Roadkill

Day 7 - Beuil to Vence

Dinner last night was a very unique affair, we went to a local guest house (where the other half of the group were staying) which was owned by an expat Brit, Trevor. Now, Trevor likes the odd glass or two of the booze and by the time we arrived at 7pm he was already totally slaughtered - but he was not just the proprietor, he was also the Barman, Chef and Waiter. We all sat around a big table as out Trevor repeatedly came with large trays of food and vegetables, swaying across the room from the kitchen and on spying an empty space on the table made a bee-line for it, depositing the tray down with a drunken slur of "theere yuuu goooo" before setting back off on a drunken walk back into the kitchen for the next one. He was also serving us beer that had clearly been watered down and was also well past its sell by date. He was offering at the special price of EUR 2 per glass, no doubt to try and get rid of it - the stuff was vile. Maybe you had to be there to experience the evening but I think Louise summed it up best "I think it may be a while before he gets his Michelin star...".

So onto today's ride, best labelled as "Jim Davidson's Career", subtitle "What goes up must come down". We had generally been climbing day-on-day all week and today we set off back down to Vence, descending around 1,000m over the course of the day. The first 14 miles were a 30mph blast down a gorge, then a 5 mile cruise along a valley, so almost 19 miles had passed without any real work being done. There were two ascents over firstly Col de St Raphael (876m) and lastly Col de Vence (970m). Craig the cruiser started at the bottom of Col de St Raphael just before me, had time to stop for smallish detour into the woods (Louise has banned me from saying any more than that) and still cruised past me just before the top. He also cruised past me going up both Ventoux and Bonette. Mustn't forget to mention Bob, he also went past me going up Ventoux, and he's 70...

Played a very childish and cruel game of roadkill today with Andy the Tosser - he had freewheeled past me on the initial descent and then when I saw him a bit later in the distance I decided it was time to have some so I hunted him down gradually over several miles on the gradual climb up the river valley and then blasted past him and roadkill #1 was in the bag. He went back past me later in the day whilst we had stopped to fill our drinks bottles & have a drink and I couldn't resist having another go, this time on the way up a 5 mile long hill just before Col de Vence - so again I hunted him down and then sat 10 metres behind him for a couple of miles, waiting to pick the right moment, whereupon he saw me coming and took the easy option and stopped mid-climb by the side of the road just as I passed. Roadkill #2 in the bag. Big high fives at the top with Simon - Chris the tour leader was also at the top in his van having passed us up the hill and had also worked out what was going on, congratulations were passed all round. Me man, me make roadkill out of Tossers. Trailing someone who is obviously slower and cruising along behind them for several miles is quite cruel as they try and go faster to try and stay ahead / get away but invariably they will (sooner or later) just do what Andy did and end up blowing up as they can't maintain the higher pace - childish and cruel it may be but so very very satisfying, particularly when they just pull over and stop.

Then all that was left was a 10 mile blast down into Vence and into my bright yellow bed for a snooze.

So, that's it for another year. So was it fun - yes hugely enjoyable with loads and loads of fantastic climbs and descents and amazing scenery. Only the ascent of Ventoux (shudder) marred the experience, and that was down to the weather. It was also incredibly tiring, 450 miles and 36 hours of pretty heavy going cycling in the last week. Very interesting to compare the overall average speed of the trip - 12.5mph - versus the 16 or 17 I normally do at home on a one-off ride - the significant difference no doubt being partially down to the terrain and partially the day-on-day fatigue.

So what next, hm, not sure. Bike Adventures do a tour called Raid Pyrenee which is an official cycle challenge, going over 28 Pyrenean cols within the space of 10 days. Next years is camping (me not do camping) so maybe in two years when they do the hotel version again. So long as my long suffering wife says OK of course...

Love to all

Stats for the day:

Mileage: 64.4

Time: 4hrs 20

Average: a downhill 14.8 mph

Max: 42mph.

14 miles down this lovely gorge at 30 mph, awesome:

Random musings & other stuff

Just some random bits and pieces from the last few days, in order of highest tedium first:

1) Roads - how comes the French are so good at maintaining their roads - today was typical - a 30 mile long single track road over Bonette that must carry no more than 30 cars a day (and none in winter when it's closed) and the surface was immaculate, just silk smooth tarmac all the way - how comes our roads back home are so rubbish?

2) Communications - even in the smallest villages and up the Cols there is a near perfect phone signal. Most villages also have free Wi-Fi. How comes our phone system is so rubbish that when you go more than a few miles off the beaten track you are lucky to get a signal?

3) Dreams - been having some weird dreams this week. I very rarely dream but after a day in the saddle I guess I am sleeping more deeply. Wednesdays dream was all about me driving a tractor and trailer full of corn around the streets of Cambridge, going down narrower and narrower lanes. One of the schools dads was also in the cab with me talking to another (random) person. Weird. Last nights was all about tidiness and I recall my lovely wife having tidied all the dirty plates back into the cupboards so the house would look tidy. I went apoplectic...

