Vive La Resistance!
A blend of Alpine climbs, gravel paths and breathtaking scenery, La Resistance is more than just a sportive – it’s a tribute to the fallen French fighters of World War Two
Do you run skinny tyres for the road sections and suffer on the gravel, or wider tyres for the gravel sections and suffer on the road? It’s a good question, but there’s more than just kit choices to ponder on a sportive that honours fallen soldiers
The scene before the start of La Resistance is unlike any sportive I’ve ever encountered. For one thing, it’s not pre-dawn. The sun is up and breakfast was enjoyed at an almost sociable hour. There are no pens full of riders jostling for position near the front. In fact, as I look around barely anyone has even bothered to gather on the start line yet. Instead most are content to sit on the scattered hay bails or kick back on the grass, sipping a last-minute coffee and chatting. Just a few metres away the calm waters of Lake Annecy lap against a sandy shore. It’s all very relaxed. I could just as easily be on holiday, rather than preparing to embark on an epic day in the Alps.
Talking with organisers Adam Horler and Ross Muir over a beer last night, it was clear this is exactly the vibe they wanted for the event’s inaugural running. Their plan was never to simply create another Alpine sportive. La Resistance was conceived to have a deeper purpose than simply to sort out the fastest riders over a punishing course. As its name suggests, the aim is to commemorate the men and women of the French Resistance who fought valiantly for this Haute Savoie region to hold back Nazi advances during the Second World War.
Fallen heroes
The Battle of Glières in 1944 was a successful final stand for La Resistance. The death toll was high, but maintaining control of the vast high-alpine plateau allowed the Allies to parachute in weapons and supplies. A national monument has stood on the 1,440m plateau since September 1973, created by French sculptor Émile Gilioli, and the climb up to it is a torturous highlight of the ‘full’ La Resistance route
I’m about to embark on. Converging for the final 10km, both the ‘full’ 130km and ‘petite’ 90km courses also visit La Necropole memorial, a combined military cemetery and museum honouring those who lost their lives.
Horler and Muir hope riders will focus on more that just average speeds. They want people to reflect on the past, as well as take time to enjoy the beautiful landscape of the region, which explains the lethargic start to proceedings. ‘And besides, you wouldn’t want to finish so tired you can’t enjoy the traditional La Guinguette after-party,’ says Muir.
It hasn’t escaped my attention that, despite the relaxed atmosphere, there are some extremely trim-looking individuals at the start line, with legs as ripped as pros and tan lines to match. I suspect that once the gun goes, the competitive spirit will kick in. Experience has taught me that every cycling event is united by one thing: no matter how much you insist it’s not a race, it always is.
Thankfully the pace remains gentle as we roll out of Talloires, heading south along the lake. It gives me