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GRAND RAID CRISTALP RACE |
Swiss marathon race site live for entries |
This Classic event now entering its 14th year is set in the Swiss Alps Running from Verbier to Grimentz for the full event distance of 131km.Crossing 6 valleys it is a severe test on your climbing abilities (4684 METRES IN TOTAL) with some great downhills to distract you from some stunning valleys on the way.
There is a shorter option of 76Km (only 2879M of climbing) which starts from
Heremence and follows the last portion of the race to the same finish at Grimentz.
Both events have a 2000 people limit and this is often met, although we have never known any Brits to be refused entry.
This very well organised event costs 100Sfr to enter,with 30Sfr for a return bus to the finish, allow approx 2.4 swiss francs to the pound.
Enter on line via their excellent website, Full English version available, or send for details to the address below.
You register for the event first which costs you nothing, a payment slip is then sent to you about 2 months before the event.
About 2 weeks before the race you will recieve final details (dont panic it will come).
Classes are by age Elites 19-22, and 23-29
Males 19-29,30-35,36-40,41-45,46-50, and over 51
Ladies over 19 and a Tandem class.
Getting there
Fly to Geneva and then the very efficient trains will get you to Verbier valley, a cable car will get you up to the resort area.
Driving across France is an easy 700 miles, worth it for a group, go via Chamonix and avoid the Swiss autoroutes 'vignette', required for their Motorways, which is a yearly tax of about £30.
Best bet is to make a holiday of it, stay for a week either before or after, in the cheaper French resorts, Chamonix, Morzine or Les Gets are great, with some amazing riding.
We recommend a stay at Bike Village holidays in the Les Arcs ski region of France the week before, Sat to Sat (@£325 B&B self drive. Two great lads Sam and Stew offer fantastic guided rides in a superb area, the amount and variety of trails here is superb.
A good ski lift and Funicular network takes you to 2600 Metres, so you can downhill all day or practice/ aclimatize for some climbing. One of the trails even finishes in their own farmhouse garden, beat that.
The Swiss Tourist office can find you accomodation in Verbier as its geared up to house 5000 skiers in winter, or you can camp at the start area (on tarmac) but better than it sounds. Its also possible to just turn up and stay in the sports hall with a breakfast thrown in for a small fee.
The registration for each event has to be done at the start, therefore the smaller race start is a considerable distance by road from the main event start. With this in mind you really should have the same start point for all people in your group, otherwise the logistics are just a nightmare. Its easy to swap events once you get there though, they speak good English.
Registration for the event is on Sat from noon till 7pm, where you pick up your number and free gifts, previously these have been an event special rucksack or camelbak or even a clockwork radio. Your bike will be inspected for safety and even tweaked if they think its you need a repair.
The best option for the full event is to book a hotel in the finish town of Grimentz, we found one for £25 per person with a great breakfast. Then make your way by road, which is mostly downhill and a great ride itself down to the main valley base. Catch a train down the valley back to Verbier then get the cablecar up to the start area. Carry just enough clothes and a sleeping bag for the evening stay at Verbier , register then fill your face in town for the evening, and stay the night there.
Verbier awakes at 5am, with most places selling big pasta breakfasts to get you started, the start is on the town main shopping street and is easily accesable from the whole resort. Get there about 15 mins before the 6.45am start and place your bag on the free truck to the finish, make sure the name tag is secure. This is even worth doing if you are returning to the start, as you can send on clothes/towel and food/drink to meet you at the end, boy you will need them.
The Event
The mass start is at 6.45 am, 2000 competitors line up, roughly in number order, and a recent change now sees your number barcode read as you enter the holding area, to avoid the previous bottlenecks.
Its a good idea, if you don't have a helper, to take some form of temporary clothing to the start area. I.E. Marathon stylee bin bags or an old woolly sweater, to keep you warm while you wait, then discard them at the gun.
Its still dark at the start but there's no need need for lights, and after the first 1000 metre climb straight from the off, you will be more than warm enough.
Drink and food stops are plentifull see map below, and are so well stocked with fruit, energy bars and isotonic drinks that there's no need to take your own. I would recommend not using a camelback as the organisers provide pre-filled water bottles at all the stops, re-filling a camelbak just gets annoying. Most riders create bottle mountains as they discard used ones at each re-fuel point.
Time controls are imposed at points along the route, if you don't meet them then you are on the bus and sent to the finish. Even being late by one minute (a friend suffered just that after 10 hrs of riding) will see you eliminated, they are Swiss after all, 1 second is late to them. Don't under estimate the severity of the climbing involved, its quite a shock to us Brits, many good riders have failed, if in doubt do the short event which ensures you see the best part of the route.
Avoid the temptation to go off too fast, the final climb is at least 8 hrs away and is a killer. The final checkpoint is 3/4 of the way up this climb ( cut off 4pm last year). As a novice that's your target, reach this and you have time to relax, even take a massage as they can't turn you back now.
The sting in the tail awaits though, to complete the climb to the 2787M summit, there is a punishing hike-a-bike scramble up a 300 Metre scree slope, its a good hour of torture but your finishing high should get you through it.
The final Descent into Grimentz is fantastic a combination of fast fire roads and crazy boulder river beds, if you enjoy downhills you can make up many places here to end with a flurry into the very welcome Finsh arena.
Here the final barcode scan of the day ensures you a finishing 'Diplome' and the results sent by post ( usually not untill early Jan though!) Your bike will be washed for you and its time to think about finding your bag of gear.
The party atmosphere will be underway, as the winner will have completed the course in under 6.5 hrs, Frightening isn't it.
If you now have to Bus it back to the start area be warned. Find the bus as soon as possible, your bike goes in a seperate truck and you get a comfy air conditioned bus with a toilet. The journey is slow 2 and a half hours as the bus struggles to get round the harpin bends, often taking 3 point turns to do so.
In my experience it takes the shine off the day, as you return to Verbier in the dark, and frankly the town is a dead duck that Sunday evening. Grimentz is the place to celebrate or commiserate your achievements.
If your are in Verbier go to Harolds burger/diner on the main street for a traditional feed, its run by a Brit so say hello.Net access for those mails home too.
| Organisers Postal Address |
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| Organization Committee |
| Grand Raid Cristalp |
| Route d'Italie |
| CH - 1958 Uvrie |
Articles
--- check out our 3 go mad in Switzerland story for past glorys Cristalp 1999
--- The British finishers, all the times of the successfull in Cristalp 2001
Take a look at those climbs P.S.- Neutralisation: means if you don't get here in the race, by the set time, you are on the bus !
