La Mercan’Tour notes from the field
Build it and they will come. Last Sunday a huge peloton of cyclists joined the marmottes, the eagles and (slightly worringly) the wolves in the Mercantour National Park for the first edition of 'Europe's Highest Sportive'
Now that the feeling in our legs has returned and enough pain au chocolat have been consumed to replace the used energy, it’s time for the debrief.
375 inscriptions was reduced to 290 courageous souls ready and waiting on the start line in Guillaumes. The reduction was most likely due to adverse weather forecasts - have you been in a rain storm at 2,715m? It usually turns to sleet and snow....
11 different nationalities were represented with notable entries from our Italian neighbours and 3 young Englishmen who made a 72hr round trip from Roast Beef land that included a direct drive home after the event.
5 different age groups ranging from 18-29 to 60-67 rolled out. Michel Roux not only won the 50-59 age category but came 4th overall, just 6 minutes and 30 seconds behind the winner. Age is clearly just a number to Michel....
MISSION – TYPE, LOCATION, PURPOSE OF PATROL
Type. This was a high mountain assault on three fronts; Col de la Cayolle (one of France's most beautiful passes), the famous Col de la Bonette (France's highest pass) and Col de la Couillole (the lesser known sting in the tail that last featured in the Tour in 1975).
Location. The battle field was located in the heart of the unrivalled and untouched beauty of La Mercan’Tour National Park, with the most fierce engagements taking place above 2,000m. Some attacked the course like any other, but others took time to savour the fact they were riding through a 360º panorama of pure mountain glory.
Purpose. To combine the beauty of cycling with the beauty of the location, an exclusive parcours that has only ever hosted professionals before. To test those fit enough to race over 180kms and 4,600m (or 119kms and 2,700m) – essentially a Grand Tour parcours either way. For most it was a personal distance and elevation challenge - physical and mental resistances were put to the test in equal measure.
Exit Guillaumes at O SEVEN HUNDRED THIRTY hours.
Return at Guillaumes for the Petit Parcours – 3h:50m:57s for the fastest and 8h:02m:40s for the 119th and last rider to return. The successful rider was therefore travelling at twice the speed of the final finisher, an average speed of nearly 30km/h is pro rider pace.
Return at Valberg for the Grand Parcours – 6h:12m:53s: later for the vanquers; 10h:46m:11s for the Lanterne Rouge (more of this to follow via the media office in due course). That's 4.5 hours of a difference between the leader and the last man. An average land speed of 28.8km/h. By comparison, stage 21 of the Giro averaged 31km/h over 134 kms. Impressive for people who do not get paid to pedal.
ROUTES OUT AND BACK (& CHECKPOINTS)
A straight run due north up the Col de la Cayolle and the first checkpoint at the summit. Before then a grenade went off just after Entraunes when the road rose upwards, and the battalion was split into smaller teams who re-grouped and kitted up on the summit.
Checkpoint 2 was on the long descent towards Barcelonette and the first food station. Wiser soldiers took on the saucisscon mini-baguettes before travelling to checkpoint 3. It was on this leg that the enemy tactics of mouton blockades became known.
Valley transition number 1 between Barcelonette and Jausier – the low ground with wind was known to be an area of vulnerability. Smarter soldiers were hiding in the wheels.
Checkpoint 3 and the feedstation above 2,000m beside the lake on Col de la Bonette. The terrain was beginning to bite and a fuel stop was essential for all but the elite group at the front.
Checkpoint 4 – the summit of Col de la Bonette. The advance party was out of sight by a long way.
Valley transition number 2 between Saint-Etienne-de-Tinee and Saint-Sauveur-de-Tinee. T
eamwork really came into play amongst the various groups formed in the field.
Checkpoint 5 – Roubion feedstation. A soldier’s metal had been tested to get to this stage. The slowest and longest 5kms of the mission.
Checkpoint 6 – Col de la Couillole. The final summit. Or not as it transpired. One more hill to get to Varberg.
The terrain was unencountered in a battle scenario for all riders. Only elite troops had been permitted to engage over the same land in the recent Giro d’Italia stage 21.
Nowhere else in the Southern Alps are such large scale obstacles encountered. Analysis shows a total of no less than 57kms of constant uphill cycling amongst the 180 of the grand parcours. That is not insignificant. The lack of oxygen above 2,000m proved to be the toughest test ever faced for most soldiers.
Road surface ranged from billiard table smooth to freshly laid gravel, unfortunately the latter coming at the end of the 24kms descent from Col de la Bonette (which took place in sleet, rain and 0 degree temperatures for some)
The enemy had smartly located double-digit gradients together with cramp snipers at various unexpected locations on each uphill obstacle. Snow placed on the top of the first two Cols also lowered temperatures to weaken resistance. Shards of rock had been placed at random points on the road by the enemy to test rubber, together with aforementioned gravel. Dirty tactics.
RESULTS OF ENEMY ENCOUNTERS
Some soldiers failed to make the time cut after the first uphill obstacle and were turned back to base (not without a reverse climb back over Checkpoint Cayolle).
The cramp snipers took a number of victims at various locations in the field. Some were able to weather the storm, others (circa 60 in number) succumbed to the pain. But morale remained high and they will return for next year’s battle.
An unexpected enemy tactic was road blockage with mouton barricades. This caused a time threat but otherwise was a largely ineffective ploy.
One soldier reported that his GPS device read 4,734m rather than the indicated 4,600m on the mission statement. This could have been due to meteroloical interference. Or possibly the additional 6kms of (mostly) ascent from Beuil to Valberg.
Snow on the 19 June can - and does - happen at this altitude. Variable temperatures and conditions tested every soldiers’ ability to pack sufficiently without over-loading for the uphill obstacles.
Kong Fufu is human and can be beaten.
CONDITION OF PERSONNEL
Seargent Majors Christophe Menei and ‘Lolo Le Leon’ remained professional throughout despite their huge organisational efforts required to pull off such an ambitious field experiment.
The troops were, to a man, completely physically drained. No flesh wounds were recorded. Some my need treatment post-mission for adverse reactions towards their two-wheeled equipment during the coming weeks. But overall, morale at the finish was a high as the Bonette summit.
CONCLUSIONS & RECOMMENDATIONS
This was the ultimate mountain mission on a unique testing facility. It must be repeated next year to reap the benefits of this year’s efforts.
Thanks to press officer Felix Lowe and James Carnegie who took care of photo media for the day. Most impressively Officer Lowe completed the entire mission whilst also discharging his press duties, and will be filling his report with Cyclist magazine in the coming months