It all started at the breakfast table this morning with the discussion that today was uphill all the way. A check of the map confirmed it and as a consequence I decided to go for a wee bun or two to keep me going during the day.
Unfortunately staff were counting the buns and there was no chance of a lunch time snack for Phil courtesy of Campanile.
It really was an uphill day and differing routes. The first 20 miles was a 500 foot rise and the next 20 miles was a scenic mountain pass route.
About 10 miles out of CF we stopped for a breather in the shade of some buildings in a small village.
Carried on up more hills..... you could start to sense the gradual incline that would only get worse as the day wore on....
Further on a 5 foot long snake tried to dance across the road in front of Craig and Alan …was it a snake or was it an old inner tube he he…
We stopped for a picnic enroute and couldn't have picked a more tranquil spot.
The important and concerning points lay ahead. At 48 miles in the route, it went directly up. There was the occasional drop from the skies but then it was back on the pedals for the next hill. We climbed to 3000 feet in some areas.
It was the first sign for Montpellier! We new the cote d'azur was within reach!
We stopped off in a lovely town called St Fleur. With 18 miles to go we treated ourselves to a beer.
32c and the only way to drink a beer is in the shade.....
Just down from our pitstop we came across a bridge which gave you an indication that the next big incline was just round the corner.
What could possibly go wrong. It was 18 miles of uphill that followed I kid you not. Bizarrely I was like a hare out of a trap, for some reason my energy levels were immense and I just seemed to pull away from the rest of the group... I thought if I stopped I wouldn't get going again! I kept pushing and pushing and it was a straight road. I turned around to see Craig puffing and panting and eventually caught up with me. Back down the road Phil was breathing from areas that are normally not designed for that purpose.
There is no doubt we were all pleased to arrive at our Kyriad accommodation for the evening.
It's funny how a few beers and a few glasses of the local red can get you back into the swing of things. As we head south, the wine is getting better and better.
So as I type, we are sititing at 4000 feet above sea level. We have completed 86 miles in temps of 32 degrees and we are all ready to call it a night after being fed and watered at a nearby restaurant.
What a beautiful area this is. With a car though I'm sure you could have so much more fun.
It's all good and tomorrow were heading for the bridge in the sky.
To sum up - Blistering heat of 32c, 84 miles, mostly uphill, and very little wind.
The scenery was amazing but difficult to find any shops open on a Sunday for water and had to rely on petrol stations.
No comments:
Post a Comment