My First L'Etape Du Tour Was A Disaster.
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- Опубліковано 21 сер 2023
- My First L'Etape Du Tour Was A Disaster.
A huge thank you to Tissot for inviting me to join their team at this year's L'Etape du Tour!
With around 16,000 participants it was absolute madness and definitely an experience I will NEVER forget.
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Absolutely brutal day. It got worse & worse tbh - the climb up the Ramaz was just horrific in 40+ degrees. I broke completely at the top of that climb after feeling sick when i woke at 5am. Couldn't eat or drink properly all day. Finished almost dead last on the day after dragging myself to finish line atop the Joux Plane. So many people say it was the most brutal Etape theyve done. I just saw people collapsing everywhere, being put in ambulances. I saw someone literally pass out while riding up the Ramaz. Its absolutely no shame listening to your body in such circumstances. Making it to the end despite being almost 4 hrs behind my target time was for me the most incredible achievement- i simply wasnt leaving France without a medal but it absolutely broke me & it took weeks to process the contrasting emotions from the day. Bring on Etape 24 though when we get a chance to make amends
Try 210 km and 4900m of D+ (Pau-Luchon 2012), with 4°c at the Tourmalet and 6°c at the Aubisque, rainy during the fisrt 170 km, and i think you feel EDT 2023 was not so brutal in fact...
@francoisb.4710 piece of piss tbh
I strolled round Mallorca 225km route with similar amount of climbing. I live in Yorkshire & those temps are standard between October and March. I don't think you have a clue tbh
I did the Etape in 2019 when it was "only" in the mid-30s. The last 35 km climb to Val Thorens was pure hell. Many thousands didn't finish. I think it's like this every year at the Etape when it's hot. You just can't train for the heat unless you're a pro.
Love how you kept it real, happens to all of us at some point. You could have magically edited the video to hide the struggles you were having but respect to you for being honest with your struggles! 🤙🏼👍🏼
Well done Keira, that was a tough call but the right one, of course. You'll enjoy it all the more when you return next year. 😊
Everybody wo loves cycling has gone trough this. The inner battle against yourself can be the hardest thing ever. Thank you for sharing and letting us be part
Hi there. Thank you so much for posting this video. My brother in France sent it to me and said I should watch this. I came over to see my brother last summer and did the same grand Fondo and as I was watching you, I couldn’t believe how similar it was to my experience. I can totally relate with how you felt both physically mentally, and the tears. I should’ve come and found you at the top of the col de Feu as I was also sitting there for about an hour with very similar feelings. I sat in the shade behind some of those trucks trying to feel remotely normal, and then texted my sister-in-law to say that I would be Descending this col and could she pick me up in Chalex. I don’t know what it was, but I managed to get myself together and struggled through the remainder of the race. I will say that I only started to feel normal as I was descending into Morzine. All the way up the Col de Jeux P people were on the side of the road in the shade in the oppressive heat. The final col took me a long time to climb and it was miserable. I totally think you made the right decision.. A big risk yes but I don’t think I was feeling as bad as you have described. I think you made totally the right decision and you are not alone. Thank you again for posting this video and your thoughts and leaving your ego at home. I think opportunities like this, make us all so much stronger. We see it in the pro races and it’s not always a Rosie picture for us all. It often comes down as you know so the weather on the day and how you feel on the day , well done again and congratulations and thank you for posting this. I don’t know if I’ll be making the trip to Nice this summer as it’s a long way from North Carolina but I very much hope to do this amazing experience once more.
I was the same. 3 punctures and heat stroke at the top of the Ramaz. It was the worst feeling I’ve ever had on a bike with that heat. I’m determined to go back and finish it next year in nice. That feeling of disappointment is fueling winter training. Keep the head up you will get there and hope to see you on the slopes next year
Happens to many but few have the strength to share 💪
Looked like a very tough day out! Well done Keira, with your experience it seemed like the right call, and fair play for still trying to enjoy the event! cheers for documenting and sharing! on to the next!
