Higher Calling
Page 27
Musette: Small cotton bag used to pass food to cyclists during races.
Palmarès: The roll call of a cyclist’s race wins and achievements.
Parcours: A fancy French way of saying ‘route’ – though it encompasses the race’s ups and downs as well as its lefts and rights.
Soigneur: Team helper with multifarious roles. Everything from masseur to rider’s confidant, adviser, healer and spiritual guide. Helps riders learn to faire le métier. May also hand out food and drink on the road and undertake general dogsbodying. In the old days often an unofficial pharmacist, the guy who sorted out a rider’s soins.
Soins: Literally ‘care’ or ‘treatment’. Euphemistically, pills and drugs.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The thoughts and experiences that make up this book are ones that have preoccupied me for a long time, and to an extent everything I’ve worked on for years has added something to this book. But there are a few specific magazines to thank. First, Rouleur, who commissioned me to go and find René Vietto’s toe, thank you for letting me retell that story here. Similarly, I first wrote about Everesting for the Ride Journal, and there are bits of that article in the mix in that chapter. I wrote something very different about Everesting for Strava, but it’s for sending me to Andorra that I must thank them; and Meter sent me to Font Romeu to write about running, something that helped me explore the peculiar science of altitude. Thanks to Antton Miettinen, Camille McMillan and Andy Waterman for certain of the photos I’ve included.
And now to the main event: a thousand thank yous to Joe Dombrowski. If at any point I sound like a bit of a fanboy, that’s because I am, and I am in awe of what he and other professional riders do. It was an exciting privilege to get to know him and spend time on the inside of a Grand Tour preparation, at such an interesting and important time in his career. Also top of my list to thank is George Mallory for his enthusiastic response when I emailed, and for taking so much time to chat when he was on holiday in Europe. It was a pleasure and an inspiration to spend a day or two with him. Then many thanks to everyone else I talked to or met, roughly in order of appearance: Jean-Marie-André Fabron of the Nice roads department, and Aurelien, Didier, Éric and Bernard, the road-clearing crew; Jean Vietto, Jean Bertrand and Federico Bahamontes; Michael Horvath and Davis Kitchel of Strava; Mauro Vegni and Michele Acquarone; Dr Hugh Montgomery; and Jean-Pierre Benoit.
In addition, I’d like to thank Claude and Laurence Albert at the Gîte d’Étape de Bousiéyas for their hospitality and advice. Steve Jones for some interesting conversations, and for once again letting me make his writing retreat temporarily mine. Rémi and Ali for taking me to the Giro and sharing my love of these roads, as well as indulging my obsession with shepherds’ festivals. And Laura Meseguer, Hannah Troop and Sergi Munyoz for translating and helping with all things Spanish. Oliver Glackin, James Fairbank, Paul Duffy and Ross Hallard all at some point read bits of the draft and gave valuable feedback.
On the publishing side, thank you to my agent, Jon Elek, and big thanks to Matt Phillips, the editor who was enthusiastic enough to commission this when it was only a vague idea; then also to Tim Broughton, who took over the reins and very thoughtfully edited and helped it across the finish line. And to Fran Jessop, Mia Quibell-Smith and Bethan Jones and everybody at Yellow Jersey for all the work they do.
Some of the last things to happen in the production process were also some of the most important. Big thanks to both Mattieu Lifschitz, Monvelle.cc, and The Handmade Cyclist for their illustrated contributions – a beautiful map and amazing cover respectively.
Finally, thanks to Claire and Anton and John, for that first mad ride up the Bonette just before the snow fell in 2011.
FURTHER READING
Here’s a short list of some of the books I drew on when writing this, or ones that I have enjoyed and which have added to my understanding of cycling, the mountains, or both.
Aldo, Leopold A Sand Country Almanac
Barnes, Simon The Meaning of Sport
Blann, Michael Mountains: Epic Cycling Climbs
Bonatti, Walter The Mountains of My Life
Chany, Pierre La fabuleuse histoire du Tour de France
de Botton, Alain The Art of Travel
DeLillo, Don End Game
Écomusée du pays de Route des Grandes Alpes la Roudoule
Fignon, Laurent We Were Young and Carefree (translated by William Fotheringham)
Fotheringham, Alasdair The Eagle of Toledo: The Life and Times of Federico Bahamontes
Friebe, Daniel Mountain High: Europe’s 50 Greatest Cycle Climbs
Gourdon, Michel and Berger d’en haut Marie-Louise
Hutchinson, Michael Faster
Kimmelman, Michael The Accidental Masterpiece: On the Art of Life and Vice Versa
Macfarlane, Robert Mountains of the Mind: A History of a Fascination
McGann, Bill and Carol The Story of the Tour de France
Murakami, Haruki What I Talk About When I Talk About Running
Shepherd, Nan The Living Mountain: A Celebration of the Cairngorm Mountains of Scotland
Shoumatoff, The Alps: Europe’s Mountain Heart Nicholas and Nina
Terray, Lionel Conquistadors of the Useless: From the Alps to Annapurna
INDEX
The page references in this index correspond to the printed edition from which this ebook was created. To find a specific word or phrase from the index, please use the search feature of your ebook reader.
