Haute Route 2012 Numbers

Haute Route 2012 by the numbers

. Here are the numbers from the Haute Route Alps 2012 .

.from our good friends at OCSport .

A little reflection on the Haute Route 2012, by numbers...

• 600 cyclists and 740 dedicated volunteers made and supported the epic 780km journey from Geneva to Nice.

• 474 received the coveted "Finisher" status, completing all 7 stages within the imposed time limits.

• 33 nationalities were represented within the peloton, from every continent, as part of 95 international teams.

• Fuelled by 3150kg of fresh and dried fruit, and 3000 litres of coke, riders burned up to 5000 calories per day, also devouring over 4000 post-race lunches between them

• Participants and their bikes were well looked after by the support teams, with over 2500 massages and 85 hours of bike fixing from the Mavic technical team.

• Over 5000 hotel beds filled across 7 cities and resorts

• Several hundred thousand people have followed the event online, in social media, on youtube, and on TV

• A cumulative 22 hours in the saddle for the fastest, 43 hours for the slowest Finisher

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The Haute Route Alps 2012 saw 600 cyclists and 740 volunteers make their way from Geneva to Nice in 7 timed stages, across the French Alps. This second edition of the event, held from the 19th-25th August, took on epic proportions: logistically for the organisers, physically for the cyclists, and emotionally for everyone who followed friends and loved ones taking part. The course, featuring 780km, 19 mythical cols of the cycling world, and 21,000 meters of ascent, certainly earned its reputation as the World's Toughest and Highest cyclosportive, and proved to be a great human and sporting adventure for everyone involved.

474 riders completed the Haute Route 2012 within the time limit, and received "Official Finisher" status – they completed every stage at an average speed of at least 15km/h.. 18% of participants missed out on this cut-off, but that took little away from the efforts they made and the achievement of nonetheless for most of them making it to Nice. However, the tough cut-off time remains a feature of the Haute Route, which helps ensure its reputation at the toughest and highest. It's not an event to enter unless you are fully committed.

Five-time French MTB champion Peter Pouly led the peloton to win every stage, spending a total of 22 hours, 34 minutes and 44 seconds on his bike across the 7 days. At the other end of the spectrum, and a testament to the range of abilities amongst the peloton, the slowest rider was in the saddle for almost twice as long as Pouly, and completed the event in 43 hours, 37 minutes and 21 seconds.

The youngest rider on this year's event was 18 year-old Elliot Jones from Great Britain, whilst 71 year-old Belgian cyclist Victor Leroy joined the Bio-Racer Team. 33 nationalities made up the international peloton, making the Haute Route 2012 a truly cosmopolitan event. Of the 95 teams that took part, some consisted of between 3 and 9 riders all from one nation, such as the Kenyan Riders, Team Ireland, and Brazil Winds, whilst others had participants from all over the world competing together. Team Y D A F UK, for example, had British, French, Swiss, German, Kiwi and American riders all doing their bit to ensure the best possible result in the Team Rankings.

Riding for sometimes over 6 hours a day in temperatures regularly above 30 C, it was essential for the entire peloton to keep hydrated and their energy levels up for every tough ascent that they faced. 1700kg of bananas were consumed during the week, along with 1000kg of oranges, and 450kg of dried fruits. Cereal bars (6500 units), sweet and savoury cake (13000 slices), ham (2000 slices) and cheese (2000 slices) provided some variety at each of the 24 refreshment points along the whole course. Riders were burning up to 5000 calories a day, so energy bars and gels were essential to sustain their strength and provide an extra boost for tired muscles. 6000 units of energy gels and 2500 units of energy bars were consistently welcomed by participants, as their bodies battled with fatigue. Keeping hydrated was especially important given the hot conditions and 22,000 litres of water, 3000 litres of coke, and 300kg of energy powder were available to quench the riders' thirst.

At the end of a long days riding, sore muscles received some relief before the following day's stage with 2500 massages given over the week from a team of 30 professional masseurs who were available in each location. 400 visits were made to the Compex stand in the Race Village, who provided electro-stimulation treatments. Bikes were also well looked after, with the Mavic team spending 85 hours repairing, tweaking and greasing components both along the course and in each host venue.

The Haute Route Alps 2012 visited two prestigious cities, Geneva and Nice, and five Alpine resorts during its journey to the Mediterranean. In total, over 5000 hotel beds were used for both the riders and the organisation along with numerous motorhomes brought along by families to show their support. Over 50,000 people followed the pelotons progress on the official Haute Route Website, and 522,000 impressions were made on Twitter. The seven inspirational daily videos, which will no doubt be watched again by riders have returned home and miss the stunning alpine scenery, have been viewed by over 25,000 people so far..

Each person that was involved in the Haute Route Alps 2012 has truly had an unforgettable experience whether they were on the tarmac each day or behind the scenes. The event significantly exceeded the scale of the first edition in 2011 across all elements, and in 2013 the inaugural Haute Route Pyrenees will be held (1st-7th September) to complement the third edition of the Haute Route Alps (18th – 24th August). Pre-entries for previous competitors will be open shortly, before general places being released to cycling enthusiasts across the globe for both events. Spots in the peloton will once again be limited, and are expected to sell out quickly for both of the World's Toughest and Highest cyclo-sportives.

2012 Haute Route Alps Riders Survey – more stats:

93% of riders rate the Haute Route Alps as either ‘superb’, ‘top 3’ or ‘best ever’ life experience
82% ranked the Haute Route Alps as the best cyclosportive they have participated in compared to others
94% of riders were very satisfied or satisfied with the course, with over 95% very satisfied/satisfied with the diversity of the stages
93% ranked the beauty of the course as very satisfying
83% judged the difficulty of the course to be at the right level
82% were very satisfied/satisfied with the entry fee v quality of event
58% of riders entered as a team in 2012, the other 42% were assigned a team by the organisers
67% ranked the support of the general public en route as outstanding
90% rated the Haute Route Village in each stage venue as very satisfying or satisfying
75% of riders took advantage of the massage service at some point during the event, with nearly 40% taking a massage between 5-7 times over the 7 days
81% of riders ranked the arrival on the Promenade des Anglais in Nice as the highlight of the finish, selecting very satisfying or satisfying
39% heard of the Haute Route by word of mouth, 14% via a cycling magazine and 21% via a website
56% ranked the environmental charter and services put in place by the organisers as very satisfying
89% were very satisfied/satisfied with the Haute Route Riders Roadbook
95% were very satisfied/satisfied with the Haute Route website, and 90% very satisfied/satisfied with the quality of information available
88% were very satisfied/satisfied with the online results service
80% enjoyed the daily highlights video produced on site, selecting very satisfied or satisfied (available to view at www.youtube.com/hauteroutetv)
50% of riders visited the Facebook page, 56% visited our YouTube channel, 34% joining the Haute Route online community channel set up this year, 38% downloaded the App