Grand Raid Cristalp
The scene at finish in Grimentz (photo taken from Christoph Sauser Twitter feed.)
So, once the dust had settled would I do it again?
Well, having failed to finish, and with 14 out of the 34 British riders who started being quick enough to beat the weather and finish, I cannot help feeling that there is unfinished business here.
However, the logistics of the race are a little dubious. The route requires a long bus journey home and contains a little too much fire road and tarmac for my liking. Also, the financial investment is a factor; nothing in Switzerland is cheap. Entry to the race was 140 CHF (approx £96), and accommodation and food are just about as pricey as Europe gets. If you are not a banker or oligarch then Verbier, beautiful as it is, is probably not the sort of place that you would choose to spend too much time in.
And yet, I do fancy another shot at the Cristalp. One never dwells on the negative. I’m already thinking about some of that incredible single track, and imagining what the final descent past the lake off the Pas De Lona is like…
Next year then.
9 hours later and just short of the finish… there’s unfinished business here.
