Alpe D'Huez Triathlon (2006)
1200m swim, 30km cycle, 9km run - this is the 'short' distance event I raced in 2006.
This race starts with a lake swim in EDF's Verney Lake, Vaujany, about 15km from Alpe D'Huez itself. A unique warm up option presents itself with the split transitions, T1 being at the lake, T2 at the top of Alpe D'Huez where the race HQ is based. Once you've placed your run shoes in T2, pack your wetsuit, swim kit and anything you'll want on the bike (like nutrition) into a decent rucksack and descend the 21 hairpin turns on the Alpe, before TT'ing your way to the race start. Allow a good 45-60 minutes to get there and set up!
Swim - the hydro electric pumps are switched off for the day, it's fairly exposed and the water can be choppy on a windy day. Water quality is awesome (if you find yourself needing to drink it) and refreshingly cold when you first get in and flush your wetsuit to ensure a snug skin fit. An animated 10-15 minute swim warm up is a definite must.
Bike - a light climbing machine of a road bike with a pair of optional light clip on tribars is ideal for this course. Deceptively, you'll start climbing virtually straight out of T1 as you loop around the lake (on the D526) before heading out on the main road (D44) where your legs will get some speed down before the epic climb. Timing mats are well placed at the bottom of the Alpe (where the TDF TT stage begins) so you can get a split time for your ascent and compare to Lance's sub 40 minute record afterwards! Then it's climb, climb, baby climb :-) 21 turns of this famous Alpe, with TDF scrawled encouragement across the road most of the way upwards! An aid station is postioned at La Garde, about halfway up.
http://www.alpetriathlon.com/spip/IMG/jpg/trace_cd_800large_trialpedhuez.jpg
Run - at 2000m it's no easy task to find your legs and lungs as you exit T2. So don't be surprised it it seems to take a little longer to tick off the kms over the 9km course! The landscape is lunar-like and much of it is on off-road hard packed surfaces, so wear a pair of versatile trainers/ race shoes. A nice little finishing climb on tarmac awaits you in the final 400m dash to the line.
The finish line provision is great - the French really lay on an imprerssive spread to help replace all the calories you've burnt ascending the Alpe, if you have the appetite. The support, organisation and value of this race rates a 10/10.
2007 saw the inaugural 'long-course' distance introduced alongside the short course. It consists of a 2200m Swim, 115km Bike and 22km Run. Great long-course preparation as Chrissie Wellington proved in winning the women's event, then going onto win at Kona 2 months' later.... There is also a sprint distance and kids event, consistent with how the French organise races to encourage all ages and abilities!
Allez
Fiona
