Haute Route Alps - Stage 6. Digne-les-Bains to Mt Ventoux
145km, 3,050m climbing
Today was the mythical Mt Ventoux. Few climbs strike the same level of fear as Ventoux, and we had as good as perfect weather and conditions as you ask for. It was not easy, and after the gentle intro, what looks flat on TV, is a 7km wall through the trees until you hit the tree line, then a short rest before the final grunt to the top. It is like a lunar landscape up top. Nothing grows, and the weather station could just as easily be a lunar station as it is very blunt and made to withstand the extreme weather.
So how did today go for everyone. The first flat stage start of the ride created a FAST scary escape out of Digne that was littered with crashes. I started in the front group and punctured at km 25, and had to wait for the Mavic support as I needed a front wheel as my tubular punctured. First Pete zipped past me as I waited then Leah zipped by, and eventually the broom wagon and the Mavic car appeared. By this time the groups were long gone, and I had a day of playing catchup. It took me 35km to catch Leah's group, and I sat in this for some time as it was a good group. I also got to ride with Leah for a little while. Eventually it got hilly and I moved on.
Pete meanwhile played catch up as after yesterday's bee sting as he started outside the front 75. He caught on, then rode with the front group, and saw some carnage on the road today as people rode like hell to hang on. Pete has all of his skin, and had a better day today.
In the end we all made it up Mt Ventoux and got to enjoy a sunny hot day of climbing. I enjoyed the climb, and had a one of my better climbs of the race.
Results:
Pete: 4:57:53 and 71st for the day overall 75th
Leah: 5:59:39 256th for the day and is the 7th women overall, and 2nd in her age group
Hamish: 5:14:58 and 122nd for the day. Overall 55th, and lost 10 places and about 15mins due to my flat tire
The kicker for the day has been the disappointing logistics. Up to this point the logistics has been pretty good but today it kinda fell away once we finished. a 3 hour transfer back to the hotel, and then not know when our bikes would arrive has made some people very nervous. We now know they are back, but that is 6km away, and we have a shuttle to pick us up at 6:15am for the 7:30 start tomorrow. Separating a cyclist from their bike and not telling them when they will it again is a fundamental no-no, and after 6 long days on the bike, tempers were pretty thin once we eventually made it back to Digne tonight. Fingers crossed that the bikes will be at the start line tomorrow.
Tomorrows stage is the last. Another 3,000m and 160km day into Nice. 5 named climbs then a long neutralized parade down out of the mountains to finish with a parade along the Nice waterfront.
A few pics from today:
Leah all smiles when I was riding with her
Pete and Hamish at the top
It looks like it should be on the moon
Maybe it is the moon
Tomorrow's stage
