Sponsor Ciaran Doran at : https://mydonate.bt.com/fundraisers/ciarandoranbeforethetour
On stage 18 we passed close by the bottom of Alp d’Huez and wondered how it would feel in a few days time as we came to our last day. The feelings are mixed and emotional.
Due to the professional tour route clashing with our last day from Modane the officials are not permitting anyone onto the Col de la Croix Fer from the St Jean de Maurienne side after about 8am. This means that if we were to do that climb we would probably have to do it during the night or wee small hours of the morning. Logistically that was impossible so our organising team have taken the safe decision if not risking anyone’s safety or mechanical side on the climb and decided that we should start on the other of the first col and simply do a warm up and the Alp d’Huez.
Of all the climbs in the Tour de France Alp d’Huez is probably one of the most iconic. Only 14km in length with 21 hairpin bends the route is certain to be packed with spectators and revellers who have been enjoying the summer tour spirit for a few days now. Bend number 10 is Irish Corner and I hope to stop there for a special photo. Bend number 7 is well known as Dutch Corner and I probably won’t get a choice but to stop there ! A couple of years ago one of the professional riders, an Australian I believe, was handed a beer as the tour proceeded up the mountain and he took it and kept riding ! That’s the spirit.
Looking forward to meeting old friends and relations who have turned up on the route.
So over the breech we go – I will update the blog once we’ve done.
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In Allemont I was met by some old friends from Guildford who heard we were coming through. They had made a sign “Ciaran Doran is a Star” and we had some photos by the tour bus. It was lover of them to come down into the valley to meet us for the send off.
There were thousands of cyclists on the road today as many were heading up the mountain to see the tour and many others off to do the Alp d’Huez stage. After what seemed like an age we finally got going with our motorcycle outriders. After watching so many other individuals and groups moving and squeezing through the little village and into the countryside I felt like we were royalty when our motorcade crew stopped cars and traffic for us to get through to the main road to Bourg d’Oasin. The route to the bottom of the climb was only 20km and went fast as we rolled at quite a speed – that was partly our aim to warm the legs and partly excitement in wanting to get to the climb.
We hit the bottom of Alp d’Huez hard and fast and a few riders, as expected, went off the front right away, spinning fast and looking to make great time to the top. I moved out into my own space and stayed at a specific pace right up to bend 3 where I then pulled out some stops.
So many riders all the way up the mountain. So many people of different abilities. There were young people who weighed as much as my right leg who flew past me and there were older riders who weighed half as much again as me and who were pushing hard and making it. What an incredible achievement. It’s fantastic to see cycling becoming a sport that ordinary people are using to challenge their physical abilities and challenge their minds to the extent of what they’re capable.
Seeing he sign notifying us of bend 21 was great as it showed at we were clearly on the climb now, just in case the gradient hadn’t given t away before now!
Once I got into a rhythm, perhaps not he fastest rhythm in our team but certainly one I was very proud of, I kept it steady and was eating the bends steadily. On bend number 12 there was a little boy struggling to get back on he pedals so with some pride in remembering my own sons who raced as juniors I was able to help him with a gentle push which he was able to use to get back on the road. He did, however, try to keep up with me and I could hear some severe gasping from behind until he stopped a couple of bends later.
Bend 10 was supposed to be Irish corner and whilst there were flags on the wall and a few motorhomes with Irish flags it wasn’t really anything to write home about. On the way down I stopped for a photo with Geoff Thomas under the tricolour and the Donegal flag and he only person I could find to take he photo was French! Never mind.
Onward and upward has never been so true on this mountain and so up we went to see what the action was like at bend number 7 which is known as Dutch Corner.
Impressive paintings on the road, many Dutch in place by the roadside and most of the mountain seemed to be orange I colour. Loud music was motivating and helped get into a rhythm again until someone with a hosepipe simply soaked me through with freezing cold water. It seems like a great idea but he shock is not pleasant ! Anyway, they meant well and the music and atmosphere helped eat up another couple of bends. Before I knew it I was looking at the sign saying bend 4 and knew that it was nearly done. Once I got to bend 3 I began to push hard and started passing people – I know, not my usual style as its usually the other way round. From somewhere I seemed to find extra strength. Knowing it was the last climb, knowing it was the last spurt f serious energy I needed to give and knowing that it would soon all be over in the mountains is probably what enabled it.
As ever, the route designers don’t make the simple. When we got to Alp d’Huez we could simply have stopped in the village where it was straight and flat, but no, we had to proceed further up the hill through a tunnel around another couple of hairpin bends, onto another straight and around a corner to find a big and wide uphill that looked like it was taking us out to the mountainous countryside. That’s where the spectator seating was all arranged and where a tiny little white line marking the finish line at the top of the hill.
The riders who finished first were there to celebrate our finish over the line and I was happy to not be the first nor the last in the pack, I was myself and hats all I needed to be. I’d done it, got there, achieved what I came to achieve by riding every stage of the Tour de France 2015 in aid of Cure Leukaemia
We’re on our way to Paris now in a roasting hot coach where the air conditioning doesn’t work! The temperature is 39c and everyone is wishing they we’re back in their bikes where there’s at least the chance of some cool breezes from time to time. But this is no time to complain. This has been an incredible experience and an amazing event. A great team of people were behind the riders the whole way and without them there’s no way we could have done this event or enjoyed it as much. So a huge thank you to all of them!
The aim of this ride was to bring a group of amateurs together to take on a challenge that few others would dare attempt. Taking on such a challenge was as audacious as Henri Degranges originally intended in 1903 when he created this challenge and it is either madness, sadiatic, or a dream come true. I know where my heart lay.
We came together to begin something special by raising £1million to enable the charity to hire more nurses, implement more drug trials and in turn both save more lives and make small steps towards finding a cure for leukaemia and wipe it off he earth as an illness. I sincerely hope we can make this happen as we cruise towards the total of £1million.
If you haven’t had the chance to do so yet, please do donate or share this blog to as many people as possible so they can donate. Every small donation will help save lives and contribute towards finding the cure for leukaemia.
Thank you.
Thank you to our sponsors, without whom this challenge would not be possible.