4) Ventoux / Germans? Met some French cyclists up atop a Col couple of days ago and we were chatting to them. They went up Ventoux (shudder) on Sunday and the weather was perfect (grrr). Then they asked "Are you German" (double grrr).

5) Dinner last night - very funny - Simon, Craig, Louise and I decided to make a break from the pack and go out on our own and have some nice food and wine without having the hassle of splitting the bill exactly into each persons meal, how much wine they've had etc which is what has generally been happening in the evenings. I know it's a generation gap thing but it's still very frustrating sitting around for 20 minutes whilst someone works out what steak, chips and 1.3 glasses of wine cost. So we head out on our own (slipping out the back door of the hotel like true undercover agents), find a nice place far enough away from the hotel so the chances of the remaining group ending up there were remote and hey, 30 minutes later guess who walks in.... quite funny and thankfully they are all still speaking with us today.

6) People - a little bit on the rest of the group, or at least those that I know better:

- Ally - Scottish, 73 years old, climbs cols for breakfast every day back home in Scotland. Abiding memory of him is seeing him freezing cold walking up the last 1k of Ventoux. "I've been colder" he said to me afterwards. Also Bob his friend, 70 years old, another super Col climber, both super guys.

- Ross (one of the organisers) and Louisa his partner. Cycled all over the world, I doubt there are many places they have not been.

- Ken - suffers from MS, rides a trike. Amazing guy, just plugs away all day long.

- Craig and Louise - Craig "the cruiser" just flew past me on both Ventoux and Bonette, both of them super sporty types, into fell-running, marathons etc. Lovely couple, very much in love, I think they should get married and have lots of super-sporty children. Louise apparently sings "I am your sunshine" all day long, thankfully inflicting it mainly on Craig.

- Simon "why cycle up Bonette when you can sit in the van" - super guy, liked waving to us all out of the van window today.

- Andy - the group tosser. There is always one I guess and ours is Andy. Annoyed me within hours of meeting by being highly condescending / derogatory about the fact that I take my bike to my local bike shop for a service rather than doing it myself and slowly but surely annoyed just about everyone else in the group as well. Everyone else in the group tries to hunt him down on the road, taking great pleasure when they pass him.

- Chris - the other organiser. Really nice guy, must be a very boring job sitting around all day waiting for people to arrive at the top of mountains but he carries it off with aplomb. Was a great help in getting my bike fixed.

That's it, love to all.

Two big stings in the tail

Day 6: Barcelonnette to Beuil

Feeling a lot happier bodywise this morning - I went through the same last year on Lands End / John O'Groats where days 4 and 5 I felt really weary, where the body is complaining about the overtraining and then by day 6 it seems to catch up with itself and sort itself out.

Straight out of the guest house this morning and we start gradually climbing and after 5 miles took a sharp right turn and onto Col de la Bonette (2,908m) properly. The French authorities have put on their signs "the highest road in Europe" but I am reliably informed that it ought actually read "the highest road in France...".

The weather today was just fantastic in Barcelonnette, although it was the same in Sault before we set off for Ventoux, and Bonette is a further 1km higher than Ventoux so we were all expecting it to get both colder and windier and everyone was more than a little apprehensive in setting off about what may lay ahead.

Onto Bonette and the task ahead becomes clear, 1,600 metres of climbing over a 23km route, an average ascent rate of around 7% - the climb was really long and really arduous but bit by bit we just plugged away at it - the nice thing was that the weather was still quite cool in the morning and also that the gradient was pretty steady so you could generally find a gear and stick in it. Stuck at it we did, scoffing down a couple of energy bars en route and 2 hrs 45 minutes later at an average speed of 7.4mph the top was reached, all the way in lovely weather.

This time no tears, no trauma, just a really lovely climb. The last bit from the Col to the Cime was another matter, a 90m climb in 950m, so an average of just under 10% and with the legs already burning from the climb to the Col it was a case of do or die up the last bit, the last climb can only be described as lung-busting and I stood at the top for 5 minutes just gasping for oxygen in the thin air like an over-heated collie dog.

The scenery was fantastic, birds of prey swirling around and snow covered mountains in the distance, only spoiled by the communist party marketing department who had found two abandoned buildings on the way up and had written "Fuck Capitalism" on one and "Fuck the police" on the other. Near the top were old gun placements and deserted army camps and down in one of the mini valleys near the top were around 50 war graves, presumably for soldiers who died defending the mountain. Very humbling.

So, 21 miles & one sting in the tail gone. The next 35 miles were really easy, a 15 mile blast down the other side of the mountain and then a 20 mile cruise along the valley, all the time gradually dropping down, from 2,908 m down to around 500m. My rear brakes got overheated on the way down and went all spongy but a stop for lunch cooled them down and they seem fine again thankfully.

