Haute Route – meet the women from one of the world's toughest sportives

While riding from Innsbruck to Venice last year not only did it become apparent that there were more women riding the Haute Route than ever before but, encouragingly, that the event had become something for riders of all abilities and was no longer just the domain of professionals such as Emma Pooley or stick-thin French skiers.

Telegraph Sport spoke to four first-time riders just beyond the finish line in Venice following last year's Haute Route Dolomites – the fourth edition of arguably the toughest event from the organisers. But what inspired the riders to sign-up? How did they train? What were their highs and lows? And what did they learn during the week – or in the case of one rider, three weeks – on the bike as they tackled 'the highest and toughest cyclosportive in the world‘? Here, in their own words, are their stories.

'It is hard and it is hardcore – just to try it is pretty badass – but women don't need to be scared of it'

Annie McBain, 30, from Bournemouth but lives in London. Completed her first Haute Route after buying a bike in April 2016

I knew how hard it was when I signed up – I’d watched lots of videos, spoken to lots of people and read loads about it. I signed up for it in November the previous year and thought: ‘it’s fine, it’s November and it doesn’t start till September so I’ve got nine or 10 months to train, it’ll be fine – you can do anything in that time if you train hard enough, right?’.

I don’t know how far I cycled in training, I’d have to look at Training Peaks. I have a coach, Rob, and it’s because of him that I was able to get through each day – and enjoy it. I signed up with him in December and he provided a month-by-month training programme. All the off-bike stuff is hard enough, so having had a coach and focusing on the training for what was almost a year helped massively. At least you know physically you have done as much as you can.

I'm relatively new to cycling, a complete novice really, so I went through a steep learning curve. I used to row at uni, loved that, but wanted a sport that fitted in with work – I’m a lawyer and work quite long hours – so needed something flexible. So I bought a bike in April 2016 which just sat in my living room.

My work organised a charity coast-to-coast cycle in June 2016 so I signed up for that, I thought I should use my bike. I had six weeks to train and did, I think, four rides before completing the coast-to-coast. I absolutely loved it and soon after joined The Athlete Lab in London. It was through meeting people there that I became inspired to sign up for the Haute Route.

Before riding the Haute Route I had done no multi-day events. I went on a little training camp in Mallorca – a long weekend – and then to the Lake District for a weekend, but no cycle racing at all.

I discovered that it's all about the preparation. I think actually guys can be a little bit more gung-ho and arrive having done very little training while girls – and I’m making a massive generalisation here I know, but all the girls I know who have done the Haute Route – trained really hard and prepared really well. I think that’s the key, anyone can do it – I went from doing no riding to completing it in a year. 

I found that the cycling’s really tough – it’s really f****** hard and you have to train hard, in the three months beforehand I did around 20 hours each week – but it’s amazing and you can prepare for that. It’s the rest, though, that you cannot prepare for: force-feeding yourself each morning, the weather, struggling to sleep.

My goal was just to complete it, not to race, only to finish each stage before the cut-off time. Hopefully I’ll be back to race it properly now that I’ve worked out what it’s all about.

It is hard and it is hardcore – just to try the Haute Route is pretty badass – but it doesn’t have to be sold in a macho way and I don't think women need to be scared off in any way.

There were points when I was riding along, or going down a descent, and looked around taking it all in and it was just so freaking incredible. Or smashing it along at 45 or 50km/h in the peloton surrounded by amazing scenery. Those were high points, definitely.

Waking up in the middle of the night feeling like somebody is hacking into your leg with an axe because it hurts so much was not so good, but you just suck it up. It’s amazing what your body can cope with, right?

I’d recommend it to anyone, just do it and enjoy the process as much as the event itself. The whole year was amazing, I made amazing friends and did some amazing trips and rode some great sportives and audaxes. The event was amazing, but difficult to process – it still just feels like one long day really.

'I never felt I was treated differently because I am a woman – this was very encouraging'

Monika Sattler, 32, from Munich, Germany. Rode the 'Triple Crown' – Pyrenees, Alps and Dolomites back-to-back – on her first experience of the Haute Route. Hosts a blog 'Rad Monika' chronicling her adventures while hoping to inspire others.

I’ve been riding for eight years. I wanted to become a professional cyclist and raced in Holland, but now realise what I love is what I call adventure cycling.

I quit my job as management consultant for IBM and now I want to establish myself in adventure cycling and inspire and encourage others – especially women – to get out there.

Before the Haute Route I had done a few stage races at semi-professional level, but I'd not done too many multi-day events. Two months before the Haute Route I did an eight-day ride through eight countries from the Stelvio in northern Italy to Holland.

