Stage 4: Serre Chevalier to Pra Lout
119km - 2,800m climbing Strava Link
Half way there, and the "easy" day done. It all depends on how you define easy doesn't it. 111km, and 3000m climbing including a 500m climb up to Pra Loup, that just got steeper at the end does not sound so easy. This is also the climb that Eddy Merckx famously passed out on and lost the 1975 Tour De France to Bernard Thevenet. Included in that 3,000m climbing today was the Col D'Izoard and the Col De Vars. Two big names the Col D'Izoard was on my list of climbs. Worth the sweat, although I would have rather climbed it with fresh legs.
So the quick run down of the day. After another cold downhill cycle from our basic accommodation 4km from the start, we stood around for 30 mins getting colder before the rolling start. I think after the late arrival on the bus yesterday, everyone was early today. It was a rolling start out of Serre Chevalier, and a cold one as well for the first 10km to the bottom of the Col D'Izoard. I think i had the whole body shivers it was so cold, and as you are in a controlled group, there is nothing you can do but shiver. That all sorted it self out pretty quickly on the climb, and before we knew it vests and arm warmers were off and we were all sweating our way up.
A bit on Serre Chevalier. A very pretty little town, that i can only imagine in winter must be very spectacular, as the mountains rise up all around it, and the village itself has always been a village, not a 70's build which a lot of the ski villages are here. Very old houses, nestled in beside a stream, with mountains all around. Quite the view, and very scenic.
I have inserted a couple of pics from the start and climb below. The start was cold, and today I rode with Naco, one of my fellow Mexican team mates. Good fun, as he is as funny as hell, and does not stop talking, which is actually good for hiding the pain on the uphill. He had several small groups all laughing as we worked our way up.
The downhill was fast! A sweeping downhill from 2,380m to 1,000m and then a drag race along the flat, on a particularly unpleasant narrow road at the bottom that had been carved out of the cliff. This would have been much more pleasant if we did not have a truck in front of us thinking he is was a racing car driver, and we managed to pass him, and then we had him behind us for a bit. Fortunately he had to slow down as the road was so narrow he and a car could not pass. This gave us space! We also hit a steeper downhill, and turned off shortly for the second climb of the day, the Col D' Vars. Just a 19km climb and 1,100m. It seems a bit of a blur, as i was hurting at this stage. (I did not eat enough early, and had not gone onto gels yet. Lesson learned...). Naco and i were lucky on the flat as we got dragged along by the leading female. On the flat she was a machine, but we dropped her on the climb, but not before i managed to snap a picture.
Our luck of having people to work with continued as after the downhill there was a 30km flat - downhill to the base of the climb, and we had 20 people in a paceline. Our lucky day as we drag raced along the valley floor towards the final climb. This definitely saved my legs and saved a heap of energy. Onto the final climb, I think i may have burnt a match as they say in cycling as i went hard. Not sure why, but i did and it hurt. This was my hardest effort yet, and happy to be able to put the effort in on day 4.
Pra Loup, a ski town, and the Haute Route has taken over the main small village square today. The backdrop was stunning as the town looks out over another amazing Alps range, and all around us are the alps.
Tonight we are staying in a boarding school, a good new one, in the town of Barcelonette, a few km down the hill from Pra Loup. As a basic accommodation person, we are often out of town. Unfortunately Roberto and the rest of the crew are up in Pra Loup, so i have nto seen that much of them.
Tomorrow, is the individual time trail up the Cime De La Bonette. 23km, and 1,500m climbing awaits. It should be all over between 1.5 hrs and 1.75 hours. Lets see how the legs feel after todays effort.
I am going to end this update with some things that have impressed me.
- the one legged and one arm rider. Yes, he is doing this with 1 leg and 1 arm. Amazing and inspirational. He is also going on to do the Haute Route - Pyrenees
- The riders who finish just in front of the lateen Rouge. I typically get in between 12:30 and 1pm, and start my recover then. Food etc. Imagine been on the road for another 3-4 hours. Everything is pushed back, and then they do it again. That just sounds really hard, that long on the bike
- 30+ motor bikes that follow us everywhere. Yesterday we had an escort for the best part of 50 km, all the way through Italy. Just in front of the group clearing traffic as well as giving us a lead. Today we had one for about 10km of the flat downhill. These guys do a great job in keeping it safe, plus you feel like a PRO, with the bike just in front of you.
How did i do today. 4:2340, for 81st on the day. Overall my time is 19:44:30 for 78th. The consistency strategy is working as i am climbing places. If i get into the top 75, i get to start with the leaders, and this is where Roberto and Ramon are. Maybe tomorrow. I need a couple of people to have bad days, and me another consistent one.
Signing off now as the shower is hot, and the briefing for tomorrow starts in 25 mins. Also i am running out of roaming data, so i may not be responding to emails until i find wireless, and here in France, that is HARD.