But then the second sting in the tail becomes apparent, sharp right turn and onto Col de la Couillole which at 1,678m meant a 1,100m climb over 10 miles, a gradient again of around 7%. Got into real problems at the bottom as the sun was now beating down and I was running out of water so Simon gallantly clambered up some rocks to a small waterfall and filled up our water bottles. Continued to struggle in the sun, stopping every mile or so to cool down. Then thankfully we went round the back of the maintain and into the shade and I felt immediately better and picked the pace up, a real feeling of euphoria on reaching the top, having nailed the last 8k after struggling so badly on the first 8k.

Down into a very small mountain village for the night, we're off to watch the France / Ireland match later on which should be fun.

So a long and tiring day but feeling really great right now. Last day tomorrow.

Stats for the day:

Distance: 70 Miles
Time: 6hrs 30
Average: A hilly 10.6mph
Max: A freewheeling 44mph



The highest road in Europe???






The top:

The only way is up baby

Day 5: Sisteron to Barcelonnette

All a bit of a struggle for everyone today, the exertions of the last few days catching up with us all.

A chilly start to the morning added to the aches and pains and it took well over an hour of gentle cycling before I had shaken out the stiffness in my legs. Today was generally all uphill, the price we have to pay no doubt for the 20 mile downhill cruise at the end of yesterday. Out of Sisteron and climbing along the valley for 20 miles at a gradual gradient was laborious but finally managed to get the pedals spinning at something approaching a decent rate. Went up and over Col des Sagnes (1200m) of which most of the work was done in the previous 20 mile gradual climb, although it did leave a 1.5 mile hairpin ascent at the end. Struggled up it but didn't feel too bad. The next Col, Col des Garcinets (1250m) we got virtually for free which was nice - we only descended a couple of hundred metres in height from Col des Sagnes and just climbed back up it again over Garcinets.

By this time though life was becoming a real chore, all my energy had gone and every little incline was met with a sigh and an immediate downshift to granny gear. Was also very hungry which didn't help. Stopped for lunch and polished off steak and chips which was lovely.

Another Col directly after lunch, Col St Jean (1332m) - the second Col St Jean we've been over (and we've seen a signpost for a third), this was a relatively easy Col, just a long gradual drag over the top. None of the Cols today had Tour graffiti on the road, I guess they were too unworthy of being climbed by proper riders.

A lovely morning cycling, barely a car on the road and then after Col St Jean we had a really nice 10 mile 5% decline, just freewheeling down it at 30 to 35 mph. At the bottom though we had to join a fairly busy road into Barcelonnette, 10 miles of gradual climb up the valley and this again was a struggle. Stopped and scoffed down an energy bar and bottle of nice sugary drink (Isostar) which helped a little but not much. Arrived in Barcelonnette tired and happy to see my nice inviting hotel bed...

Barcelonnette is a nice little town with a very Mexican influence, a lot of people emigrated from here to Mexico over the centuries and the resulting trade links continue today. The town has two churches, both within 50m of the hotel. Took a walk round one of them - huge and ornate, and this for a population of just 1,000. Put a few euros in the collection box hoping that they turn the bells off overnight...

A big day ahead tomorrow, hopefully up and over Col de la Bonette, 2900m, some 1,800m above where we are now.

Stats for day:
Mileage: 61
Time: 4hr 45
Average: A weary 12.7mph
Max: A freewheeling 37 mph.

The long and winding road ahead:



Is this blog any good or is it just a load of

:

A day of two halves

Day 4: Sault to Sisteron

Woke up this morning very stiff and lethargic from the exertions of the last three days (yesterday in particular), everything was a bit of a struggle, walking up stairs in particular. The weather had freshened up a lot since yesterday - the change in the weather we noticed at the top of Ventoux must have been a front coming over - so started off with my thermal gloves along with both a rain jacket and a thermal top over my cycling shirt. Normally I'll spend a couple of miles going at a slow but reasonable pace to get my legs warmed up before starting to build up speed but today it was straight into granny gear and just really gently peddling to try and get the stiffness out. Finally got going properly only to get whacked again by the same headwind that battered us yesterday and this continued for several miles until we got behind the lee of a range of hills. Not nice.

Spent the rest of the morning Col bagging, initially Col d'Aulan (845m) which was a measured but short 3 mile climb which was knocked off relatively easily and then onto Col de Perty (1302m). The climb for this Col started some 20 km away, climbing gradually but steadily at first. Soon the monotony took hold and once again I started to play the Kilometre Board game, this time not only trying to guess how many metres we had climbed in the last km but also working out the average gradient remaining (i.e. 1302m - current altitude)/distance to summit. This quickly got depressing as we were climbing at around 3% (which is a noticeable gradient but not blood sweat & tears stuff) but the average remaining was 5% and then as we went on climbing at 3% then of course the remaining gradient has to increase and up it went to 6% with over 10km to still go. This game worked well for about 16km when the darn authorities started to put the km boards in odd places - so rather than 4km to go it was 4.2km etc. It's interesting to see that when the body is under duress then you start to lose the ability to do relatively simple tasks and try as I might I could no longer do the math of (e.g. (1302 - 1085)/4200) - not even to a simple approximation. I guess the same sort of effect happened yesterday when I didn't see the Tom Simpson memorial even though I really wanted to stop there for a few moments - it was large and right by the side of the road but I never saw it.

