What motivates a disparate group of 19 Canadians to grab their bikes and tackle 710 kilometres of narrow French mountain roads, 15,000 metres of climbs, and 18 mountain passes within a time limit of 100 hours? Certainly not fame, glory, and dreams of sponsorship. From the 30-something computer programmer to the 65-year-old retiree, the answer was the same: to accept the challenge to test ourselves on the roads where Fausto Coppi, Eddy Merckx, Lance Armstrong, and legions of other Tour de France winners had seen triumph and despair. At least that was the dream. It was what kept us going during the summer of 2001 while we (18 from ontario and one from Nova Scotia) put in the long hours of road training and countless sets of hill repeats.The dream brought us to the shores of the Atlantic Ocean on Sept. 10, butnow reality set in for our group of 16 men and three women. It was time tostart the Raid Pyreneen, a fixed "sea to sea" course established in 1952and administered by the Vélo-Club béarnais de Pau. In the spring of 2001,we applied to Vélo-Club for permission to ride the course in accordancewith the Club rules. A medal would be our prize if we successfullycompleted the course that starts at Hendaye, a port on the Atlantic Ocean,traverses the Pyrenees mountains, and finishes 710 kilometres later at theseaside resort of Cerbere on the Mediterranean coast, named for thethree-headed dog that guarded the portals of Hades. Could this be an omenof the challenge ahead?
All members of the group with one exception were accustomed to cycling longdistances over challenging terrain and most were long-time members ofRandonneurs ontario, a cycling club established to promote long-distancecycling. In fact, cycling 710 kilometres in 100 hours would not normally beconsidered that difficult. Every four years, members of our clubparticipate in a ride in France that covers 1,200 kilometres with a timelimit of 90 hours. Still, this event was different: mountains,unpredictable weather conditions, and the legendary status of two of theclimbs-the Col du Tourmalet and the Col d'Aubisque.
Transportation, lodging, route sheets, and other logistical support wereprovided to our group by a fabulous English couple, Nick and Jan Flanagan,who had left England to pursue their love of cycling by setting up aguesthouse in a 150-year-old farmhouse surrounded by the Pyreneesmountains. Most years, the Tour de France passes within cycling range, ifnot right in front, of the guesthouse. Co-ordination on the Canadian sidewas provided by the president of our Randonneurs ontario cycling club,Larry Strung.
To mark our celebrity status or perhaps because it was a slow news day, wewere welcomed upon our arrival in the Pyrenees by the mayor of the villageof Biert, near the Flanagan's guesthouse, and had been written up in thelocal newspaper, "des Canadiens à l'assaut des cols pyrénées." We spent twodays getting acclimatized, checking our equipment, and cycling in thevicinity, where road hazards included horses, sheep, and cows slowlyplodding down or across the roadways running through the communal pastureland.
All summer long, debates had raged over the merits of triple crank versusdouble. In the end, about half the group rode on triple rings with a lowestgear of about 32.4 inches, while the others rode on double rings with a lowof 37 inches. Now the time had come. We were transported by bus to Hendaye,near the French-Spanish border. It was time to start four-and-a-half daysof cycling in the mountains. Would we all make it? Or would thethree-headed dog greet us?
Day 1 was a low-key, 165-kilometre cycle through rolling hills as we leftthe spectacular Atlantic coast and climbed through the foothills to arriveat the aptly named Hostellerie de Vallées. Nick Flanagan provided supportalong the route that day and every other, while Jan transported our luggageto the day's destination inn or hotel. Due to the varying fitness levelswithin the group, wewere soon strung out in groups of two to four ridersand continued that way for the rest of the trip. Nick did his best toservice the needs of all the riders.
Day 2 was the day we had alternately dreamed about and dreaded all summerlong. The day's ride was only 135 kilometres, but it included the Cold'Aubisque (1,709 metres) and the Col du Tourmalet (2,115 metres). Nothingcan compare to feeling of accomplishment as we maintained the steady rhythmup the Tourmalet's seven- to nine-percent grade, picking off each of the 18kilometres to reach the top. Or the sense of wonder realizing that we hadclimbed up to, and were now eyeball to eyeball with, the hang-gliders whotwo hours before had been mere brightly coloured specks soaring high above.And after the final tough 11% kick to the summit, we had our photos takenbeneath the giant gleaming silver sculpture of a sprinting cyclist.If climbing up the Tourmalet had been strenuous but relaxed, there wasnothing serene about hurtling down the 23 kilometres on the other side,with its grades of 10 and 11% for the first seven kilometres. While Nickwarned us that he did not want any "open grave" descents, themore-confident riders took off down the Gorge de Luz like the proverbialbats. Even though Nick met us at the summit with warm clothes, it was ateeth-chattering cold descent into the village of St. Marie de Campan.
Day 3 is notoriously the toughest day of the trip. What can you say abouta 175-kilometre day that starts with a 13-kilometre climb up the Cold'Aspin (1,489 metres), continues almost immediately with an 18-kilometreclimb up the Col Peyresourde (1,569 metres), and finishes with the deadlyPortet d'Aspet, its last four kilometres ranging from 9 to 14%. Near thebase of d'Aspet, some of our group stopped at the Fabio Casartelli Memorialto pay tribute to the young Italian killed there during the 1995 Tour.
Day 4 was the least pleasant cycling day of the trip since most of the165-kilometre route was along busy roads. The 16-kilometre climb up the ColPuymorens (1,915 metres), followed by the Col de la Perche (1,570 metres),was monotonous, with a stiff head wind (the first of the trip) and quiteheavy traffic. But the reward was 30 kilometres of winding, non-stopdownhill. Imagine riding for an hour without touching your pedals. Imaginerapidly descending along a mountain gorge, watching as the bare rock onyour right gives way to greener and greener Mediterranean vegetation.Imagine passing through small villages clinging to the side of the mountainwith streets no wider than two small vehicles.
Day 5 and only 82 kilometres to go, ahhh. The major fear on this last daywas of getting lost on the busy seaside roads and missing the 1:00 p.m.finishing cut-off time. Fortunately, every member of our group, assisted byan incredible tail wind, was able to spin most of the length of theundulating coastal road alongside the sparkling Mediterranean, past thecenturies-old Roman port of Collioure, and reached the seaside village ofCerbere within the time limit. A dream fulfilled, a personal challengeanswered, and no portals of Hades in sight.
Mo' Info
For more details on this ride, go online to www.bikepyrenees.com andwww.randonneuresontario.ca.
