Monday was an epic day. The first climb of the morning was Hautacam followed by Cambasque. Hautacam is a winter sports area above Argelès-Gazost. From St. Savin, the base of the climb is a short descent to the valley below. You arrive at the base of the Hautacam in less than 20 minutes. From there, you go uphill, and it's VERY steep. Several epic stage finishes of the TDF have ended on Hautacam. The climb itself is 13 km at an average grade of 8%. However, there are at least 3 kilometers that have an average grade of 10%. There is one kilometer where the average grade is 9%, but the first few hundred meters are downhill. This means that the rest of the kilometer is 11-15%. OUCH! I actually think that Hautacam is a harder climb than the Col du Tourmalet.
Cambasque is 19 kilometers from St. Savin. The climb up to Cauterets is not too bad, but the 3 kilometers after Cauterets are brutal 9-11%. The TDF has finished here three times.
After Hautacam and Cauterets it was time for the compression tights and a nap. It rained Tuesday, but I had decided to make the day a designated rest day anyway.
Col du Tourmalet
After a rest day on Tuesday, I decided to ride the Tourmalet today. The Col du Tourmalet is a climb that goes on forever. From Saint Savin it's downhill for 3 kilometers, then another 12 kilometers to Luz Saint Sauveur at 3% The climb officially starts at Luz. It's 18 kilometers to the summit (2115 meters or 6939 feet) at 7.6%, and the climb never really backs off. The last kilometer is 10% with some even steeper ramps.
The Col du Tourmalet has been used in the Tour de France for the past 101 years and has quite a history. The large statue at the top of the col is of Octave Lapize, who led the TDF over the first ascent of the Tourmalet in 1910. He is noted for yelling at the Tour officials, "Vous êtes des assassins! Oui, des assassins!' (Translation: 'You are murderers! Yes, murderers!')" Octave was a fighter pilot in World War I. He was shot down and late died of his injuries.
You can see my bike (the Leopard) leaning against the railing. The cafe was a great place to get a cafe au lait. It was very cold on top.
Who is Going to Win the Tour?
WOW! The last two days of the Tour have certainly been interesting. Voeckler is still in yellow, and France is going crazy. Contador is not dominating the race as in previous years, and Evans is looking really good. Andy needs to learn how to descend. Bike races go downhill as well as uphill. Right now, there are still about 8 guys who can still win the race. My pick for the podium is (1) Evans, (2) Voeckler, and (3) Contador. This prediction could change after tomorrow's stage.
Moving on to the Ariège Tomorrow
I will certainly miss St. Savin and the Lanterne Rouge. Paddy and Olive are wonderful hosts. And Sean, their fifteen month old son, is a charmer. If you are thinking of a cycling trip to France and the Pyrenees, I think that a top priority would be a stay at the Lanterne Rouge. I am 90% certain that I will be back next year. Anyone interested in tagging along.
Thanks for the stirring report. Almost makes me eager for climbing, note the almost.
ReplyDeleteAs to the Tour I am keen on Evans at present