Stage 21 - to Paris

It was an even earlier start than normal. The bus left at 5:30 for the 6 hour drive from Annecy to Rambouillet. Nobody felt like riding anywhere, and Paul looked liked everybody felt with the 1000 yard stare of the returning veteran.

The final stage did not follow the tour route at all. 10 laps of the Champs Élysées is rarely feasible, and on Bastille Day afternoon it's barely possible to walk it once. So it was a 'representation' of the route, starting at a Goat Farm outside Rambouillet, going via Versailles and then finishing in front of the Eiffel Tower.

About 20 supporters - including James - joined with us for the run in to Paris. The early start and ong bus ride was soon forgtten, and the mood was celebratory and frivolous with champagne bottles popping as we rode along. We still had to cover the 60km, so the pace wasn't slow - but James could keep up, which he enjoyed.

At Versailles , we met Jo, Lizzie and Bridget. It was lovely to see them, and there were lots of hugs from supporters. It was a feedstop like the 80 or so previous feedstops: water, snacks bananas and buns - all for 100 people set up without fuss. After a brief hug and chat, we saddled up for the final run into Paris. There was a bit of a hill between Versailles and Paris - which was a bit of a shock, but gave a great 1st view of the city as we came over the top.

Fiddling through the avenues and boulevards, we arrived in front of the Eiffel Tower at about 4:00pm. Much emotion and more champagne - it was a great way to finish.

In the evening, we partied on the 56th floor of the Montparnasse tower, looking over Paris and the rest of France as the sun set and the Bastille day fireworks started

Now It's over. Finished. The End. As always with a personal achievement, there is a sense of anti-climax when it's over, but it has been a remarkable 3 weeks. Few people have cycled a grand tour, and the group spirit was tremendous. I would recommend it anybody - provided you can ride a bike well!

For what it's worth - Strava link here

Stage 20 - Annecy to Semnoz

Stage 20 - The last 'proper' stage of the Tour.  None of us can quite believe that we're here now.  Corsica seems an age ago - yet the time has flashed by

The morning came too early.  A late finish after a really long day yesterday had left everybody tired and focusing on getting through today.  That's a bit of shame really because it was a short and beautiful stage and should be enjoyed for itself.

Starting by the church as the sun rose over Annecy reminded us all what we'll miss next week when reality returns

After 4Km by the lake, the climbs start.  This route was chosen by the organisers for this year's 'etape' - this mass participation ride.   They don't choose easy stages - even though this was by some margin the shortest of the tour.

Climb and descent, climb and descent.  Repeat until told to stop.  The ascent of Le Revard, I found very tough.  It was hot and long - although not particularly steep.  However, the lack of markers to tell you how far to go was something I found very troubling.

The final ascent of Semnoz was OK.  The kms were clearly marked and it was wonderful to hear the cheers as I passed the resteraunt with 150m to go.

And then ...one of the best beers ever.

There was lots of congratulations at the top - even a few tears - as we realised how far we'rd come as group, and how it's nearly at the end.

Jo and the kids are in Paris, and we've a horridly early start to get driven up there for a celebratory ride into the city.  I'm really looking forward to seeing them again - and to not riding up so many hills - but will miss the experience and the criac hugely

Stava link here.  Possibly the slowest ride I've done in 30years

Stage 19 - Alpe d'Huex to Le Grand Bornand

Today was a   l o n g  day.

However, I should mention that yesterday evening I was awarded the 'chapeau' - given each evening to somebody who the previous recipient thinks deserves it.  I'm not really sure what I did to merit the award - I think it was probably mainly due to cheerfully being overtaken 5 or so times per day by the same people!

The day started with a long traverse contouring around from Huez, and then down to the start of the Col du Glandon -avoiding the busy valley road.  The Glandon is a lovely climb - a bit frustrating because it has quite a lot of descent in the middle - but the moutainscape is awe-inspiring

I actually felt fresher than I look at this point

A long descent led straight into the Col de La Madeleine.  21 km at 8% with virtually no let up.  Just grind away, waving cheerfully to the faster people as they pass!

From there, it was tempting to think that the bulk of the work was done, but there were still many km and m to do.  A strong headwind in the valley.  A steaming Col de Tamie; an easier than expected Col d'Epine that led to the final climb of Col de Croix Fry.  12km winding past innumerable chocolate-box chalets.

I actually felt much worse than I look at this point

A long downhill brought me to the hotel at 7:30pm .  Tired - but I think that's OK after nearly 17,000ft of climbing

Strava Link here

1 more mountain day, then Paris!

Stage 18 - Gap to Alpe D'Huez

This stage was definitely one of the highlights of the tour route when it was announced last year.  Alpe d'Huez not once but twice in a day.  Obviously, they thought you can't have too much of good thing!  However, that wasn't the only climbing today, with several other chunky climbs.

