L'Etape du Tour gives amateur cyclists a taste of what the pros experience in a mountainous stage of...
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Author feels the heat.(Image credit: Mark Sharon)
Loo queue(Image credit: Mark Sharon)
The peloton(Image credit: Mark Sharon)
50km down(Image credit: Mark Sharon)
Combes to Queyras.(Image credit: Mark Sharon)
Peloton is strung out.(Image credit: Mark Sharon)
Peloton tackles the Gorges.(Image credit: Mark Sharon)
Road notice.(Image credit: Mark Sharon and friends)
Start village entrance arch.(Image credit: Mark Sharon and friends)
Author with dossard.(Image credit: Mark Sharon and friends)
Collecting race numbers.(Image credit: Mark Sharon and friends)
Checking names on the start list.(Image credit: Mark Sharon and friends)
Author and family checking names of friends.(Image credit: Mark Sharon and friends)
The lady who checks the timing.(Image credit: Mark Sharon and friends)
Information at the start village.(Image credit: Mark Sharon and friends)
Start village crowd around the information boards.(Image credit: Mark Sharon and friends)
Riders scrutinise the information boards.(Image credit: Mark Sharon and friends)
Crowd listening to the tombola being announced.(Image credit: Mark Sharon and friends)
Start village climbing wall.(Image credit: Mark Sharon and friends)
Local specialities at the start village.(Image credit: Mark Sharon and friends)
Queuing for the bike park.(Image credit: Mark Sharon and friends)
Bikes racked in the bike park.(Image credit: Mark Sharon and friends)
Mavic assistance at the start village.(Image credit: Mark Sharon and friends)
Start village sponsor stands.(Image credit: Mark Sharon and friends)
The Tour de France on the start village big screen.(Image credit: Mark Sharon and friends)
Entrance to the start village.(Image credit: Mark Sharon and friends)
Start village entertainers.(Image credit: Mark Sharon and friends)
Start village entertainer.(Image credit: Mark Sharon and friends)
Canadian patriotism.(Image credit: Mark Sharon and friends)
Start village sponsor stands.(Image credit: Mark Sharon and friends)
Start village bike park and Mavic assistance.(Image credit: Mark Sharon and friends)
Outdoor privy before the start.(Image credit: Mark Sharon and friends)
Loo queue on race day.(Image credit: Mark Sharon and friends)
Riders await the start.(Image credit: Mark Sharon and friends)
Race day bike detail.(Image credit: Mark Sharon and friends)
View from the cockpit.(Image credit: Mark Sharon and friends)
Author awaits the start.(Image credit: Mark Sharon and friends)
Gathering for the depart.(Image credit: Mark Sharon and friends)
The peloton heads into the mountains.(Image credit: Mark Sharon and friends)
Heading into the morning sun on race day.(Image credit: Mark Sharon and friends)
The Lac de Serre Poncon'(Image credit: Mark Sharon and friends)
The sun also rises.(Image credit: Mark Sharon and friends)
50km down 141 to go.(Image credit: Mark Sharon and friends)
Feedstop melee.(Image credit: Mark Sharon and friends)
Piles of oranges at the feedstop.(Image credit: Mark Sharon and friends)
50km to the Col d'Izoard.(Image credit: Mark Sharon and friends)
Combes to Queyras.(Image credit: Mark Sharon and friends)
Combes to Queyras.(Image credit: Mark Sharon and friends)
Towards Col d'Izoard(Image credit: Mark Sharon and friends)
Peloton is strung out.(Image credit: Mark Sharon and friends)
Peloton tackles the Gorges.(Image credit: Mark Sharon and friends)
Author feels the heat.(Image credit: Mark Sharon and friends)
Mobbing a fountain.(Image credit: Mark Sharon and friends)
Brunissard at 80km.(Image credit: Mark Sharon and friends)
The peloton stretches back down the valley.(Image credit: Mark Sharon and friends)
Nearing the Col d'Izoard.(Image credit: Mark Sharon and friends)
On the Col d'Izoard.(Image credit: Mark Sharon and friends)
Entering the Casse Desserte.(Image credit: Mark Sharon and friends)
In the Casse Desserte.(Image credit: Mark Sharon and friends)
Approaching the summit of the Col d'Izoard.(Image credit: Mark Sharon and friends)
At the summit of the Col d'Izoard.(Image credit: Mark Sharon and friends)
One of the few women in the Peloton approaching the summit of the Col d'Izoard.(Image credit: Mark Sharon and friends)
The feed stop at Briancon resembles a war zone.(Image credit: Mark Sharon and friends)
The peloton heads towards the Col du Lautaret.(Image credit: Mark Sharon and friends)
Stocking up at a fountain on the Col du Lautaret.(Image credit: Mark Sharon and friends)
The never-ending trek up the Col du Lautaret(Image credit: Mark Sharon and friends)
