In a previous post I have made mention of the Champion Italian Cathedral and Stained Glass builders. Well the French must dominate Hydro Electricity plants and the most Turquoise colored dams. Pretty much every valley road you head down there is a river, which is fed by a creek, which if fed by a waterfall, which is fed by a massive series of glaciers on top of some big hills. So it makes sense to build these dams and to use the flow of the water to convert to electricity.
Anyhow the rain cleared around 1 PM and I headed of on a 80 KM jaunt to the hill with the Iron Cross on top of it. In French it's called (and it's a mouthful) Le Col de la Croix de fer. The ride cuts up through this valley which was shrouded in thick clouds that were almost sticking to the trees. There is a river and 2 amazing dams with the Turquoise colors as my right hand companions on the 2.5 hour ascent. The first section of 7 KMs was brutal and made me wonder why some someone would drag an Iron Cross up to a 2067 metre summit. It eventually returned to a respectful 6% slope, and I had the company of a 61 year old Dutchman for the last 10 KM. He was telling me stories about the great Australian cyclist Phil "Skippy" Anderson who came over and forged a great professional career during the 80's and 90's in Europe (a hero of mine).
Anyhow after 1600 meters the trees disappear and the temp dropped to a chilly 8 degrees. It feels even colder as the sweat on your Lycra rapidly cools. Anyhow after a few pics I donned my wind jacket and went screaming back down the 23 KM descent.
Of special note for me today was that my cycle top I wore today was something I had bought back in the late 80's when I was first in Europe. While I stretch the material a little more than when I was a svelte 22 year old, I don't think back then I would have had the motor (nor mental power) to summit this baby today. "Age shall not weary them"!!
On a final note to some of you cycle nutters out there. My bike is equipped with a triple crank (affectionately known as a Granny gear) that allows me to pedal a little easier up some of the steeper sections. It must be Beer O'Clock so I am out of here.
Cycling Foodie