This was to be my second visit to Velo Vercors in the Drome Alps so I knew what awaited me and I was eager to get there. I had driven down with my business partner Andrew, his wife Lucy their 1 year old son Freddy and Dave a member of our club. We had an appointment with the 4th edition of “La Dromeoise” a 143 Km Sportive over three climbs up to 1100 metres, a good end to the road season not too hard or too long. Just one of at least 6 events in the Vercors throughout the year.
Andrew and I race at least once a month in France Italy and Belgium at Gran Fondos and Cyclosportives. These are closed road races with Motorbike Marshalls Service cars and back up. There are feed stations every 50km or so for those taking it a little more leisurely, these are hosted by locals with all the right food to replenish weary bodies, and if you are racing and don’t want to stop they hold out food and water to have on the go. Crowds are out in every village you go through cheering and the atmosphere is awesome.
Back to the journey, its approaching lunchtime and we are nearing St Jean en Royans. We drive down the gravel drive and round the back of Roger and Teresa’s magnificent home. They are there to greet us and we settle down to a light lunch before a training ride in the afternoon. Dinner is a sumptuous affair each night with local produce and wines on offer and as we all know the way to a cyclists heart is via the food on his plate!
Saturday follows a usual pattern for cyclists staying at Velo Vercors, a healthy breakfast, prepare for ride, today being the day before race day we pedalled tempo on the flat for 40 km with a coffee stop at the end in the town square of St Jean-en-Royans.
Race day dawns and an early start for the drive to Die (just an hour away over a couple of large mountains and haunting at that time of the morning) we register, have the obligatory Team Photo (Today we are team Velo Vercors in defference to our hosts) and off to the start line where I do my usual trick of getting Andrew, and Roger, as near to the front as possible. We wait and enjoy the pre-race festivities. The whole town is out waiting to see the explosion of colour surge off the line. The gun goes and we make our way out of Die, 25 km to the foot of the first climb. Position is vital and we are out of the town and the speed hits 50kmh.
To cut what could be a long story short we sprint for the finish line and roll back to HQ and a free pasta meal to go with the goody bag containing a bottle of local Champagne and an Event Gilet, all for only 30 euros. A good day for Team Velo Vercors: Andrew is 7th, Lucy 5th and I am 19th in our respective age categories, Freddy has had a wonderful day in the company of Teresa and some of the Australian guests.
We return to base and recount the days events at dinner with more Champagne, Wine and Soul food.
Why would you not want to come here and ride?
David Hamiliton Devon 2011