You know actually I didn’t sign up to ride the Triple Crown, I only signed up for the Haute Route Pyrenees a month before it started, then a friend convinced me to also do the Haute Route Alps. Before I knew it I'd agreed to ride the ‘Triple Crown'. 

I didn’t know where the route would take me but thought it sounded like a challenge – a cool one. I had no idea what I was getting myself into, but I’m glad I signed up before it all started because the opening two days in the Alps were brutal.

When you sit down and look at the route you realise there are no easy days. Even the easy day – the time trial – goes uphill. When you have a bad day – I had a few over the three weeks – you have to learn how to deal with that and that’s actually the toughest part.

Because there are so few women taking part – maybe just 10 per cent of the peloton – I barely rode with women. I never felt I was treated differently because I am a woman, I was just another rider. This was very encouraging, and how things should be. There should not be any gender specific rules or anything like that. We are all riders – if I screw something up it’s because of my cycling, not because I’m a woman. There was amazing camaraderie throughout the whole group of riders at the Haute Route.

Within the race there are different pelotons – those at the front, the real racers that I don’t even think I even saw – and the rest of us. Both groups have different mindsets and are doing their own things.

I never felt I was competing against others – male or female – I was, instead, challenging myself. I learnt in the first week to leave your ego at because as soon as somebody goes better than you, if you start beating yourself up about it then the entire three weeks are done. I learnt that very early on.

There were a few low moments, of course there were, but they were far outweighed by the good ones. There's not one specific moment in time that I would call the greatest, but rather a collection of moments when you realise we – the riders – are becoming a family. When for example one of the Mavic guys, a couple of days before the end of the three weeks, said he was looking for me and expecting me to be in a certain place on the course at a specific time. I realised then that people are looking out for you, and each other.

I didn’t speak to some of the Triple Crown riders, but we have all been through the same experiences. We don’t need to talk; we know how we feel. It’s just there, this special bond, this special camaraderie.

I turned up here alone, I didn’t have a team around me or know anyone at all and I left feeling like I had a whole new family. Don’t be scared, just do it, just come, people will talk to you and within a day you will know everyone. One of the cool things about Haute Route is that they print your name and nationality onto the race numbers that are pinned on the back of your jersey, that’s a great conversation starter. There are 50 nations represented out on the road so there’s always something to talk about.

Usually I do something once and then move on to a new project so ordinarily I wouldn’t come back to the Haute Route, but now just half a day after finishing the Triple Crown I’m thinking: what else is there? I just don’t know what can compare to the Haute Route – there's a great chance that I’ll be back.

I’ve done quite a lot of events – all over the world: Australia, the States and of course Europe – but the Haute Route really is very special. The organisation makes everybody feel special, like a professional: the food, the post-race massages, the Mavic guys who are really amazing. With all the nationalities, too, it’s like a rolling United Nations on bikes. It’s awesome.

As I say, there wasn’t one particular moment, just lots of small – but special – memories that made the Haute Route such an amazing experience.

'I finally finished a stage on the fifth day which felt wonderful. I was pretty slow, but I got through it'

Lissa Toh, 40, from Singapore. Finished two stages after struggling in the cold and having done little training. Plans on returning

I’ve never ever been so cold as I was during stage one or done a ride so hard. Combining the two was just horrific. It made me really scared about the rest of the week. In fact, I’m not sure I’m the best candidate to be talking about this – my week started out DNF [did not finish], DNF, DNF.

I started cycling three-and-a-half years ago when I moved from London to Singapore. I first tried triathlon before realising I hated running, but enjoyed the cycling. I now ride with Specialized Roval Mavericks – probably one of the best amateur teams in Singapore – and we participate in regional races.

I had a bit of a midlife crisis the year before riding my first Haute Route. I quit my job and went travelling so didn't spend too much time on the bike in the countdown, so perhaps it was a little optimistic of me to think I could complete it, but I figured: there's always a broom-wagon and I can just get on it. The first day that’s exactly what I did.

The hardest thing for me was the weather. You can kind of plug your way up a 14% gradient climb, but if you’re frozen and can’t feel your feet or hands then it’s just brutal, soul destroying. In Singapore we go out at 5am to avoid the sun. I just wasn't prepared for how cold and wet it could get – everybody else seemed ok – but I was frozen even with four layers.

On the opening day I thought I had hypothermia. I actually fell off my bike as I couldn’t feel my feet so I couldn’t unclip. That unfortunately set the tone for the rest of the week because I got a bit of a chest cold. I tried the next stage but quit after the third climb. 

I finally finished a stage on the fifth day which felt wonderful. It was just an amazing feeling, I was pretty slow, but I got through it and I wasn’t last. There were actually men finishing behind me. I felt awful the following day so sat it out, but completed the final stage too.

