Just two weeks ago, Alpe d’Huez was swamped by an onslaught of cyclists and spectators as the Tour de France rolled through and Brit Tom Pidcock took an incredible stage win. Today, those iconic 21 bends are once again flooded with people, 220 included, but this time it’s triathletes taking part in the bucket-list long-distance race at the Alpe d’Huez Triathlon.
We arrive under the cover of darkness a few days before, experiencing the mythical climb not by sight, but by feel. The car engine screams as we gain altitude, swinging around corner after corner. Every now and then the flash of headlights reveals the chalky remnants of the Tour and the tight apex of a hairpin bend. The excitement is palpable, and we’re not even racing.
Our first sight true of the infamous bends comes the following morning. The air is still, there’s not a cloud in the sky and a winding ribbon of grey stands out in stark contrast to the sea of green trees and fields in the background. Across the valley we can see the jagged peaks of the Écrins National Park. It’s a formidable backdrop, and it’s one that competitors will have to conquer to reach the finish line.
There’s an energy here and it’s emanating from the road. We feel it all week. It ebbs out of the steady stream of cyclists tackling its 1,120m of ascent in the day and the atmosphere is thick with it as we sit out in the evening sun enjoying a pizza while athletes load up on carbs around us.
This story is from the October 2022 edition of 220 Triathlon.
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This story is from the October 2022 edition of 220 Triathlon.
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