Back on the road again!

Top of the Colombiere!

Well Rose is back on the road and to prove it she went over four (well, three and a half really) cols (mountain passes) and her new shiny wheel went well too! Today I saw about a million ski fields, a red and white striped bike, had a small nose to tail with a car, and saw a random place to try and sell cow hides. Interesting day!

So it was a gentle start as I meandered downhill towards Cluses, which was actually quite a big wee city with high rises and everything. Can't remember the last time I saw one like that. Whilst in Cluses I was dawdling around trying to make sense of what Mr Garmin was trying to beep at me when I may have very gently run into the back of a car...in front of a policeman. Ooops. It was probably the slowest crash in history, I was just rolling very slowly and thought the car in front was going to go onto the roundabout as there were no cars on it. I looked down to check again I was going to turn the right way, looked up and saw the car hadn't moved.

So I went up straight away and it was a young guy driving, I said sorry as best I could and he just replied in perfect English not to worry, no big deal, but maybe watch where I was going in future and be careful. Fine by me! Off I went.

Cluses

From there it was up the Colombiere. The climb itself was exponential - the further into it you got the harder it got. It starts out OK with 6%, then 7% before you get a bit of a breather for a bit as you wind through a couple of small farm villages. Out of those though and then it starts to kick up as you head through a forest at 8%, then 9% once you leave the forest and start hugging the side of a cliff for the remainder. With 3kms to go you can see the saddle you are heading for and it doesn't look that far away. Unfortunately as you keep climbing up the saddle seems to refuse to get any closer. The only reason you know you are making progress is the signs counting down each kilometre and informing you of your altitude and gradient you are at. Just when you think you have it nailed the gradient kicks up again to 10% for the last kilometre just to keep you on your toes.

3kms to go and counting, with the saddle in the distance

Just as you get to the top you also see snow capped mountains off in the distance to remind you to dress up warmly for the descent down the other side. The run down was just awesome on good roads with some nice hairpins in there - needed to do some tests and tries on Roses new back wheel you see.

The reward!

So down I went heading for Thrones. It was a bit of a detour but it was the proper way to climb up the Croix-Fry rather than the obvious more direct route I could have taken. The climb was more benign than the Colombiere but took me through a lot of ski villages and farmlands. The surrounding mountains also took on a really rugged appearance which mad for some interesting views on the way up.

The top was a large ski field, as was a lot of the hill you climb in fact. Chairlifts went everywhere, but I could not get a photo that could give that appreciation. It was nice up there and there was one of the bars open so I went in for a coffee and cake to refuel. My French was better this time, or the lady was amazing at telepathy as had no issue ordering unlike yesterday when they could not understand me when asking an espresso, then coffee black when that didn't work, then just coffee. Progress perhaps??

So once again back downhill I went, this time not far. I met up with the Aravis for the last 4km of that climb, hence my claim of a half col today but at the end of the day I was at the top so I am ticking it up. I was not too bothered about meeting it where I did as my research said below that point it was a bit average anyway and only gets interesting from here on in, and I thought it did. Once again not overly taxing, just a climb you chip away at and whittle it away. In the end I was glad I did not bother with the whole climb to be honest. There was a nice view from the top though.

There was also cow hides for sale up there. Never come across them before today, and yet at the top of the Aravis there were three or four shops selling them. Wonder who buys them?

Top of Aravis with cow hides for sale on the fence in the background

Once again it was back down the hill. This time though something different to farms and rugged peaks though as you wound your way through a deep gorge to the start of the last climb of the day, the Saisies (don't ask me how to say it, no idea). Just before the gorge though I came across an old remnant of previous Tours:

This climb was a bit cheeky really. It started out quite constant and benign, but then from about 6kms to go it starts going all over thee show! 10% one moment, then downhill, 3% for a bit, another 10%, downhill again, and so on. Hard to get into a rhythm when its like that but it does make it a little interesting as it keeps you on your toes. Once again you pass through a million ski villages, they don't seem to stop on this climb from the bottom all the way up. At the top is a massive ski field and a small village which just look beautiful, and well worth the ride up. 

So here I am at the top of Saisies for the night. Normally I would go down the bottom as I prefer not to start on a downhill but time was getting on so made an allowance today. It was a pretty good end to a good day of climbing today, and starting to get into the heart of the Tour de France climbs.

Tomorrow I will head up the Roseland and the Petit St Bernard, looking forward to it!

Highlight: Because of the lower heights of todays climbs, the temperature was such that I did not have to be a marshmallow man with all my clothing on for the descents, but was also cool enough that I did not overheat. Lets hope it stays around the temperatures it was today!

Lowlight: Realising up the first climb that my magnet that is used to measure cadence was missing. Must have been when it was in the shop yesterday getting fixed. Not a big deal really but I like to use cadence and heart rate on climbs to assist in making sure I am not mushing the pedals and instead gliding up (ha!). Will just have to go old school and just count the pedal revolutions now which will keep me busy if nothing else. 

Lesson Learned:  Well not learned but realise I need to learn how to ask for the set menus at restaurants which cost about the same for three courses as for a single dish if you order off the menu. Thought I did it today but apparently not, worked yesterday though.