Hairpin friends

This is the third year Optician has put together a team to take part in a major triathlon challenge to raise money for Vision Aid Overseas. So far this year it has raised £3,200, boosted by donations from Rupp + Hubrach, BBGR, Transitions and Essilor along with personal pledges. This brings the team's three-year total to well over £16,000.

The team, made up of optometrists Fiona Bosher, Lisa Evans, Lyndon Ferguson and Nigel Maycock, dispensing optician James Eastwood and Optician editor Chris Bennett, suffered a casualty even before the start. Bosher, one of the team's strongest athletes, suffered a torn Achilles just days before the event and had to withdraw. She was devastated, but this simply made the rest of the team more determined to finish.

The four remaining men opted for the long distance version of the race and triathlon novice Evans decided to tackle the shorter, but still very challenging, version with a 1.2km swim, a 30km cycle and a 7.3km run.

The Alpe d'Huez triathlon is one of the best kept secrets of the endurance sports community. It doesn't matter how often the distances of a 2.2km swim, a 115km cycle and a 22km run are repeated, nothing can prepare a competitor for the lung-bursting climbs, the searing heat and thin atmosphere.

Most of the team combined the event with a family holiday so travelled down to the Alps with time to spare to reconnoitre the course.

'On my first glimpse of Alpe d'Huez it was so high that the top was not visible through the clouds,' says Evans. 'Reaching the foot of the mountain, I realised the enormity of the task because it was like looking at a brick face to infinity. Driving the first three bends and seeing a 10-14 per cent gradient made me question how anyone could cycle this. I had trained hard at home, even on the Welsh hills but nothing can prepare you for this mentally or physically.'

These sentiments were echoed by the rest of the team who were at best apprehensive and at worst scared.

The long version of the race started on a sunny Wednesday. The snow-capped mountains reflected in the crystal waters of the lake set an idyllic scene. After racking the bikes and handing over kit for the run, wetsuits were donned and it was into the chilly water.

It was a typical triathlon mass start with arms, legs and collisions all around. Evans, Ferguson and Maycock all commented on the roughness of the athletes. Bennett found the start so cramped he headed for the edge of the crowd to find some clear water. It was almost impossible to see the marker buoys, so navigating a short route around the course was not easy. Eastwood said he felt the locals were more intent on wrestling their way around rather than swimming but he emerged from the water remarkably fresh. Evans, a particularly strong swimmer, also commented on the physicality of the athletes in the shorter event the following day.

Once out of the water it was onto the bikes and a long, chilly descent to the foot of the Col Grand Serre. The organisers had kindly put arm warmers in the race goodybags but with the sun beginning to rise they weren't needed. Bennett had opted for these and a jersey and as it turned out this proved far too warm but gave great protection against the fierce sun. The climb of the Grand Serre was a real shock. 'I didn't study the course so assumed the real climb would come at the Alpe d'Huez,' says Bennett. 'How wrong I was. Grand Serre just went on and on. I really worried about being able to finish two more climbs like this, I just ate and drank as much as I could lay my hands on.'

After a hot and fast descent the second climb was the shallower sweeping climb of the Col d'Ornon. This was much more to Bennett's liking and he began to feel the event was achievable.

Maycock found the first few miles of the bike course pleasant too. 'I was caught up by Lyndon just before the base of the first climb. I had planned to use as little energy as possible on this first of three climbs, but even in my lowest gear my legs were soon feeling the pain of every turn. I was shocked by the gradient and length to the summit.

'There was a long way from the top of the first climb to the second climb, which had several unmarked climbs to sap what was left of the strength in my legs. As the temperature rose, I tried to eat and drink as much as possible.'

Ferguson also found the start of the bike leg easy. '25km of fast roads in a large group with little regard for the drafting rules - it was impossible not to. I underestimated the time and effort if would take to climb Col Grand Serre - I felt great and must have passed more than 100 riders on that climb - but would pay for the fuel spent later on. I felt good throughout the second climb as well, but on the approach to the Alpe d'Huez climb felt the first twinges of cramp in my quads - never a good sign.'

The Alpe d'Huez starts with a bang. The first four bends are very steep but most of the riders found their rhythm and wound their way up. For Bennett, cramp struck when he reached out to try to cool himself at a mountain waterfall. 'My left hamstring cramped and I had to jump off my bike to stretch it out and go slowly to stop it re-occurring.'

Maycock descended at speeds of around 45mph to the bottom of Alpe d'Huez but soon felt the mountain take its toll. 'As I set off up the gradient I had been on the bike for four hours and my legs, which were already giving me constant pain, began quivering as well. I resolved to keep going whatever happened, alternating between seated and standing positions to keep the pedals turning.'

The climb up to Alpe d'Huez was an exercise in nursing tired muscles, says Ferguson. 'I could only apply the slightest pressure to the pedals. I thought I would have a dig after hairpin five - the result being massive cramps in both legs meaning a dismount at the next hairpin to stretch. At this point all thoughts of setting a good time went out the window and my mindset changed to simply finishing. I got going again with a push from some spectators and managed to get to the top.'

Evans' course took her from the lake straight to the Alpe and she had a good ride to the climb. 'On reaching the foot of Alpe d'Huez it was a carnival atmosphere with music playing and horns blowing and lots of people shouting encouragement, I slowed my pace, as did everyone, and braced myself.

'Completing each bend gives you a massive sense of achievement, by half way I began to believe I could cycle this mountain without putting my feet down once. By three quarters of the way up I had no feeling in my legs as I had gone from pain to numbness, but support from fellow triathletes and spectators keeps you going.'

Eastwood reached speeds of 84km/h on the run into to Bourg d'Oisans but the Alpe took its toll. 'I really suffered from the third or fourth hairpin and with 5km to climb decided not to attempt the run as my knee was increasingly painful with each pedal turn.' Despite this he aims to return and complete the event in the future.

After what seemed an eternity, the summit came, and it was into the thin mountain air for the run. The first thing the athletes noted was the rough terrain. 'I hadn't been expecting this,' says Bennett, 'but to be honest it didn't make a lot of difference. I was just happy to get off the bike.' He decided to run the first of the three loops then see how he felt. 'My feet were hurting and the timing chip band was cutting into my leg which began to bleed quite heavily. I completed the rest of the run at a steady pace and began to feel stronger as the miles ticked by.'

Maycock reached T2 feeling in no fit state to run a half marathon. 'I pulled on my running shoes and set off at a gentle jogging pace. I alternated between running as far as I could, then walking as fast I could. I set myself the target of completing the run in under two hours and was encouraged by seeing Lisa, my family, then Chris on the way. I was elated to finally reach the finish where I had an emotional reunion with my wife and daughter, before joining Lyndon on the deckchairs just after the finish line.'

Ferguson says the run was a question of survival and avoiding cramp. 'The food on the run was great and the cramps began to improve. I got over-ambitious and had another big cramp on the downhill run on the first lap but it was the last of the day and I was so glad to see the finish line.'

Evans had one 7.3km lap to complete after a fantastic bike climb and was able to out-sprint a Frenchman to the line to finish on a high. She described the event as one of her greatest sporting achievements. 'It takes you so much out of your comfort zone that you really don't know what the outcome will be, but to achieve what you only dream you could accomplish gives a sense of euphoria that's difficult to describe.' ?

? All of the team can be proud of their achievements. To make a donation log on to www.justgiving.com/OpticianTriathlonTeam