The challenge: to cycle, in one day, the toughest stage of the Tour de France, 120 miles through the French Alps from Gap to Alpe D'Huez which included riding over three hors category mountains (big buggers!) in the searing July heat.

The team: Martin Orrill, Craig Middleton and Tony Johnson had all accepted the challenge of raising money for the Alison Middleton memorial fund in memory of Craig's wife Alison who died whilst giving birth to their twins. The twins survived thanks to the baby care unit at Walsgrave hospital, the mission was raising money to buy the hospital a new incubator

10 mins before the start in Gap

The Report: The day started with a very very early alarm call at 3am, it was Monday the 10th of July, the day after the world cup final and our plans of an early night had already gone out of the window with Zidane's head butt. After a quick breakfast we boarded the intense and nervous coach to the start line. After some very hot, humid and overcast days this one was sapphire blue without a cloud in sight - Bugger, it's going to be a hot one!!

We disembarked, got changed into our race gear, applied lashings of cream to prevent saddle sores (Tony overdid it a bit here!!) and made our way to the start line. If you watch the Tour du France the spectacle of 150 assembled riders in the peleton during the tour is something special so it's hard to describe the atmosphere with over 8,000 testosterone charged riders champing at the bit on a tree lined avenue in Gap.

The thermometer had already hit nearly 30 degrees C and it was only 7am!!!!

A start claxon sounded and we marvelled at the surreal noise of 8,000 pedals being "clicked in", the tremor rippled down the avenue like a living being!!! Kerb to kerb congestion meant 20 minutes to just cross the start line; (our start numbers placed us near the back of the field) Once we got going French roads are deliciously smooth and cycling on the flat can be a real pleasure

Out of Gap the pace was really clipping along, it was our first experience on riding in a peleton and it takes a lot of concentration, the other challenge is not to increase the pace too much early on. It feels like you are going backwards as hundreds of riders appear to be passing effortlessly. Our concentration soon broke and Craig and I were winging along with the crowd whilst Tony was more conservative (proved a better strategy in the end!!)

The first of three feed stations was located on an uphill at the base of the Col d'Izoard and brought the field to a complete standstill as we queued for drinks.

The Col d'Izoard was looming, it's the first real climb of the race and rises 4800 ft over 40km and climbs up past the tree line into an arid moonscape. The severity of the slope is dizzying as you look down at the snaking line of riders coming up the Col behind you. Boy was I glad of a triple chainset!! (Craig and Tony had now stopped taking the piss out of my "Girlie" accessory).

That one long hot and vicious climb had taken nearly three hours and we were now dripping with sweat as we crossed the summit.

The top of the Col D'Izoard was the second feed station in a scene reminiscent of a refugee shelter, begging for water with 100s of other racers pressing against the back of a truck Tony had gone through the station earlier and I managed to commandeer some water for us both as Craig arrived at the top of the first climb.

The first alpine descent was as hard going down (nearly) as the ascent was going up, with the addition of extreme fear kicking in to boot. The continental riders are fearless. I saw three separate ambulances on that first big descent all tending to people that had careered off the edge of the road. There were loads of riders with punctures. The roads were pristine so I assume the flats were caused from the hot ambient temperatures (well over 35 degrees C on this descent) as well as the heating of rims from braking during so much on the descents. I took note of that and really tried to limit my braking to the rear wheel with only occasional emergency braking with the front wheel. My hands, arms, shoulders and neck especially were on fire at the base of the climb from the braking. It was however very very exciting!!

The Col d 'Lautaret's was our second mountain to climb, the gradient wasn't as steep, but made up for it in length, the whole climb was into a slight headwind blowing down the valley. We were really starting to feel the fatigue setting in at the top of this climb, Craig was cramping badly and in agony.

Unlike the previous climb, there was no feed station at the top. Craig and I had a quick team meeting and decided this race was now not about style, time or position but just survival to the finish (we could not let our sponsors and charity down!) Blissful finishing however was still a long way off and we were not at all certain we could make it.
(tip here - having your hotel at the finish line gives you a certain motivation to get to the end!!)

After a short rest, the road was 40km of descending until the foot of L'Alpe d'Huez. It was not a technical descent, but at times it was very very fast.

The Alpe D'Huez:
Whoever put one of cycling's most difficult mountains at the end of a 120 mile bike race must have chuckled with sadistic pleasure at this vicious final stage as they designed the route.

The ascent up L'Alpe D'Huez was always going to be tough. We heard the first 3km of the 14 km climb to the finish was extreme with the average gradient of those opening kms at 10-12% with some portions to almost 15%.
It didn't disappoint………..

Eight of the Alpe D'Huez 21 hairpin turns

Tony had run out of water and had to resort to filling his water bottles from mountain streams. The temperature was 38+ degrees with not a cloud in the sky or tree for shade. The climb was lined with racers who had climbed off their bikes and were slumped at the side of the road waiting for some energy and resolve to creep back into their body so they could continue. Tony commented afterwards that strangely seeing those on the side of the road gave him more energy and determination to continue.

Each of the 21 hairpins on L'Alpe D'Huez are marked with a number starting at 21 and declining as you climb through the corners to No1 at the top. The names of tour greats were already spray painted onto the road in anticipation of this year's stage 15 only 7 days away with people already looking like they were there to stake out their spot for when the tour proper rolled through. On this day though they were watching us pretenders grind our way up the Alpe in stifling heat after riding over 100 miles of intense terrain. The carnage must have been quite entertaining.

About two thirds of the way up the alpe…

In that heat and after that many hours of racing, the climb up the final Alp was amazingly hard. You never know whether to sit on the saddle or stand to pedal as both was so painful. Craig's cramp was now extreme and he was teaching me new words!!! Race vehicles regularly stopped and asked if we were OK and would like a lift to the top, it took heaps of determination to wave them on and let the pain continue.

The finish at the top of the Alpe was a massive relief and we got Craig quickly into a café for a sit down as he was really suffering from the effects of the cramps.
I especially appreciated the standing ovation from many of the riders in the cafés who had finished earlier but recognise how hard it was for riders to actually complete in over 14 hours.

This was truly brutal day. Glorious, but brutal.

Race Stats

Over 3,000 riders did not complete the distance from the 8,500 who started !!

We think we will have raised circa £15k when all of the pledges are counted in, your support is very much appreciated.

Meeting again at the finish line the next morning feeling a great sense of achievement……….

Profile of the course

A 191 km distance sufferfest over the 7800ft (elevation) Col D'Izoard, the 6800ft Col d'Lauteret and ending with a climb up the fabled 21 switchbacks of the 6100ft L'Alpe D'Huez. 12000 total feet of climbing over 85k of climbing up just three of the Col's (mountains) on the course. Closer to 15000 plus feet of climbing if you add in all the smaller" hills" through the route.