La Tech

14/01/2007

Six more k’s to Le Tech. My legs were burning, my heart rate was way into my anaerobic zone and my back was screaming at me to sit up. How long was six kilometres in miles? It took me a minute or so in my foggy head to figure that one out, enough time to do about 750 meters; how many kilometres did that leave? Could I keep this up long enough to distract myself? The big unknown was what the road would do. Would it continue pushing up at 8-9% or might it settle down into a more gentle grade? Would the grimpeur sitting on the front ease up; was he at his limit, pushing us along at 18mph?

How many k’s to Le Tech? Maybe three and the fellow in front of me loses his wheel. We’re gapped and there is no way I can climb over him to catch that wheel. The voices win and I ease up on the pedals. I have been climbing with the club since Le Boulou, about 30k down the road. Earlier this morning I met Geoff at our rondpoint in Le Boulou and we road the 15k up to Amelie les Bains to meet the club. From Amelie, we rode BACK down to Le Boulou and turned around at the rondpoint and headed back up again. Soon the club was strung out and by Amelie we were a front group of six riders being led by a big rider with an unending supply of climbing power. Geoff assured me he only rode once a week, with the club. The guy had fresh legs.

As we powered along the river Tech, the gorge we were in narrowed to a typical mountain road, switchbacking up and up. I focused on spinning at a higher cadence and holding my wheel. Geoff was just behind me, churning away and the trees began changing from cork-oak and small desert scrub to pine forest. Spring water was running from pipes in the rock. Arles sur Tech comes and goes, another collection of resort buildings.

When Le Tech finally arrives, I’m about two minutes behind my mates. I get a big smile from the leader and we roll down to meet the rest of the group farther down the mountain, and then turn around and ascend more slowly as a complete group. Smiles, slaps on the back and conversation and then were heading down the mountain road. Finally my 100 kilos are put to good use and I take turns on the front of a smaller group of descenders swooping though turns at 30mph. It’s not an overly technical descent, like the run from Vives that Geoff and I have done, but it’s still a rush and we begin to work harder to gain position for the sprint to road sign at Arles sur Tech. Of course I don’t know exactly what we’re sprinting for and mention this to Geoff later, after he wins it. “That’s Ok, you wouldn’t have won it anyway, “he says with a smile.

4:33, 76.5, 2940ft