Minimum altitude: 190 meters
Distance: 48.9 km
Slope Aspect: East
Vertical Climbed: 73 meters (240 feet)
Vertical Descended: 74 meters
I decided to enter the Toppidrettsveka - Virtual rollerski challenge. The idea is to race the sames distance as the real Toppidrettsveka, cancelled due to Covid-19, but upload your route via Strava etc. The max I've done on rollerskis is around 30km (Chambery to Aix les Bains and return) so 47km was going to be more of a challenging plus there is a heatwave in the Alps with temperatures in the mid-30C.
This meant an early start, I was on my skis waiting for my GPS watch to synchronize at 7h30, then off down the dyke that follows the Drac river through Grenoble out to the West. It was quite busy with cyclists and runners, some club groups weaving about 3 abreast but largely trouble free. I'd intended to cross to the Scientific Island then to the right bank but I missed the bridge somehow and this turned out to be a lucky error later. Instead I carried down the left bank to Veuyrey and crossed over the Isere as it now is, there. About 15.5km completed although my watch said 14km on the bridge. Just before my turn around at Moirans (22.5km) a couple of cyclists brushed by me at high speed weaving around shouting and startled I fell onto my right side - they carried on and I had bad gravel rash and a gash to my knee which was bleeding a lot. I skied on a bit hoping it would dry then stopped to clean it, it was still bleeding and it seemed there was nothing to do but carry on.
On the way back past the Veuyrey bridge I carried on the right bank to the Pont-Barage where they generate electricity from the river and this provides a natural lake behind which for once you are allowed to boat on. The Veuyrey underpass has nasty tree roots that grind on the bottom of your rollerskis. 2km further and the cyclepath to Grenoble was blocked for some kind of works, no obvious way around or through so a U turn and a cross over the barage, signposting would be an idea... maybe?
Back on the other side and some 37km completed it was just a case of keeping on keeping on. It began to get busier with the racing cyclists now replaced by Sunday riders, kids and runners once again. I stopped twice to drink water and was very happy to finally see the parking with my car. A little bit extra to make sure I had the kms and done.
I'll wait to see my result.
Started at 7h30, very warm by 9h00 (highs of over 30C in the valley today). Quite a few tree roots under the tarmac on both sides of the river. One in an underpass on the return (pont de Veuyrey but St Egreve side). Ski roues ground out on some roots - must try jumping them !