I was joined by James Heath today, who although not part of the Tour de Force, had been given dispensation to join us for the day.  He gallantly rode alongside me the whole way, even though he could have done it much quicker (he missed out the first climb out of Gap - that must be why he had so much in reserve!).

At the start of the day, we were in mist for quite a while - following the N85 north in the valley.  As we turned east towards the Col d'Ornon the sun broke through, and its was a lovely quiet climb up the valley, surrounded by steep-sided mountains, with some patches of snow still hanging around at fairly low altitudes.  The descent was beautiful - see below

Arriving at the base of Alpe D'Huez is always a bit daunting.  Knowing we had to do it twice didn't help.  As alpine climbs go, it's not the biggest or the prettiest - but it is the most iconic.  There are 21 hairpin bends on the way up, each signposted and this helps psychologically as you can always do one more.  Also, the steepest part is at the bottom, so getting the first 5 bends out of the way helps.

Looking down into the valley from about 1/2 way up.

Plugging away at the climb got us to the top and lunch.  Just another lap to do.  First there was the climb and descent of the Col de Sarenne - a little used road over the mountains going east from Alpe d'Huez. This really was a mountain road.  Steep, narrow with a very rough surface.  The surroundings were majestic - but the riding hard and a bit frustrating.  The descent was steep hairpins on a rough gravelly surface.  There was little opportunity for safe speed and I had to stop 1/2 way down to cool the rims of my wheels.  If they got too hot, the tyres could easily explode.  I hope the pro negotiate it safely next week, because I would really not like to race that road.

Once back in the valley, there was a strange sense of deja vu....except this time it was hotter.  This time we stopped a couple of times to cool down in the roadside streams - shame they weren't there on Ventoux! We finished with an average speed of nearly 20Km/h which I think is respectable given the 15,000ft of altitude gained

Compared to today, tomorrow's stage is a LONG day - so blog might be late.   In the meantime enjoy the view from the bedroom window 

Really looking forward to Paris now, seeing Jo and the kids.

Strava link here

Stage 17 - Tme Trial - Embrun to Chorges

Today was a short time trial stage through the hills on the edge of the alps.  At 32km, it'll probably take the pros less than an hour.  It took me considerably longer, but then I did stop for photos.

The stage consisted of 2 cat 2 climbs and their descents.  The climbs gave wonderful views over the lake and the 2 descents was lovely and fast (the 1st was too twisty to go fast)

Sarah had prepared a treat for lunch.  I'm not sure where Nutella pies feature in a balanced diet - but they taste good!

I should write a bit about the organisation behind this trip.  I think I'm probably a pretty harsh critic of poorly organised events, but the organisation and logistics behind this enterprise are nothing short of brilliant.  Sarah (Perry) is the mastermind behind it all and has been supported by a team of masseurs, mechanics, physios and drivers).  She has arranged everything from the hotels, to the catering (e.g early breakfasts, getting the hotel kitchens to cook buckets of pasta for us each night), the transfers, the bike shipments - she appears to remember every detail effortlessly, and nothing is too trivial for her attention.  Without doubt, she is the fundamental reason why The Tour de Force is such a success.

Saying that should not diminish the contribution of Phil Deeker.  A slightly greying wiry - ageless, but probably older than all but a few people on the trip.  He covers more miles than any of us.  Sometimes riding with the fast guys - and capable of beating most of them, he'll then drop back and help the back markers before helping to take down the route markers at the end of the day.  On the Mt Ventoux day, he was one of the 1st to the summit, yet was last back having been most of the way down and gone back up with the back-markers.  There was no room in the bus to come down, so he appeared in the hotel after dark, soaked but still in good cheer having down a phenomenal ride!

  I'm still pretty slow up the hills but I'm getting quicker (about 750 vertical metres per hour, compared to just about 600 m/hr in Corsica).  More importantly, they feel much easier - I can just get into the rhythm and the km just tick by.  That's fortunate, since we have 3 enormous mountain stages coming up with 4 cat 3 climbs, 5 cat 2 climbs, 3 cat 1 climbs and 5 HC climbs.  I find it helpful (but sometimes a little daunting) to convert the climbs to multiples of Kop Hill - one of the biggest climbs near home with 130m of ascent.  It's a standard Cat 4 climb.  Category 3 is 2-3 Kop Hills, Category 2 is 4-5 Kop Hills. Cat 1 is about 6-8 Kop Hills and HC climbs are 9-12Kop Hills.  Some very rough maths means that the total climbing over the next 3 days is very approximately the equivalent of 100 Kop Hills.  Actually, I wish I hadn't just worked that out!

