The plan is to ride 2015's Tour de France one week ahead of the pros, keep one week ahead of the pros, and raise money to help underpriviliged UK kids. We start on June 27th...help!
Such was the beauty of the scenery during today's stage that I pretty much forgot about the blog and the search for the 'Choon Of The Day': in the event this number from 1995 (and that's very recent by my standards) fits the bill...I saw Blur again recently and they're still a top live turn!
Can't help thinking that there is a much more direct route?
Back-loaded with nonsense after a terrific orangey bit in the centre...
We had quite a few new riders join Le Tour today: these loons have signed-up for either a few stages until The Alps or to stay with us until Paris. This injection of fresh legs always creates an initial buzz: dunno if it's curiosity or whatever, but welcome folks!
No sign of Ribo.
We didn't have an Alex with us but I'll gladly take the well-wishes, cheers.
The terrain was rolling initially, under grey-ish skies. As ever, we needn't have worried about it not clearing: even by feed-stop number one the sun was breaking through and temperatures were climbing...keep drinking, keep eating. Rinse & repeat!
Smile, ya miserable buggers- it's Saturday!
Skies will clear, temps will rise. Or your money back.
Carry On Follow Those Cyclists!
Love these small towns and villages...
The next 'Hollywood' sight was when the Millau Viaduct hoved into into view, just like that! No matter what angle you approach it from, it just takes your breath away. The sheer scale, the ingenuity, the design: all that and it was designed by a Brit too, hah-hah!
Fair takes your breath away.
Homage to Sir Stormin' Norman F.!
That climber is even slower than I am.
Love all this...
Andy and I stuck together until lunch and made pretty rapid progress through many picturesque villages and small towns. At this point we were following the River Tarn: this was the finest scenery that we had enjoyed so far! Just after we passed through a.n.other town, Andy punctured which meant we left the group that we had been with go. No dramas as we were all done and dusted in a Red Bull-esque 10 minutes and we did catch that bunch before lunch. Good work!
Bill, Ben and a Flowerpot Man.
Maybe not 70kmh, but we were cutting along nicely!
Country House part 1. A fixer-upper...
The vans that you're always glad to see.
After lunch we continued as per, and reached the first of the two climbs before Mende: I felt pretty good and passed Pete Bedwell on the way up. I stopped for a photo and Pete duly passed me again: I continued on and passed Pete again: he said if I stop for another photo then that's taking the p*ss, hah-hah! We were glad of the feed-stop at the summit...you cannot get enough water, either to drink or dowse yourself in.
Terrific landscapes all around.
Country House part 2, anyone?
You sure I'll fit through there?
Team Pretorius killing it!
Climb all bought and paid for.
Er, not *all* downhill then?
I knew about the horrible climb that was waiting for us in Mende but was happy to give my all to the penultimate climb: unbelievably I led our group up and over it...it was only 2km long at a 6% gradient, but still...if I could frame that, I would, hah-hah! There was a slight nav-faff for me and Andy outside Mende but when the rest of the mini-group appeared then we knew we were ok...at least until we wheeled onto the Cote de la Croix Neuve. This climb has been re-named as the Montee Laurent Jalabert in honour of local hero and doper. Anyway, it is appalling to ride up- two miles at 10%? Wouldn't be my first choice but you just sit/stand and bear it! We all struggled up at differing speeds- I was useless but we did get a cool group photo at the summit before sweeping back down into the lovely-looking town. If only we had time to explore...
Peter, George, Dave, Chris, John and Matt. Medium beans being applied.
Good on you Matt for the showboating!
S'pose we'd better go and catch them...
Mende from somewhere up the final git of a climb...
The Mild Bunch at the summit: Peter, Chris, Dave, Andy, Brains Trust and George. Photo taken by Feral Matt!
The view from the washing-line, hah-hah!
We saw a ton of memorabilia concerning the sainted Laurent Jalabert in tonight's restaurant.
After an enjoyable dinner (read: everyone enjoying a well-earned beer or similar!), Andy and myself idled away a couple of hours sitting outside a cafe, ostensibly because it had decent whiffy to allow this bollocks to be compiled, but also because it was terrific just to watch the locals enjoy their Saturday night. It felt good to almost be back in the real world for a bit, hah-hah-hah!
Maybe not Les Garcons Sur La Plage's finest moment (and their best stuff is right up there) but it is apt...
Strightforward, right? Ummm...up to a point....
Bits of naughtiness loaded at the end of the day. Bon!
After struggling out of the transfer coach we eventually set-off a tad later than was ideal but today's scenery promised much. Shame about the photos...
Them's flowers. Wot likes le soleil.
They're French. Top blokes all the same!
Fancy cycling 40 miles in filp-flops? Dave didn't either...bet he'll never leave anything behind again.
Who's not loving this? Apart from you people, obvs.
Taken about 30 secs before I lost patience with group cobblers: Tractor, let's go!
Andy and myself shared the miles until lunch- some of this was was difficult even on the flat thanks to rising heat and a 3/4 head-wind...just keep concentrating and it'll be ok. At lunch, OAP Chris was dumb enough to want to cycle with us. Good job too...three eejits are better than deux!
