Le Tourmalet and beyond

Wednesday, July 18, 2012 - Le Col du Tourmalet

Waking up in our marvelous tent city, complete with nearby public washroom, we spandexed up immediately and rolled downhill the 1 or so km back down to Luz and our beloved La Terrace Cafe...by now we'd become fixture, but I suppose we'd be hard to recognize in the sea of roadies at this cafe. Coffee and brioche consumed, we made for the col. What a rush it is and what a difference it makes in your legs when you're climbing at the Tour de France; we all agreed that finding your climbing rythm is much easier when the road is lined with adrenalized cycling fans, eager to chear on any random bloke on a bike making way up the climb. The constant party of changing scenery helps too. This is the only climb on this trip that I had already done, but there was a large astrix next to it on my bucket list as that day in 2010 the gendarme had the upper 3 km closed off to all but walkers...after begging and pleading, there was nothing for me to do that day except turn tail and slink on down the road...so again, there was unfinished business here. I'm happy to report that the astrix has been removed. We reached the top after about an hour an 20 (but don't quote me on that, I don't have the Garmin right here in front of me). Btw that last few hundred meters she pitched up to 13%, so I can se why this made for a great stage finish a couple of years ago...I found myself remembering proudly not the battle that was waged that day between Andy and Alberto, but instead the effort that Ryder put in that day defending his 7th (now 6th with the exclusion of Alberto) place...with the "weight of our nation" on his back!!! On this day, there was another nation globbed onto a different rider...France on little Tommy Voeckler! The French press likes to say that you either love him or hate him, but I sure didn't see any of the haters on that mountain, and we all agreed, we love him. With all jerseys all but sealed up very early in this tour, Thomas and his hunt for the climber's jersey has saved the tour. After Voeckler showed them the how, the rest of the peloton made their way up and over in shattered bitS, making for some great viewing. Footnote: seems the water cycle has shut down in this country as once again we enjoyed perfect weather--not a speck of cloud in the sky.

Thursday, July 19, 2012 - The Port de Bales

Once down from the Tourmalet we packed up and drove the 1.5 hours or so over to Bagneres de Luchon where the next stage started and more importantly the base of the finishing climbs. Tent city was on a sloping patch of grass on the lower slopes of the Col de Peyresoudre. Before pitching the tents, in a fit of caveman-like haste, we devoured a rotisserie chicken with the requisite tabbouleh, cheese and baguette. The little girls in the caravan next to us got quite a charge out of my chicken carving skills and the fact that I could do it while sitting on the ground without a table nor chair and with a plastic knife. It was indeed a scene. The next morning after pain and coffee in Luchon, we decided to ride up the more difficult Port de Bales instead to the finishing climb of the Peyresoudre/Peyragudes...this would give up perhaps a more interesting climb and get us away from the crowds a bit earlier in the day. The climb was awesome highlighted by quaint little towns that you roll through on your way to the top and the intense heat and humidity (the water cycle clicked back on with clouds and fog, but not the rain that I hear they had on the ascent of the north side...we climbed the south side--the side the peloton descended). As the shattered peloton rolled through this time, we were without the crowd barriers that we had on La Toussuire nor the frenzied chaos of the crowds and the gendarmes of the Tourmalet. It was really quite chilled out watching them go by with the mom and pops of the caravan scene, and btw, did we ever clean up with the publicity caravan. Alessandro Valverde brought home the stage, his breakaway succeeding, and we understand the yellow jersey and the more than loyal Chris Froome put on a bit of a show coming in 2nd and 3rd. It's going to be a lot of fun watching how all this went down on the DVR when we get back home. The descent of the Port de Bales is where reality may have reared it's ugly head. Rod had a bit of a crash as he over cooked an early corner. Ribs bruised not broken and plenty of skin left on the road...bummer to say the least...his front wheel went into a drainage gutter and down he went. Add a Vein Machine who was...well let's say shitting out both ends after eating some questionable yogurt and the bucket listers were starting to look like mere shadows of themselves...the walking wounded for sure. I'm sorry to report that due to the above we were not able to make the little side trip to Mont Ventoux that we had planned for the trip back east. Indiana Jones had the Temple of Doom to deal with after Raiding the Lost Ark, and this little blog too will someday have a sequel I'm sure. We'll leave that stone to turn for another day.

Saturday, July 21, 2012 - meet the girls day!