We have 20 new people arriving this evening.  Its a bit od seeing them arrive fresh-faced for their adventure, while the lifers are definately think about the end, looking forward to getting through the last 3 days and reaching Paris.

Strava link here

Stage 16 - Bedoin to Gap

After a relaxing rest day yesterday, it was back to the routine today.  A lovely stage going from Provence into the High Alps.  Great scenery throughout.

 Although the real tour route will start from Vaison La Romaine, a few miles north of My Ventoux, we started from our hotel in Bedoin and round the shoulder of the mountain to join the route after a few miles giving ourselves some more 'bonus' miles.  There were some fine views back to Ventoux before we moved out of Provence and into the Alps.

Although surrounded by steep mountains, the road picked a gentle gradient down and then back up over 40 miles before arriving in Gap. From Gap, there was an entirely unnecessary loop up the Col de Manse and back into town.  I rode with the lead group for much of the afternoon, before getting dumped on the final climb.  However, that did allow me to get in before the rain started - and it really is coming down in sheets.  Lots of thunder and lightning filling the whole valley.  The last descent is pretty technical along a narrow road with hairpins - I just hope that those out there now make it back safely

Back before the rain

I'm definitely getting stronger as the weeks progress - and am starting to really look forward to Paris .  However, there is the small matter of 3 big alpine days ahead.

Strava link here

Stage 15 - Givers to Mt Ventoux

Apologies for the late posting of this.  Yesterday was a long day and I knew we could relax on the only proper rest day of the tour today.

Regular readers will know that Stage 15 was 'the big one'.  242 km finishing with Mt Ventoux.  The last time the Tour de France had stage this long finishing with Mt Ventoux, Tommy Simpson died 2km from the summit from a potent mixture of over-exertion, over-heating, amphetamines and cognac.

It was another brutally early start.  Breakfast at 5:30am, bus left at 6:00 and we were on the road by 7:00am.

7:00am in Givers

 We knew from the outset that it would be scorching hot day, so the initial 130 miles was all about  pacing - regular drinking and eating and not pushing too hard on the hills.  The terrain was beautiful and rolling - lots of lavender fields, vineyards and olive groves - it felt a thousand miles from the damp, grey of St Malo only a few days ago (in fact it's not much more than 650 miles).  The mountains to our left as we went south gave warning that stage 16, to Gap, isn't going to be flat!

Finding some shade at lunch  

Provence prepares for Le Tour

I've mentioned before that I tend to go at my own pace - generally fastish on the flat and through the stops but slowing on the hills.  It has now become rather a joke that I am sometimes overtaken by the same people 4 or 5 times a day and yet I never seem to overtake them.  The impossibility of this has led to various theories such as  I use a car to get ahead or (more fun) that  I bend the fabric of space-time to get ahead while travelling slower.  I tend to think the answer is more prosaic - I stop less and for less time.

Arriving at the bottom of Mt Ventoux at 4:30pm I felt in reasonable condition, but the temperature was scorching - variously recorded at between 36deg and 42deg at the base of the climb.  I started the plod up the hill, very glad to be able to dunk my cap in a well after a few km.  The climb starts gently for a few km before heading steeply (9% average ) up through woods for about 12km.  This section had caused me problems before with the stifling heat and unremitting climb.  However the sky had started to cloud over and as I climbed there was an occasional breath of breeze.  1/2 way up, one of the vans was parked with water and peaches (very nice), and I treated myself to a large caffeine gel before grinding on.

At Chalet Reynard, the road leaves the trees and heads diagonally across the rock-strewn moonscape that caps the mountain.  The top looks an impossibly long way ahead at this point, but it was a case of knocking each km, one by one.  About 5km from the top I was overtaken by Lee - a tiny Scottish lady who must weigh as much as my right leg.  She skipped past with a cheery 'You're amazing, Rob' - very encouraging but it did betray genuine surprise that anybody could haul something the size of me up the mountain.

Jo rang with about a km to go, so after a brief exchange concerning the tennis, I mentioned that I was bit busy and could I call a bit later (I was still pedalling).  In the end, I did reach the top to find a motley bunch of survivors there already.  Some had clearly gone beyond normal limits on the climb and there were tears of relief and exhaustion from a few (only from the men, though - the women are much tougher).

Having the sign attached to my helmet cost me hours!

The sky had clouded over and the wind picked up, and it was time to leave.  As we started the descent, lightning flickered over to the east and I started to feel drops of rain.  The descent is wonderful - very quick and comparatively safe, but I did feel like I was racing the wind down the mountain.  Those who were even a few minutes behind had a freezing cold and very wet descent.  

In the end everybody made it up the mountain, although some were bussed back down to avoid the darkness and rain.  It was a lovely relaxed atmosphere back at the hotel, having conquered the longest stage and with the prospect of a day off today.