Thanks for sharing your emotions with us, we're not invincible, stay strong.
Thanks again, wish you the best and always have fun!
Many thanks for your video as I enjoy these immensely, however it was very brave to realise within the event that the body was fighting something and it was not going to happen.Your decision was correct and the safe one to make for you and other riders. As a class rider you will have learnt significantly from this and are now that bit wiser. I am looking forward to your video from next year as you will SMASH it.Keep up the hard work and may see you on the roads in Girona next March.
Well done for trying Keira, it happens to all of us at some point, I did the Haute Route Pyrenees and on the 6th day it was that hot, I couldn't go on any further as I depleted all my energy plus ran out of water, so I sat under a tree, the ambulance came and asked me if I was ok, I just needed that kick of energy to get me back up the next two mountain summit's, they had a few bottles of coke and I gulped it down, and then the energy came and I was ready to finish the ride..
When it's hot and riding altitude, your body isn't used to it and your body starts to suffer, I find rides like this always eat what ever food they have and coke that's high in sugar to boost your energy levels up, I've never done that ride but always fancied doing it, I know it's a tough one day ride for sure.. but at least you took on the challenge and maybe next time you'll be more prepared and ready within yourself 👍 well done Keira 🚴
Always love your videos take care !
Hardest cycle experience of my life..... had all the same feels but managed to finish it. Well done for trying and give it your all. Onwards an upwards!
you win some, you lose some - respect for your effort and posting the emotions! Keep up the good work!
Such a great try - you needed a hug before the beer. So happy you tried, and thanks for sharing. Any long-distance cyclist can identify with your experience we have all been there.
So sorry you couldn't complete...but it was nice to watch along the way. No worries, you'll be able to do it again and will hopefully feel much better & complete it
It was so warm the week of this event, don't be sad , you can not be always on the top the D-day , and bravo for having the courage to broadcast this video of this difficult time for you. I hope to see you there the next year 😉, i must take a revenge too !
L'Etape du Tour is never easy - my first one was a bit of a disaster after I went over the edge of the Cormet de Roselend 2 days before. After the 5th in 2006, I swore never again. But I did return in 2018, and the only reason I finished was because the other option (waiting for hours to get picked up) was less palatable. I won't be doing another one! Very hard to properly train for if you're based in a relatively flat, mild coundtry
Some Excellent cinematogrophy in this, and do not feel bad about having to scratch the ride, this year has been a funny one where everyone I know who rides has, had to pull out and scratch or crashed/been hit or some other mad reason. Safe to ride another day and maybe risk it on another occasion for a biscuit!
Bless you!!! That looked ROUGH. Nice high 5 with Didi the Devil at the start though!❤❤❤
The heat that day was a killer, I had my moment on the Ramaz where i very nearly turned around and gave up. Only brute stubbornness saw me through to the end!
This was also my first L'Etape and I made the huge mistake of calculating my estimated speed correctly. Set off with the last wave almost 2hours after the first starters but nearly finished in the top 4000. It was hot yes and you could hear ambulances from time to time on the two larger cols but nothing too crazy. I hope I finish better next year in Nice with an earlier start. It is just crazy in your video how empty the feeding stations were. The first one was so full, it started jamming the road 100m or more before, making me lose time.
Bummer, there is nothing worse than feeling sick and bonking out when you are trying to push yourself to carry on -- a really horrible space to be in. Well done for pulling the plug and scratching - brave and wise decision. Your health and safety is way more important than completing some event. There will be many more opportunities to seek redemption and success.
It was a hectic day but it highlights how important training for this kind of event is. It's especially hard to simulate this experience without being in the alps, but doing hill reps for the same completion time, you are hoping for, really helped me out when I got to a similar stage. Best of luck if you ever try this again.
Excellent bonk video. People who have never bonked don't know what it feels like!