Page references in italics indicate photographs and illustrations.
Abran, Inspector General 52, 53, 55
Acquarone, Michele 167–9, 168n, 171–2, 171n, 173–5, 274, 277, 292
Agnel, Col, Alps 273
Albasini, Marcello 80
Ali, Muhammad 244
Allos, Col d’, Alps 96, 96, 173, 194
Alps 7, 10–11, 18, 20, 22, 32, 36, 48, 49, 64, 86, 98, 156, 170, 173, 184
first military crossing of (Hannibal) 9, 188–90, 205, 210
First World War and 192n, 204, 205, 210
Franco-Prussian War and 192–3
geological history of 218–19, 218n
Giro d’Italia and see Giro d’Italia
history of 9, 186–216
military bunkers in 9, 60, 124, 206–13, 208, 209, 214, 246, 282, 285, 297
mountains, routes, peaks see under individual place name
mule tracks/salt trade and 187–8
pictorial representations of 223, 226, 227–30, 227, 228
religious significance of 221–3, 224, 227
road building history in 190–203, 194, 195, 202, 203
road clearing in/winter closure of road sections 15–17, 20–1, 24–5, 26–40, 28, 31, 34, 37, 269, 277–9, 297–9, 297, 299
road cycling and see under individual climb and race name
Romanticism and 223, 226, 227–8
Second World War and 9, 43, 124, 182–3, 186, 206, 210–13, 246
sheep/shepherds/village life in 246–72, 249n, 251, 253, 254, 266, 271
tourism born on 204–5
wolf problem in 25, 27, 200, 251n, 257, 259–61, 262, 267, 298
see also under individual place name
Alsace-Lorraine 48, 192
altitude, pursuit of 221–44
acclimatisation and 237
altitude training (hypoxic training) 219–21, 230–44, 231n, 235
altitude training camps 219–21, 233–8, 239–44
CNEA (National Altitude Training Centre), Font Romeu. France and 233–6, 235, 237
El Teide, Tenerife and 217–21, 219n, 221, 233, 235, 236–8, 239–44, 275
history of 221–30
pictorial depiction of 227–30
religious significance of 221–3, 224, 227
sublime and 223–5
Andorra 6, 161–3, 175–80, 236n
Andorra La Vella, Andorra 161, 162, 175–6
Annapurna, Himalayas 233
Anquetil, Jacques 95, 103, 109
Argentera massif, Italy 122, 218n
Armstrong, Lance:
El Teide, Tenerife and 237
It’s Not About the Bike 127–8
Madone and 127–8, 129
Tour de France (1999) 127–8
Tour de France (2002) 90
Tour de France (2009) 9
Army of the Alps, French 194–5
Arribas, Carlos 108
Aru, Fabio 179, 180
Aspin, Col d’, Pyrenees 50, 52
introduction into Tour de France 55
Tour de France (1910) 55, 262
Tour de France (1950) 182, 185
Astana, Team 162, 177–8, 179, 220, 238, 243, 285, 287, 292, 293
Atapuma, Darwin 281, 284, 285, 286, 287, 288, 293, 294, 295
Aubisque, Col d’, Pyrenees 15
introduction into Tour de France 50, 52, 57–9
Tour de France (1910) 58–9, 261
Tour de France (1950) 182, 184–5
Tour de France (1969) 76
Aucouturier, Hippolyte 92
Audaxers (long distance cyclists) 197, 289–1
Augendre, Jacques 97
Augustine, Saint: Confessions 227
Augustyn, John-Lee 25, 110, 125
Aurelien (road-clearing crew member) 14, 15, 21, 26, 27, 28, 30, 31, 32, 33, 35, 36, 39–40, 277–8, 280–1, 298
Austria-Hungary 204, 210
Avant Poste du Col des Fourches 212–13
Bachar, John 135
Bahamontes, Federico ‘the Eagle of Toledo’ 107–19, 108n, 110n, 112, 113, 115, 124, 293
amateur cycling career 111
attacking tactics 112–13
birth and childhood 111
Col de la Bonette and 110, 118
Tour de France (1954) 113