So this "remaining climb gradient" game being effectively over I decided to set myself the challenge of getting the remaining way to the top without stopping (I had not stopped so far) and without changing down to the bottom chain-ring (i.e. the rings on the front, of which I have three). Felt great with 1km to go so decided to attack it like a true Tour pro, out of the saddle full bore attack, blasting up the last km of the Col at 20mph. Actually no I didn't, that's a total lie. Did get to the top without stopping or changing down which made me very happy, but the last 2 km were a real struggle - I spent the whole time counting down to the top in hundredths of a mile on my trip computer - dear god a hundredth of a mile takes a long time when you are struggling up a hill. Fantastic views from the top right across the alpine range, really pretty. Annoyingly even after 30 miles we still had Ventoux (I now shudder every time I say that word, I think there's some trauma inside me somewhere...) in the distance looking down on us. From 30 miles away it looks like such an innocent and innocuous hill...

Stopped for lunch on my own, Simon who I spend a fair amount of time cycling with or near had stopped for a coffee earlier and I had pressed on. As it was a little before 12.00 I knew my chances of getting a proper lunch were slim (the next stop was 11 miles and another Col down the road, by which time I would be starving). I also knew that my schoolboy English did not extend to "excuse me, I know it's before 12:00 but any chance of some lunch" so for the first time this holiday I chickened out and asked "Parlez vouz anglais.." and she went "?" so I tried "do you speak english", to which she said "non". Slightly comical conversation all around but somehow I ended up with a cured ham sandwich.

Learnt a bit of Franglais whilst sitting on the terrace having my lunch, a French cyclist came zipping through the village down the Col whereupon a white Citroën van decided to do a U-turn right in his path, causing the cyclist to slam his brakes on. A loud "Fuckeur" was the response from the cyclist.

Final Col immediately after lunch, Col de St Jean (1158m), this one shorter but steeper and didn't take long before the granny gear was being used - just over a 3 mile climb at around 7 to 8%.

So the morning was three Cols, one straightforward, one short but tough and the other a long drag getting steeper as it went.

And from there it was literally downhill all the way - the top of Col de St Jean is at 41 miles on the route sheet and I don't think I did any more real work after than for the next 25 miles, initially coming down steeply off the Col and then 20 miles cruising along a river. Thought about picking the pace up and kicking out for home which is what I'd do on a normal ride around 20 miles from home but my legs were complaining a lot already so just pootled along enjoying the sunshine, really nice.

Very interesting to follow the river for so long, initially it was just a trickle (but very obviously was a torrent in the thaw etc) and then as we followed it further and further it became wider and wider with more and more flow. Took lots of pictures of interesting rock erosions but won't post them here for fear of boring you rigid.

Hats off once again to Bike Adventures and their route finding, today was just fantastic, didn't see more than a dozen cars all day until the last bit of road going into Sisteron.

Staying tonight in Sisteron, a 12th century town. Took a stroll up to the Citadel overlooking the town. Forgot about my inability to walk uphill, so that was a bit of a struggle. The Citadel was quite nice, albeit spoiled a little by the main autoroute droning away in the valley and also by some idiot who though the 12th century Citadel would be enhanced by the addition of some 20th century cardboard cut-out figures in "costume". Hm, tasteful...

Stats for day:
Distance: 66.8 miles
Time: 5hr 10
Average:12.9mph
Max: 40mph

The road winding back down the col with the Alps in the distance.

I'd like to say it was fun

Oraison to Sault, 77.5 miles.

The morning was spent riding to Sault, our "base" for the attempt on Ventoux. The afternoon was spent going up Ventoux.

The morning was 47 miles of generally undulating valley, but made really tough by a continually strengthening headwind, it made it a real struggle to make decent progress, very energy sapping. Saw a classic example of why the "priority to the right" rule should be abolished - a 40 ton truck cruised past me and then out of a small side lane pulled a battered old Citroën van, causing the truck to lock all his brakes. Just madness.

Only other highlight of the morning was finally finding a straight bit of downhill road - up to now it's all been hairpins with death drops to one side - not very conducive to legging it downhill - but coming into Sault there was a dead straight flat road with grass verges either side (i.e. if you bounce then at least it's soft). Freewheeled down most of it before finding a slightly steeper bit - legged it flat out for about 15 seconds and hit 49 mph, fastest ever I've been on a bike, a great feeling.

Stats for the morning:
Distance 47 miles
Time 3:39
Average: A dismal wind battered 12.8mph
Max: 49 mph.

