Alpe D’Huez Triathlon 2023: Report

Last week, Newport & District Running Club’s Chas Bickford-Smith took on a brutal challenge – the Alpe D-Huez triathlon. After he returned to the UK, he was kind enough to send us this report about his experience.

Three years ago, I saw this race discussed online as a “bucket list” event and it looked like an amazing thing to do. Especially that the final climb up Alpe D’Huez is infamous because of the Tour De France. The mountain of 21 bends, each dedicated to a famous cyclist.

The race is very popular and sells out quickly. I missed out on a place in 2022 so when the registration for 2023 opened in September 2022, I entered… the Long Course.

Before the race many people asked me how the training was going. My take was that I can’t specifically train for the bike section as there are no 13km mountain climbs in the UK that I am aware of. The most I rode was a 100km ride climbing 2,000m/6,000 feet but all relatively short climbs around Shropshire. I also cycled in Wales which included Horse Shoe pass (this was nowhere close to the mountains in the race)

Getting there – Reading lots of feedback from previous participants it looked better to get accommodation up in the ski town of Alpe D’Huez so booked this but the next question was where to fly to. Grenoble was the closest but it seemed that flights in the summer from the UK were not available so Lyon was the next choice which is a 2-hour drive to Alpe D’Huez. We landed in Lyon late Tuesday afternoon (the race was on Thursday).

My initial goal was to see the gradient of the final climb on our drive up to Alpe D’Huez. The climb starts round a sharp corner – coming to the bottom of the hill it looked steep and it just went on and on with the 21 hairpin corners (1,000 metres of climbing over 13Km), I don’t think anything in the UK could have prepared me for this – it looked tough and I was in a car!! On clearer days we could also see down the mountain to the dots of white house 1,000 metres below – very similar to being in a plane. 

Arrived in Alpe D’Huez late Tuesday evening; very wet and only 6 degrees. We were also too late to get a meal so we ate bread and cheese that we had bought on the drive… what had I got myself into?! Next morning all had changed – beautiful weather and an amazing view from our apartment so a walk for pain au chocolat was the first task of the day.

Wednesday was registration day at the sports centre in town – to get there involved a severe uphill walk. All checked in I then had to buy gas canisters in case of race puncture repairs. These gas canisters are not permitted on flights so I have to buy new every time and then throw them (or give them away) after the race.

Then back to the apartment to put my bike together out of the travel box. Once built I went out for a ride to test if everything was working and also to get a feel of the gradient. I went down to turn 21 and then back up to the bike finish – amazingly steep and this is the last 2Km!

The evening race briefing and advice session was interesting. The French explanation went on and on and the English translation was rather brief. The main items were – the water is between 15-17 degrees which seemed to concern a lot of people (my last race in Fishguard was 13 degrees so this was not a concern) and the mountain climbs which are followed by dangerous steep and twisty downhills.

Thursday arrived; a lovely sunny day – my race started at 9:45am My first task at 6:30am was to drop off my running shoes at Bike-Run transition in town then I had to cycle 24km down to the lake for the swim start, supposedly all downhill but the ride did include a few ups and a stop to check I had gone the right way (I had read about people who had missed a turn and had to climb back up the hill… all before the actual start). I was glad I brought a bike jacket as it was quite chilly speeding down the mountain. The ride also made it clear how fast and steep the downhills were in the Alps.

Arriving in transition I was struck by the number of bikes. I found my space, set up and had a walk to check out the swim exit and get the visual markers to find my bike again. Spoke to a very worried Frenchman who was losing it over the perceived water temperature.

I realised that there were a number of English people around me so I chatted to a few. The primary concern was the water temperature closely followed by the bike section and especially the need to get to the bottom of Alpe D’Huez with enough energy to get to the top. Seemed that nobody I spoke to had much of an idea as to what lay ahead and if they would actually finish within the cut off times.

The cut off times were a major concern to me – would I make them or have my timing chip taken off me and be out of the race… all this for nothing. Cut offs were at 40km, 75km, bottom of Alpe D’Huez and at the end of the bike. The usual swim and run cut offs were also there but my focus was the bike.

The swim start was approaching so the usual queuing and pushing to get in the water (this being a deep-water start). In the water it was cool but nice (two swim hats helped). The start was in a channel before going out into the lake. At the race start the narrow channel was a problem… too many bodies all trying to swim. Lots of bumping, feet, elbows. I had my goggles push off but luckily grabbed them. After a few minutes we were out in the lake and space, a lovely swim… until the turn point and again too many people, then back to space and the swim to the exit. Quite happy with the 46-minute swim as the start was not great.

Came into transaction to see Liz and Josh (Chas’ wife and son) – they had battled the massive traffic jams to get to the lake – brilliant motivation. Looking into transition I was amazed to see most of the bikes still there, feeling quite happy with my time. I stuffed my wetsuit and goggles into the transition bag, helmet on and off up the hill to the road.