Tour de France (1959) 114
Tour de France (1962) 110, 118
Tour de France (1964) 110, 118
Ballard, J. G. 207
Ballon d’Alsace, France 48–9, 59, 92–3
Barcelonette, France 197
Bardet, Romain 68, 173
Barèges, France 56
Barloworld 25
Barnes, Simon: The Meaning of Sport 76
Bartali, Gino 103, 286
Tour de France (1948) 183, 214
Tour de France (1949) 184
Tour de France (1950) 184, 185, 186, 215–16
Barthélemy, Arthur 93
Basque Country, Spain 160, 166
Bayard, Col, Alps 49
Beixalis, Collada de, Pyrenees 164–5
Belle et Sébastien (French TV series) 254, 258–59
Belvédère, Alps: shepherd’s festival in 253–6, 253n, 256
Benoit, Jean-Pierre 263–8, 263n, 266
Berge, General Baron 193–4, 198, 201
berger (herder) 253–4, 254n, 256, 256–58
Bernard (road-clearing crew member) 15, 21, 29, 35, 36, 278
Bertrand, René 100, 102–3, 104–5
Biagioni, Serafino 184
Binda, Alfredo 185, 186
Blake, William vii
Blann, Michael: Mountains: Epic Cycling Climbs 121–2, 238
Bloch, Jan: Is War Now Impossible? 206
Blouberg, South Africa 135
BMC Racing 281
Bobet, Louison 183, 184, 216
Bonaparte, Napoleon 9, 182, 188, 190–1, 193
Bonatti, Walter 142, 155–7
Bonette, Cime de la, Alps viii, 44, 244, 246, 269, 298
beauty of 279
road 17, 18, 19
Tinée river and 124
Tour de France (1962) and 110
Tour de France (1964) and 110
Tour de France (2008) and 25
Bonette, Col de la, Alps viii, 10–11, 13, 15, 19, 68, 69, 140, 247, 297, 299
Bahamontes and 110, 118
barracks/bunkers on 204, 206, 209, 213
Citroën 2CV (‘Fourgonnette’), author attempts to drive to the top of 41–5, 45, 59–62, 61, 62
Giro d’Italia (2016) and 21–6, 58, 69, 197, 244, 275, 277–88, 282, 292–6
height of 10, 17–20, 19, 140, 244, 245
history of 18–19, 192, 196, 202–3, 204, 206, 209, 213
Nice-Bonette-Nice and 119–26, 120, 126
Parc National du Mercantour and 25
shepherds/sheep/mountain village life and 247–72, 249n, 251, 253, 254, 259, 262, 266, 271
Tour de France (1962) and 25, 110, 118
Tour de France (1964) and 25, 110, 118
Tour de France (1993) and 25, 110, 122, 125
winter closure/road clearance of 13–17, 20–1, 24–5, 26–40, 28, 31, 34, 37, 296–9, 297, 299
Bordeaux, France 19, 48
Bordeaux-Paris 46
Boswell, Ian 66, 133, 159, 176, 178, 179
Boucle de Sospel 96, 98, 103
Boulting, Ned 6
Bousiéyas, Alps 15–16, 18, 20, 26, 124, 186, 248, 261–5, 263n, 264, 269, 278, 284, 297
Brambilla, Pierre 104
Braus, Col de, Alps 98, 229, 229, 230
Breyer, Victor 58
Briançon, France 206
British Alpine Hannibal Expedition 188–90, 188
Brotherhood of St Roch 252–3
Brun, Gérard 263, 266
Brunel, Philippe 109n
bunkers, Alpine military 9, 60, 124, 206–13, 208, 209, 214, 246, 280, 285, 297
Burke, Edmund: A Philosophical Enquiry into the Origin of Our Ideas of the Sublime and the Beautiful 223–4
Caen, France 48
Caesar, Julius 188, 190
Camp des Fourches, Alps ix, 26, 124, 203, 211–13, 247, 263, 297–8
Cancellara, Fabian 97
Cannes, France 95, 98, 100, 103
Cannondale-Garmin:
altitude training and 220, 241–3, 275
Dombrowski signs contract with 66–7
Giro d’Italia (2016) and 240, 275
Tour of Utah (2015) and 78–9
Vuelta España (2015) and 176
Caserne de Restefond, Alps viii, 38, 279, 281
Cavendish, Mark 7
Cayolle, Col de la, Alps 194, 205
Cenis, Col du Mont, Alps 188, 190–1