Stopped in Sault for lunch and then set off for Ventoux. The foothills were fine albeit with the wind still picking up so on one straight it was blowing us along uphill at 15 mph, go around the 180 degree hairpin and directly back into the wind and the bike speed immediately drops to 5 mph and on and on... Slowly progressed up the foothills where the gradient was around 5% degrees - the main problem I was having was monotony - the scenery was just the same continual mountain scrub / forest and the road just continually bending onwards and upwards. So I started playing games with the "kilometre boards" - spent about an hour climbing just looking out for the next "kilometre board" - each board had the altitude on it, so I would try and guess how many metres I had climbed in the last kilometre. We started at about 700 metres and bit by bit it climbed (the top is 1909m) although the game got quickly depressing as it would often take several minutes to do the kilometre and the height would rise from 850 to 885 metres - and you think - gee, thanks, just another 1,100 metres to go then... but at least it passed the time.

After about 1.5 hours I reached Chalet Reynard which is the last landmark before the summit - the chalet is on the treeline and above it is just 6km of scree slopes to the summit. Unfortunately once the trees were no longer there for protection the full force of the wind took effect, it was just really really brutal - and the last 6km was also the steepest - at between 8 and 10%. The road at this level was covered by Tour graffiti - passed a big bit saying "Penske (a Tour team) Kick!!" at which point I was trying myself not to be sick. Just amazing to think the Tour riders attack hills like this, powering up at 15 to 20mph, I was struggling to hit 5pmh.

It then started to get really cold and became a real struggle, many gusts of wind almost bringing me to a stop. Even worse was the psychological impact - you could see the top now but also see how far it was still away. The last 6km took about an hour and it was just continual pain, so much so that I went past the Tom Simpson memorial without even noticing it was there, the only thing I could concentrate on was keeping the pedals somehow turning. Spent the last km or so in tears as I just wanted to be at the top rather than a km away from it, and on reaching the top then spend the next ten minutes in tears because I'd made it. Four of us got to the top within a few minutes of each other (of which one of the others were also in tears) and whilst we were there the weather took a severe turn for the worse, the cloud came down, the wind picked up and whereas it was already cold it quickly became bitter, with flurries of sleet in the air and continual strong gusts of winds. Put on my thermal gloves, jacket and hat and set off down the hill - by this time many people had been reduced to walking up the hill - and of course once you start walking you get even colder as the body is not generating so much heat, they looked really bitterly cold. Many people after us decided to turn back and I think overall around half of us made it, half turned back. Anyone who made it up after us got bitterly cold and we were lucky to get up when we did - I had a pretty torrid time, they had a shocker - the gift shop at the top gave them newspaper to stuff down their top for insulation.

Came down freezing cold but only got about 1/2 a mile before a huge gust of icy wind blew me clean off the road, thankfully hitting the deck onto a gentle scree slope rather than anything more severe - I knew quickly either myself or my bike would be hitting the scree and decided the bike was going to cop it. Thankfully no harm done, could have been a lot worse. Some people were blown off two or three times, one of them into a "death drop" barrier - scary stuff - it really was getting ugly up there. All the time back down in Sault of course it was lovely sunshine.

Had real problems walking / moving at the summit, my legs seized up really quickly, no doubt a combination of exertion and cold. Came back down into the hotel and decided the only thing for it was a cold bath which seems to have done the trick, I can walk once again.

Special mention has to go to Ken, he has MS and as he's losing his balance he rides a trike. He averages about half the speed of the rest of us. So we spent just under 7 hours cycling today - he spent 13 hours cycling - I just heard him get in, it's now 9pm and I watched him leave this morning at 7.30am. And he made it to the top, long after everyone else had turned back. Just an amazing guy to do what he does.

So, I wish I could say it was fun but it wasn't, it was the hardest thing I've ever done in my life. It was a huge experience and one that I would recommend to anyone but it wasn't fun, it was just painful, very very painful, and emotional.

Took some fantastic pictures from the top, really nice. Cameraphone again doesn't do it justice but got some nice ones with my proper camera.

Stats for the afternoon:
Distance 32 miles
Time 2 hrs 59 minutes
Average 10.8 mph
Max 36 mph.

Simply Stunning

Day 2. Comps Sur Artuby to Oraison.

Discovered the drawback of being in a small mountain village with 4 churches - 4 sets of church bells. 3 of them were turned off overnight - but not the fourth - where's the logic in that???

Woke to a very gloomy misty morning. Fooled myself into thinking it was like mist back home in the UK - if it's there in the morning it will usually be there all day so took my camera our of my little bike carry bag and packed my wet weather gear instead.

Spent the first hour cycling through the cold and damp mist, little rivulets of dew running off my hair and arms, visibility no more than 50 meters. And then of course the sun burns off the mist and you see what you've been missing - just stunning scenery, huge gorges and canyons with the road twisting down one side and up the other, along with picture perfect little villages sitting alongside sky blue lakes. Cursed myself for having taken my main camera out of my bag, took some shots with my cameraphone which don't really do it justice.

Once again Bike Adventures excelled themselves with their choice of route, saw no more than a dozen cars all morning. One the mist was burnt off I spent the rest of the morning cycling along with a huge smile on my face, just the best cycling weather, roads and conditions you can get.

