Official ride time 8:49:07 but this of course has several neutralized descents, elapsed time was 9hr 32m 59 s and more. Slightly more, as my garmin battery gave up in the alpe d'huez town, but really not much more to add there.
This years marmotte was extended due to the col du glandon being resurfaced. So we had a bonus climb over the col du mollard.
| 7:01:42 | 0m | |||
| Sommet Servance | 26.6km | |||
| Ramonchamps in | 8:27:46 | 42.42km | 1:26:03 | |
| Ramonchamps out | 8:31:20 | 44.05km | 1:29:37 | |
| Sommet Grand Ballon | 10:23:43 | 92.87km | 3:22:00 | |
| Willer-sur-Thur in | 10:41:49 | 108.7km | 3:40:06 | |
| Bitschwiller-les-thann out | 10:45:56 | 110.1km | 3:44:13 | |
| Sommet Ballon d'Alsace | 12:21:48 | 144.3km | 5:20:05 | |
| Pied Planche Belles Filles | 13:11:06 | 174.8km | 6:09:23 | |
| Finish | 13:46:30 | 181km | 35:24 |
The course has been modified several times in various editions of this event, but this year feels like they've got a home at La Filature de Ronchamps. Walking through the covered aisles to the registration, large photos are hung from the roof covering the winners atop La Planche des Belles Filles, giving a sense of gravitas to the challenge which lay ahead.
A final heavy rain shower dropped just before 7am, its already warm, and the rest of the day is to be perfect weather, but it means wet feet for the rest of the day.
489 overall 127/596
| Pied Servance | 7:37:30 | 9.2km | 30:08 | 30:08 |
| Haut Servance | 8:20:46 | 29km | 1:13:23 | 43:15 |
| Début Neutralisation 1 | 8:40:20 | 40.75km | 1:32:57 | |
| Fin Neutralisation 1 | 8:43:25 | 41.95km | 1:36:03 | |
| Sommet Oderen | 58.9km | |||
| Lac de Kruth | 9:39:26 | 69.1km | 2:32:04 | |
| Sommet Markstein | 83.4km | |||
| Sommet Grand Ballon | 10:47:47 | 90.25km | 3:40:24 | |
| Debut Neutralisation 2 | 11:06:34 | 106.4km | 3:59:11 | |
| Fin Neutralisation 2 | 11:09:03 | 107.6km | 4:01:40 | |
| Sommet Hundsruck | 110.7km | |||
| Sommet Gentiane | 12:53:51 | 143km | 5:46:29 | |
| Pied Planche | 13:48:28 | 171.5km | 6:41:06 | |
| Finish | 14:23:43 | 177.2km | 7:16:21 | 35:14 |
I spent much of my time between groups containing ladies battling for the 2nd to 5th spot, each was hoping the mini groups forming would distance themselves from the others, or indeed catch up to the next in front. Catching up rarely happens, only stragglers, so really its all about damage limitation.
This time I paced it well, knowing the climbs and knowing that the final climb up to le Gashney ski resort is very gentle, yet if you're tired at that stage it will take an eternity. Not so today, I finished strong, and enjoyed the food and beer waiting at the top. - but not for long, it's a chilly day up there!
Time for some Munster cheese back at the maison du fromage, and a bottle of gewurtztraminer from François Bauer in Turkheim for some real souvenirs of the day!
4hrs 40min 49s , 29th in age group.
Finally feels like I cracked this event - though pretty sure the perfect conditions and very large peloton were the main contributors to speeding around the lake at 41.8km/h.
Some heavy crashes occurred before even reached France. Through Evian and Thonen les Bains the road safety bumps slowed the lead car and disc wheeled riders to a crawl, then the short climb up through Thonen was the only real decider for the lead group.
That was most likely good news, as I had found a new maximum heart rate before that point, and the remainder of our loop was ridden at a very consistent pace, most likely due to a triathlon type pulling the front of the group along (apart from up the climbs)
Looks like a group of 5 finished together at 4hrs 01, then stragglers from that lead group back to our main peloton of finishers, so in the end I was 49th on the day.
Amazing to easily beat the 4.5 hr challenge, but I know I have been lucky on this event several times now, so I reckon next time it will be a leisurely ride around to Evian, taking photos and coffee en route, with a nice ferry ride back to Lausanne in the afternoon!
4hr 14m.51s
Registered yeas ago for this event, and finally after those covid postponements I got to ride the Granfondo Vosges.
Lots of bumpy roads, often narrow at times but there were nice sections on this testing course in the Vosges. Start and finish was the ski resort of La Bresse hohneck.
Many riders clearly here with the aim of qualifying for the UCI world tour. To do that, you must finish in the top 20 % of your age group. I finished at 36%, and to be top 20% I would have to have knocked 30 minutes off my total time. That was not possible today!
Very tired on the penultimate climb of the col de Grosse Pierre, but so was everyone it seemed by that stage.
460th overall. 6hr 30min 48s 27.33km/h M45 46/126
