Apologies there are no photos with this post, once I get my WIFI up again I will load up some pics.
Today I again woke to heavy clouds ans drizzle over a gloomy Lourdes. The weather forecast has not looked good for the past 2 days, although there is a promise of some sun this coming Thur, Fri and Sat. As I am only here for a limited window (and on the other side of the world), I just need to suck it up and get on with the cycling in the less than ideal conditions. I bought the wet weather gear on the chance I would need to use it, and this has been a good decision.
So the course for today was to tackle some of the hills that are going to be used in this year's TDF. Stages 12 and 13 will be duked out in the Pyrenees this year for the first serious climbing among the GC protagonists, including a home town finish right here in Lourdes. The winner would surely be the result of some divine intervention, something you cannot be busted for like EPO.
So the plan today was to knock of 2 Cols that are on the same road (D918). All roads follow this easy to understand format.N = National, D = Department, in Lourdes that is the Haute Pyrenees. So it was a 90 KM out and back route to summit the Col du Soulor (1474 metres) and then punch a little further up the road to the Col D'Aubisque (1709 metres). In Mathematics terms yesterday's ride was like your basic times tables, and today was Advanced Calculus!!
The Aubisque is a Hors Categorie, and the Soulor is no picnic either. I left from my base at Lourdes and cycled 12 km down the valley road to a beautiful little town called Argeles-Gazost. From there it is pretty much a climb the rest of the way up the D918, with the exception of some small flat sections and a few dips to get around a montain bend here and there. After I went above 1000 metres in elevation, I literally did have my head in the clouds. The weather then turned really cold and the rain then just hung around like a thick blanket over your shoulders. Even though I have all the kit on to protect me, I enventually started to get frozen fingers and toes where climbing harder is the only real way to keep things somewhat pleasant. I took well needed coffee breaks at the Soulor Summit, and then again at the Aubisque. It is real farming territory here; and along the way I had the company of Goats, Cows, Sheep and some very large future Pancetta providers (Pigs). At 1704 metres the visibility was down to the front of your nose.............in all seriousness maybe 25 - 30 feet absolute tops. The descent was probably the most tricky I have done with all my bike skills put to the test. Aside from animal, other cycle and car alert, I had poor visibility, poor brakes and the only part of me that was dry was the "Small" of my back (males might need to defer to their female partners to find out where this is on the body).
Once my head was extracted from the clouds, the descent begame a little easier, and it was good to ride this part, as that is what the Pros will be doing in what shall be a fast decent into Lourdes in about 2 weeks time. All up I did the 90 KM in a little under 5 hours, very tired but so incredibly pleased with my 2 Col day.
For dinner tonight I got to have my local Cassolet dish which is a local speciality here in the S/W of France. Its a tasty stew with a base of White Haricot Beans, pork sausage, duck confit with a few other spices that slowly cook and bubble away in a stock for several hours in the oven. It is eaten with a little green salad, bread and washed down with an icy cold Belgian Beer. I certainly earn't one today.
Regards,
Cycling Foodie