On the Road to Recovery Day 2: Riders battle three peaks and the elements

THE North West team seeking to help raise £1m for the Christie Hospital by undertaking a gruelling cycle ride in the Alps, had a tough time on Day 2 of their mission.

Day 2 – Barcelonnette to Valloire (via Col de Vars, Col d’lozard, Col du Galibier)

Distance: 156km
Estimated time: 7 hours 36 minutes (more like 12 hours)
Ascent: 3764 metres
Descent: 3702 metres

Shortly after 9am on Monday, the Road2Recovery team were on their way, with the support team left behind to load the van, pack the treatment couch and get as much use of the internet connections as possible.

After a couple minutes though, we received a phone call to alert us that Jason Scales’ (National Cycling Centre) tyre had exploded en route.

We threw everything on board and off we were down the mountain, swerving round numerous hairpin bends to Jason’s rescue. The tyre was in bits, the frame was shredded and trying to locate a repair shop in an out-of-season ski village was problematic.

After driving for 10km later we managed to get it fixed and away he went with the rest of the group. On the positive side, the sun was shining and the skies were blue, allowing us to gain a full appreciation of the majestic Alps.

With the weather on our side it was time to attempt the first of three iconic mountain ascents – Col de Vars – which has been included in the Tour de France 33 times. With surfaces as steep as 12% in places, the team took a staggering pace to the top.

Again, we saw Jason Scales lead the way, along with Peter Oakes, Rob Cotton, Rob Pailin, Mike Perls, Lee-J Walker, James Bilham, Marcello Distefano and James Moores.

To put it into perspective as we passed Rob Pailin in the van on the way up he shouted: “This makes Ventoux feel like a piece of cake.”

At the peak, Andy the physio laid out his treatment couch, ready for work on James Bilham’s knee and Jason’s legs which were feeling effects of leading the way. In preparations for descent the team layered-up, ready to embrace the cold winds as they darted down the mountain at 70kmph.  

The next challenge was Col d’lozard , which made its first appearance in the Tour de France in 1922 and has been included 32 times.

The start was a very long and painful slog, even before we met the 14km-to-go ascent sign. That’s when it started to get incredibly tough. The gradient grew steeper and steeper and to throw another spanner in the works the rain started to hammer down.

The morning sunshine was a distant memory as temperatures plummeted as low as two degrees. As the support van drove alongside the each rider, not one of them batted an eye lid. The look of focus, pain and sheer determination was written across their faces.

The final challenge was Col du Galibier. The team was by now feeling the impact of 130km in their legs, with 8.5km left to go and gradients of around 7%. We passed a monument to first director of the Tour de France Henry Desgrange, on the south side, as they approached the summit. Everytime the Tour de France climbs the Col du Galibier a wreath is laid on the memorial.

That was it. Three more iconic stages were under their belts, allowing the team to descend back to the hotel in Valloire for a three-course meal and a well-deserved paddle in the swimming pool.

TheBusinessDesk.com’s Lee-J Walker said: “Its been tough today. The descent from Galibier was unbelievable and I started to feel what hypothermia might be like. I’m very pleased to have completed three Cols in one day, but in all honesty, I’m not looking forward to tomorrow.”

James Moores: “It was so much tougher than yesterday and the climbs seemed to go on forever. The legs were no longer fresh and even though we wanted to push that little bit harder there was no power left. Then when the rain sets in and its freezing cold, with many miles left on the clock its feels like its never going to end.”

Sports Tours guide, David O’Brien, who has 10 years training on his side was even feeling the effects too. He said: “Travelling such long distances each day has been a massive problem for us.

“We wake up at 6am, completely starving, then have to get as much food in before we prep our bikes and get ready for the day. We’re not getting back to the hotel until after 8pm, where the team needs time to recover, eat and sleep.

“The weather has also been a huge problem – when it rains and we’re completely soaked it can be really difficult to keep warm. They’re all doing something really inspiring for a fantastic cause and I’m really pleased with what they’ve achieved so far.”

To donate to the team’s fundraising efforts, go to : http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/fundraiser-web/fundraiser/showFundraiserProfilePage.action?userUrl=OnTheRoad&isTeam=true

To follow their progress on Day 3, on Twitter, see @Rd2Recovery