On Friday we found our way 3.5 hour's drive east to a hostel in a city called Arles (we're not here doing the regular tourist trail, but it seems this place was pretty important to one Vincent van Gogh). The next morning mine and Rod's path diverged from Vein's. We told Brad to feel better and parted ways as Rod and I drove to Cassis, 1.5 hours further east. Seems as though our paths will come back together sooner than we expected though as Brad's found some work in NS from August thru to December...I'll be picking him up at the airport in 3 weeks and the roads of Lunenburg County will once again be shredded...as only roadies can 'shred' roads (lol). Rod and I had another 'transfer' massive day planned and this time it all went off without a hitch. We drove from Arles to Cassis, took the flat for the week, dropped our bikes and gear off in a heap in the living room, then drove to Marseille to drop off the car and meet Selena and Deanna. The girls made it, also no hitches, and we all boarded the train for Cassis. After enjoying well earned beers on the balcony, we headed out on the town for dinner. I can say that after the last 10 days of riding and Tour de Francing, I'm ready for the beach...bring it on. Sorry again for the lack of pictures...they're no doubt worth a lot more than my words. I'll work on getting them off the camera and on to Google from where I can get them on the blog. There's also a few good videos to share. I feel like this week may provide time for such tasks. Thanks for reading; check back in a couple of days for an update on the news from the beach.

Luv-Saint-Sauveur

Let's see, where was I? Oh yes, I've brought you up to speed on Alpe d'Huez day, now to tell you about Le Col D'Izoard...

Le Col D'Izoard, Sunday, July 15, 2012

What can I tell you about Izoard...it hurt...a lot...the adrenaline legs that I enjoyed the day before had left me...man I wish they would have them to keep. Nevertheless, up we got,  coffee and pain (we've taken to calling bread and croissants and the like 'pain'...French for bread), and we rolled out directly from the hostel over to Briancon and the base of the climb. If I had to describe the climb in a word and if I wasn't  allowed to say pain (as in the English for extreme hurt), I'd say motorcycle.  Too many of them...they were swarming like locusts on our road. Btw I of course flatted in the first 10 minutes, but this time I really spent some time working the rim tap (new rim tape that is), and, touch wood, I've been good ever since. Beautiful climb, chilly, and off the bucket list.

As usual the day was closed with a feast par excellence. After the climb we happened upon a farmer's market so smoked sausage, veggies, etc got shoved into what jersey pocket real estate was not occupied  by co2 cartridges, gels, wind vests, etc. Vein would like me to describe the pasta and its ingredients in full...farafelle pasta, smoked sausage, green pepper, onion, garlic, pesto rosso, olive medley, and copious olive oil...killer!

Transfer - Alpes to Pyrenees, Monday, July 16, 2012

Coffee allonge, pain, power omelet with a truck load of pesto, pain, into the car.
"Darth, which way to Lourdes?"
"Take the motorway, stay in formation, the emperor awaits!"
Eight hours later, we arrived Lourdes at 7:40...perfect...just enough time left in the evening to check in to a killer, cheap, awesome hotel, and hit up a laundry mat. It only took the three of us, two by-standers, and two tries to figure out how to wash our clothes. Cloth line strung across the room, we settled in for some power sleep...the kind that makes you climb Pyrenees. Oh Btw, did you catch that the Vein  Machine decide to make the trip with us...where we go one, we go ALL!

Luz Ardiden, Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Oh man, came very close to cramping a hamstring just now...the hotel's 5€ breakfast safely stowed in our bellies, we loaded the bikes and bags back into the car and obeyed Lord Vader's commands as he guided us from Lourdes to Luz-Saint-Sauveur...a 40 minute drive. Cool experience driving these roads and hitting these mountain towns again as Davidson and I were here a scant 2 years back.

The idea was to park the car in a spot where we could pitch tent city tonight, and dude, did we ever find a decent spot...just up the road from Luz towards the Col du Tourmalet, where we will watch tomorrow's stage, and with a public washroom close by, a picnic table to chill at, a park to pitch tent at, a parking spot for the car, and a river to wash up in and to keep the beer chilled.

So, with home base established, we suited up and climbed Luz Ardiden, a ski resort just out of town...where Jens hurt the peloton last year. Beautiful climb, amazing switchbacks on the upper section, and hot hot hot...we've got the polar opposite weather in this valley compared to the rain and cold that Selena and I endured in 2010...lets hope it continues for another couple of days.

That brings me to this terrace cafe where I sit now, blogging and sipping Heineken while trying not to complain about the heat...Selena, remember this cafe...we had coffee and croissants here on our way out of town the morning after the stage and the campground...it's hopping with cyclist...the bikes are piled three deep on the sidewalk.

