Louis Mollard: Ultrabike from Thonon to Nice... then Hendaye

They-they crossed the Alps and they-they tell...

Louis, introduce yourself...

My name is Louis, I'm 29 years old and I've been passionate about cycling since I was a kid, whatever the discipline (road, mountain bike, track).
I started cycling at the age of 10 with my first FFC (Fédération Française de Cyclisme) license. I progressed from year to year until I was 18/19, when I reached national level. Then I decided to stop, as I found the training too monotonous and intense...
. 7 years later, I took up long-distance triathlon and really enjoyed the triple effort, especially on the Ventouxman, the XL triathlon at Alpe d'Huez and the famous Alpsman! For the past 2 years I've been practicing ultra-distance Cycling and I think I've finally found what I really like in the world of cycling.

Why this ultra-distance project?

Last year I completed the Race Across France 1100km and particularly enjoyed riding in the Alps despite the difficulty.
This year I couldn't do the long Race Across France route (2400km), so I decided to start from Thonon les bains and ride to Hendaye via the Alps and the Pyrenees, also making the transition by bike (1750km with 38000m of ascent in 9 days).
I really wanted my route to be challenging, and what better way to do it than on the route of the great Alps! (and legs haha)

Add to a roadbook

What was your itinerary for the Alpine section of your trip?

I followed Route des Grandes Alpes® because it takes in almost all the highest roads in the Alps.
Departure from Thonon-les-bains to Les Gets, then the Col de la Colombière, then the Col des Aravis, the Col des Saisies, the Cormet de Roselend, the Iseran, the double Télégraphe/Galibier, the Izoard, the Col de Vars, the cime de la Bonette, the Col de saint Martin and the Col de Turini. Of the 42 cols I crossed during my ultra, 16 were in the Alps, and not the least because some of them were above 2000m.
I know that on this Route de France itinerary, I'm not the only one. I know that on this Route des Grandes Alpes® itinerary, you can either go via Barcelonnette to do the Col de la Cayolle and other passes, but I was absolutely determined to cross the Col de la Bonette, Europe's highest road. That's why I chose to go over this wonderful pass :)
It's a mythical route for cyclists and bikers alike, so it seemed important to do it.

How did you organize your logistics?

My parents took me to Thonon the day before departure, followed me for the 1750km and we returned together 9 days later. They followed me because I wanted to make a documentary about my journey, and they did a crazy job behind the camera!
As for me, I had a handlebar bag with my 1-seater tent (no comforter or ground sheet), which I of course used to rest in, a small bag on the frame to hold papers, money, mask, inner tube etc., and a saddle bag where I mainly kept my warm clothes and a few other things (cables, cereal bars...).
. As for the lights, I use Lezyne 1300XLs, which are powerful enough to see well at night and have a long battery life.
I hadn't taken much food, stopping regularly at bakeries (best friends of the hungry cyclist haha!). I ate mainly quiches, pizzas and pastries.

Memories and anecdotes...

Best memory:

I have a lot of good memories but there's one that clearly stands out. The sunset at the top of the Col de la Bonette! MAGNIFICENT! As well as having a 360° view of all the surrounding peaks, we were lucky enough to see plenty of ibex, lots of marmots and a sublime pink-orange sky!

Anecdote:

At 1km from the summit of the Col de Vars, I broke the derailleur hanger on my Trek.... Luckily my parents were around to take me to a bike shop on Embrun that had the right derailleur hanger for my bike. Getting down to the store, changing the bracket and getting back up to the pass took us a good 2/3 hours in the afternoon... Alas, these are the hazards of "mechanical" sports, but without these little problems it would be too easy, wouldn't it? haha

Find out more about this great adventure in the film!