To the mountain stop finish

Up until now most stages had been completed with a long and enjoyable descent to the hotel, a relief after so much climbing. Today however was different as at the end of this 187km stage lay a mountain top finish to the pretty ski resort of Valberg. Great for those harbouring wishes of emulating famous mountain top Tour de France stages from over the years.

Before that happened though were some hard climbs. Although not a particularly tough day compared to what has been ridden already and what lays ahead in the coming week, the route posed some serious threats to stamina and sanity. After lunch, a delicious Lasagne and salad washed down with a Coke and two Espresso’s, a Faux Plat for some 26km tested mental reserves, but a fast steady pace was dished out by the Rapha team and the foot of the enormous 2000m Col des Champs climb was soon reached. Tired legs from the chase along the valley flanked by impressive rock forms, the climb was a long and arduous affair. Enjoyable though, for the road was narrow and mostly free of all other forms of life, save for a herd of sleepy cattle about halfway up, gazing on as I grovelled on past.

What goes up must come down, as they say, and the descent was a corker. Fast, flowing and with good sight of any oncoming traffic, the bike was left to roll as fast as we could manage before the next hairpin turn was reached and the brake levers squeezed with all available strength. The descents are a highlight, obviously, but the quietness of many of the roads we’ve been taken onto has allowed all riders to enjoy them to their full extent. Another good, if tough and tiring, in the bag then.