La Marmotte

Dana Albert finishes epic La Marmotte ride in France

"Toward the top - only toward, I was still a long way from it - spectators began to appear. There is a certain breed of French spectator, maybe not even a breed but a single one, though I felt his presence long and often enough to assume a whole race of men, who is a connoisseur of suffering, who studies it intently like a sommelier sampling a fine wine. I encountered one such fellow, a small man with a dark beard, on the last kilometer of Galibier. To say he cheered me on isnÕt exactly right: he saw right into me, toured my pain as if exploring a dark cave."

Read the entire story of Dana's epic ride here.

Read all of Dana's stories:

Riding La Marmotte
Team Time Trial
T-Mobile Int'l: A Spectator's Eye View
Confessions of an Un-Doper (in three parts)
   Part 1
   Part 2
   Part 3
Return to La Marmotte (in three parts)
   Part 1 Preparation
   Part 2 Race Day
   Part 3 Notes and Climb Profiles
Interview with Michael Aisner (in two parts)
   Part 1
   Part 2
5 Seconds on a Mountain Pass
Red Zinger/Coors Classic DVD Release Party
Punish Me, Young Man!
Nevada City Classic - A Closer Look
Riding the Everest Challenge (in two parts)
   Part 1
   Part 2