A Swiss With A Pulse

Author: Alain Rumpf

In quest of the perfect moment

March 18, 2015

I was planning to catch a train back home from Aix, but the weather was finally good, I felt great after riding 583km in 3 days, and I had time. So I decided to ride back to Switzerland… just because I could.

The plan for the day was simple: head north towards the Col de la Croix Haute and see how far I could get.

Time to head north

I had my first break just before Manosque at km54, along the Canal du Midi where I took this picture of my bike.

The Scott Addict in ultralight bike touring mode

For this early season adventure I rode my usual road bike. The frame is a Scott Addict that I have had since last year. I find it a great compromise between weight, comfort and stiffness. It also seems very well fitted to my climber’s figure: I am 186cm and 65kg. In spite of all the efforts of Lillie to fatten me up, I kept my elite racing weight – lucky me.

Part of this bike rode the Tour de France: back in 2010, I put my hands on a Scott Foil used by Kanstantin Siutsou in that year’s Tour in support of Mark Cavendish. I later changed the frame to an Addict and got another set of wheels, but kept the Di2 group (with a compact chainset). It has been my faithful companion for the last 5 years and I enjoy its accuracy and effortless shifting.

Chris dug into his large bag collection to lend me some for this trip: a rear Topeak TrunkBag mounted on a BeamRack, where I could fit most of the minimalist stuff I was carrying. As an ultralight bike touring rookie, I was a bit concerned with mounting the rack and the bag on the seatpost, but I had no problem and the setup did not move at all during the trip.

I also had a handlebar bag for the cycling clothing I was using during the day (wind jacket, warmers) and a top tube bag for wallet, phone and (lots of) food. For purist roadies, the top tube bag is a big no no, that the good folks at Global Cycling Network put on par with wearing underpants under cycling shorts.

I used to agree but after testing it, I am a convert. When you are riding 8hrs+ a day, having your phone and your food available in a top tube bag is much, much more convenient than carrying them in bulging jersey pockets. Believe me.

Another big style mistake frowned upon by the roadies fashion police: MTB pedals and shoes. I know. But again, practicality wins over style. MTB shoes are much more convenient when walking in supermarkets, climbing on road bankings to take pictures, and all the non-riding activities that happen when you spend 12 hours a day in lycra. And you can also use them as your, err… ‘normal’ shoes when going out for dinner or for breakfast. Although Chris told me that my white shoes were a bit flashy and he had gone for black ones for that reason. I call that ‘experience’.

I will make many changes before the Transcontinental Race, but this setup did work well. I don’t know how much it weighed in total (I am not a techie), but it felt surprisingly ‘normal’ all along. There is something special about riding fast and being self-sufficient – credit card style, that is.

#bikelunch day 4

I had lunch at km 109, and took advantage of the break to strip off my leg warmers for the first time this year. You know that feeling: your are ashamed of showing off your white legs, but it is so good.

Fashion police warning: MTB shoes and white legs shall not be tolerated

I got back on the bike and kept riding towards the Col de la Croix Haute. Rather than a proper col, it is a slow, 75km drag along the Buëch river with a 700m altitude gain.

On the way to the Col de la Croix Haute

Around km 150, I had a perfect moment: It was sunny, there was no wind, and the temperature was divine. I was riding on a small départmentale road that I had found on my Michelin map, which I later found was part of a local bike route. It could not get any better than that.

A perfect moment

No wonder this départementale is part of an official bike route

Shortly after in Serres, I sat down with my map and my iPhone to figure out where I would stay that night. Very few hotels were open in the area at this time of the year, and it turned out my only choice was an auberge in Clelles after the top of the col, 55km away. It was 4.15pm and I knew I could make it before dark – just.

From there the ride turned into a slow individual time trial up the Col de la Croix Haute: it was definitely not about staying at my threshold; the focus was to keep moving and be consistent. By day 4, all pains were gone: ass, neck, back, legs. I was not fast, but I felt strong. I was peeing less often. In short, my body was getting used to massive rides and it felt just amazing. Like I could do it day in, day out. This was a good thing, because this is just what I will have to do to finish the Transcontinental Race: 300km a day, 14 days in a row.

Top of Col de la Croix Haute – finally

By the time I made it to the col I was empty but I just had another 17km left, mostly downhill, to get to my hotel and make it a 211km day. Then it was the usual routine: shower, wash my shorts, eat a giant dinner, crash into bed.

Day 1 Ultralight bike touring: learning the art of not sprinting

Day 2 Wind, the invisible hill

Day 3 A Day in the man cave

Day 5 The Red Dude

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17/05/2015
Back to where it all began: the best climbs above Montreux and Vevey

May 10, 2015

A few weeks ago, my dad broke his hip. So we stayed at his home in La Tour-de-Peilz for a few days to help him get around. These were not the best circumstances, but at least it was an opportunity to catch up on long overdue father-son time, something we both deeply enjoyed. As we grow older, we realise that these moments are precious and we should enjoy them while they last. We had a great time together, sharing family stories with Lillie.

