On July 1, Tom Borschel and I arrived at the Hotel Ibis in downtown Pau, France, the gateway to the Pyrenees. The hotel was the 2008 headquarters for Cyclomundo, the tour company Tom and I had hooked up with for the Tour de France Etape.
Etape is a one-day race for anyone who does not have an active pro license. It’s put on by ASO, the same company that runs the Tour de France. The race is on the same route as a full tour stage and is usually either in the Alps or the Pyrenees. This year, it was from Pau to Hautacam, through the Pyrenees. Tour de France announcements described it as one of the “shorter” stages, at only 169 kilometers (105 miles) with about 3,200 meters (10,400 feet) of categorized climbing.
ASO runs their Etape just like a tour stage: All the roads are closed to non-race traffic, thousands of gendarmes and volunteers keep intersections clear and warn the riders of traffic islands, roundabouts, etc., motorcycles with mechanics go up and down the roads, medical vehicles are always nearby. The downside here is that, just like the Tour, there’s a time limit. The catch is that it’s not just at the end. There’s a time cut-off in every town. If you don’t make the cut-off, even if it’s only 10 kilometers into the race, you’re done. You get a bus ride to the finish. There is no appeal; your race is over, see you next time. This year, 8,500 started and 6,100 finished. Some of the harder Etapes have had more than one-third who didn’t finish.
the idaho falls peloton 