The chain started playing up again very first thing this morning, did 100 metres out of the guest house and turned around, resigned to have to write the morning off finding a bike shop but very quickly it started to behave. It then spent the next few miles going clickety click, a distinct improvement on crunch crunch, and then seemed to sort itself out altogether. So we will see what tomorrow brings, fingers crossed.

A relatively prolonged five mile climb out of the gorge in the morning sun very soon had the sweat running everywhere, stopped at the top by a mountain spring. In most villages round here they have a spring outlet and it's lovely to pour some of the cool water over your head and fill up the drinks bottles.

Had another "La Fanny" moment later in the day, a group of four female cyclists coming the other way had stopped, one had popped behind the bush. Alas whilst she may have been perfectly shielded from the road in the direction she had just come she was in full frontal view of myself and Simon heading towards her. She did see us but rather too late. Sometimes life is so much easier being male...

A really nasty climb just before the end of the day, alas not really announced on the route sheet other than "climbs steeply". After 400 metres in the midday sun I was a little pooped and thinking I was at the top stopped for a breather. Set off again looking forward to the downhill bit but alas around the corner it just got steeper. Stopped again after a mile, this time completely pooped. Reached the top at 1.5 miles. Stopped again. There were certainly both steeper and longer climbs last year in Lands End / John O'Groats but the heat today was the killer, I think it was around 26 / 27 degrees with no breeze, just nasty, really difficult to get a proper breath. Last ten miles a gentle cruise through the lavender fields which alas have all been harvested.

Big day tomorrow, Ventoux beckons in the afternoon. Fingers crossed that the bike is OK in the morning.

Stats for day:

Mileage: 61.8 miles
Time: 4 hrs 22 mins
Average: 14.1mph

Small world / Monsters of Rock part II.

I remember before we set off on Lands End ->; John O'Groats last year asking the organisers what the attrition rate was i.e. how many people didn't make it to the end through either injury, illness, accident etc. About 10% was the answer. In particular they recalled one poor guy who on their previous tour (just a few weeks before ours) had unfortunately fallen off on a bend and ended up being airlifted to hospital with a broker collar bone.

Sat next to said poor guy at dinner last night, he's part of our group.

Freaky eh?

Also check out the Speed Rock Machines myspace site. Next gig is at the Kings Pub in Nice on Sep 25th. You can even play their tunes for free on the site as well. Go on, you know you want to. http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=223061669

Bummer

Vence to Comps Sur Artuby.

Intended distance 53.3 miles.
My distance on bike 46.3 miles
My distance in van 7 miles...

Today was billed as a gentle introduction to the Alps and for the first 8 miles it was, gently freewheeling down the valley and across the bottom of a gorge. Alas what goes down must go up and for the next 12 miles we climbed up again the other side and with the day getting ever warmer I soon had sweat dripping in my eyes, ears and all sorts of other places.

Initially loads and loads of other cyclists on the road, all in the opposite direction. Sunday is a big club cycling day in France and loads of clubs were out in the hills. I am proud to say that I managed to bag a couple of french cyclists on the ascent out of the gorge. Me man me like overtaking french cyclists. Gave them a hearty "Bonjour" as I cruised past them.

Everything they say about cycling in France is true, the roads are fantastic - even remote roads over mountains are dead smooth. There are very few cars around and even then they go out of their way to give you loads of room. So much nicer than back home. You do however get really weird looks if you sit in a cafe doing your blog on a laptop...

So where is the granny gear I hear you ask - the gear made so famous from repeated overuse in my Lands End -> John O'Groats ride (tiresome blog at http://www.chrisride.blogspot.com/). Well I managed to avoid it on all of the ascent. OK, nearly all. At 19.8 miles the route sheet said "climb steeply for 300m" and this was my undoing, both physically and psychologically. Did the first ten metres OK then quickly had to get out of the saddle to try and power up the rest. Managed another 10 meters before conceding defeat. Oh well.

Spent the rest of the morning up in the hills, the weather clouding over a little giving some nice respite from the sun. Bagged my first col, the Col de la Sine (1080m) which was a bit of an anticlimax, it was a sort of summit within a gorge i.e. it was just the high point on the tarmacced road, all around us towered large hills. There is apparently a large book of the cols and the enthusiast ticks them off as they do them...

All the houses became very alpine in the hills, all the houses were in Swiss chalet style, wasn't expecting that.

Bagged second and third cols - Col de Cornille (1401m) and Col de Clavel (1063m) before my afternoon came to an abrupt halt 7 miles from the end when one of the links on my chain decided to seize up. Called out Chris the tour organiser and we decided it was best to try and fix it at the nights hotel rather than by the roadside. Much oily messing around by Chris and I think it's sort of fixed but really needs a new chain. We will see how it is in the morning.

Comps Sur Artuby is a nice little village, sort of in the middle of nowhere. A population of about 1000 and the village boasts 4 churches, a hotel and several bar / tabacs. Walked up into the hills to see one of the churches but alas the doors were locked.

Passed an interesting shop enroute but couldn't work out what was inside the door. Any ideas?