Col du Lautaret just 2km to go.(Image credit: Mark Sharon and friends)
Near the Col du Lautaret with La Meije in the distance.(Image credit: Mark Sharon and friends)
At corner nine on Alpe d'Huez.(Image credit: Mark Sharon and friends)
Col du Lautaret riders jostle to fill water bottles.(Image credit: Mark Sharon and friends)
Alongside Lac du Chambon.(Image credit: Mark Sharon and friends)
The road across the Chambon dam.(Image credit: Mark Sharon and friends)
Riders cross the Barrage du Chambon.(Image credit: Mark Sharon and friends)
Foot of the Lac du Chambon.(Image credit: Mark Sharon and friends)
Descending the Col de Lautaret with 150km done.(Image credit: Mark Sharon and friends)
Descending the Col de Lautaret.(Image credit: Mark Sharon and friends)
Near Bourg d'Oisans.(Image credit: Mark Sharon and friends)
Last stretch near Bourg d'Oisans.(Image credit: Mark Sharon and friends)
Reaching the feed station at the foot of Alpe d'Huez.(Image credit: Mark Sharon and friends)
Alpe d'Huez first ramp.(Image credit: Mark Sharon and friends)
Corners on Alpe d'Huez.(Image credit: Mark Sharon and friends)
On Alpe d'Huez near corner 14.(Image credit: Mark Sharon and friends)
On Alpe d'Huez.(Image credit: Mark Sharon and friends)
Corner nine on Alpe d'Huez.(Image credit: Mark Sharon and friends)
Looking down on Huez en Oisans.(Image credit: Mark Sharon and friends)
Looking down Alpe d'Huez.(Image credit: Mark Sharon and friends)
Struggling up Alpe d'Huez.(Image credit: Mark Sharon and friends)
The corners of Alpe d'Huez.(Image credit: Mark Sharon and friends)
Alpe d'Huez jerseys for sale.(Image credit: Mark Sharon and friends)
The finishing straight.(Image credit: Mark Sharon and friends)
Riders in the finishing straight.(Image credit: Mark Sharon and friends)
Last 100 metres to the finish.(Image credit: Mark Sharon and friends)
Crowd at the finish.(Image credit: Mark Sharon and friends)
L'Etape du Tour feature, Gap - L'Alpe d'Huez, part 1
L'Etape du Tour gives amateur cyclists a taste of what the pros experience in a mountainous stage of the Tour. The 2006 L'Etape mirrored stage 15 of the Tour, a 191 km exhausting ride through the Alps culminating with the 21 numbered corners of l'Alpe d'Huez. Mark Sharon was one of the 8500 riders who fought off fierce competition just to get a start. He gives an account of what it's like to compete in a mountainous Tour stage in part one of his three-part story.
Velo Magazine served up its 14th edition of the Etape du Tour this year with one of toughest in a history of some very tough events: Stage 15 of the 2006 Tour de France - a 191.4 km test of climbing and endurance starting at Gap and culminating with the strength sapping grind up l'Alpe du Huez with its 21 numbered corners.
Despite a profile that would keep a sane man in the bar, the competition to get into this years' event was as fierce as ever. It is not difficult to see why. With just a couple of exceptions, L'Etape du Tour has been consistently faithful to the concept of giving amateurs a genuine flavour of the world of a professional Tour rider.With its first edition in 1993, Velo Magazine put its marker down as it meant to go on. That year's edition took what is by today's standards a tiny field of 1705 riders 190 km between Tarbes and Pau, crossing the Col du Tourmalet, Col du Soulor and Col d'Aubisque. First place was taken by one Christophe Rinero - at the time of writing in 26th place on General Classification of the 2006 Tour de France.
The 2006 Edition
While getting into L'Etape du Tour is a major part of the challenge, finishing is a completely different matter. You may have eaten like a king, rested in a chateau, flown to the start line in a helicopter (oh, yes - there are one or two riders who do just that). You may have had the best training help, and be riding the most expensive bike one can buy but once that gun goes off you are on your own - all
8500 of you.The 2006 edition was always going to be tough - three big climbs and 191.4 km of high altitude alpine road (statistically 188.4 km, but you have to add on the opening 3km neutralized zone for good measure). First up, the legendary Col D'Izoard (2360 m) is not reached until almost the half-way mark. After a fast descent to Briançon, the Col du Lautaret, (2057 m) lay a further 30km grind further on. From there the longest descent of the day at 38 km takes the race to the lowest point of the day at Bourg d'Oisans. It is not over yet - it is just a matter of climbing the infamous (another adjective ticked off) Alpe d'Huez - 1200 m of ascent over 15 km. You work out the average gradient.
