Today we left the hotel in Grenoble and drove a few miles out of town to a supermarket parking lot, where the riders unloaded the bikes from the bus and set off on a 66 km ride out of the Alps, through the Vercors region of France and eventually into Provence.
The ride started with a climb of about 15 km at a steady grade of only 6-8%. I was pleased after a few km to notice that I was pretty comfortable in the lowest possible gear, so I switched to a harder gear, and then another, and still was able to continue climbing at a steady cadence of about 75 rpms and around 12 kph. Although I know that Mt. Ventoux tomorrow will be humbling, it was good to see some tangible improvement in my mountain-climbing speed and stamina.
It was very hot, sunny and dry, but after a bit of descending we rode into a deep, rocky and cool gorge. It was explained that here thousands of the French Resistance were trapped by the Nazis during World War II and slaughtered. We passed several memorials, and the scenery in the gorge was unique and truly spectacular. We rode through several tunnels carved roughly from the stone, and the right lane of the road itself was often covered by a rocky overhang.
Eventually the landscape opened up and we continued descending into the countryside, sweeping around big, wide, easy curves. Finally, we reached a flat section, and had a fast long paceline going for a while through fields of wheat, corn and sunflowers.
At about 1:00 p.m. we rode across an old one-lane suspension bridge, and on the opposite side we ended our ride and had lunch outside at a delightful restaurant overlooking the river. And what a lunch! Five courses, plus beer, wine, more wine and finally even more wine.
About 3-1/2 hours later we climbed into the vans for the long drive to Gordes. A massive traffic jam on the expressway caused us to get off the main road and continue on back roads the rest of the way into Provence. Finally we saw Mt. Ventoux in the distance, its white crown and tower on the peak clearly visible. We drove through numerous little towns that the Tour riders will ride through tomorrow on their way to Mt. Ventoux.
Eventually we reached Gordes and stopped to photograph the town from across the valley, a sight which (I'm told) is the 2nd most photographed spot in France after the Eiffel Tower. From the photograph, you can see why.
Finally at 8:00 we reached the hotel and after a quick shower and change we gathered for yet another lavish supper on the patio. The temperature had cooled considerably, and the sound of the wind, still blowing strongly, in the pines and olive trees, was unlike anything I've ever heard. The hotel and its surroundings are indescribably beautiful. It's everything that you could possibly imagine that the South of France would be like.
So, tomorrow is the highlight of the trip - the ride up Mt. Ventoux. We've done a lot of mountain climbing, and although we're all a bit anxious about it, we're also very excited about the day. There will be masses of people lining the route, much like last summer when we rode up Alpe D'Huez. Our plans have changed a little too. Having been warned that if we watch the finish at the top of the mountain it may be early Sunday morning before we can get back to the hotel, they have decided to set up catered tents only about 4 km from the base of the climb. We will ride up to the summit (or as far as we can get given the crowds and wind), and then ride back down to the tents where there will be satellite TV to watch the stage, food, drink, and of course the passage of the riders right in front of us. Then we should have a much easier exit.
Today we left the hotel in Grenoble and drove a few miles out of town to a supermarket parking lot, where the riders unloaded the bikes from the bus and set off on a 66 km ride out of the Alps, through the Vercors region of France and eventually into Provence.
The ride started with a climb of about 15 km at a steady grade of only 6-8%. I was pleased after a few km to notice that I was pretty comfortable in the lowest possible gear, so I switched to a harder gear, and then another, and still was able to continue climbing at a steady cadence of about 75 rpms and around 12 kph. Although I know that Mt. Ventoux tomorrow will be humbling, it was good to see some tangible improvement in my mountain-climbing speed and stamina.
It was very hot, sunny and dry, but after a bit of descending we rode into a deep, rocky and cool gorge. It was explained that here thousands of the French Resistance were trapped by the Nazis during World War II and slaughtered. We passed several memorials, and the scenery in the gorge was unique and truly spectacular. We rode through several tunnels carved roughly from the stone, and the right lane of the road itself was often covered by a rocky overhang.
Eventually the landscape opened up and we continued descending into the countryside, sweeping around big, wide, easy curves. Finally, we reached a flat section, and had a fast long paceline going for a while through fields of wheat, corn and sunflowers.
At about 1:00 p.m. we rode across an old one-lane suspension bridge, and on the opposite side we ended our ride and had lunch outside at a delightful restaurant overlooking the river. And what a lunch! Five courses, plus beer, wine, more wine and finally even more wine.
About 3-1/2 hours later we climbed into the vans for the long drive to Gordes. A massive traffic jam on the expressway caused us to get off the main road and continue on back roads the rest of the way into Provence. Finally we saw Mt. Ventoux in the distance, its white crown and tower on the peak clearly visible. We drove through numerous little towns that the Tour riders will ride through tomorrow on their way to Mt. Ventoux.
Eventually we reached Gordes and stopped to photograph the town from across the valley, a sight which (I'm told) is the 2nd most photographed spot in France after the Eiffel Tower. From the photograph, you can see why.
Finally at 8:00 we reached the hotel and after a quick shower and change we gathered for yet another lavish supper on the patio. The temperature had cooled considerably, and the sound of the wind, still blowing strongly, in the pines and olive trees, was unlike anything I've ever heard. The hotel and its surroundings are indescribably beautiful. It's everything that you could possibly imagine that the South of France would be like.
So, tomorrow is the highlight of the trip - the ride up Mt. Ventoux. We've done a lot of mountain climbing, and although we're all a bit anxious about it, we're also very excited about the day. There will be masses of people lining the route, much like last summer when we rode up Alpe D'Huez. Our plans have changed a little too. Having been warned that if we watch the finish at the top of the mountain it may be early Sunday morning before we can get back to the hotel, they have decided to set up catered tents only about 4 km from the base of the climb. We will ride up to the summit (or as far as we can get given the crowds and wind), and then ride back down to the tents where there will be satellite TV to watch the stage, food, drink, and of course the passage of the riders right in front of us. Then we should have a much easier exit.
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