This also gave me the chance to sneak out for a few rides on the roads where I fell in love with cycling. I trained here for 30 years before moving an hour away to the ski resort of Villars-sur-Ollon.

The Vevey-Montreux region is located at the foot of the Alps near the eastern end of Lake Geneva, the biggest lake in Western Europe. Vevey hosts the worldwide headquarters of food giant Nestlé and this is where Charlie Chaplin lived for 25 years, from 1952 to his death.

https://instagram.com/p/oS5TdntSf6/

One of the first Swiss tourism resorts in the 19th century, Montreux is famous for its annual Jazz Festival. The event has featured many music stars since 1967, from Miles Davis to Ray Charles, David Bowie and Prince. Freddie Mercury lived in Montreux and his statue is one of the city’s main attractions.

https://instagram.com/p/oU4MZBNSTp/

The Riviera vaudoise, as the region is called, is also a great cycling playground. The mountains are not very high, as the tallest peak, Les Rochers de Naye, is at 2042m. Most paved roads do not exceed 1600m. However, there are plenty of climbs with great views on the Alps and Lake Geneva region. No wonder 1996 Olympic Champion Pascal Richard trained in this area during his successful career.

There are different ways of going up each mountain. This makes it possible to vary training and not ride the same roads over and over, which I find quite boring. The climbs offer different gradients too. My favorite ‘easy’ climb goes from Montreux to Les Avants via Chernex. It offers a mild gradient of 7% over 6.5km and great views on Lake Geneva.

Climbing to Les Avants with Lake Geneva and the Rhone Valley in the background

In Les Avants, you can stop for coffee and ride back down to Glion and Montreux via a narrow but beautiful road, or continue up to Sonloup and Orgevaux over a steeper climb.

Riding from Les Avants to Sonloup

However, my favorite way of riding up to Orgevaux is a much tougher challenge. From Fontanivent, it starts with the 1,8km, 10% climb to Chamby. It is followed by a relatively easier segment to Vallon de Villard (2.9km at 8%), featured on a stage of the 2003 Tour de Romandie (see from 14’ to 26’ in this video). Then it continues with a killer 13% sufferfest to Sonloup along a dismantled ski lift. But there’s more. Just as you reach Sonloup and think it’s over, the coup de grâce is waiting for you with another 125m of climbing, again at 13%. Not sure you can fully appreciate the view on Vevey and the UNESCO World Heritage List site of Lavaux in the background while you are climbing.

The view from Orgevaux on Vevey and the Lavaux vineyards

The real top is reached after a short descent and a final push. The stats for the whole climb: 7.8km at 9%, a true Category 1 experience, which does not appear to thrill the local Strava users. Make sure you stop for a coffee and a delicious tarte tatin at the Restaurant de la Cergniaulaz before heading down.

It is possible to connect Orgevaux and Les Pléiades via Les Bains de l’Alliaz

Vevey is dominated by Les Pléiades at 1360m. There is a small ski resort at the top and it hosts a hill climb from Blonay every year as part of the Giron du Rhône regional racing series. I have been a regular since the early 90s and enjoy battling with my old rivals while trying to keep up with the new kids on the block. So far I am still doing OK.

The climb is not too steep and it is also possible to ride it at a more leisurely pace. It is a great afterwork outing for local cyclists, with nice views all the way to the top.

Beautiful views on Lake Geneva make climbing easier. Or not?

I deeply enjoyed this week away from home: for the precious time spent with my dad, and for the nostalgic rides on my old training ground which made for great spring training. Now that the snow is melting and it is possible to venture to the bigger mountains, I can’t wait to go for some epic days in the Alps. Stay tuned…

On the way to Les Pléiades

PS: if you are visiting the area and are looking for good loops, feel free to contact me for more advice.

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10/05/2015
A day in the man cave

March 17, 2015

It was raining when I woke up in Carpentras on day 3 of my French ultralight bike touring adventure. I did not mind too much as it was supposed to get better during the day. The plan was to ride to Bédouin at the bottom of Mont Ventoux, the first check point of the 2015 Transcontinental Race. Afterwards, I planned to ride to Aix-en-Provence to visit my daughter Wendy who studies there.

When I got to Bédouin, it was still wet and the Mont Ventoux was capped with snow. I had fancied riding up to Chalet Reynard, but this was not going to happen. The prospect of a freezing cold descent did not thrill me and I was clearly overgeared. You may think that 34×27 is quite small, but it is a huge gear with a loaded bike on a relentless 9% slope like the Bédouin – Chalet Reynard segment. For the TCR, I am planning on having a 34×32; this should be just enough, especially if I climb the Géant de Provence at the end of a 300km day, which may well be the case.