The first 24km was a gradual downhill, drafting was impossible to avoid due to the mass of people (this is a non-drafting event where you must be 7m away from the person in front). Long trains appeared and I found myself on the back of someone’s wheel doing 35 miles an hour… a nice start. Then we turned left at Sechilienne and the start of the first climb. My plan was to collect a drink bottle at the bottom but I still had a lot left so ignored this – the 10Km 8-11% climb to the summit took me 53 minutes overtaking many on the way, I struggled to drink on the way up which was not good. Drinking was a concern as I found it hard going uphill and then the fast downs were not safe to drink on.

With hindsight, my effort on the first climb may have been too aggressive but my thought was that I could rest on the downhill and the ever-present cutoff time in the back of my mind. Phew – at the top of my first alp mountain with a drinks station and easily within the cutoff time frame. Then off on a wild ride down – steep and twisty with speeds up to 40mph. The next hill was only 2.5km but slightly steeper than the last one maxing out at 12%. Then a long downhill and some flat sections (or they felt flat) to get to the second main climb.

The sun was high in the sky and my cycle computer showed max temperature of 38 degrees which didn’t help with my efforts. The second climb was 18km and started gradually but the last 5km got steeper. The road ahead just looked awful – long straight uphill. I passed and was passed; people were starting to suffer. I overtook an English chap I had spoken to at the start and all he said was “the novelty has worn off” At the top of the climb and again within the cut off I realised I was dehydrated so got off my bike at the drinks station and just drank and drank, ate my last energy gel and collected untested gels that were available.

Then off on an even wilder, scarier downhill ride down to Bourg-d’Oisans (bottom of Alpe D’Huez) – fast, twisty but with the added excitement of sheer drops off the edge of the road. Phew – survived that, but coming through Oisans my legs were cramping – great so I have not even started the biggest climb of the day and I have cramp. I have experienced quite severe cramps before and even though really painful I can ride through it so decided I would just keep going. 

The first 3Km of the Alpe D’Huez is the steepest (10%-11% with the majority between 7-9%), my strategy was to get to turn 1 and see how I was, got there and took a rest with cramp coming in waves in different leg muscles. A drink and off again. This was my plan for the 21 turns – to question myself if I was OK to carry on if not take a rest and a drink. There were two drink stations on the mountain climb. On both I got off the bike and drank a lot (this helped with the cramp) and took on more gels. It looks like the temperature on the whole climb was just over 30 degrees so not surprising I needed extra liquid. 

As we climbed, I passed people vomiting, pushing their bikes or lying on the side of the road. This was now a mental challenge along with the physical – yes it was tough but it is so easy to say “I am in pain so I will give up”. My goal was the mat that said “STOP” at the entrance to the transition and walking was not an option.

Turn 9-10-11 wow over halfway. I did stupidly look “up” with which I could see the road winding up and way up high were the hotels of Alpe D’Huez…Then turn 21… I had cycled the rest of the section the day before so felt I could do it… then there was Liz and Josh cheering me on as I cycled up the last climb and into town – just the psychological push I needed. Through the town and to the mystical “STOP” mat made it, now for the run… I have never cycled for that long on a bike in my life, 7 hours (well, there were a few stops).

Found my place in transition, realising that I was in an area with missing bikes – I was quicker than the others I had spoken to before the start which was quite a surprise. Bike racked, socks and shoes on (had to lay down to do this as my legs were in spasm) then off on the three lap “run” (I didn’t do much of this). The run started on tarmac but was mainly off-road dusty mountain paths and over a couple of small streams.

I soon realised my stomach was hurting, maybe due to untested gels so running was difficult but jogged on. Alpe D’Huez is at 1800m / 5,400 feet and my breathing was not easy when I tried to jog uphill. I soon came to the conclusion that I walk uphill and run/jog on flat and down. Each lap was a 100+m up to the turn then mainly down back to the start. Part of the down was along the airstrip which was probably at a gradient of 30% so quite hard on the legs. Again, I passed people vomiting or others screaming out in pain as cramp hit them or others who had just given up and were flat out on the grass.

Lap two and another band collected… yeah one lap to go and my stomach was feeling fine. I caught up with an English bloke (your country’s flag was on your number) I congratulated him on getting this far for him to tell me he didn’t make the cutoff at the bottom of Alpe D’Huez so had his timing chip taken off him but was allowed to carry on to cycle up the mountain but was only permitted to do one lap of the run, there were quite a number of people in the same position with 1,626 starters and 1,226 finishers (353 did not complete the race). This really brought it home to me that to come this far and not finish must be devastating.

Then back to fast walking up another hill and down the runway and into the finish shoot – wow I finished and with time to spare on the cutoff – 14 th out of 42 in my age group. My slowest ever half marathon but for me it was all about the finishing. That was a longer day that I had planned for with a total time of just over 10 hours

Collected my medal and a big bowl of pasta then went back to the apartment for a shower to get rid of the sweat, and goo from gels and drink which I was covered in.

The next day we went sightseeing to return during the medium triathlon race. I was amazed at the number of people pushing their bikes up Alpe D’Huez – I guess as the same for me they had greatly underestimated the challenge. As mentioned, I had grave doubts as if I would make the cutoffs on the bike but the fear makes the finishing even better.

Would I do it again? It is a great race and quite an experience but I probably wouldn’t do it again but maybe another one – always good to set yourself a challenge.

Now to start training for the GB Team World Champs race in Spain in September.