Future

Tomorrow we get up early and ride up the Col du Tourmalet...the peloton is scheduled to pass around 1:30...we'll be just before the barriers hopefully, wearing pink O'Regan's kit.

Pictures are tough cause I don't have what I need to transfer them over to this infernal PlayBook (the ones on the last post were made possible by Johnny, the great, helpful guy working the hostel in Briancon...thanks Johnny!) But here are a few that I just took with the playbook itself. Enjoy, and thanks for following.

The Bucket Listers

This is from the airport last week...my first Equipe of the trip

Veiw of the mountain from where I sit right right now

Cyclists taking over La Terrace in Luz

The boys enjoying La Terrace after a hard morning's climb of  Luz Ardiden

Lourdes

Safely arrived in Lourdes. Long day in the car, but we're now at the base of the Pyrenees. Stay tuned.

Some great first days in France

Well, we've cut our last day in Briancon a bit short so that we can do a bit of blogging and internetting as it were. There's soooo much to share; I'm going to make up for five days of not blogging and write you a novel, so pour cup of coffee and get comfortable. I've tried to divide it up into bite sized bits, so maybe you can pick through it over a couple of sittings. Here goes. (Sorry for the random placement of pics; this playbook thinger's a bit tough to work with.)

Planes Trains and Automobiles, July 10, 2012

The bucket listers atop the Alpe d'Huez.

Looking down at some of the turn ofthe Alpe d'Huez 

Our first day was a gong show, but in the end, mostly successful. At every moment we were either losing time or being hosed for cash. After landing successfully in Paris and enjoying the relief of receiving all of our luggage we boarded the TGV (train a grande vitesse) for Marseilles, a three and a half hour trip. We awkwardly had to leave our bike boxes in the space between cars as they wouldn't fit in the luggage shelves...which meant that at each stop we had to go move them so as not to block the way of passengers moving on or off. Eventually a conducteur came by and liberated us of 45 Euros for the Grey box...which seemed like a deal in light of the fact that he started out talking about 160! Next came the car pick up. They wanted 100 extra euros...but we won this battle and they honored our reservation rate....we just lost a bunch of precious time (much to do you see). On to Cassis to build up the bikes and drop off our bike boxes. Getting out of Marseilles was like getting out of Montreal...the construction and traffic combined to turn a 30 minute drive into a four hour ordeal. Ok so now we're in Cassis...my derailleur hanger was a bit beat up and we couldn't get my rear wheel on...luckily I travel with a spare...so again just a headache and a bit more of July 10th lost. You know what? We forgot to eat. In to a gas station for three sandwiches each and some cookies. And no, the clerk couldn't get any extra cash off our visa to pay for our autoroute tolls...but don't worry, they take credit cards...they literally take them that is...in went my card....pass the beer nuts. Panic set in as a search revealed no staff attendants.  Nerves shot, I missed the conveniently positioned help button that Rod pointed out. Pushing this button promptly brought out a great guy to help me retrieve my card and we were able to count out enough change to get to within 5 cents of the 13 some odd euro toll. Dude even gave us decent directions to a cash machine. Coffee was key in the final, 4 hour push to Grenoble and the awaiting Vein Machine (aka Brad Veinotte - intrepid cyclotourist having just ridden his bike from Denmark to Greece before riding to Sicily and boarding train for Genoa and slashing wheel tracks across the Alps to Grenoble to meet us). I always say I love the act (sport) of traveling, but this sleepless and nearly food-less 36 hours was a challenge to say the least.

We were, and have been, rewarded...though the challenges never seem to be far off on this trip.

Col de la Telegraphe and the North ascent of the Col du Galibier, July 11, 2012

With 6 hours of shut eye, we were ready for the fun to begin. Our Darth-Vader-voice-enabled GPS (cross the roundabout, second exit to the dark side!) guided us over the 1.5 hour drive from Grenoble to Saint-Michel-de-Maurienne and the base of the Col du Galibier via the Col de la Telegraphe. Somehow it took us until 15 heures (3PM) to get here through...a bit late in the day to be starting such a climb. Oh well whatever...we suited up and rolled out...err rolled up...and up...

