5 - 13 Sept: Raid Pyrenees

Wed:  The 'Team" at Biriatou sucking tummies in:

Left hotel at around 8:40 to cycle down to sea at Hendaye.  Before we got there Andrew touched my back wheel and cartwheeled over, twisting his front wheel and blowing the tube but thank goodness only a bruise on his leg.  Once recovered we went to a ramp, dipped our wheels in the sea,

then cycled along coast to St Jean de Luz where a bike shop straightened the wheel and gave him a new tube for 15Euro.  Went in fast peleton to Ascain, then first serious col to Sarre.

Up and downy to lunch at Espelette where we meet the support team.  After lunch got to the D918 to St Jean where the main group zoomed off ahead - they are too fast and fit for me!  Frank waited for me about 20km out of St Jean and I wheelsucked him into town at circa 30kph.  It was hard work and warm and humid and I sweated buckets, but the new "sweat gutter" worked to keep it out of my eyes.  Arrived to 2 beers, shower and wash out gear.  Lovely small hotel just outside city wall, Cafe Itzalpea.

Thu: Tough col in the morning, lots of more than 12% for 17km!. Col was at 1300m, highest so far.  I took my time, had a few stops to gather my breath,  but managed.   Lunch at Larrau then nice afternoon 40km cycle (mostly downhill but with a few up lumps) to hotel, Au Coin Bon, which has a pool

so we all had a swim, hung out there and had lots of beers and crisps.

Spoke to french guy at pool, he does the Tourmalet once a week!  He said tomorrow morning is 'very hard', as do the others who had ridden it before (the Marie Blanque).  Oh dear, shame I didn't do more training.

Fri: A tough day. but fantastic weather and scenery. I set off first (being the slowest) and the others overtook me 4km form the top of Marie Blanque.

That was a bastard of a hill - started at 2% but rose steadily and last 4k were 9, 10, 11 & 11%!  Then wizz down to Laruns for coffee and snack, then the slog up Col d'Aubisque,

which was long but relatively steady. lots of cows and sheep on the road.

 lunch at top, then amazing views down then up to Col Soulour, then wizz down to Arreau and up the final sneaky col that finished with a superb wizz for 14km down a river valley straight into St Savrin, bar for a beer, shower and dinner which was rather a cyclists carbo pasta meal.

Sat: This waas going to be the big one, Tourmalet (2110m).  Left at 8, and to bottom of climb at 9.  18km with average grade of 7%, with the top 10km 9 or 10%.  But it felt better than Col d'Aubisque being steadier (though longer) and not quite in the expire zone.  Weather cool and clear, and sunny, glad we had started early.

At top at 11:50 where I saw Frank - the others having got there an hour earlier!  Still, they are serious cyclists.  Had coffee and cake for 30 mins, then the usual 14k wizz down to lunch, then up 14km to Col d'Aspin

which was a nice gradient even though it topped out at 1489m.  And final wizz down to hotel - don't believe the garmin max speed of 100kph, I only got up to 65kph before my nerve failed on the descent and I braked.  Into Arreau for good meal, and to bed by 10pm.

Sun: The days are getting the same.

Up a col (Peyresourde), coffee at top, wiz down, coffee at bottom,

up again (Col du Portillon),

wizz down, beer, then hotel.  And today was no different except we had 2 beers in Spain before the final 18km ride in to the Chapeau Bleu where our hosts provided more beer and wine before dinner.  The ride statistics speak for themselves.

Mon: This was a hard day at the office.  Nearly 100km and 3,000m of climbing, a double day with 4 ups and 4 down wizzes.

The first Col de Menthe started straightaway after leaving Arreau, and was 9km at 9% average.  In the Tour, Thomas Voekler did it in 27mins, Frank took 55mins, the others 1hr 15mins, and me 1hr45mins.

The second Portet d'Aspet was short, 4km, but averaged nearly 10% all the way, it started hard, became harder, then got easier for the last km, there was a patch of 17% recorded.  Wizz down to Castillon for lunch,

then a long steady slog up Col de La Core, not too steep but I was last and got caught by a thundery rain shower just before the top and on the down - the rain meant going down was a little tricky and slower - into Seix (pronounced Sex much to Frank's joy) which was shut so got tamponed at the tourist kiosk.

The final similar steady slog up to Col La Trappe seemed to go on for ever, but that was because it was the end of a long day and I was getting tired.  A quick wizz down to Aulus to find the hotel, rather quaint, where kirs and Ricards where enjoyed on the veranda.  Shower and wash gear, dinner is at 7:30.

Tue: Another "double dip recession" day.  A brutal start, with 4 to 5km at 9%, then it eased off to Col d'Agnes, short drop to lake and coffee and gateaux basque, and up to Port de Lers.

Mega wizz down to Vicdessos, then fast flatish to Tarascon, and turn right at Bompas for the Corniche route to Aix.  No lunch found, so I ate a couple of cereal bars and dates.  Lots of water fountains to refill.  After Pas de Soulombrie (900m) a passage through rocks with a sentinel one, it was a lovely high run with great views, and feeling of being very remote until we came across the talcum powder factory below.  Cathar castle at Lorat.  Then long 15km up Col de Marmare, but only 4.5% so went at a far speed, but still seemed a long drag. Final 2 km similar up to Col de Chioula, then wizz down to hotel in Aix les Thermes.

Self portrait

Wed: It rained in the night, and started low cloud.  And that set the pattern for the day.  The second biggest climb of the trip - 2001m.  The start was fairly brutal, 19km at 7% average, 10% max, then it eased after the ski station, but was very claggy damp mist/cloud and spodgey rain.  Small shelter at top which allowed me to put on my rain gear to go down.  I took 3 hours, the others around 2.

Then down the gorge via ruined castle at Uxat, and up the river to Escouloubre-les-bains which had nothing open so we couldn't stamp.  Sharp left up 300m to Col Moulis,

 and a down and up Col Garabel.  Nothing open so no lunch.  Had snack with support car at Roquefort de Salt, then the big climb up to Col Du Jau (1500m) which was tedious as no view and in trees.  It started to rain on me.  No stopping at top, a careful descent for 10k out of the cloud, then a bit warmer and breezy and lovely old villages, mediterranean feel to Prades and lovely hotel Villa du Parc with view of Canigou closeup, but in clouds (of course!).  Tomorrow we climb over its shoulder.

Thu: What a great day to finish. The clouds blew away to reveal Canigou (though still in clouds at the top).  Excellent breakfast.  Geoff arrived at 8:40.  I left just before 9.  Quick ride on main road through Prades, then off left up to Valmanya.  Interesting garmin route through olive groves and narrow 17% concrete paths at Finestret, then up gorge to Valmanya, the scene of a Nazi atrocity in 1-2 August 1944 when they murdered a number of villagers in retaliation for failing to capture the local resisance fighters who had held out at the Cortalets Refuge on Canigou.

 We all met up at the first (and highest col of the day) at Col de Palomere (1036m).

Weather was glorious, then to lower

cols Xatard (752m) and Dufourtou (655m) and an unsigned Col Llauro.  No villages opened for coffee/lunch/stamps on brevet card so we continued down to the main road near St Jean de Cou where we grabbed a windy sandwich just before Le Boulou.  Frank & I then went the right route up the hill on D61 and D11 to contour round to Argeles, whereas the others stuck to a newish cycle route lower down.  With a vicious buffeting northerly tailwind we followed the coast road along to Cerberes - great views of the white horses on the sea and gradients were fine. I arrived at 5ish, beers all round, dip bike wheel in sea and then a swim.

What a trip, thanks to the Cyclops cycling team and Bronwyn and Cherry support driving.