I signed up on a whim and I knew it was going to be horrific. My training consisted of two days riding up Fraser Hill in Malaysia and three days riding up volcanoes in Bali: five days. I did five days of training for this. People probably shouldn’t emulate this approach, I wouldn't recommend it.

The longest multi-day event I had done prior to the Haute Route was a four-day race – the Masters Tour of Chiang Mai – which is also quite climby, but it cannot compare to the Dolomites or Alps. Now I know what to expect I'd certainly come back, in fact I'm already thinking about doing the Haute Route Alps in 2018.

I think a lot of women are really scared because they think ‘oh, I’m going to come last’ and I had that fear myself. In that film Icarus they talk about the Haute Route being ‘the world’s hardest amateur race’ so a lot of women may be put off, but who cares? 

People shouldn't be intimidated or scared. Sure it's tough, really tough, but just give it a go. There’s nothing more exhilarating than achieving something that you thought you couldn't do. I’d definitely encourage other women to do it. I think it’s a fantastic event and a fantastic achievement to have even attempted because it’s hard, it’s really hard!

The more women do it the less elitist it becomes, because at the moment, the top women are really really strong – and most of them are strong. If more women like me take part then it will make it more accessible for others, right?

Whether you are male or female, though, is largely irrelevant. I didn't really speak with too many of the other women, but everyone is like super-friendly. You end up riding with the same people each day, so that was great. There's a lanterne rouge guy who rides at the back to help the slower riders, he was amazing. I got to know him very well!

'I knew it would be really hard, but I also really beautiful and I wasn't disappointed'

Esther Wilson, 25, from Nottingham​ but lives in London. Completed her maiden Haute Route in her first full year as a cyclist

It’s challenging, but also really exciting and an amazing feeling to actually prove to yourself that you can do it.

I’m relatively new to cycle racing. My parents did loads of cycle touring and as kids we did lots of outdoor activities, never any racing but the passion for it came from my family.

The year before riding the Haute Route I did a triathlon which was the first time I had trained properly for anything, that was pretty intense. I trained at The Athlete Lab where I met a group of amazing cyclists and it just kind of grew from there.

I love a challenge and something seemingly unachievable. I was coached by a guy called Robert who also rode the Haute Route. He just pestered a group of us until we all signed up. But a lot of us are quite focused people so having one thing to concentrate  on and train all year – especially together as a group – was really special and we got to enjoy it all together.

To be honest, I was in complete denial about how difficult it would be – the complete opposite to my friend Annie who I trained and rode with at the Haute Route. I wouldn’t read about it or look at the routes, but I knew it would be really hard, but I also knew it was going to be really beautiful and I wasn't disappointed.

The training can actually be quite fun, it gets you out to see new places – even different parts of the UK. I even ended up doing a race in Iceland as part of my preparation. When you have something to focus on it means you go out and really push yourself and I think you just keep learning. Each experience improves you as a rider and person. 

After completing the Ironman I woke up the following day and thought to myself: ‘I can now do anything I ever want’. I think that goes for every aspect of my life, not just cycling.

Because there are not too many women on the Haute Route we do tend to look out for each other, but to be fair all of the riders are pretty friendly. Everybody will have moments when the struggle but there are people around to help and get you through – men and women – because they will also have those moments. Someone might come up –  and they may be a complete stranger – and just say ‘it’s fine’ or give you a hug.

It’s not necessarily the cycling that makes it tough – although it is, obviously – but the things you don’t maybe think about: the packing, the faffing. Shoving your face with gels all day or food you don’t like eating on the bike. You can get sores or suffer from chafing or come down with a cold. You have to do that for seven days and then at night you struggle sleeping.

I had a really low moment during stage one – it rained heavily from the start and was a tough day – when my knee was hurting badly. Three weeks before the Haute Route my knee flared up while I was on training weekend in the Lake District. I took some time off and hoped I’d recover. Then during stage one, which was my first proper ride for three weeks, I just thought ‘that’s it, I’m going to fail’. It was grim.

Stage two was cancelled due to the conditions – the organisers were advised to cancel as it was snowing on the top of the stage's highest peak – so I just focused on reaching the top of the first climb on stage three and then, maybe, get in the van. But everyday it was fine, I survived, and after that I just took each day as they came.

It was a tough week, but hugely rewarding. Some people did better than me, others maybe not. But just completing the Haute Route – just attempting it, even – is an achievement and that it something that I kept reminding myself throughout the week.

• For more details on the Haute Route or to sign up for one of their events in America, France, Italy or Norway click here.