Stats for day:

Distance: 46.7 miles

Cycling time 3hrs 41 minutes

Average 12.6mph

Max 44mph

Distance cycled whilst swearing repeatedly, hoping this would help sort the chain out: 2 miles

Average speed in van 45 mph...

A night in twee Vence / Rock n Roll man

Arrived in Vence, a medium sized town about 20 minutes north of Nice. Perfect cycling weather, in the mid 20's, dry with no wind - long may that continue.

Vence is described in my little Provence guide as an artistic town with "painters, sculptors and writers of many nationalities living here". I did question the accuracy of this when on taking a stroll around the guest house there was just row upon row of crappy 1970's / 1980s flats. Wandered almost by accident into the historic centre which is quite pretty but not really enough time to look around properly. We are staying here again on our last night so hopefully will get the chance to explore properly.

Did manage to find the main town square and noted with a wry smile that this artistic pretty centre of town was host to a (very) amateur rock band "Speed Rock Machine " blasting out some of their tunes to the audience of three people. Two of the three people were shouting "rock n roll man" which I assumed to be a result of some mind-bending drugs they were on but it seems that this was actually one of " Speed Rock Machines " tunes as when I walked back past 15 minutes later they were blasting out "rock and roll man" to the same audience of three people. All a bit surreal really.


Love to all.

Random musings from Lewt'n Airport

Where is everybody?

Left plenty of time to get here as major roadworks on M1 around the airport, airport website was posted with liberal warnings about road traffic hell. So of course the roads were deserted, arrived here at 8.30, flight not until 11.30. hm. Bound to be queues at check-in though. Nope, also deserted, no queue. Bound to be queues at security though. Nope, deserted. So it's 8.45 and I'm in the departure lounge watching the occasional other passenger mix it up with the tumbleweed.

Just got hit on by the woman behind the counter in Boots - "we were just admiring your lovely legs (I'm in shorts) as you were walking round the shop" she informed me. Makes a nice change from one of my neighbours who on meeting him for the first time said to me "nice to meet you, ugly legs though". Weirdo.

Finished off Tim Moores French Revolutions before I left, it's a very good and funny book about this guy who has basically never cycled before deciding to buy a bike and after just a couple of short rides around Richmond park decided to ride the entire route of the Tour de France. Gave the book to Heather to read and she managed to consolidate it into one question - "so do you take drugs or pee whilst riding along". Only one of them love, and not habitually.

Passenger numbers in the airport really swelling now. Up to 7 at the last count. Got me wondering how those god awful programmes like "Airport" manage to find their victims, it must be hour upon hour of just watching people go about the mundane task of checking in and then the odd lucky strike when some dufus leaves their passport at home. And what sort of person do you have to be if firstly you are stupid enough to leave your passport at home and then a film crew comes up and says "look, we can see you are distressed and likely to miss your flight to your long lost friends wedding in Bognor but can we shove a camera in your face to record it all for national viewing"?

Apparently according to the really interesting man sitting opposite me, their is an "air especialle dolpin" on the taxi way. Give me strength (Sorry dad, who I know it reading this saying hm, I wonder if it was the model 345a with the blue tyres or the 345b with orange tyres and silver tinted windows). Dear god, only another 2.5 hours of this to go.

Love to all.

T-6... Sad.

Last bike ride yesterday before the trip, a nice amble around the country lanes in the morning sunshine. Packed my bike up in the afternoon ready for it to be shipped down to France today. Kinda sad being without my bike, looking forward to being reunited at the weekend.

Training, Spin.

A little bit on my training for the trip that I thought may be of vague interest some of you.

Last year before Lands End -> John O'Groats I did just under 2,000 miles in training (and then 1,000 miles on the trip). This year so far around 1,800 miles, comprising a couple of 100 mile rides, a few 70 to 80 mile rides and then mainly 30 to 50 mile outings.

I was thinking over the weekend - I've been training since around April so 5 months now, most of the time feeling pretty tired, occasionally fatigued and even then if I take the 1,800 miles I've done so far, add onto it the 450 miles from the trip in France and I'll have done 2,300 miles in 5ish months, at an average trip speed of around 16 mph. Compare that with Tour riders who do the same 2,300 miles in just 3 weeks on the Tour de France, and they average 24 mph, 50% faster. And when they are done they have a few days off before going to the next country and doing the same there. HOW??? Very humbling.

My main reservations about the trip are:

i) The terrain - in the flatlands of Herefordshire you can find the odd 10% incline but at best they are a couple of hundred metres long. The climbs over Ventoux and Col de la Bonette are around 25 km long with a continual slope of between 6% and 12% so that will be interesting.

ii) Weather - late summer is the best times to cycle in southern France when hopefully the worst of the summer heat is over but before the cold / snow of winter. Nevertheless it is likely to still be pretty hot (it's 31 degree as I write) and I'm a little worried that this will be a real struggle, particularly as the summer here has been so crap and I'm not used to the heat this year. Get to the top however and it's a very different story - the height of the mountain alone means that it is on average 12 degrees cooler at the top than at the bottom. Also Ventoux means Windy and the highest wind speeds in France have been recorded at the top - and when combined with the temperature drop means you are often struggling with overheating at the bottom and then suffering from cold at the top. It seems really strange packing my thermal shirts and hat when the weather forecast is 31 degrees and sunny but I suspect they will be needed.

