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Great day........ did a big ride today, well one of us did the other one was
team support! I rode the Col du Tourmelet which is one of the big climbs in
the Pyrenees that they use one the Tour de France (they rode it this year :-)
). We are a couple valleys away and it takes a good 45 minutes to get to the
start of the climb which is a 15km (10mile) climb at about 8% average all the
way - except for the last 1.5 km which is at a mighty 10%. I started out well
and quickly caught a couple of Spaniards in full road regalier and sat on
their wheel for a couple of km's, until I'd decided that they were too slow
and pushed through to the front and off up the road (slow gains at this point
as a) it's a steep hill and b) I don't know how steep it is going to get)
next I caught a family of Brits, the father had the daughters bike fastened
to his with a few bungees and was making really heavy weather of the climb
while his wife (smart woman!) twiddled along behind looking extremely
comfortable. Claire had driven ahead and parked up to see how well I was
going and if I needed food/water/banned substances/a quick red blood cell
injection etc.... then I caught 2 French guys who were amused that we were
all wearing the same jersey (dammed Decathalon!), I latched onto their wheel
until they split, one of them driving away up the road and the other
continuing to twiddle at a constant pace (more of him later). I sat on the
wheel of the twiddler for a while then jumped past him and rode away - about
this point I was 5km into the ride and feeling fine when some willowy
teenager came zapping past and rode off into the distance (bloody kids!).
Passed Claire again who was sat enjoying here sanwiches and saving mine for
the apres ride feast. About this time I caught another guy on a mountain bike
(everyone so far had been roadies so I was feeling a little out of place) but
I couldn't gain on him, the hill hadn't gotten any steeper, I wasn't in any
lower gear (I rode it all in my 33/26, 33/24 or 33/23 gears - if anyone
cares!) than I'd been riding before...... anyway for the next 3km no change -
just me him and an 8% gradient. The first 9kms flew by - I was even feeling
cocky about how easy it was..... :-) by the time I'd got to 12kms my lower
back was killing me and I had pins and needles in my right hand (bizzare as
I've never had that before while climbing) about this point one of the
Spanish guys came past me gave me a big grin and rode away - I came round the
next corner to (yet) another corner with a wide pull off area where Claire
had parked so I pulled off the road, stopped and had a breather. The guy I
hadn't been able to catch was also there chatting to the 60-odd year old
woman that was with him. A little rest, stretch the back and off again (it is
cold at this altitude, especially when you are wet with sweat and only
wearing lycra!) I'm only about 3kms from the top now and there are four of us
all bunched together, one of the guys in the same top as me (the twiddler -
his mate is long gone), the guy on the mountain bike, me and then another
brit who turns out to be from Colchester - so he's never seen a hill before
never mind one like this! We stick together (ish) to the top of the Col, it's
taken me 1 hour 55minutes to ride 10 miles, I've averaged 5.2mph with an
11.2mph max (god knows where that bit was!?!) we take photos at the summit, I
stuff a banana down my throat, swap water bottles for a full one, put on my
wind shirt (it's bloddy freezing up here!) and get back on my bike for the
next fun bit - the down hill. It's as steep on the other side as what I've
just ridden up so descending is fun - well apart from the fact that I have no
gloves (did I mention it was cold?). I dash down to the ski resort of La
Mongie (thats pronounced "mon-jee" if you were wondering) passing 2 cars on
the way and having to brake hard to avoid the Llamas wandering across the
road...... we call in a cafe in La Mongie for a warm drink and it costs us an
arm and a leg for a coffee and a Coke - must not have liked budgie smugglers
(lycra shorts :-) ) We're off again downhill and thanks to the radoneer tyres
I've bought for the mountain bike I manage a top speed of 41.7 mph which is
enough to pass 2 motor homes, 2 cars and a bus even with a sock on each hand
- did I mention it was cold? The bus was an interesting moment - he didn't
want me to pass but couldn't stop me but he sqeezed me so much that I nearly
had a head on with a mini........ a real brown pant moment and then I was
past them and doing 40ish again for the next 10km - fantastic. Feels like a
real achievement but how the guys on the tour do that sort of climb in the
times they do........... I cannot comprehend - it is hard and must be even
harder if they have been racing for 2 weeks already....
Sorry if thats a dull blog but I absolutley loved every sweat drenched, heart
pounding, leg aching minute of it! And what of my team car - well that and
the lovely driver were right behind me all the way (fabulous!)
catch ya later.
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