The Mont Ventoux in March

As Chris had caught a train home the day before, I was all alone. So, no more butt shots, team time trialling and TCR strategy talks. It was just me and my bike on deserted roads under grey skies. This may sound sad, but it was far from it. I was an introverted teenager when I took up cycling and mostly trained alone when I was racing. Riding on my own is my man cave: after a few hours on a bike, the most complex and stressful situations appear crystal clear. I get inspiration, I make decisions, and I recharge my batteries. I spent the first day after I lost my job last year alone on my bike, and the page was turned when I got home. I was ready for the next chapter of my life. Even my wife knows to leave me in my man cave from time to time for added peace at home (although, as a cyclist too, she very much relates).

I only had a rough idea on how I wanted to get to Aix from Bédouin, but one thing was certain: I wanted to check out the Gorges de la Nesque. Chris had told me that this was a great spot, and it was part of Will Cyclist’s 100 Cycling Climbs Better Than Alpe d’Huez. If two of my gurus thought it was a road to ride, then it was a no brainer. I was not disappointed: the road slowly goes up for 19km, winding through a splendidly desolate landscape. In summer, it must be packed with tourists. But it was March, and I barely saw a car.

The gorgeous Gorges de la Nesque

I was just caught by two cyclists as I was getting back on my bike after taking pictures. We had a chat, then they tried to drop me and failed: I had bags on my bike, but I also had a pride. They were only too happy when I finally let them go to take more pictures – or was it to catch my breathe?

I had my lunch in Saint-Saturnin-lès-Apt at km 83. Aix was about 60km away and I decided it would be enough for the day.

#bikelunch day 3

After crossing the Massif du Lubéron, I made my way to Aix in more and more traffic. Somehow I ended up on a highway, honked from all sides by cars speeding past me at 100km/h… I had to change lanes twice to escape. I had hoped for a more low key finish.

148km today. An easy day after 200km+ two days in a row

I met Wendy and settled in her student flat before heading out for dinner. Dad and daughter time with pizza and Apérol Spritz: I could not have asked for more after a day in my man cave.

Day 1 Ultralight bike touring: learning the art of not sprinting

Day 2 Wind, the invisible hill

Day 4 In quest of the perfect moment

Day 5 The Red Dude

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27/04/2015
Wind, the invisible hill
March 16, 2015

The weather forecast last night was for heavy clouds and possibly rain, but we woke up to good news: the sky was clear. However, there was a south wind, and this was the worst day for it. Most of today’s route was going down the very flat Rhone valley until the turn off to Mont Ventoux, the first checkpoint of the Transcontinental Race (for more on the TCR, check the previous post).

Happy to stay dry, but less happy to battle the wind, we left our hotel in Valence at 8.15am to start our very own Trofeo Baracchi – adventure cycling style. The Trofeo Baracchi was a time trial for teams of two organized in Italy. Until it disappeared in 1990 (there was one more edition in 1991 but it was an individual time trial), the race crowned many campionissimi such as Fausto Coppi, Ercole Baldini, Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Felice Gimondi, Francesco Moser and Bernard Hinault. Unfortunately, we are more grimpeurs than rouleurs so we knew we were in for a long, slow day.

Riding down the Rhone valley on a quiet bike path

We were taking turns to try and maintain a good speed, but we were not racing. So we stopped after 60km at a bakery in Tain L’Hermitage, had a pain au chocolat and bought lunch. There we met a nice man walking his dog who took a picture of us in front of a Nationale 7 sign. Known as the Route des Vacances, it used to be the symbol of holidays for French people before the autoroute made it old fashioned.

The Nationale 7 used to be the symbol of holidays in France

Then there was more headwind and we stopped on the road side at km 87 to eat our lunch, the very French pan bagnat.

Our #bikelunch was a head sized pan bagnat

By this time it had got considerably warmer and we kept peeling off clothes. Since we had started yesterday, I had:
- gone from two pairs of long fingered gloves to short gloves
- traded my winter hat for a cycling hat
- got rid of my wind jacket
- ditched the shoe covers.
It felt good.

You know you’re heading south when you see a Paris-Nice sign

Fortunately, Chris had picked a mix of bike paths, small roads and some bigger routes for the day, which brought a welcome variety to our windy misery. It will also be a good itinerary for the TCR, where riders tend to go for the most obvious, direct roads. In essence, these are also the boring, crowded ones. Our route will be almost as fast, and much more enjoyable.

We crossed the Rhone many times

It all came to an end after 122 km when we left the Rhone valley to head east towards Mont Ventoux. We hit some hills and found our first lavender fields.

