| Crist Alp Marathon 2003 |
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Grand Raid Crist Alp 2003. |
There are some mountain bike races that you just have to do. This is one of them, it is an epic point to point race/ride from Verbier to Grimentz with 4700m of climbing in the 131km. I entered the race last year but never made it to the startline so this year I was even more determined to ride. I did not want to get too carried away with the racing side just ride a good speed and not be too tired for the World Marathon race in Lugano a week later.
I arrived at Verbier on Saturday afternoon and went through registration and bike check. In the trade area I started talking to some other British mountain bikers, we got chatting and in the true spirit of mountain biking I was offered a bed in their rented chalet when they found out I had not made a firm accommodation booking. I checked to see that they weren't joking and accepted! Thanks Neil, Peter, Adrian and Keith.
With such a long race the start is early....6:45am. My start number was 1075 so I was a long way back on the grid. I don't think I have ever had so many people in front of me or even behind! The starter fired his gun, but I did not move for nearly 3 minutes. Just like you see with the London Marathon. I weaved my way up the first climb and by the top was about 100th.
I was with good riders but I was surprised at how good they were at climbing and how bad they were at off-road mountain biking. The way these marathon events are a reasonable proportion of the climbing is on tarmac roads. These normally turn into dirt tracks then finally singletrack. I have never climbed so much in my life, some of the climbs took hours - and that is no exaggeration! The descents seemed to be over with in a flash before you were back climbing.
At about 100km there was a long push probably 20 minutes it was a bit like pushing up Stake Pass in the Lake District but three times longer. This was up to an altitude of 2700m - so you were out of breath without pushing your bike! After another 15 minutes climb the last 16km were down to the finish. The feeling of knowing that there was no more climbing was great. The descent was probably the best of the day too. I finished in 7:30, yes seven and a half hours!
After getting cleaned up it was on the bus back to Verbier. The bus seemed to be half full of Brits!
Would I do it again....of course it was a real mountain bike adventure.
I finished 40th not too bad - I have leant a lot about bike marathons.....
Next week I am stopping in Morzine again with my friends at Endlessride, it will definitely be a chairlift pass for me.
next years event 24th August 2004