Sunday July 22nd 2001


Riding BRA in Grenoble

This ride is organized every two years by CTG (Cyclo Touristes Grenoblois) and it is called: BRA: Brevet de Randonneur des Alpes. It is a ride in the mountains, called "Cyclo Montagnardes by the FFCT". This year, the ride climbs Col du Galibier first and descents in Saint Jean de Maurienne and returns in Grenoble by Col de la Croix de Fer. From Saint Jean de Maurienne, there are two possibilities to join Col de la Croix de Fer. The first one is the normal road (252 kms), passing by many bends and tunnels, and the second one (260 kms) climbs Col du Mollard to find again the normal road after the tunnels. This report shows this ride, the longest one, passing by Col du Mollard.

Following riders age or personnal choice, starts are staggered from 02:00am to 04:00am. The latest start (06:00am) are dedicated to racers who want to ride BRA as a race. I started at 02:00am to have time to make photos. Just before the start, CATTIN bike shop tries to sell bikes...

In Palais des Sports, the organizers prepared the ride. All riders are registred in an Access Database...

Outside, just before 02:00am, riders are ready for the start. The night is complete, no moonlight, no clouds, so bikes are controlled and each rider must have a light attached on his bike...

Just after Grenoble, the road seems boring until Rochetaillée. Just after Bourg d'Oisans, the first climb appears with La Rampe des Comères. Theses pictures have been taken at 05:20am in Le Fresnay d'Oisans...

Later the road follows Chambon's dam. On the top of the mountain, we can see Mizoën village. At 06:30am, riders are happy to ride BRA on bikes or tandems...

Just before La Grave, we can see the sunrise on La Meije. It is a nice moment of this ride...

At 08:00am, riders arrive to Col du Lautaret (2058m). The standard road continues towards Briancon, but on the left, a climb of 7kms allows to arrive in Col du Galibier. In Col du Lautaret, there are a mountain garden, but also organizers to control the traffic...

Just before Col du Lautaret, I was overtaken by an Australian friend, Steve Vesel. We knew us by internet, cycling topic and exchanged some information on long rides as Bordeaux-Paris or Paris-Brest-Paris. Some photos in Col du Lautaret before to continue the ride. See you again, Steve, in France for another event as PBP 2003...

The road continues towards Col du Galibier. In the climb, at 08:30am, I was overtaken (again!) by Lance Amstrong ! If I look like to Ullrich, he changed his jersey to a red one...

Later in the climb, there is an attack! Riders are going to pass the second mountain peak. The first man, wearing a blue jersey, is a friend of mine. He is a Randonneur "au long court", Jean Nicot...

The road continues to climb gently between bends and snow. The first checkpoint of this ride is besides the remember Henri Desgranges, creator of Tour De France... We aren't yet to Col du Galibier...

When we leave this checkpoint, we can see the top, Col du Galibier, one kilometer later... Tempatures are not very fresh, very enjoyable to descent during 22 kilometers...

After the first descent, we arrive in Granges du Galibier, Plan Lachat, and Valloire. From this point, Col du Télégraphe is very esay to climb during only 5kms...

At midday, we arrive in Saint Jean de Maurienne where food are given to riders in a school...

At 01:00pm, the ride goes on! We leave Saint Jean de Maurienne by a narrow road which becomes steep during 13 kilometers. This photo shows you the end of the climb, just before Albiez Le Vieux...

Albiez Le Vieux is a little village in the mountain. There is another checkpoint and the road continues to climb during 2 kilometers to arrive to Col du Mollard. I found two German riders who will remember of this Col... Photos before to descent during 8 kilometers towards Pont de Belleville...

At Col du Mollard, we can see on the left "la pointe d'Emy" (2799m) and "les Aiguilles d'Arves" (3231m, 3510m...) with snow on the right...

In Pont de Belleville, we found the standard road and we arrive in Saint Jean d'Arves (1450m), then Saint Sorlin d'Arves (1640m). This village is typical with its black steeple... This road is called "Route des Grandes Alpes" from Geneva to Nice...

Just after Saint Sorlin d'Arves, the road is steep. If some riders walk besides theirs bikes, others ones are on the bike (on the left top of the photo)...

The road is narrow. There are riders, a few cars and cows in fields. They are ruminating, no attention for riders. They are preparing for our pleasure, cheese (Beaufort) for this Winter...

Cows are behind me, and here is the arrival in the col, seen here from the bike... How to climb a col in front of a computer, here is the solution...

The last bend of this climb allows to arrive in Col de la Croix de Fer (2067m)...

In the back of this photo, we can see again "Les Aiguilles d'Arves". Patricia and Christian are the organizers of this ride. They offer water, little cakes to riders...

I met again German riders, ready for the descent... On the right picture, let me to introduce Nick et Jennifer, two english from AudaxUK (AUK). They came from England for this ride. It is the third one for Nick and the first one for Jennifer. During this picture, I thought about riders in England who ride London-Edinburgh-London...

After the Col, here is the descent between green fields. This nice place is called "Vallée de l'eau d'Olle"...

Two kilometers further, we can see on the right, top of Col du Glandon. In Col du Glandon, Glandon brook rises in to descent into "Vallée des Villards" and flowes into Arc in Saint Etienne de Cuines...

Later we arrive in Grand Maison dam. We are at 1750 meters of altitude...

Some pictures of my bike before going on the descent...

The last picture of this ride shows La Montagne des Sept Laux...

For this third BRA, I finished the ride with 259 kilometers and a nice weather. French Alps are magnificent... See you again in 2003 for next BRA...