Tour du Pays de Vaud 2024
This year I run all six stages of the Tour de Pays de Vaud series. I finish 5th in my age category and I'm 15th overall.
| Date | Stage | Distance | Time | Pace | Ranking | Ranking overall |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14.08 | Gilly | 7.2 km | 29.15,9 | 4.03 | 7/79 | 30/273 |
| 21.08 | Cully | 3.6 km | 27.07,5 | 6.13 | 10/75 | 39/329 |
| 28.08 | St. Prex | 8.6 km | 35.10,2 | 4.04 | 10/143 | 36/467 |
| 04.08 | Echandens | 8.5 km | 35.00,2 | 4.12 | 8/84 | 45/354 |
| 11.09 | Chavornay | 8.6 km | 36.01,9 | 4.15 | 7/70 | 25/241 |
| 18.09 | Oron | 6.7 km | 25.37,4 | 3.53 | 7/73 | 21/267 |
Source: datasport.com
In the series, Gilly is the farthest from Lausanne: getting there by train and bus was easy, but in the evening there's only return connection per hour. After I cross the finish line, I keep jogging to the bus stop. I change while waiting for the bus, this way I'm back home around 9 PM.
I ran Cully last year and I knew it would be hard. In fact, this stage is brutal: 4 km uphill with 500m elevation gain. I manage to run a steady pace, I only walk a few steep sections in the forest. The finish line is at the Tour de Gourze with a magnificent view on the Lake Geneva. I pick up my bag and hike down to Grandvaux train station.
I know the Saint-Prex race very well: this was the final of many previous editions of the Tour du Pays de Vaud. This year it's hot again and after finishing I jump in the lake to cool down.
For Echandens the warm-up is longer than expected. Unfortunately, in the morning I forget my bib at home so from work I must do a detour to pick it up. Despite the extra cycling in the legs, running feels good. I like this stage: it has some fun parts in the forest and through the fields around the village.
Chavornay is longest race in the autumn season. It rains heavily and I slip a lot in the muddy forest paths. Perhaps, I should have worn my trail shoes...
Oron-La-Ville, the final stage, is short and fast. Mid-September the temperature drops fast in the evenings. For running it's perfect, but I quickly feel the cold in the finish line. The race closing party is not great, so we don't stay. Instead we eat a pizza at the Hotel des Alps in Savigny.