Interview: Mathilde Terrasson, winner of the Haute Route Dolomites, tells us about her first experience in a multi-day sportive

Mathilde Terrasson, 30, has just won the Haute Route Dolomites in her first participation in this type of event. The 2020 Centre-Val de Loire regional road champion is also a duathlete. She talks to us about her discovery of the Haute Route and how she managed this demanding week.

By David Polveroni – Photos: David Polveroni / AD Photographie FFTRI / DR / Instagram Mathilde Terrasson

3bikes – The Haute Route Dolomites is a demanding event. You just won it. What is your athletic and cycling background? 

MT – I’ve been cycling for 13 years, mainly road cycling. I discovered cyclocross five years ago, and I sometimes do mountain biking for fun! I do a few departmental and regional road and cyclocross races. Before cycling, I did horseback riding and recreational running, which also led me to join a triathlon club to participate in duathlons. 

3B – How did you get the idea to participate in the Haute Route? And why the Dolomites? 

MT – It was thanks to Haute Route ambassador Alexandre Menneteau that I discovered the race a few years ago, and he allowed me to join the Haute Route Dolomites this summer. He told me that if there was one Haute Route to participate in, it was the Dolomites. Indeed, I already know the Alps from riding there every summer, same for Mont Ventoux, the Pyrenees because I’ve driven through them a few times, but I had never set foot in Italy, let alone the Dolomites. So at Christmas, I took the plunge and signed up for the event. 

3B – Did you specifically prepare for this event? Did you change your training method?

MT – I didn’t change my training method this year. The preparation was more specific in the three weeks before the event. I went on vacation to the Alps 15 days before the start of the Haute Route, and we had two good weeks of climbing and kilometers, to get the body used to the altitude and to handle the succession of climbs. Then, I had a good week of rest before leaving for Italy. 

3B – Tell us a bit about your week, how did your race unfold? Did you encounter any difficulties? With nutrition, for example, what stages did you go through?

MT – The week was incredible. We were amazed… On the physical side, I didn’t know what I was getting into, because it was the first time I was going to string together so many kilometers in a week, and especially with so much climbing. Thanks to the power meter, I knew which zones I had to stay in to maintain the distance and the succession of passes. 

On the first stage, I climbed the first pass above the planned watts, and I told myself: “we’ll see if it holds“. And it held, I was super happy! For the following stages, I kept that mindset. I was there to give my best, without regret, and to discover my limits. Every day, I found the same road teammates in the passes, and we encouraged each other. The solidarity allowed us to overcome the moments when the difficulty increased. The atmosphere of the race is incredible, and the emulation that emanated from the entire organization gave us wings to always push our limits. 

In terms of nutrition, the numerous aid stations offered by the organization meant that I never lacked anything. I mainly stopped at aid stations located in non-timed zones, but it happened that I had to take a break to fill my bottles in timed zones. In those cases, you do it quickly! 

As for my legs, the muscles became harder and harder with each stage. The evening massages offered by the organization were necessary to relax and recover as best as possible. 

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3B – How did you finish this week? Tired? What did you learn from this HR about your abilities? 

MT – The week ended well. Of course, I was tired, but my head was full of wonderful memories, which made me largely forget the fatigue and leg pain! The Haute Route clearly allowed me to push my limits. I didn’t know I was capable of stringing together such stages! 

3B – How would you describe the Haute Route? What memories will you keep? And if you had to keep only one, what was the most striking thing for you? 

MT – The Haute Route is a sporting experience, certainly, but above all an incredible human experience. The encounters I made that week were very powerful. What struck me most was the solidarity and sharing among the riders. I also keep in mind all the magnificent landscapes and passes we climbed, the light in the early morning in the Dolomites rocks, the marmots whistling to encourage us from the top of the mountains. We were in a magnificent atmosphere! 

3B – Which pass stands out from this week? 

MT – The pass that impressed me the most this week is the Passo Gavia. A splendid, very difficult climb, on which I went through all emotions. 

3B – Do you plan to participate in another Haute Route? 

MT – Yes, of course! It certainly won’t be my last Haute Route.

3B – What advice do you give to someone participating in this type of event for the first time? 

MT – For someone who wants to participate in the Haute Route for the first time, I would tell them that they need to arrive mentally prepared. Of course, you need to have a minimum of kilometers in your legs, because the successive passes are demanding. But motivation, good nutrition and hydration throughout the stages, and good sleep every night are, I think, the key to finishing in the best conditions. 

3B – What equipment did you use during this week? Bike/wheels, tires, gearing?

MT – This week, I rode my Specialized Tarmac SL7 bike, Roval C38 wheels with Specialized Turbo Cotton tires in 28mm width. For gearing, I had 48-35 chainrings and a 10-33 cassette. If I had to do it again, I wouldn’t change anything, it was perfect! 

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3B – Now that you’ve won this HR Dolomites, you must be motivated to do other granfondo events? Or not particularly? 

MT – Yes, other granfondo events tempt me! Beyond the sporting aspect and the pleasure of climbing passes, the human aspect of these types of races is really strong. Something to think about for next season…

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