The virtual world is really a wonderfully efficient place. One day the Haute Route organizers emailed me to tell me that Mark and I couldn’t make a team with only 2 riders; a couple of days later we have nearly a full contingent. This year there are two Vicious Cycle teams in two different Haute Route events (Pyrenees and Alps), with a total of 14 riders.
Here is the Alps team. A couple of notes before commencing:
- The average age is up from 43 (2013) to 45. I blame myself for ageing.
- We are again a very international team, with 5 nations represented out of 8 riders.
- We have a woman! Sorely missing in ’13, I for one will be pleased to have someone around to bring down the testosterone levels a little.
Name: Henry Whaley
Age: 39
Nationality: English
Place of Residence: Edinburgh, Scotland
Palmarès: Year round school run with my 2 kids. Strava Gran Fondo ride every month since Jan last year. Local sportives.
Why are you riding HRA?: About to turn 40 and wanted to challenge myself. Never been cycling in the Alps before so thought HRA would give me 7 times the fun of a single day event.
Name: Paul HowarthAge: 58
Nationality: English
Place of Residence: Saint Etienne, France
Palmarès: None, I only started cycling “seriously” last year.
Why are you riding HRA?: I needed a serious challenge, the mountains, are my element, I’ve walked, climbed and skied them for over 40 years. Cycling fits the bill for a new endeavour !
Name: Katarina Wikström DagerskogAge: 54 in May
Nationality: Swedish (and soon Swiss passport I hope:))
Place of Residence: La Conversion, Vaud, Switzerland
Palmarès: Hm not so much for show off Vätternrundan 2013 and 2014 (300km race around a lake), Nove Colli Italy 2014 and HR Compact 2014…
Why are you riding HRA?: It scares me and I can’t resist that type of challenge..
Name: Mark McKillopAge: 31
Nationality: Irish
Place of Residence: Reading, UK
Palmarès: Haute Route Alps 2014/2013, various Marmottes, Etapes, local sportives.
Why are you riding HRA?: Some day I’ll be old and I can at least watch the TDF on the tele and say I’ve ridden that one, what a day!!! Also looking to improve on previous years rankings of 69th (2014) and 78th (2013).
Name: Patric MauritzonAge: 41
Nationality: Swedish
Place of residence: Mönsterås, Sweden
Palamarès: Craft BIKE Transalp 2012,2013
Why are you riding HRA?: I need a goal with my training and a challenge, last year felt empty without any big race. I´ve been thinking about a road race in the Alps and Haute Route will be
a great challenge and a chance to revisit the Alps.
Name: Gerry PattersonAge: 47
Nationality: Canadian
Place of Residence: Nîmes, France
Palmarès: Haute Route Alps 2013 (124th), 4 Etapes du Tour.
Why are you riding HRA?: I knew I would do it again some day, but having a free registration fall into my lycra’d lap sped up the decision process a bit. I’d like to say I’m hoping to break the top 100, but I know better this year.
Name: Chas LozeAge: 37
Nationality: English
Place of Residence: Surrey, UK
Palmarès: A number of UK based sportives including Ride 100
Why are you riding HRA?: I wanted to test myself in the mountains so why not take on one of the hardest sportives in the world?Well for most sane people out there, the thought and pain of climbing some of Europe’s highest mountains on 7 consecutive days may not seem like the most relaxing of holidays but for me I couldn’t be more excited! The focus from the ongoing tough, relentless training and the personal reward at the end of it are hugely motivating. I cannot wait to share my experience with my friends and family and also with the equally crazy people that will be taking part with me side by side on the mountains…
Name: Lionel GimenoAge: 47
Nationality: French
Place of Residence: Vouzon
Palmarès: Regularly in the 50th, étape du Tour 170th, Tour du Mont Blanc (330km, 8000m dénivelé positif) 24th
Why are you riding HRA?: I will want to test myself on a very hard week race, for the Alps (I love them) and to live a friendship experience with a “cool” team.
The Vicious Cycle 
Like!
Still one place left for you, Carsten.
Well done! Hopefully that 47 year old doesn’t drag the team down too much.
I’m hoping the same thing, Aaron!
very cool! My money is on Mark — he will improve his ranking; he was really consistently strong in 2013. good luck, guys!
Good bet, Jan. He’s been upping his power numbers significantly this year and keeping the weight the same. He will be fast.
Jan, you better spread your bets out. Check out the Etape du Tour ranking on Lionel.
Can we see a bigger photo of Henry’s trailer set up with all that kit?
Does it go: tandem, tagalong, trailer? Can’t quite make out where the second set of wheels comes from but it’s mighty impressive.
Lyn,
I’ll see if I can dig out a better photo, but you are right: tandem + tagalong + trailer.
We usually just run with the tandem and tagalong but if we need to carry more (like the kids bikes) we add the trailer.
The tandem is a Circe Helios http://www.circecycles.com/products/helios/
whose telescopic rear seat goes down far enough for my (tall) 3yo.
The tagalong is a Burley Piccolo which has a very stable hitch and carries my 6yo. He tends to save his pedalling power for hills – when I shout ‘Boost’.
It’s a great set up and allows us to do the school run and get out & about at weekends. It’s also helping me get in shape for Haute Route.
If you want to know anything else just shout,
Henry
Henry – just super – thanks. I’ve had really good reports about the Circe kit. We reviewed their folding trailer here: http://www.freewheelingfrance.com/books/circe-atlas-bike-trailer.html
If you have the time/energy, I’d LOVE a guest blog about your kit, how you chose it and how it works for you. I’m always getting asked about managing multiple kids on rides (especially from mums/dads cycling on their own for (longer) school runs or weekend rides. I’m at lyn@freewheelingfrance.com if you ever have time.
🙂
Good luck with the new team Gerry. I think I can most closely relate to Paul although it sounds like he will have more then my 9 months training before I did HR. And judging by his pic it looks like he has done at least one event so it will give him a bit of a sense of the joyful pain the HR is.
Thanks, Luc. I think we have a find bunch of riders again this year. I almost met Paul in St. Tropez last weekend but our paths didn’t quite cross. That race would give him that ‘sense’ you’re talking about, but with 50% more climbing and 6 more days added to it.
Tell me why I’m doing this again?