Cerdan, Marcel 103
Champs, Col des, Alps 194
Chany, Pierre 183, 185
Chasseurs Alpins (‘Alpine Hunters’) see Diables Bleus, les (Blue Devils, the)/ Chasseurs Alpins (‘Alpine Hunters’)
Chaves, Esteban 176, 273, 274, 284, 285, 286, 287, 288, 293
Chez Siciliano, Marseille 104
Cho Oyu, Himalayas 235, 238–9
Chocolat Poulain 95n
Christophe, Eugène 90, 302
Cime de la Bonette see Bonette, Cime de la
Cioni, Dario 179–80
Citroën 2CV:
author attempts to drive 2CV ‘Fourgonnette’ up the Col de la Bonette 41–5, 45, 59–62, 61, 62
used to test difficulty of Tour de France climbs 45–6, 52, 53
Clapier, Col de, Alps 188, 189–90
climber/grimpeur 6
invention of 90–1
legendary 88–126, 94, 96, 99, 103, 105, 107, 112, 113, 115 see also under individual climber name
life of modern pro see Dombrowski, Joe
climbing, mountain see mountaineering
CNEA (National Altitude Training Centre), Font Romeu. France 234, 235, 237
Cold War 214
Colombia, Team 176
Contador, Alberto 77, 90, 169
Coppi, Fausto 64, 87, 274, 293
Tour de France (1949) 183–4
Tour de France (1950) 114
Tour de France (1959) 114
Cormet de Roseland 207
Cornet, Henri 92
Corniche pass, Alps 190–1
Corniglione brothers 258–9
Corrieri, Giovanni 184
Cortals d’Encamp, Andorra 165
Côte d’Azur, France 23, 95, 101, 229
Côte de Laffrey
, Alps 49
Critérium du Dauphiné (2015) 173
Croix de Fer, Col de la, Alps 15, 205, 214
Cycling Weekly 128, 132n
CyclingNews 176
CyclingTips 137–8, 146, 275
cyclotouristes 51, 197
Danielson, Tom 66, 78–9, 129
Dark Glow of the Mountains, The (film) 8
Daumal, René: Mount Analogue 226–7
de Botton, Alain: The Art of Travel 224
de Gaulle, Charles 233
‘death drives’, Freud theory of 87
Defoe, Daniel 225
Delgado, Pedro 5, 122, 123
DeLillo, Don: End Game 215
Deroux, Jean-Marie Joseph 212–13
Desgrange, Henri:
categorisation of Tour de France climbs and 46, 52
introduction of high mountains to Tour de France and 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 55, 56n, 57, 58, 59, 64, 91, 93, 167, 261
‘King of the Mountain’ coins name 93
Pottier death, on 94
Tour de France (1905) and 92
Deutschland Tour 73
Deux Alpes 76
di Luca, Danilo 169
Diables Bleus, les (Blue Devils, the)/Chasseurs Alpins (‘Alpine Hunters’) 182, 194–203, 195, 198, 205, 228
Didier (road-clearing crew member) 13–14, 15, 21, 26, 30, 32, 33–5
Dimension Data 116
directeur sportif 102, 301
Discovery 237
Ditchling Beacon, Sussex 139
Dolomites, Italy 7, 64, 145, 154, 210, 274, 296
Dombrowski, Joe 68
altitude training 220, 240–4, 275
author enlists help of 10, 65, 66, 67
Axel Merckx and 89
birth of life as pro cyclist 69–70
Cannondale-Garmin, signs contract with 66–7
Col de la Lombarde, familiarity with 69, 283–4
control within races, on 71–2, 73–6, 77–8, 81
domestique 275–6
drafting on climbs 77–8
early days as pro cyclist 70–1
El Teide altitude training camp 220, 240–4, 276
endofibrosis of the iliac artery 66
exploration on bike, love of 69
French National Sport Museum, Nice, visits 88–9
friends coming to mountain stages, on 281–2
Giro d’Italia (2016) 69, 276–8, 280, 282–9, 282, 293–6
Girobio (‘Baby Giro’) 65, 79–81, 164
gym training 241–3
Isola 2000 altitude training 240
Livestrong development team 65, 66