The opening feature, the Telegraphe, was challenging, but sunny, windless, and fun. After pausing for the requisite photo by the sign at the top, we descended into Valloire and readied ourselves one for one of Frances toughest climbs--the Col du Galibier...BABY!!! It was by then 6:00 and in the first 2 km I managed to puncture twice. This took care of all of our spare tunes and pushed the clock to 6:30 or so. Decision time. To carry on sans spare tunes late in the evening up into the cloud covered pass or bail. What would you have done? We carried on. The summit of the pass was protected by unrelenting 8-10% slopes, a massive hail storm, freezing temperatures, and evil self doubting thoughts, but we battled through and summitted at 7:45. Time for the trophy photo op was all that we had, and we began the descent with teeth chattering, fingers and toes numb, feet soaked, hypothermia perhaps close at hand. So did any of us puncture? Why yes, of course. Rod flatted a scant 4 kms from the summit and within close range of the storm cloud. I left him my jacket and Brad and I made haste for the car which turned out to be a good hour's ride away. On the way down I made arrangements with a nice couple with a sport ute to drive up to him and pick him up and drop him off at a wood stove heated fondue restaurant about halfway down the mountain where Vein and I eventually got back to him by car. The couple bought us beers...for our trouble. As I like to say, he who dies with the most stories....

Safe, sound, and all accounted for, we enjoyed a feast of cheese, baguette, taboulee, and a bold red from Venture on a picnic table before hitting tent city near the base of the Telegraphe.

Stage 11 at La Toussuire, July 12, 2012

The sounds of rain drops on the tent came around 6:30, so up we got. Lord Vader took us this time 20 minutes up the road to Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne, base of the climb to the the ski resort town of La Toussuire and the site of the Tour de France's second mountain top finish this year. Home base was established in the parking lot at the Carre-Four (France's answer to The Superstore), and we rolled out to climb La Toussuire after the morning's cafe allonge and pain au chocolat. What an awesome climb and a stark contrast to yesterday's experience with a cloudless blue sky and warm, skin searing temperatures. It's such a rush to climb at the tour as the fans line the roadway and shout encouragement...allez allez, bon courage monsieur. The story (challenge) here would be that we got separated near the top...or well, I got separated from MRod and the Vein actually. Depressed that we had made our way across oceans and mountains to watch the tour together, I combed the area looking at every face as did they. We spent 3 of the 6 hours that we had to await the peloton looking for one another, and just as I was about to give up I heard...ENO! and there they were. The people watching was out of this world, we enjoyed the publicity caravan and their trinkety giveaways, and eventually watched Frenchman, Pierre Rolland solo past us with 700 or so metres to go to his second career stage win giving the French and Team Europcar back to back wins. If you were trying to spot us on the tv, we were about 2 or 300 meters above the final km to go...just after the left turn on the left side of the road.

After enjoying a great descent, if traffic filled, pizza and beer were consumed before hitting the hay on a small patch of grass outside the Carre-Four.

Stage 12 depart and on to Briancon, July 13, 2012

Again we awoke that next morning to a light rain but it didn't last. Convenience had it that the next stage should start from Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne so onto the bus and into the city center we went. What fun at the official merchandise booths. New swag and perhaps a few treasures for some important peeps back home. We bopped about he team busses and watched the rider sign-in highlighted by Wiggo and his yellow tunique, words from yesterday's stage winner and the toast of the tour, Pierre Rolland, and Jens...gotta love Jens!

With the tour safely rolling away, we did the the same in a different direction. What a drive through the mountains, switchbacks, and tunnels through Italy and back into France to Briancon. Checking into a hostel for three nights was a pleasure earned through a couple of nights in tent city. The only riding we did that day was to spin into Briancon proper (our hostel is up in the Serre Chevalier valley) to explore the medieval fortess city and it's chateau high atop a steep climb. Resting up for the epics of tomorrow.

Aple d'Huez and Le Col du Croix de Fer, July 14, 2012 (Bastille Day)

The full breakfast of fried eggs, steak, and oatmeal that followed the coffee and pain au chocolat we had earlier in town paid off huge on this day. We drove 1 hour west over the Col de Laureret and on to Bourg d'Oisans, aka the holy land, aka mecca, aka the base of the Alpe d'Huez. Personally I had some very unfinished business in this holiest of places as this is where Selena and I first saw the tour back in 2008...without my bike! The day/night that Selena and I had our wedding celebration at the Mug and Anchor, Hurricane Hortense (Joff, you reading this?), and now Alpe d'Huez Day--these are my three best days...of my life! I'm sure that adrenaline had a lot to do with the fact that I seemed to have great legs...so inspiring at each of the famed 21 switchbacks to read the names of the 'coureurs' who have won atop this most famous climb...this is Lambeau Field, Madison Square, Yankee Stadium, should I say, The Montreal Forum. Climb it we did under sunny skies smiling with the euphoric pain that only cyclists can know...i even had legs to sprint the final km and a half and raise my arms in imagined victory. Alpe d'Huez - I still can't believe it.