Transcontinental Race recce day 2: 208km from Vienne to Carpentras. We made it to the lavender fields

Une photo publiée par Alain Rumpf (@alainrumpf) le 17 Mars 2015 à 0h02 PDT

I parted ways with Chris at km 172 in Suze la Rousse, the best town name ever. He was riding back to the Rhone valley to catch a train home that night, while my plan was to ride to Aix-en-Provence the next day to visit my daughter Wendy.

In the last hour, I got some rain but nothing that could detract me from the exaltation of riding my second 200km day in a row, a first for me. In fact, I was feeling so good that I forgot to eat and badly bonked 2km from Carpentras, my goal for the day. Have you ever looked for a hotel in a hypoglycemic state? Somehow I managed to check in. Then I ate all the food I could find in my bags, had a shower, washed my shorts in the sink, went out for a huge dinner and an equally huge beer, and finally crashed into bed. I could get used to this life.

Day 1 Ultralight bike touring: learning the art of not sprinting

Day 3 A day in the man cave

Day 4 In quest of the perfect moment

Day 5 The Red Dude

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15/04/2015
Ultralight bike touring: learning the art of not sprinting
March 15, 2015

On a Saturday afternoon in March, I went to The Bike to meet up with my friend Chris who works there as a mechanic. After the shop closed, we headed to the Lausanne station with our bikes to catch a TGV to Dole in the French Jura. Our plan was to recce part of the planned route of The Transcontinental Race.

What is the TCR? A bike race that starts on July 24 at midnight at the iconic Muur van Geraardsbergen in Flanders. The finish? Istanbul, Turkey. There are no stages. There is no official course. Just four checkpoints that we must cross on our adventure across Europe. Support is forbidden. One goal (at least for me): make it to Istanbul in time to be at the finishers party and drink beer with the other survivors. Somehow, I decided that it would be a cool 2015 challenge. There will be a lot more about the TCR on this blog in the coming weeks and months, so stay tuned.

We spent the night in a motel, had breakfast in our room the next morning and headed out at 7.45am. It was bloody cold, but I was excited: it was my first multi day, self-supported bike tour ever. I was also a little scared by Chris’ training stats compared to mine.

Reasons to worry

OK, I had spent most of the winter cross country skiing and ski touring at home in the Swiss Alps. But still. I would soon discover if cross training really worked.

Starting from our motel in Dole

Off we went in the cold and quiet countryside. At one point, the temperature got down to -1°C and I was freezing at our first stop in Louhans after 75km. We bought lunch and energy food for the rest of the day, and I had some bad French coffee to warm up. The good news was that the cold wind was a tailwind and there were no big climbs, so we were making good progress.

Chris riding on the quiet roads of French Jura

We had lunch on the roadside around km 110. Bread, camembert and €1 garlic sausage. Only red wine would have made this more French, but we abstained.

Day 1 #bikelunch

We spoke a lot on that day, mostly about bikes. Chris started to teach me the art of fast, ultralight bike touring. What I learned:
- Keyword: consistency. Don’t stop too often. Don’t push too hard, just keep moving.
- The rule of thumb: try to maintain an average speed of 25km/h when on the bike, and stay above 20km/h stops included.
- You are only allowed to sprint when chased by dogs, which happened once on that day (I have no photographic evidence as I was too obsessed with staying on Chris’ wheel when it happened).
- You should also slightly accelerate when a truck is overtaking you to benefit from the draft a little bit longer.
Chris did the TCR race last year and is coming back this year with a lot of experience. He has a Facebook TCR page and a website. As a bike mechanic, he is obsessed with details and could teach a lesson or two to Team Sky in terms of marginal gains.

[blockquote cite=”Chris” type=”center”]There’s no point in pedaling over 45 km/h. Just cruise and recover.[/blockquote]

Indeed, it takes a lot of energy to beat the air resistance at this speed, and energy is the only currency in endurance bike riding. Save it for later, when it really matters. As a result, his big ring is a 44, which allows him to stay on it much of the time and be more efficient. Marginal gains… Chris also has a PhD in cognitive psychology, but he prefers to work in a bike shop because this is what he loves. He is a great friend, and I feel very lucky to have him as my TCR guru.

The master of lightweight touring at work

We made it to Vienne, south of Lyon at 6.15pm after 227 km. I was tired, but happy. I had made it through day 1.

We looked for a hotel, chose the local Ibis Budget, checked in, had a shower, then started hunting for a restaurant. La Taverne de Maître Kanter was seemingly the only place open in town on a Sunday night and it was just what we needed. We had a big dinner topped up by profiteroles, the most calorific food on earth, and good beer.

Chris made a cool video with his action cam. This was our day: quiet roads in the countryside, villages, speed bumps, roundabouts. The next day would be more of the same, with some variations.

Day 2 Wind, the invisible hill

Day 3 A day in the man cave

Day 4 In quest of the perfect moment

Day 5 The Red Dude

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07/04/2015