THE TOURMALET DUATHLON!!!!!!!

WOOHOOO! THE TOURMALET DUATHLON...the last test before the French long distance Duathlon Championships in the Pyrenees on July 20th.

The Tourmalet event started at 1pm on saturday...atlast a race with a reasonable start time! We took off with a bang, ladies first. The start was infront of the Bagnerres de Bigorre Casino and from there it was up a switch back on the road and then right into the woods, up more, through more woods and a long descent before cresting the top of the next climb and down into town. 5kms of lovely terrain. By km 2 there were 2 of us, myself and Anne Sophie from Lourdes. On the next climb I wanted to test myself so I accelerated a tad to see what would happen... by the top of the rise I was alone though I could hear Anne Sophie not so far off. I kept the pace until the bike park and was the first woman in followed closely by Nicolas Capoferri who won the event last year as well as the upcoming event in the Pyrenees. He was out before me on his bike and I managed to keep him in sight for about 15kms....The next few men started to catch me after km 18...the ride up the Tourmalet was actually quite nice, a bit brutal yes, but nice all the same....The toughest part of this day was the 6kms run on the ski slopes up top over hill and dale, up a steep climb or two and full blast down hill sort of sideways?? IT was about here I asked myself, Dont I have anything else to do on my weekends?? All the same I was thrilled to finish and even more thrilled to win as I was dead tired last week and starting to wonder if Id make it to the end of the month.....
Photos to come soon, am waiting on the race photographer...In the meantime this sunday we'll be riding the famous ETAPE DU TOUR with TREK
a mild 7am start, 160kms with a mild rise or two in the middle over the Tourmalet, again, and finish on the Hautacam. Somehow I have dossard 12, my boyfriend has dossard 8932......