My Marmotte

Well, it’s done—what an epic ride! The biggest challenge was the heat, which hit 40°C coming off the Col du Galibier. It felt like an oven. The climbs were immense, the descents thrilling. I expected heat, but not that hot!

I won’t go into all the route details, but as usual, I witnessed a few incidents. One rider nearly took me out on the Col du Glandon when his rear tyre blew at high speed—somehow, he stayed upright. Further down, another rider overcooked a corner but seemed OK despite being badly cut up. The worst was near the end, where someone lost concentration, went straight off a bend, and crashed hard into a rocky bank. He got up, but he was in a real mess.

I stuck to my plan, climbing conservatively to preserve energy, even as many riders passed me early on. This paid off later, allowing me to finish strong. The final climb up Alpe d’Huez was brutal—baking hot after 100 miles of riding. I just kept counting the bends, and eventually, I made it!

I was thrilled with my time—just under 8:51. At nearly 51 years old, I finished with a gold standard time, beating the threshold by 45 minutes. Even in the younger age group, I hit gold by 24 minutes and only missed the next category by 2 minutes.

Could I have done better? Maybe, if I’d ridden less conservatively or been a few kilos lighter. Would I do it again? Probably not. I achieved my goal safely and in good conditions, so chasing a few extra minutes feels pointless. Perhaps one day, I’d ride it again as a relaxed tour, stopping at cafés and taking photos—but not to race the clock.