Generally speaking I feel significantly stronger than a year ago I think mainly because I've managed to carry a lot of last years fitness (from Lands End -> John O'Groats) through the winter. Normally in the winter I just potter about on my mountain bike which is good cardio but nowhere near enough to keep up muscle strength and stamina. This winter I got some stupid notion that I would have a go at doing the London marathon in May and started to do longer and longer training runs. I managed to work up to do a 1/2 marathon at the end of which I could barely walk and was wiped out for a week. Any concept of doing twice that distance went completely out the window. Amusingly today I just had a diary reminder (that I put in my diary back in the spring) pop up saying "sign up for 2008 marathon". Delete...

Having realized that I'm never going to be a marathon runner I stumbled upon Spin as a way of keeping the fitness up in the winter. I'd often seen Spin taking place in the studios whilst I was in the main gym on the cross trainer and naively had said to myself "pah, get on a proper bike and do some proper exercise". I'm not sure I remember what drew me into start doing Spin but one morning I went along, had a quick 5 minute instruction on how to set the bike up and off I went. The instructor said "take it easy the first couple of times until you get used to it" to which again I naively (or maybe arrogantly) thought "pah, I've just finished a 1,000 mile bike ride and this is only a 45 minute class, we'll see about taking it easy".

So I knew I was in trouble when after just the five minute warm up I was already sweating like a pig and out of breath. 10 minutes later with still 30 minutes to go I had pretty much given up, freewheeling my way to the end... Lesson learnt, humbleness gained. I am reading Tim Moores French Revolutions at the moment http://www.amazon.co.uk/French-Revolutions-Cycling-Tour-France/dp/0099433826 (well, it seemed appropriate...), he describes Spin as a "savage, vicious, out-of-the-saddle give no quarters competitive battle" and this seems to sum it up pretty nicely - at the end of the session there are normally large puddles of sweat on the floor underneath everyone and it's almost always silent for a minute or so, no-one able to muster up the breath to speak. Last week as I settled into a sprint I closed my eyes and rather than being dark everything went bright red. Hm, has Ben (the instructor) turned on the red neon light again I wondered, opening my eyes to check. Nope, the lights were still green. Closed my eyes again, once again everything went bright red. Not a good sign I suspect... So for anyone wanting ways to get fit I'd wholly encourage you to try Spin but as the instructor will tell you and as I learnt to my cost, take it easy the first couple of times. Total respect and special mention as well to Ben the instructor at LA Fitness in Cambridge, he's a really brilliant instructor and his enthusiasm and effervescence are boundless.

Overview

All,

Shortly I set off for southern France to climb a few slopes on my bike. In particular the intent is to ascend Mont Ventoux "The giant of Provence" and the Col de la Bonette, the highest paved road in France.

A few details on the trip itself - it is organised by the excellent Bike Adventures with whom I did Lands End -> John O'Groats last year. The itinerary is herewith: http://www.bikeadventures.co.uk/suppholinfoprovence.html

So what is it about Ventoux? Ventoux is a legendary Tour De France climb - the Tour rider who hissed “assassins, assassins” at the race organisers as the leaders crossed the summit; the evocative quote “no mother should ever have to watch her son climb Mont Ventoux” - the mountain achieved worldwide notoriety when it claimed the life of Britain’s most successful cyclist Tommy Simpson who died climbing the mountain in the Tour de France - he began to wildly weave across the road before he fell down, he was delirious and asked spectators to put him back on the bike which he rode to within a half mile of the summit before collapsing dead, still clipped into his pedals. There is a memorial near the summit which has become a shrine to fans of cycling, who often leave small tokens of remembrance there. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Mont_ventoux_simpson_memorial.jpg

Mont Ventoux is 1909 metres high. The climb begins at 300 metres, the vertical distance climbed is thus 1,600 metres, approximately 1 mile vertically and takes around 5 hours of continual "out of the seat" climbing (OK, it will take me about 5 hours, the Tour riders rather less...).

The Col de la Bonette is the highest paved road in France. Whilst less famous than Ventoux it is alas just as hard to climb, the Col is 2,800m high (more than twice the height of Ben Nevis) with the climb starting at 1,100 metres so again a vertical climb of over 1 mile. Disregarding the 24km long continual climb you've already done to get to the lower summit, the last kilometre to the upper summit is by far the hardest part of the climb, a continual 12 to 15% climb in fairly thin air.

Whilst this is not an organised sponsored event it feels appropriate to try and raise a little cash for charity - here is my justgiving page: http://www.justgiving.com/ventoux2007

My goal is to "do" Ventoux and get to at least the lower summit of Col de la Bonette, ideally making it to the upper summit. How I will get on will depend upon a number of factors not least fatigue levels and weather conditions.

Love to all.

Chris.