Before the next climb we (sensibly) stopped for a break. Collector's item: I lead them up and over it...was easy to be honest!
I had enough to lead our dumb-ass trio up and over this climb (read: it wasn't long or steep) but after that it was a slog, although we took great turns. Helps morale too. This formula continued until the final few drags where Le Tour guru, Phil, had joined us. Without realising it, the pace up the climbs raised by only about 1 to 1.5 mph which is enough to drop me on the steeper stuff. At the third climb Andy was feeling it a bit but was still ahead of me.
Somebody not appreciating my massive stage win, then...I wonder why, hah-hah!
Being the good eggs wot they are, they duly waited for Capt. Slow who then bombed on past them whilst mimicking the action of smoking a Panatella. I was able to keep motoring for the great descent and then the horrible drag up to Rodez: all I wanted to do was beat them up there. Job. Done. You. Losers, hah-hah! Turns out at least two of them were suffering up that climb too...sweet! After the finish I was right back on to the massage table- I'm a believer...
Fair amount of salt deposited.
This was a tough stage for pretty much everyone (aren't they all?) but dinner was buzzing...even allowing for the anticipated lack of usable wiffy. Always with the First World Problems, right?
An early transfer again (there is a distinct pattern forming here, worse luck) and a late start to what was always going to be a monster day. That's the one thing about time: you have reeeeaaaaal difficulty clawing it back. Diddums...
This ain't gonna be pretty. Actually the scenery was beautiful to be honest, hah-hah!
Ouch x 4.
We had four lumps to get over today, each one more 'orrible than the last. As with yesterday, the key was managing the day well: eating, drinking (no, no bars) and pacing ourselves within our limits. It helped no end that I was cycling with Andy and Chris amongst others various...but this trio pretty much stayed together for the duration. As if he wasn't suffering enough already, it was Chris's birthday. He claims 41. Hmmm...pass the Werthers Originals.
Open. Really? Shame.
Memorial to Fabio Casartelli who died on this descent 20 years ago.
Dave leads the rest of our rabble through a.n.other lovely village. No time to gawk, regrettement...
Next stop? The High Stuff. Bon!
You manage the occasional shot when you're barreling through towns etc...
Loons launching themselves off terra firma. No need at all.
That's Chris. It was his birthday so he had to be included, hah-hah!
Le Tracteur affects full beans. Lamentable.
On and on and on up the final climb...time was ebbing away. Much like everything else.
Andy took this one as I arrived at the summit 5 mins (!) after him, trying to showboat at 2mph and almost stacking it...
Feeling glad all over: with Le Tracteur and OAP/Birthday Boy Chris. He's 41 you know...
An absolute 'mare to get up here but these views? Priceless.
A beer would round this off a treat!
I think it would be fair to describe this night's accommodation as er, 'basic'. Possibly best to gloss-over it and never re-visit, hah-hah! The crazy thing was that despite this being a beast of a day with the inevitable late finish, we would have a coach transfer leaving at 0630hrs: a double-whammy. Still, no-one said it as gonna be easy...I'd love to say to say that I slept well, I truly would. Sometimes you just have to laugh and go with it. Cheers!
Thanks to almost five hour's worth of persistence, today's tune is a belter and the credit goes to Le Tracteur pour le suggestion...
It was going to be a big stage with almost 120 miles and about 12000' of climbing on the cards- you could smell the anticipation. Yep, sorry about that...
A pfaff preparing itself.
Today's wee spin...
The conditions were not exactly conducive to taking photos: basically we got drenched from the off, and it didn't let-up until almost 5 hours later. My bike was carrying a little extra ballast too:
Ridiculous. I'm heavy enough, thanks.
Still, we were onto to the Col d'Aspin and it was do-able: we had managed the day sensibly...riding at a realistic pace, eating and drinking often, and not hanging around at feed-stops. It all adds-up to making a difficult day slightly less-so!
About the first view that I had all day.
Felt a bit more in control of this climb...good job too!
Statue at the foot de Le Tourmalet.
Tour guff.
More Tour guff. They go grand on this.
It was a long old drag up Le Tourmalet, which as I'm sure you know is the most used climb in this race. It was shrouded in cloud so no real photos to speak of...it was terrific to have a feed-stop at the summit before getting on with the descent and then the final 6 mile climb to our accommodation in Cauterets.
D.S.O.T.M. atop Tourmalet again!
To be fair, they do try to give you a wide berth. Bon!
As seen on the final climb up to Cauterets- our hotel stop and a 6 mile drag. Nice!
The most annoying thing of all has been the agonisingly slow/non-existent wifi which has bollocksed-up my attempts at keeping y'all updated, blog-wise. The other choker was that my Garmin device refused to record today's stats: the essential numbers that you need are...
118 miles going forward and 12,500' going up...ouch!
As is inevitable with this sort of caper, certain areas are protesting, hence this improvised ice-pack...
Refreshes the joints etc....
We roll early-doors for a.n.other hour-plus coach transfer before we start a sod of a stage...bring me sunshine!
