I read more about the race in some old bike-magazines, and about the trials waiting. Four mountains were to be passed on the stretching Col de La Croix de Fer – 2068 m, Col du Telegraphe - 1570 m, Col du Galibier - 2645 m and finally Alpe d’ Huez -1860m. In 1993 Rolf Sorensen added 36 min. on the climb to Galibier. In Tour de France 1996, the pass was closed because of snowstorm, witch lead to a shortens of the distance and Bjarne Riis won the yellow shirt. Notice: The pass is usually closed between October and May.

Such trip takes a bit of planing, the first job was to find the date for the race in 1997. It proved to be more difficult, than first anticipated. After uncounted telephone calls to French tourist agencies in Denmark, I managed to get the number to the track office in France. Unfortunately the problems weren’t over yet. I called France and realised how few Frenchmen who speak English. And since I don’t speak French, we had a problem. However I found out that the date would first be determined in the middle of January 1997.

Already from the start of this project I was wondering what gearing to ride. At my participation in Tilf – Bastonge – Tilf I was riding with 42/28 as lowest. In that race I was climbing at up to 19%, so I thought it would be enough. Anyway I decided to have 39 teeth front and 26 back. Just for symbolising my participation, I went to the local bike store, Heino, to buy a new gear wheel to the front. When the shop assistant heard about my trip he convinced me to buy a 38 teeth instead, as he said ”you are going to thank me, when you are down there”.

In January the date was set to the Sunday, sixth of July. Unfortunately the same weekend as “Sjælland Rundt” which mend I had to put off my ten-year needle. The final planing could start. My friend Birger was also to compete and he had arranged his holiday after according to the race. Actually, he had already in January made his reservation on a campsite in Bourg d’Oisans. I wasn’t able to hold my holiday as he could. So the arrangement was that I would arrive to campsite Saturday 5th, there I should sleep in his caravan.

On every training trip during the winter and spring, I was thinking about the upcoming race. Wail searching for high climbs, to train my legs, I was racing on every road in the area. In the period January – June I laid 4000 kilometres behind and my shape was better than ever before. I was certain about my success in the mountains. I believed the race was building up towards the last 14 hard km. I was wrong.

6 o’clock p.m., 4th of July my friend Poul rang the bell. He was my chauffeur, we drew threw Germany and Switzerland and arrived at the campsite at 10 o’clock 5th July. Birger picked us up in the reception and told us, that the last three days had been nothing but rainy. He also told the climbs were hair-raisingly tuff. One thing is to train on the flat Sjælland, one other thing is to force the bike upwards kilometre after kilometre.

After a quick nap Poul and me drew to l’Alpe d’Huez to receive my number. On the way, I understood the worried mine on Birgers face. Or though just 14 kilometres the road was long, 14-km. constant climbing, without any chance of having a little break unless you want to get of the bike. I estimated the climb to take about 1½ hour.

Over the afternoon the raining had stopped, and the sun was shinning so we started to assemble our bikes. During the work another Danish competitor came by. He looked at our gearing and said that we might be a little optimistic thinking we could finish the races on that. He had changed his own gear after training a couple of days on the climbs, cause as he said, “you’re about to explode”. We looked at him, he actually looked pretty fit and he definitely looked like one that could ride a bike. After a little discussion, we drew to town to buy an easier ride.

The town was crowded, everywhere there was expectant riders. Especially in the local bike store, it was filled with bikers making the last necessary purchases. We found the board with gear wheels, unfortunately we were not the only ones with that idea. The places where the 28 and 30 teeth should have been were empty. Out on the street again, to find the second shop. Birger succeeded in finding a 28 wheel for his bike, but nothing available fit on my bike.

On the way back to the car we decided to go back to l’Alpe d’Huez. There we would try to find parts, fitting to my bike. We had seen tents and shops selling bike-clothes s there was a little chance. Poul was in the mood for fun, so the car was driven to the edge on the way up. We arrived on the top and after constituting we were okay, the hunt for the wheel started. We did find a tent selling wheels fitting to my bike, and even though they were three times the price, I had to have one. After the more or less successful bargain, the tour went back to the campsite and we arrived just as the dinner was served.

After the dinner the route was passed through. The meeting point with Poul was appointed, he was to meet us different places on the route with fresh water, energy-bars, clothes and more. Birger and I agreed in driving separately, it is very important that you find your own speed on such route. It was getting late and we all went to bed.

The race starts at 7:15, and already at 5:30 we were up. It was a cold morning, only 6°C. but the weather seemed to better than the passed few days. The weather report said no rain. Wail eating the breakfast we discussed, what to wear in the race. The deployment in the starting area starts at 6:15, so there were going to be a lot time to wait. Therefor I decided to wear my autumn jacket and trousers. A wise decision, at least for a wail. During the deployment I discovered my trackcomputer was malfunctioning, I tried without luck to buy some new batteries. However there is a good thing about, not having a trackcomputer, it does not reveal your speed is no more than 7-8 km/h when going up.

