Top Strava Performances at La Haute Route by Nicolas Raybaud

The history of European cyclosportifs reached new heights, so to speak,  as racers tested their limits of endurance in a new event called La Haute Route. This 7 day stage race, newly adopted by the French Cycling Federation, travels from Geneva to Nice and quickly caught the attention of climbing fanatics from around the world. Simply put, the course covers roughly the same amount of vertical elevation as the Tour de France in just one week.

Strava athlete, Nicolas Raybaud (strava.com/athletes/102332), sent us a summary of the race and captured the commentary of two new friends he met along the way. Enjoy!

(Photo Credit: Marathon Photos)

Nicolas Raybaud:

Myself, Richard Scales (strava.com/athletes/9775) and Jean Broudeur (strava.com/athletes/10876) who each reside in France but in different regions, met one another for the first time at the very beginning of the race. We met over breakfast and made an immediate connection due to Strava. Richard and Jean were competing in the Men’s Combined category and I wanted to know if they had trained together before the event.

“Our professional lives prevented us from being able to ride together but Strava made it possible for us to track one another’s results. We were therefore motivated to push ourselves knowing that we were comparing our rides,” said Richard.

Jean and Richard are a perfect example of the concept behind Strava! From the start, the three of us often found ourselves at the head of the pack. During the second stage, linking Megève to Les Arcs, Jean Broudeur had the first taste of victory. This put Richard and Jean at the top of the Men’s Combined category and they continued to extend their lead with each consecutive stage. Similarly, I found myself moving ahead in the GC but not without a price. After routinely launching several attacks in the early stages of the race, I had to dig deep on the hardest day of all, a 164km stage with 4,000 meters of climbing, covering La Madeleine, Le Télégraphe and finishing on the summit of the Galibier where I battled hard to finish fourth.^.

Immediate massage and rest were paramount after each stage. Only after that, were rides uploaded, results scanned, prizes acquired and briefings delivered.

“What impressed me most about la Haute Route was the feeling of being in our own Tour de France, as if we were full-time cyclists,” said Richard.  “Our bags being picked up from and delivered to the next hotel, massages immediately after each stage, security motos throughout the race keeping safety to a maximum, and of course, great podium announcers all contributed to us living a cyclist’s dream for a full week.”

Overall, the international flavor of the event was captivating and I was thrilled to meet Rich and Jean. I’ll walk away with many fond memories, in particular the thrilling climbs of the Izoard and the Cormet de Roselend, the finish atop the Galibier and the summit of the Bonnette (the highest paved road in Europe). The amazing views and the pure physical experience are what I’ll remember most.

Official Results from the 1st Annual Haute Route:

In the Men’s Combined category,  Jean and Richard took first place overall.

1. Jean Broudeur, Richard Scales
2. Jean-Pascal Roux, Hervé Gilly
3. Joris Chavane, Tamanini Marc

In the Men’s Solo category, Nicolas was 4^th overall.

1. Michel Roux
2. Benjamin Blaugrund
3. Jean-Baptiste Trauchessec
4. Nicolas Raybaud

Overall General Classification:

1. Peter Pouly
2. Michel Roux
3. Benjamin Blaugrund
4. Jean Broudeur
5. Jean-Baptiste Trauchessec
6. Richard Scales
7. Nicolas Raybaud

You can find additional blog entries by Nicolas on his team’s site: teambvsporloire.com (in French) and at the race site: hauteroute.org