To go or not to go?! This was the decision we were still trying to make minutes before we had to leave to go to the airport. Work commitments and impending deadlines meant that I had spent the whole night awake wondering whether I should take the flight to France or go to work. Obviously I really wanted to go not only because Roc D'Azur is renowned for it's amazing trails, but it would also be a chance to celebrate the successes of the season with some of the guys from the Team, who I might not see for quite some time. I finally made the decision to dash to the airport but that work would have to join me. Oh well a small sacrifice......
It was certainly worth it, Roc D'Azur lived up to it's reputation and more. The event was the biggest I have ever seen. The expo area was enormous and the slope style guys put on an impressive display right in front of the Team Topeak-Ergon stand. I had chance to ride a small part of the course the day before the marathon, but afterwards I had to hurry back to the apartment and spend the afternoon locked up with work and a few ninja mosquitoes who took more than their fair share of my blood!
It was strange standing on the start line. My competitive head has disappeared since my structured training stopped after the European Marathon Champs in Estonia. This was going to be a relaxed fun race, but for me the words 'relaxed' and 'race' don't normally appear in the same sentence! Some start line chit-chat soon revealed that some of the other girls were also there to just have fun and enjoy the course.
The course was unbelievable: When I wasn't ascending I was descending; there was virtually no fire road and almost no tarmac; stacks of technical single track; amazing coastal views; and a short ride (or run) along the beach. It is one of the best, if not the best, marathon courses I have ever done. I'll definitely be back next year :0) Male team mate Kim Tofaute almost made it to the podium but alas his 3rd place ranking was in the women's and not the men's race (see race results below)...better luck next time Kim ;0)
The season is now officially over for me and for the next few weeks I will be eating LOTS and no longer abstaining from the alcohol ;0) Wahooooooo
Women's Roc D'Azur Marathon 83km
| 1 | Marielle Saner-Guinchard |
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| 2 | Ivonne Kraft |
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| 3 | Kim Tofaute (The things he'll do for a podium spot...!)
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| 4 | Myriam Saugy |
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| 5 | Gunn-Rita Dahle-Flesjaa |
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| 6 | Sally Bigham |
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| 7 | Elisabeth Brandau |
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| 8 | Daniele Troesch |
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| 9 | Fabrice Krela |
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| 10 | Carole Janssens |
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Full results can be found
here