Does your knee not hit the top tube bag when you are climbing out of the saddle? That watch is huge. Good weight training for cyclist arms.
don't let it get you down... And it was like that for me the first time.. I give up.. but now I know what I have to do.. stay healthy and you will manage it.. keep cycling keep healthy! petros from 🇬🇷 Greece! !
Sometimes the body rules the mind. We all have limits and times to just stop and recharge. You were part of something epic and for that you should rejoice. What happened was just your body reaction to the effort, and no one knows how the body reacts to huge efforts like this one. Thanks for your honesty and taking us with you even when things didn't go as planned.
bummer that you couldn't finish but thank you for the honest insight!
So Brave to attempt such a challenge. Even Braver to share.
Great effort! It’s so easy to underestimate Alpine cycling.
I’m wondering about the former world champ bands on the Tissot jerseys?
These events are so hard because you don't get the food and water like the pros do or you have to carry enough to refuel at the right time. The hesyr is tough as i live in a hot zone in summer and u avoid the hottest parts of the day as i just can't get enough fluids on long rides. Heat stroke is real and athletes can have muscle meltdown if not careful.
I participated in the Etape as well, seemed like no matter how much training or how good your fuelling plan is, you just can't train for the heat (43 degrees C on Ramaz)
I didn't even make the start line . Mechanical issues with the freehub. Decided to not start and spent the day in Geneva did a couple of yoga classes and that was it and ate ice cream
This is why I don’t like cycling in the Alps. Unpassable in autumn/winter/spring and usually way too hot in the summer.
Most of us who’ve been riding for a while have been where you are. Quitting when you did is very wise. Had you kept going the outcome would not have been good.
Awesome 👏.
10:45 The tiger behind you… But more seriously, good crack - sometimes back luck with illness, heat or whatever hits and kudos for realizing the right decision was to scratch.
Good luck on L'Etape 2024!
I managed to drag myself round but was so nauseous at the end I couldn't even drink the free beer or have more than a couple of mouthfuls of pasta. I think it was a combination of the heat and all those gels and energy bars. Seemed to be a common complaint. Let's hope this years will be a bit cooler... Nice, oh shit. 🤣
I can feel your frustration. It's a shame your body rebelled, starting the before the ride. You'll be back stronger than ever Biscuit, soon I'm sure.
Not so sure it rebelled vs doing what a body does when you don't train for a tough event😂
At least you tried and you will come back stronger 👏
Next time Keira! I just think you just start slower than you think you should, especially with this heat!
Weird, I've bonked hard on sportives but after a good feedzone I'm mostly good enough to continue, but yeah I'm slow from the start xD.
Too much performance anxiety don't give up❤
Thank god you are human, and you got the guts to show it. Well played
3:29 - was it the genuine Didi the Devil - that would have made my day.
It was!! Damn my Go Pro angle cutting his head off xD
Sounds like you suffered from heat acclimatisation or like you said maybe ate something off. My friend suffered from the heat on the first days of an alps tour we did earlier this year. Was being sick mid ride one day and had to cut two days short. Fair play to him though he carried on and on the last day was back to ripping my legs off
"Listen to your body" - yes. Way better than your recent videos this one.
Dat rollie on the wrist 😮💨
In which discipline are you an ex world champion?
of course...
brave girl
😁
I assume you underestimated the heat and the toll it has on the body, when you enthusiastically start the race. If you're used to being able to put out a certain power in average conditions, but then suddenly compete in the heat, you simply drive too fast without knowing.
Rotten fortune.. bad luck! Sometimes everything works in perfect harmony and one floats. Then..other times not!
I don't know, how your state was on the Ketone experiment, but what you experienced sounded a lot like what I had heard from other people, who had experimented with it. However, very sad to see you so down and disappointed about yourself. :(
So many riders wearing UCI world champion stripes. Legitimate?? Including Keira on the arms. Which worlds has Keira won?
Brompton world champs baby 😆 but yeah I agree on the wc stripes should be reserved for the proper peeps 😊
Yes I remember that race..you had so much fun on that tiny bike😂
Especially note legitimate for ex-pro (ish)