After long time the race was started. The first 7 kilometres to the town Rochet Aillee (711m a.s) is on a flat main road, the speed in the large group was high. Maybe the high speed was not so smart this early in the race, but the body needed to be warm. Soon we reached the first climb, it ended on a large dam. From there it went up against Col de la Croix de Fer (2068m a.s), located about 37 km from the start. There was not much talk in the group, everyone had enough to do keeping their pulse just a little below max. For 1½ hour my pulse was constant between 175 and 185, a bit higher than I thought it would be. But what are you to do if the hill just keep coming. After 2h and 27min I reached the top, there I held 5 minutes break with Poul who had a new shirt and some fresh water ready.

From the top it went with high speed against the bottom. Poul told me he had been overtaken by bikers wail driving 80 km/h. The road was in bad condition on the first part, but that did not prevent a large school bus from making its own little race. It was clear to everyone that the driver wasn’t going to let anyone get pass him. At last I managed to overtake the diesel monster, and now it truly went towards the bottom. It is an amazing experience to drive down a mountain. It was cold too, so I was happy that I had brought my winter gloves.

On the road down, you go through a lot of tunnels. Watch out – in these tunnels it is totally dark. The sides haven’t been painted, it is raw cliff, there is a few lamps but they don’t give much light. I was afraid to get hidden from behind by cars. So in my next competition I’ll carry both light and reflectors.

At the entering to the town St. Jean De Maurienne (546m a.s) after about 67 km, it nearly went wrong. A little cat crossed the road and I had to pull the emergency break, I didn’t hit the cat, and as thank the spectators cheered for me. The next fourteen kilometres was normal road. In this part of the race I was good going and still optimistic. Soon it was going up again, this time to Col du Telegraphe (1570m a.s). When I reached the top, I had been on the road for 5 hours and had only laid 92 km behind. Of course that is not an impressing average speed, but in this particular race it was enough for silver, in my age group. Going down again I was dressed plastic bag and winter gloves. With good spirit I raced down towards the town Valloire (1430m a.s), from where the climb towards Col du Galibier starts. At this point my forces were about to run out, the limits of my capabilities on a bike was near. The first part went all right, but the last 6 kilometres I will never forget. It felt like the rising percentage grew bigger for every turn, and the distance between the white kilometres markers became greater and greater. And I had to stop a few times to catch the breathing. Despite the temperature was no more than a few degrees above zero, the sweat was powdering of me. Now all optimism was gone, I couldn’t bear the thought of more than one more hour of hard struggle. So I settled with “La Marmorton” (The little marmot) with this decision in my mind I fought my way thru the last tough kilometres to the top. All though my exhaustion I was able to enjoy the beautiful snow covered landscape. It was an amazing experience to stand on the top of Col du Galibier in 2645 meters altitude. I looked at my watch and saw that the 22 km had taken 2 hours and 10 minutes of my precious time. After some food at the pit, the tour went towards the warm air in the valley. The distance to Bourg d’Oisans is about 45 km and it felt as going downwards all the way. When things goes well you quickly forget the bad things. As going down the mountain I got back the will to fight. I wanted to climb the last 14 km up to Alpe d’ Huez and by doing that finish the race.

Well arrived to Bourg d’Oisans I stopped at the campsite to fill up my sucker depots before the last climb of the day. Strongly determined to finish the race, no matter how much time I was going to use I got back on the bike. Even in the start the climb is hard, and I suffered in silence. All though my small gear the most of climb was done standing. Also on this mountain I was off the bike a few times. The weather had become fine and the sun was shining, and the view was therefore amazing. Especially I remember my rest at turn 9 from where I could see the road witch I had climbed up thru the last kilometres is indescribable, the emotions tumbled forward. My biggest victory on a bike was now reality nothing could stop me. Not a victory over others but over my self. What I had dreamed of in many month had now become real.

Epilogue:

It was a trip at 10 hours and 53 minutes, and as said it is a very big experience to participate in “La Marmotte”. Besides the experience, it is also a very demanding challenge which takes optimal preparations. Birger whom I started the race with, had his training broke many times, due to accidents, business trips plus a lung disease. These circumstances made it harder for Birger to climb the mountains. During the climb on Col du Telegraphe, Birger had a massive cramp in the leg and was forced to stop in the town Valloire after 98 km. Birger is normally not weaker than I, so of course he was disappointed. We have decided to use our experience from 1997 for a new attack on the mountains in 1998, which is driven Saturday 4th of July.

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