AIN'T NO MOUNTAIN HIGH ENOUGH
220 Triathlon|October 2022
WHAT'S IT LIKE TO RACE ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL AND CHALLENGING RACES IN THE WORLD? WE JOIN MEMBERS OF THE EAST ESSEX TRIATHLON CLUB AT THE ALPE D'HUEZ TRIATHLON TO FIND OUT...
ROB SLADE
AIN'T NO MOUNTAIN HIGH ENOUGH

Just two weeks ago, Alpe d’Huez was swamped by an onslaught of cyclists and spectators as the Tour de France rolled through and Brit Tom Pidcock took an incredible stage win. Today, those iconic 21 bends are once again flooded with people, 220 included, but this time it’s triathletes taking part in the bucket-list long-distance race at the Alpe d’Huez Triathlon.

We arrive under the cover of darkness a few days before, experiencing the mythical climb not by sight, but by feel. The car engine screams as we gain altitude, swinging around corner after corner. Every now and then the flash of headlights reveals the chalky remnants of the Tour and the tight apex of a hairpin bend. The excitement is palpable, and we’re not even racing.

Our first sight true of the infamous bends comes the following morning. The air is still, there’s not a cloud in the sky and a winding ribbon of grey stands out in stark contrast to the sea of green trees and fields in the background. Across the valley we can see the jagged peaks of the Écrins National Park. It’s a formidable backdrop, and it’s one that competitors will have to conquer to reach the finish line.

There’s an energy here and it’s emanating from the road. We feel it all week. It ebbs out of the steady stream of cyclists tackling its 1,120m of ascent in the day and the atmosphere is thick with it as we sit out in the evening sun enjoying a pizza while athletes load up on carbs around us.

هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة October 2022 من 220 Triathlon.

ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.

هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة October 2022 من 220 Triathlon.

ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.

المزيد من القصص من 220 TRIATHLON مشاهدة الكل
How to Carb Load - Packing your working cells with carbohydrates in the build-up to your big race is a proven strategy to race stronger and faster...
220 Triathlon

How to Carb Load - Packing your working cells with carbohydrates in the build-up to your big race is a proven strategy to race stronger and faster...

Whichever distance triathlon you're racing, the intensity and duration of your activity will see your body tap into its stores of carbohydrates (in the form of glycogen) to power your effort. While it's possible to top up your tank on the go, it's better to start your event with your stores full to the brim.

time-read
5 mins  |
October 2024
The Olympic Champion - On 31 July, Great Britain's Alex Yee put together arguably the greatest one-day performance we have ever seen at an Olympic Games to win gold. And we were there at the finish line to speak to tri's new poster boy...
220 Triathlon

The Olympic Champion - On 31 July, Great Britain's Alex Yee put together arguably the greatest one-day performance we have ever seen at an Olympic Games to win gold. And we were there at the finish line to speak to tri's new poster boy...

The opening line of the race report read how 20 years on from New Zealand’s first and only Olympic triathlon gold medal, Hayden Wilde had put in a careerbest performance to regain the title for his nation. Then Alex Yee comes around the corner.Yee’s charge, seemingly from nowhere on the final lap of the 10km run in Paris, didn’t just help him become the most decorated Olympic male triathlete of all time, and didn’t just cap a rivalry that has been building for six years, it left seasoned watchers of swim, bike, run in awe. It will go down as one of the greatest triathlon races; Yee, still just 26, as one of the greatest triathletes. His medals from Paris added to the two from Tokyo, leaving his haul at two gold, a silver and a bronze, and counting.

time-read
5 mins  |
October 2024
"I HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO INFLUENCE THE GROWTH OF TRIATHLON"
220 Triathlon

"I HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO INFLUENCE THE GROWTH OF TRIATHLON"

British Triathlon CEO Ruth Daniels talks Paris, her plans to grow tri and her own personal goals... knees allowing

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2 mins  |
October 2024
ZWIFT RIDE
220 Triathlon

ZWIFT RIDE

£1,199.99 Zwift's new Ride is an indoor bike that might help you break your PB... but won't break the bank

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1 min  |
October 2024
PARIS SHOWED THE VALUE OF OLYMPIC EXPERIENCE
220 Triathlon

PARIS SHOWED THE VALUE OF OLYMPIC EXPERIENCE

With the spotlight on triathlon like never before at these Games, debutant athletes talked about being overwhelmed by the unique environment

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3 mins  |
October 2024
GAMES AT THE GAMES
220 Triathlon

GAMES AT THE GAMES

After watching and enjoying the Olympic triathlon events, Brunt amused himself by playing the 'guess how far into each event I would die' game...

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3 mins  |
October 2024
WHERE EAGLES DARE
220 Triathlon

WHERE EAGLES DARE

With little heat prep, the wrong gear choice and a course-recce mistake, would experienced extreme triathlete Sean McFarlane soar like an eagle or drop like a stone in Italy?

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7 mins  |
October 2024
HOW TO INCREASE RUN PACE WHEN FATIGUED
220 Triathlon

HOW TO INCREASE RUN PACE WHEN FATIGUED

The ability to dig deep in the latter stages of a race helped Alex Yee achieve Olympic gold. Here Ben, a member of Team GB's coaching staff in Paris, explains how you too can find that extra gear...

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10+ mins  |
October 2024
BUYER'S GUIDE: BIKE COMPUTERS
220 Triathlon

BUYER'S GUIDE: BIKE COMPUTERS

Log your rides, find your way and monitor your multisport training with a quartet of impressive bike computers...

time-read
7 mins  |
October 2024
POLAR GRIT X2 PRO
220 Triathlon

POLAR GRIT X2 PRO

\"You can't be anything other than impressed with the GPS, whose design is one of the significant changes to the V3\"

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2 mins  |
October 2024