When we moved to Chamonix in the heart of the French Alps in 2007 it was an opportunity to get back on the road bike after an absence from racing of around 20 years. However it wasn't until 12 months ago that I finally competed in my first race, a local time trial up through Vaudagne, a 6km climb. The buzz of competing was back and the target is now to enter the Etape in 2011, or the Marmotte 2011, or maybe both!
My wife Jude and I moved to Chamonix escaping the corporate world and started our own Chalet Business focusing on winter sports and in the Summer months, cycling, and climbing Mont Blanc.
During 2010 I've completed the Time Megeve cyclosportive and also the Morzine event and looking forward to the race up the Col de la Colombiere next weekend.
In 2010 we teamed up with Julie Gildred at Ridestrong Bike Tours and ran a super successful cycling week from Chalet Annabelle seeing 3 stages of the Tour de France and taking on some classic Tour de France alpine climbs which are a short drive from Chalet Annabelle including the Col de la Ramaz, Avoriaz, Col de la Colombiere, Col des Aravis, Col de Petit St Bernard and the Cormet de Roseland.
So the plan for 2011! The Etape hasn't been in the Alps for around 5 years and the rumor mill has already started that the Etape will be ending in Alp D'Huez next year or somewhere else in the Alps. This makes sense as it will be 100 years since the Tour de France visited the Alps, and it even visited Chamonix in the race of 2011.
Over the coming weeks and months I'll post a snapshot of the rides we've been doing in the area and further a-field as I try to build up the training required for the event.
Watch this space!
Completing the Etape du Tour and La Marmotte double in 2011. Mike is co-owner of www.breathebike.com with Wife Jude and are permanently based at Chalet Annabelle in the Chamonix Valley, France.
Tour de France Cols
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