This was my third Grand Classique (16.2km from the foot of the Tour Eiffel to Versailles, a course winding its way from the banks of the Seine up through the close western suburbs and through the Meudon forest to the royal demesne) and it might just be my last.
First things first, the race itself. The course itself never varies, and the main challenge is the steep climb from Issy to Meudon, just outside Paris.
This was particularly challenging this Sunday due to extremely windy conditions, which resulted in a 3k slog uphill battling strong head-on gusts. The actual organisation didn't quite help either, with no preferential starting pens, and 1.5 hours of waiting in a crowd with little or no movement.
Things got tricky however once I hit the wind uphill and my time dropped considerably. I also began to notice a less than chivalrous attitude from other runners (''putain" sprinkled liberally), which is somewhat surprising as this is not a race designed for setting PBs by any means.
The management of waste and discarded items left a lot to be desired, too. Please, please stop using single-use plastic water bottles for these events!
In any case, I made it to the finish line on the Avenue de Paris in 01:25:53, 4 minutes more than last year, mostly due to the struggles on the uphill section.
(with a strong wind still blowing!)
I'm in two minds now. It's a particular experience, and a race which finished not far from where I live. However, there need to be some improvements made to the overall organisation or it could be become an entirely unpleasant event in which to take part.
I can say that the medal provided was inspired:
Nelson Mandela: "I never lose. I either win or I learn." Wise words. And words I will definitely take to heart.
