I am staring at the results for Les Ballons Vosgienne in disbelief.  Cath has finished 91st.  And she has had a sex change.  A sex change?!?  Can it be?  I start to think back – all that travel to Switzerland.  Was it really for work?  Or was it for…?  No, it can’t be.  And then, I thought.  Perhaps it was a virtual sex change.  One induced by the vagaries of on-line inscription.  A few words with the race officials and faith is restored.  So too are Cath’s results.

Les Ballons Vosgienne is held every other year from Gerardmer in the Vosges mountains of eastern France.  We last did it in 2007.  Back then, Cath raced the short distance.  This time she lined up for the long ride of 155km and 3700m of climbing.  The start, like last time, was fast all the way to the top of the first col.  Unlike last time, I stuck with the lead group.  The ride along the Route des Cretes – a high road affording stunning views across the Vosges – was fast.  It was not without mishap too as one guy went down.  There was more carnage on the descent – Cath, in the second group, saw half a dozen fellows lining the roadside in various states of disrepair.

From the bottom of the first major descent, the road turned straight back up again.  Then down again.  Then up.  And on and on like this over ten cols.  Some were steep and long (the Markstein).  Others offered great switchbacks on silk-smooth hotmix.  By the time of the last col, I had long lost the lead riders.  They would finish it in 5:03; I crossed the line, it was 5:42.  Cath raced on and rolled in at 6:38.  That was good enough to be third on scratch and second for her classement.  To put it another way:  first of the mere mortals (the two ahead of her being a French TdF ex-pro and a youthful national MTB champ).  Much better than the 91st she would have placed had she in fact been a he.