nerd talk about kit to use will it last the week and trying to get as fit as I possibly can... I’m in Alpe dhuez again 4 mates my Meta 5 and a silly over priced dropper seat post. First day we are up early and straight to the lift station to get the lift pass for the week. We start off just doing 5-10 minutes runs in the morning then after lunch it’s straight up the glacier to throw our selves straight in at the deep end. After a lot of slams in the snow we make it past the glacier and into the first part of some of the most amazing single track you will have the pleasure in riding flat out winding and no peddling. We make it back down to the Alpe dhuez and call it a day. The next three days are taken up with hours of riding the qualifier and the main mega track getting used to the crazy speed you carry into everything. The top of the qualifying track is the zig zags you see in all the mags this year the mid section of the track is littered with fresh berms and jumps for about 10 minutes, just pin it and try to save your breaks cooking... the bottom of the qualifying track this year is just amazing, tights switch back one after another opening up into big foot out roost fest corners. We must have ridden this section 10 times over the week. Friday is qualifying day I was in the second wave of 200 to start 3rd row back so a good place to start. 5 minutes to go the organizers are on the megaphone telling us not to kill each other by pushing other riders of the various cliffs at the side of the track and not to shit our selves! 1 min to go euro trash on the loud speaker’s helicopter is over head and we are off. Sprinting as hard as I can down to the first corner elbows out and into battle. I make it down the zig zags without anyone taking me out, silly seat post up and across the rocks trying to remember my lines into the first patch of snow. The next 15 minutes I just try and chill enjoy the track and not bin before the main event. I hit the uphill seat post up and grind it out knowing that at the top it’s then it seat slammed down and pin it thought the switch back in the wood then into the fish area in OZ. 8.5 miles 32ndin my group and 28 minutes, no hard slams so that means I have a day’s rest thank god then race then the main event Sunday. Sunday race day up on the glacier at 7am! They can the riders out one by one get yourself in place on the start the five minuets 1 min and we are off the first straight is nuts! Almost unrideable it so off camber and 500 people slamming into each other bikes and riders flying in every direction it’s like war! On to the glacier I go far left get both feet up on pedals and gun it, I almost shit myself I was going that quick by the bottom but managed to avoid most of the guys sliding down the snow on their backs. I made up a lot of places on the snow but im starting to regret going so quick early on as I start to get passed on the flattish meadow and the slow climb out of Alpe duez. Back on the downhill seat down and I start to get back into it picking off people in the woods, out on to the road 100 yard uphill sprint before launching into the next set of wood. I know the finish is 10 minutes away so I try to push harder barely being able to hang on to the bike. Across a bridge then another yard sprint to the finish it, felt like a mile. Collapse in a heap with all the other broken men. 18 miles 176th 1:15. Half way through the race you question why the hell you are putting yourself though this much pain, I should have trained harder and I’m never doing it again... On the coach ride back up to Alpe dhuez im thinking how can I get fitter and faster for next year...?