Wanting to get the most out of the drive to Bourg, we descended down the Alpe only as far as turn 6 where we hung a right on a traverse road over to a town called Villard Reculas where we dropped down to Allemont and the start of the Col de la Croix de Fer. Oh to have had a Go PRO camera on the traverse...without a doubt the most scenic road I've ever ridden...with Tony Griffith in mind (Google Tony, why don't ya) I screamed at the sky!!!! Literally screamed and I've got two witnesses. Ahhhh!

Hail storm atop the Galibier 

The boys post feast :)

Not even the flat that I had on that road could bring me down...nor the one I had 15 minutes later in Allemont...have been battling my rim tape as you might surmise. With legs of adrenaline and 35psi in my rear wheel we tackled the constant 10-11% grades of the Croix de Fer at about 5:30...aka too late in the day. We climbed for an hour and upon coming to the town of Le Rivier d'Allemont and noticing that we were going to have to descend and effectively lose a lot of our hard-earned altitude before tackling the final 17 km of the climb (17 may not seem like much, but it's about an hour and a half or more), this time, faced with having to ride back to the car in Bourg in the dark, we decided to leave the Croix for another time.  Bummed, we turned an made for home. I won't describe the bbq that we enjoyed back at the hostel, but suffice to say, we made pigs of ourselves as we devoured protein on protein, cheese on bread, salad, pie.

It's getting late...this has been quite a session...feeling a bit Kerouac-ish...I'm going to have to start the next post with the news from today - the Col D'Izoard and a major sausage and olive infused pasta feast. In case I don't get back to this in the short term, here's the plan

Drive 8 hours tomorrow to Lourdes

Ride on Tuesday in the Pyrenees

Catch Wednesday's stage on the Tourmalet (look for us just before the crowd barriers start)

Catch Thursday's stage on the Peyresoudre/Peyradues (we'll be just before the barriers on the finishing climb)

Other fun stuff to be described later

Congrats if you made it through this and thanks. Please leaves a comment. G'night.

PS the flat count is at 7 (MRod 1; Vein 1; Eno 5...but I think I got it figured out :)

Vein's new shirt courtesy of the caravan

Abike by a hostel 

Bikes in a car

Bikers eating pizza and drinking coffee and coca

A retro courreur

Wiggins and Cav(world champ) at sign-in

The incomparable Jens Voigt!

The tour de France live on a flat screen nailed to a tree on a sidewalk terrace near you

Greetings from Briancon

Hi All. Sorry. For the lack of posts thus far...we've been in tent city and at the Tour now for pretty much the whole time...no wifi...no roof come think of it and just showered for the 2nd time. This is going to be another quick and lame update to let you know we're alive. Bucket list update...northerly route to Galibier check, La Toussuire check. We saw Pierre Rolland's big finish just uphill of the flamme rouge (1km to go) on the left hand side after the lefthand turn. This country 's going ape crap btw with Pierre and Thomas Voeckler's back to back jacks!!!!!

I'm happy tell you that, having waved good bye to the Tour this morning at the depart in Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne, tomorrow morning will see us attempting ALPE d'HUEZ!!!! And possibly the Croix de fer if the legs are up to it after lunch.

More details on all this to follow. There are so many stories, it's just getting late right now. Pics too. Oh I fixed the setting that only allowed Google users to comment.  All can now comment...sorry about that. We'd love to hear from you.

You've got to go through he'll before you get to heaven

This is a quick post to say we made it as did our bikes and backpacks. Incredibly challenging and difficult day yesterday but we won!  We've met up with our friend Brad Vein here in Grenoble and are about to climb the North side of the Galibier. Tour tomorrow at La Toussuire then three days in Briancon...next (full and better) post/update then.

Eno and Mrod

Departure

Ok, my 2012 travel blog is set as we get ready to head to Halifax Stanfield to start our adventure.  The Tour's time trial is babbling on the tv and my list of things to do is reaching an acceptable level of completion.

Some of you have followed my blogs in the past; other may be new (if you need to see the prequels, they're listed on the right).  My only rule is that I'd love it if you left me a comment so that I know you're checking it out.

Ok, gotta go cross a few more things of the list.  Next post from across the pond!