Posts Tagged ‘extreme cycle races’

Whilst we sit here tranquilly sipping a glass of deliciously chilled Rosé, some battle hardened souls are pumping their way up and down the famous Alps of Europe -  Les Dix Alpes, a cycle event in its second year, is under way again.

It began on the shores of Lake Como, Italy on the 21st June and is scheduled to end on the 3rd July on the azur shores of Nice.

Les Dix Alpes is not for the fainthearted. 9 mountains of over 2,000 m will be part of the challenge, and then there’s the legendary climb up to the ski resort of Alpes d’Huez (1,860 m) with its 21 hairpin bends.

Many of the famous cols that are included in the Tour de France are part of this challenge: Col de l’Iseran, Col du Galibier (2,645m), Col d’Izoard and Col de la Bonette. The others are no less challenging,  Simplon Pass, Col du Petit St. Bernard (2,188m), Col du Grand St. Bernard (2,469m), Col de Vars and Col de Lautaret.

1,081 kms of a mixture of relatively flat roads along the lakes to long, steep climbs up and down the French Alps, a cumulative 22,305 m of climbing… The whole route follows well paved, relatively quiet and fantastically scenic mountain roads.

The start of the race is deceptively flat as you follow the shores of 3 lakes in northern Italy – Como, Lugano and Maggiore, but that’s the end of the easy bit, after that it’s straight into the Simplon Pass and a mountain a day to challenge.

There are 2 rest days, one in Visp which is the gateway to Zermatt and the famous Matterhorn, and the other is in the picturesque village of  Bourg d’Oisans at the foot of l’Alpe d’Huez. After climbing the last and highest Col de la Bonette  (2.802 m) you drop down to sea level in two days through wonderful gorges.

This is only the second year that this race has been run, but it looks like an event that will be here to stay. It is, as with many of these events, organised with a view to raising money for charity – an honourable charity: The Oncology Children’s Foundation (OCF), Australia. All participants from New Zealand and Australia are asked to support this charity. Participants from other countries are welcome to do so too of course (!), but may also support a charity of their choice.

Participants from around the world are welcome to this event. It is not a race. The trip is designed to challenge people and motivate them to achieve their personal goals irrespective of their ability. The ride is fully supported with a back-up vehicle, cook and Bike Dreams cycling guide. The support vehicle serves lunch half way through the stage and provides assistance to riders where required. Their cooks will provide traditional meals full of energy for hungry cyclists. Accommodation is a mix of camping and hotels.

The cost is €1,095.

Registration for the 2011 event is already open and the dates for your diary are 28th June, 2011 to 9th July. Registration before January 2011 will be €1,095 and after January will be €1,195.

If you are interested in taking part please fill in the registration form on their website, Bike-Dreams.

Bike races everywhere and it’s our intention to draw your attention to some of the best ones – in our humble opinion anyway!

Yesterday we told you about the Cape Epic due to be run in March/April 2010. Another epic race also scheduled for April – 17th April to be exact – is the Mount Laguna Bicycle Classic. The organisers are AdventureCORPS of Furnace Creek 508 (A week of extreme cycle races… now it’s FURNACE CREEK 508)and Badwater Ultramarathon ( The Death Valley Badwater Ultra-Marathon) fame.

Mount Laguna is one of California’s best kept secrets of the outdoor world. The 6,000 ft peak is just 50 miles east of San Diego. It’s a magnificent and beautiful place.

The 2010 Mount Laguna Bicycle Classic is the newest AdventureCORPS cycling event. The race is 103 miles long with 3 different ascents of  Mount Laguna, San Diego’s highest point, totalling 9,890 ft total elevation gain.

The first ascent will be via Sunrise Highway from the north, the next via the fabled and car-free Kitchen Creek from the south-east, and the final ascent is by the little-known and truly epic Pine Creek drainage from the west. There are just three stop signs and NO traffic lights on this incredible route which starts and finishes in Pine Valley, CA! All 3 loops begin and end in or near Pine Valley, CA.

• Loop One is a clockwise route from Pine Valley to Guatay, north on 79, around Lake Cuyamaca, and south on Sunrise Hwy over Mt. Laguna. (It does not quite return to Pine Valley.) Distance: 43.4 miles; Elevation Gain: 3770 feet.

• Loop Two is a counter-clockwise route from Sunrise Hwy east on Old Hwy 80, north on Kitchen Creek (which is closed to cars for 3.7 miles in the middle), north on Sunrise Hwy to the Mt. Laguna summit, then south on Sunrise Hwy and back to Pine Valley. Distance: 33.6 miles; Elevation Gain: 3300 feet.
• Loop Three is a clockwise route from Pine Valley, west on Old Hwy 80, then up the one-of-a-kind Pine Creek Road (as featured in the event logo) all the way to Sunrise Hwy, then south over Mt. Laguna and back to Pine Valley. Distance: 25.7 miles; Elevation Gain: 2820 feet (2000 feet of which is gained in the 10.2 miles on Pine Creek Road).

The time limit for the race is 12 hours.

The following video, with thanks to AdventureCORPS, as well as showing you a fabulous slideshow of photographs from the region, also gives you detailed route maps for you to study.

Keep your eyes open for these somnolent beasts on the highway:

Please note that the Mount Laguna Classic has a 300 rider limit – once it is sold out is SOLD OUT. If you want to participate in this $79 race – sign up NOW with www.adventurecorps.com

AdventureCORPS’ events tend to sell out quickly so don’t think about this for too long if you’re interested in participating…