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